AMOS 8:4-7

AMOS 8:4-7

⁴ Hear this, you who trample the needy
    and do away with the poor of the land,

⁵ saying,

“When will the New Moon be over
    that we may sell grain,
and the Sabbath be ended
    that we may market wheat?”—

skimping on the measure,
    boosting the price
    and cheating with dishonest scales,

⁶ buying the poor with silver
    and the needy for a pair of sandals,

    selling even the sweepings with the wheat.

⁷ The Lord has sworn by himself, the Pride of Jacob: “I will never forget anything they have done.

ARE THE WORDS OF THE BIBLE TO BE BELIEVED

OR THEY JUST HAPPY TALK

LISTENED TO BE EARS THAT DO NOT HEAR

UNABLE TO PENETRATE OUR HEARTS

THE WORDS OF AMOS

WRITTEN OVER TWO THOUSAND YEARS AGO

TRANSCRIBED INTO MODERN TIMES

WOULD READ LIKE TODAY’S HEADLINES

WHILE THOSE WHO DO IT

PRATE PIOUS PLATITUDES

THE LORD HAS SAID

HE WILL NOT FORGET THEIR ACTIONS

LORD WE HAVE WANDERED FAR

FROM OUR FATHER’S HOUSE

WITH A RIGHT SPIRIT RENEW US

AND MELT OUR HEARTS TO HEAR

FRANK A VOLLMER

OLD DAYS

OLD DAYS

 

 

I  HEARD A SPEAKER

WAX ELOQUENTLY

ABOUT HOW GOOD

THE OLD DAYS WERE

 

IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER

THAT DURING THOSE IDYLLIC TIMES

WE HAD RACE HATRED

AND RELIGIOUS BIGOTRY

.LABOR STRIFE AS WORKERS

FOUGHT FOR A LIVING WAGE

AND SAFE WORKING CONDITIONS

 MANY WERE HUNGRY

 AND ARE STILL HUNGRY

SIX MILLION JEWS SLAUGHTERED

 AND THE CHURCHES WERE SILENT

 

THERE MAY HAVE BEEN GOOD TIMES

 FOR A FEW

 BUT CHRISTIANITY

IS A COMMUNITY RELIGION

AND IF ONE IS HUNGRY

ALL ARE HUNGRY

 

FRAN A VOLLMER

some thoughts (pope francis)

 

FRANCIS SPOKE OUT AGAINST THE INDIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD TODAY. PEOPLE DIE OF COLD IN THE STREETS BECAUSE OF THIS INDIFFERENCE: “IF IN SO MANY PARTS OF THE WORLD THERE ARE CHILDREN WHO HAVE NOTHING TO EAT, THAT'S NOT NEWS, IT SEEMS NORMAL. IT CANNOT BE THIS WAY! YET THESE THINGS BECOME THE NORM: THAT SOME HOMELESS PEOPLE DIE OF COLD ON THE STREETS IS NOT NEWS. IN CONTRAST, A TEN POINT DROP ON THE STOCK MARKETS OF SOME CITIES IS A TRAGEDY. A PERSON DYING IS NOT NEWS, BUT IF THE STOCK MARKETS DROP TEN POINTS IT IS A TRAGEDY! THUS PEOPLE ARE DISPOSED OF, AS IF THEY WERE TRASH. CONSUMERISM HAS LED US TO BECOME USED TO AN EXCESS AND DAILY WASTE OF FOOD, TO WHICH, AT TIMES, WE ARE NO LONGER ABLE TO GIVE A JUST VALUE, WHICH GOES WELL BEYOND MERE ECONOMIC PARAMETERS,” (POPE FRANCIS)

 

 

 

 

ONE OF THE MOST PERSISTENT HERESIES ESPECIALLY IN MODERN TIMES IS THE SEPARATION OF FAITH FROM DAILY LIFE

 

IT INFECTS EVERYONE FROM CLERICS HIDING PEDERASTY, POLITICIANS WHO PUT BEING REELECTED OVER MORAL JUDGMENTS, DOWN TO YOU AND I

 

 

AN ECONOMIST HAS SAID IN RESPONSE TO THE POPE’S STATEMENT

THAT CAPITALISM CAN CURE POVERTY

I ASK IF THAT IS SO WHY DOES IT STILL EXIST

IS IT BECAUSE OF LACK OF WILL.

 

 

THOSE IN CHARGE ARE COMMITTED TO THE WELFARE OF THE PEOPLE.

