DUST –(ASH WEDNESDAY)
DOES THE WIND KNOW
THE VALUE OF THE DUST
IT WHIRLS INTO A COLUMN
IS IT TRYING TO MAKE A MAN
IF IT SUCCEEDED
WOULD IT BLOW ITS CREATION AWAY
ON A WHIM
WOULD IT LOVE ITS CREATION
WOULD IT DIE FOR HIM
WOULD IT HOVER OVER HIM
LIKE A MOTHER HEN
FUSSING FORGIVING
TIME AND AGAIN
FOLDING HIM TO HER BOSOM
OR WOULD IT
AS SO MANY GODS HAVE DONE
FADE FALTER
AND GO AWAY
RAINBOWS (Genesis 9:8-17) WEEK ONE
EACH MAN SEES HIS OWN RAINBOW
BASED ON THE OBSERVER’S POSITION
AND THE PLACE OF THE SUN
ANOTHER WAY OF SAYING PERHAPS
THAT GOD WANTS TO HAVE PEACE SO MUCH
HE GIVES IT TO EACH ONE OF US INDIVIDUALLY
THE BOW OF THE RAINBOW IS AWAY FROM EARTH
PROTECTING THE ONE BENEATH
FANTASY PERHAPS
BUT NOT TOO FAR FROM THE POETRY THAT IS GOD
PEACE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN WAR
LOVE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN HATE
WHERE DOGMA BRINGS DEATH
CAN WE NOT SAY WITH ASSURANCE
WE'VE GOT IT WRONG
GENTLE REBUKE (Mark 8:31-38) WEEK TWO
SO QUICKLY HAD HE SPOKE
IMPULSIVE PETER
SO QUICKLY HAD HE SPOKE
THE WORDS WERE OUT
BEFORE HE HAD TIME TO THINK
BUT OUT OF HIS LOVE FOR HIS FRIEND
AND THE IMPACT
OF THE WORDS HE HAD SAID
I MUST GO TO JERUSALEM AND DIE
HE PUT HIS ARM AROUND JESUS
AND DREW HIM TO HIMSELF
SHELTERING
AND SAID
IT MUST NOT BE
AND JESUS HEARTBROKEN
BECAUSE PETER
STILL
WAS UNAWARE OF HIS MISSION
SAID SOFTLY
GET BEHIND ME SATAN
GET BEHIND ME SATAN
ADVICE GIVEN A CHILD BY A PARENT
DON’T STUDY FOR THE MINISTRY
THERE’S NO FUTURE
LONG HOURS
AND LOW WAGES
SHELTERING THE CHILD
OR THOSE
WATCHING BOX CARS
RATTLING ACROSS EUROPE
FILLED WITH HUMANITY
AND SAYING NOTHING
OR PREACHERS
PREACHING BROTHERHOOD
IN A SEGREGATED CHURCH
WHILE LAZARUS
IS UNDER THE TABLE
BEGGING CRUMBS
OR WORKMEN
AFTER YEARS OF SERVICE
FINDING NO PENSION
WHILE CEOS MAKE MILLIONS
WHERE IS THE CRY FOR JUSTICE
MUTED BY THOSE WHO HAVE
AND JESUS SAYS
GET BEHIND ME SATAN
UNLESS A MAN
IS WILLING TO TAKE A STAND
AND SUFFER WITH ME
HE IS NOT WORTHY OF ME
JESUS SAYS
GIVE ME PEOPLE
LIKE MOTHER TERESA
MAHATMA GANDHI
DIETRICH BONHOEFFER
DOROTHY DAY
DANIEL BERRIGAN
JOHN XXIII
TAKE YOUR ARM FROM AROUND ME
I AM NOT A TOY
OR PRETTY FEELING
TO BE SHELTERED FROM THE STORM
I KNOW YOU LOVE ME
BUT YOUR ARM AROUND ME HINDERS ME
I NEED TO STRETCH
MY ARMS OUT
FOR THE CROSS
I AM YOUR FRIEND
WHO DOES NOT SHIRK
FROM EMPTYING HIMSELF
AND DYING ON A CROSS
DOVES (JOHN 2:13-22) WEEK THREE
HE WOULDN’T HURT THE DOVES
HE TOLD THEIR SELLERS
TO TAKE THEM FROM THE TEMPLE
THE BEASTS
USED TO ROUGH TREATMENT
HE DROVE FROM THE TEMPLE
ALONG WITH THEIR SELLERS
AND THE MONEY CHANGERS
BUT HE WOULDN’T HURT THE BIRDS
YOU HAVE MADE MY FATHER’S HOUSE
A SLAUGHTER HOUSE
A PLACE TO EXTORT THE POOR
KEEPING THE PRICE OF SACRIFICE HIGH
NO ALLOWANCE FOR THE WIDOW
