FERNS

I LIKE FERNS

I LIKE THEIR OPENNESS

THEIR GRACEFUL LINES

HOW THEY SURVIVE

IN GOOD OR BAD CONDITIONS

NO CONVOLUTED FLOWER SHAPE

NO PISTILS

STAMENS

SIMPLE IN SHAPE

COMPLEX IN DESIGN

THEIR DESIGN SHAPE IS CALLED VASE

LIKE A BUNCH OF CUT FLOWERS

IN A CONTAINER

A FRIEND OF MINE

KNEW I LIKED FERNS

SO SHE DUG

AND PLANTED

A GARDEN OF THEM

STANDING OVER THEM WHEN SHE FINISHED

SWEATY

DIRT STREAKED

SHE SAID

I HOPE THEY LIVE

WHETHER THEY GO TO DUST

AS ALL MUST

THE KINDNESS OF HER ACT

IS LIKE A CANDLE IN A DARK PLACE

IT MAKES THE NIGHT LESS FRIGHTENING

ITS GLOW MAKES ONE FEEL WARM

IT MAKES A MEMORY

TO CHERISH

AND LOVE

FRANK A VOLLMER

WITH THANKS TO PAM

WHO DUG THE GARDEN

DONKEY AND A CARROT

 I OFTEN THINK

THAT CHRISTIANITY

REDUCES ITSELF

TO THE PICTURE

OF A DONKEY

CHASING A CARROT ON A STICK

THAT HEAVEN IS A REWARD

FOR GOOD CONDUCT

THAT WE SOMEHOW MERITED IT

GOOD CONDUCT

IS FAITH IN ACTION

DONE

 BECAUSE

IT IS THE PROPER THING

EXPECTED

OF ONE

WHO LOVES GOD

NOT FOR REWARD

BUT OUT OF LOVE

LIKE THE ISRAELITES

WHO SERVED GOD

WITHOUT A HOPE OF RESURRECTION

WE GAIN NO MERIT FOR GOOD CONDUCT

IT IS THE FRUIT OF OUR FAITH

ABIDE WITH ME

I AM THE VINE

YOU ARE THE BRANCHES

ABIDE WITH ME

YOU WILL BEAR MUCH FRUIT

FRANK A VOLLMER

You are always on their lips

You are always on their lips
but far from their hearts.
Jer. 12:2b

I IT WOULD BE NICE
IF FAULTFINDERS
LIKE MYSELF
WERE FAULTLESS
BUT I MISS THE MARK OFTEN

BUT THERE ARE SOME THINGS
THAT LOOM LARGER THAN MY FAILINGS

AMONG WHICH
ANY CHILD WHO IS STARVING
JOBS
AT DECENT WAGES
AND CONDITIONS

POLITICIANS WHO PRATE MORALITY
LIKE A PARROT
WITH AS MUCH SENSE

TAXES ON THE POOR
WHILE THE RICH PAY LITTLE

A MAN JUDGED BY RACE OR RELIGION

CHRIST DIED FOR ALL OF THESE
CAN WE NOT HONOR HIS DEATH
BY DEALING WITH THEM
JUSTLY

FRANK A VOLLMER

MUD

IN HIS CONSTANT DARKNESS

HE GROPED HIS WAY TO THE POOL

AIDED BY THE KINDNESS OF STRANGERS

IT WAS NOT HIS NORMAL PLACE OF BUSINESS

HIS PARENTS

WOULD DELIVER HIM

TO THE TEMPLE CONFINES

WHERE HE BEGGED

FROM THE GUILTY GOING IN

THE JUSTIFIED COMING OUT

PEOPLE ANXIOUS TO PERFORM A MITZVAH

LIKE THIS PERSON

WHO HAD JUST SPOKE TO HIM

HAD SPOKEN AS IF TO AN EQUAL

THE THOUGHT WAS

THAT SALIVA

HAD HEALING PROPERTIES

SO JESUS SPAT ON THE GROUND

MADE MUD

COATED THE MAN’S EYES WITH IT

TELLING HIM

GO WASH IN THE POOL

OF SILOAM

WHICH MEANS SENT

AS JESUS WAS SENT

TO BRING LIGHT

HE PLUNGED INTO THE POOL

NOT GRACEFULLY

BUT A FULL BELLY FLOP

THEN STOOD UP

WATER STREAMING

THE MUD WASHED AWAY

SAW A FUNNY FACE

RIPPLES DISTORTING THE IMAGE

GRADUALLY THE WATER STILLED

A BEAUTIFUL IMAGE EMERGED

HE WEPT

AND PRAYED

NOW LORD

WHEN I LOOK AT THE HEAVENS

THE WORK OF YOUR FINGERS

THE MOON AND THE STARS

THAT YOU HAVE MADE

WHAT ARE WE

LITTLE ANTS

THAT YOU ARE MINDFUL OF US

YET YOU HAVE MADE US

A LITTLE LOWER THAN GOD

CROWNED US WITH GLORY AND HONOR

AND GIVEN ME A BEAUTIFUL FACE

I SHALL SERVE THIS SON OF MAN

THIS HEALER

CERTAINLY GRATEFUL FOR HIS HEALING

BUT MORE

HE SPOKE TO ME AS AN EQUAL

FRANK A VOLLMER

BASED ON A SERMON BY PASTOR MOODY



I AM (JOHN 18:5-6)