 

ALL OF US ARE DESTINED TO ASK THE QUESTION

WHEN WERE YOU HUNGRY

NAKED OR POOR

 

CAN WE LIVE WITH THE ANSWER

 

 

FRANK A VOLLMER



QUEEN ISABELLA

 

 

QUEEN ISABELLA

FULL FIVE YEARS OLD

IMPERIOUSLY DECLARED

WHILE STOMPING HER FEET

SHAKING HER  FANNY

HAND ON HER HIP

IT MAY BE SO

BUT I DON’T THINK SO

 

ISABELLA

ISABELLA

IN ENGLISH

ELIZABETH

 

BOTH FROM THE HEBREW

ELISHEBA

MEANING DEVOTED TO GOD

 

WHEN ANYONE CALLS YOUR NAME

MAKE SURE

YOU ARE WORTHY OF THAT CALLING

 

YOUR NAMESAKE SAID

SEEK OUT THE UNKNOWN

 

MAY YOU DO ALSO

 

MAY THE GOD TO WHOM YOU ARE DEVOTED

FILL YOUR MIND WITH STARS AND PLANETS

MAY YOU LIVE WITH YOUR HAND GRASPING

FOR OTHER WORLDS

UNTIL YOU FIND HEAVEN

 

 

FRANK A VOLLMER

 

 

ISABELLA

GRANDDAUGHTER OF  PASTOR

A TRIP



BE GOOD, DO GOOD

 

 

 

BE GOOD

DO GOOD

 

 

A MINISTER RETIRED

 

GAVE   HIS LIBRARY TO THE CHURCH

 

I’M READING

A BETTER CLASS OF CHURCH HISTORY

 

THE MORE I READ

THE MORE I BELIEVE

THAT CHRIST WAS SERIOUS

WHEN HE SAID

I’LL BE WITH YOU ALWAYS

 

I WILL SEND MY SPIRIT TO GUIDE YOU

TILL THE END OF TIME

 

OTHERWISE

THE CHURCH

WOULD NEVER SURVIVE

 

SINCE THE BEGINNING

THERE WAS   DISSENSIONS

 

RELIGIOUS PEOPLE

ACTING IRRELIGIOUS

IN CHRIST’S NAME

 

BUT WHILE PHILOSOPHERS ARGUED

MOTHERS TAUGHT THEIR CHILDREN

THE BASIC CHRISTIAN TEACHING

BE GOOD

DO GOOD

 

THE CHURCH SURVIVED

 

ALL THE OTHER PARAPHERNALIA OF RELIGION

IS ADIAPHORA

WITHOUT THAT BASIC TEACHING 

 

CHURCH STRUCTURE MAY GO AWAY

WORSHIP METHODS MAY CHANGE

DOCTRINAL DIFFERENCES MAY DISAPPEAR

 

TOO MANY HAVE LOST THEIR LIVES

AND THEIR SOULS OVER THESE

 

WHAT REMAINS IS

BE GOOD

DO GOOD

WITH ALL ITS IMPLICATIONS

 

IT’S TIME FOR CHRISTIANITY

TO BE KNOWN FOR LOVE

NOT FOR WHAT WE HATE

 

FRANK A VOLLMER



FREE

FREE

 

 

IT PLEASES ME

TO SEE

A BIRD PERCHING ON THE CROSS

ATOP OUR STEEPLE

 

PERHAPS RESTING

FROM A JOURNEY

OR JUST A QUIET MOMENT

 

IT PLEASES ME

THAT HE SEES

IN THE CROSS

A SOURCE OF PEACE AND REST

 

AS IT REMINDS US

THAT THE CROSS

IS A SIGN

OF PEACE AND REST

WON FOR US AT GREAT PRICE

 

GIVEN TO US A NO COST

 

IT REMINDS US

THAT WE SHOULD BE WORTHY

OF THIS GIFT

 

FREE TO US

AS THE PERCH IS TO THE BIRD

 

FRANK A VOLLMER



ACTS 10;34

 

Acts 10:34-36

The Message

^. Peter fairly exploded with his good news: “It’s God’s own truth, nothing could be plainer: God plays no favorites! It makes no difference who you are or where you’re from—if you want God and are ready to do as he says, the door is open

 

 

 

I LOVE THIS PASSAGE

IT SEEMS TO SAY

WHEREVER GOOD IS FOUND

THERE GOD IS

 

IT BREAKS ECCLESIASTICAL BOUNDARIES

IT PUTS THE LIE TO THOSE WHO SAY

OUTSIDE OF US YOU’RE DEAD

IT RESTORES BENEVOLENCE TO GOD

 

WHO WOULD LOVE A GOD

WHO ONLY PRACTICES HARM

 

THOSE WHO PRACTICE GOODNESS

ARE GOD’S CHILDREN

 

THOSE WHO ARE NOT SO GOOD

ARE GOD’S CHILDREN

 

THOSE WHO ARE DELIBERATELY EVIL

ARE GOD’S D CHILDREN

 

ALL BEING DRAWN

BY THE SAME MAGNET

GOD’S LOVE FOR THEM

 

WHO ARE WE

HIS CREATURES

TO TELL HIM

WHO MAY COME INTO HIS KINGDOM

WHO ARE WE INDEED

 

A QUESTION

IF THERE WAS NO KINGDOM

WOULD YOU STILL SERVE GOD

OUT OF THANKS FOR YOUR CREATION

LIKE CHILDREN

BEING GOOD

FOR A LOLLYPOP

SHOULDN’T WE BE BETTER THAN THAT

 

AND MAKE OUR LIVES

WORTHY OF HIS CREATION

 

FRANK A VOLLMER