OR THE WIDOWS MITE
BUT I AM TIRED OF YOUR BURNT OFFERINGS
THE SMOKE OF WHICH
NO LONGER PLEASES ME
IT’S JUST RITUAL
WITHOUT SUBSTANCE
BUYING GOD WITH A BURNING COW
I HAVE COME TO END SACRIFICES
WITH ONE GREAT SACRIFICE
MINE
TEAR DOWN THIS TEMPLE
AND I WILL REBUILD IT
IN THREE DAYS
WITH FLESH AND BLOOD
TEAR DOWN THIS TEMPLE
AND OLD WAYS CEASE
THE LAW IS LIFELESS AND COLD
BUT GOD’S LOVE IS WARM
SOCIAL GOSPEL (John 3:14-21) FOURTH WEEK
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
FOUND OUT (JOHN 12;20-33) WEEK FIVE
THE GOSPEL FOR THIS SUNDAY
I FIND CONFUSING
NO NEW THING THERE
FIRST GREEKS COME TO SEE JESUS
THEN DISAPPEAR
LET ME TELL YOU
WHAT I THINK
NOT WHAT I KNOW
WHEN THE GREEKS APPEARED
JESUS SAYS
THE WORLD HAS DISCOVERED ME
MY HOUR HAS COME
I MUST AS A GRAIN OF WHEAT
DIE
AND MY DEATH
WILL BEAR MUCH FRUIT
MY FOLLOWERS
IT WILL BE A ROUGH ROAD
THINK MUCH
BEFORE YOU START ON IT
WE WILL WALK THE ROAD
TOGETHER
I SPEAK NOBLY
BUT I AM AFRAID
SHALL I ASK TO BE SAVED FROM THIS HOUR
NO
IT IS THE PURPOSE
FOR MY BEING
FATHER
FOR YOUR GLORY
I DIE
LIKE THUNDER
HEAVEN SPOKE
AMEN
AMEN
AMEN
I DIE IN BATTLE
THAT THE ENEMY BE VANQUISHED
WHEN I AM LIFTED UP IN DEATH
I SHALL DRAW
ALL PEOPLE
TO MY SELF
AND THE HEAVENS RUMBLED
AMEN
AMEN
AMEN
Isn't it sad, that in a time when we face so many devastating problems – poverty, HIV/AIDS, war and conflict – that in our Communion we should be investing so much time and energy on disagreement about sexual orientation?" --Archbishop Tutu
I don't preach a social gospel; I preach the Gospel, period. The gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is concerned for the whole person. When people were hungry, Jesus didn't say, "Now is that political or social?" He said, "I feed you." Because the good news to a hungry person is bread.
--Archbishop Tutu
PALM SUNDAY
WHEN JESUS RODE INTO JERUSALEM
ON A DONKEY HE’D BORROWED FOR THE OCCASION
HEARING HOSANNAS
AND SEEING THE PALM BRANCHES
STREWN IN HIS WAY
HE HEARD UNDERNEATH
THE SNICKERING OF SOME
TEACHER GET YOUR DISCIPLES UNDER CONTROL
IT’S UNLAWFUL TO BE JOYFUL
IF I SHOULD QUIET THEM
THE VERY STONES WOULD SING
BUT THE HOLY PEOPLE
THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS
THE GOOD PEOPLE
CALLED OUT
SEEING THE JOY OF THE CROWD
CRIED
IT’S OUT OF CONTROL
IT’S A STAMPEDE
WE WANT THEM WORRIED
ABOUT RELIGIOUS MINUTIAE
NOT THE FREEDOM HE TALKS ABOUT
HE MUST BE STOPPED
BEFORE ALL WE STAND FOR DIES
IT WOULD BE NICE TO SAY
THAT THE PROPHECY IS TRUE
THAT THE PHARISEES ARE DEAD
BUT THEY ARE STILL WITH US
WORRYING ABOUT MINUTIAE
WHILE CHILDREN STARVE
WHERE IS OUR SENSE OF VALUES
WHILE JESUS RIDES TO HIS DEATH
AND THE MOOD OF THE CROWD WILL CHANGE
YET HE RIDES TO BRING ABOUT OUR SALVATION
AND ASKS US TO MAKE HIS SACRIFICE WORTHWHILE
FRANK A VOLLMER