IN SHOCK

THE SOLDIERS FELL BACK

FELL DOWN

THE JEWISH SOLDIERS THOUGHT

BLASPHEMY

THE ROMAN SOLDIERS THOUGHT

LUNACY

THE ROOT WAS THE SAME

THE MAN HAD DECLARED HIMSELF

GOD

HAD DECLARED HIMSELF

I AM

AN ECHO OF LONG AGO

A BURNING BUSH

AND MOSES

I AM

BEFORE TIME BEGAN

I AM

AS LONG AS TIME RUNS

I AM

WHEN TIME SHALL CEASE

I AM

WHO DO YOU SEEK

JESUS OF NAZARETH

I AM

LET MY FRIENDS GO

YOU ARE LOOKING FOR I AM

I’VE ALREADY TOLD YOU

I AM HE

THEN THIS GREAT GOD

WHO LEAPED FROM HEAVEN

TO BE WITH MEN

TOOK THE FORM OF A COMMON CRIMINAL

AND WENT TO HIS DEATH

WHERE EVERYTHING WAS TAKEN AWAY

MOTHER

FRIENDS

DIGNITY

CLOTHES

LIFE

BUT BEFORE DEATH

WOULD COME THE WORST OF ALL

WHEN HE FELT HIS FATHER

HAD ABANDONED HIM

THE WORST LOSS OF ALL

HE DIED

AS ALL MEN DIE

PLEADING FOR GOD TO TAKE HIM

WHO DO YOU SEEK

JESUS OF NAZARETH

WHO DO WE SEEK

JESUS OF NAZARETH

THE GREAT

I AM

FRANK A VOLLMER

Based on a sermon idea of Pastor Moody

INVISIBLE HANDS (GENESIS 1)

AND GOD STOOD UP

BRUSHED HIS INVISIBLE HANDS

LOOKED AT THE CREATION HE HAD MADE

WITH HIS STILL INVISIBLE HANDS

FELT PRIDE

SMILED

 LIGHT BEGAN

SMILED AGAIN

CLAPPED HIS INVISIBLE HANDS

THUNDER ROLLED

COMETS FLEW THROUGH THE SKY

WATER SURGED

BUT HE CALMLY FIXED THEIR LIMITS

WITH SUN CAME LIFE

FLORA AND FAUNA

WITH LIFE CAME CONCERN

FOR LIVING THINGS

I NEED A GARDENER

A CARETAKER

FOR MY CREATION

HE MADE A MAN

TASKED HIM WITH THE JOB

FROM THE BEGINNING

WE WERE BAD GARDENERS

UNGRATEFUL CHILDREN

WITH A COSTLY GIFT

WE ATE THE FRUIT

ACQUIRED KNOWLEDGE

WAY BEYOND OUR NEEDS

WITH SIN NIGHT BEGAN

TRYING TO CATCH THE RISING SUN

WE MARCHED EAST OUT OF THE GARDEN

BUT THE SUN WOULD NOT STAY

BUT SWEPT OVER US

AS IF TO SAY

YOU WANTED NIGHT

ONCE THERE WAS NO NIGHT

EVERY TIME THE SUN PASSES OVER

IT SEEMS TO SAY

IT’S NOT TO LATE TO TEND THE GARDEN

TO RESTORE THE BEAUTY OF MY WORLD

THEN GOD SMILED AGAIN

I’LL SEND MY SON TO HELP THE GARDENER

THE DARKNESS COULD NOT COMPREHEND THIS

AND FLED TO SHADOW LAND

IN MY GARDEN

 THIEVES CANNOT BREAK IN

OR MOTH CONSUME

IF THE GARDENER IS VIGILANT

FOR MY PART

 I HOLD THE WORLD

IN MY INVISIBLE HANDS

FRANK A VOLLMER

SOCIAL GOSPEL (JOHN 3:16)

THE SOCIAL GOSPEL
IS NOT AN APPENDAGE
TO CHRISTIANITY
BUT THE ESSENCE OF IT

WE LABOR OVER THE DIFFERENCES
BUT DO NOT REMEMBER
THE COMMON THREAD

THROUGH OUT THE TESTAMENTS
LOVE GOD
LOVE NEIGHBOR

WHEN CHRIST WAS TASKED
TO GIVE THE FINAL SACRIFICE

HE WENT
THOUGH HE WAS AFRAID

HE WENT
ALONG WITH THE OTHER PROPHETS
PROCLAIMING GOOD NEWS
TO ALL PEOPLE

NOT REGARDING
SOCIAL STATUS
INTELLIGENCE
WEALTH OR POVERTY
POWER OR IMPOTENCE

WE SHOULD REMEMBER ONLY
THAT CHRIST HAS DIED FOR ALL
THEREFORE EVERYMAN
HAS DIGNITY

IS ENTITLED TO ALL
THE GOOD THINGS OF LIFE

TO LIVE WITHOUT FEAR
WITHOUT HUNGER
WITHOUT THIRST FOR CLEAN WATER

TO SEE HIS CHILDREN THRIVE
SLEEP IN A WARM BED
HAVE A FUTURE

A MINISTER HAS RECENTLY SAID
THAT HE EXPECTS
TO SEE GANDHI IN HEAVEN

WHICH CREATED A FIRESTORM
AMONG THOSE CHRISTIANS
WHO SAY
OUTSIDE THE CHURCH
THERE IS NO SALVATION


THEIR IDEA OF CHURCH
IS SO NARROW
THAT IT PUTS A LIE
TO JOHN 3:16

THAT GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD
HE SENT HIS SON 
TO DIE FOR IT

WHERE DID THESE
GATEKEEPERS OF THE KINGDOM
GET THE POWER
TO BUILD A FENCE
AROUND THOSE
WHOM CHRIST WOULD SAVE

GOD’S CHURCH
IS BIGGER THAN CREED

GOD’S CHURCH IS BUILT
ON THE SOCIAL GOSPEL

WE WILL BE JUDGED
BY OUR CONDUCT

WE WOULD DO BETTER
TO BUILD THE KINGDOM
THE WAY GOD WANTS
RATHER
THAN RESTRICT MEMBERSHIP


FRANK A VOLLMER