Goats and Lambs

THE GOATS WERE BROUGHT INTO THE BARN

AFTER THEIR DAY IN THE FIELD

THEY COULDN’T STAND THE COLD

BUT THE SHEEP REMAINED OUTSIDE

WARM IN THEIR COAT

MILKING THE GOAT WAS WOMEN’S WORK

A DEBAUCHED WOMEN WAS CALLED A GOAT

THE GOATS WERE BLACK

THE SHEEP WOOL WHITE

THE GOATS WERE PROMISCUOUS

THEY SHARED THEIR MATES

THE SHEEP DID NOT

OUT OF ALL THIS FOLKLORE

JESUS SPUN A TALE

USING IMAGES THE PEOPLE UNDERSTOOD

HE STARTS BY SAYING

THE KING COMES IN GLORY

SO CRITICAL IN THE EAST

THE DEMAND FOR RESPECT

SO HE COMES IN GLORY

AND SITS ON THE GLORY THRONE

COMMANDING RESPECT

AS BEFITS A KING

AND TELLS A COMMON STORY

OF SEPARATING SHEEP FROM GOATS

SEPARATING THE GOOD

FROM THE INDIFFERENT

THEY WERE NOT COMPLETELY BAD

THE GOATS

THEY WERE INDIFFERENT

AND SAID TO THE SHEEP

WHO WERE CARING

AND HUDDLED TOGETHER FOR WARMTH

COME INTO THE KINGDOM

I HAVE PREPARED FOR YOU

AND I’LL SHALL BE YOUR SHEPHERD

FRANK A VOLLMER

Carcer

THE WORD CARCER IN LATIN

MEANS PRISON

TO INCARCERATE

MEANS

TO SEND TO PRISON

THE EARLY CHURCH

KNEW WELL

WHAT CARCER MEANT

EARLY ON THE PRISONS

COULD NOT KEEP THEM

CHAINS FELL OFF

DOORS WERE OPENED

THEY WALKED FREE

BUT LATER

CARCER MEANT

A DOORWAY

TO HEAVEN

IN FACT IT WAS A FATE

THAT MANY SOUGHT

TODAY

WE HAVE MANY

WHO WILL DIE FOR A CAUSE

WE SCOFF

FORGETTING

THAT THE CHURCH

IN ALL ITS FORMS

HAS MANY MARTYRS

SO WHERE

DOES IT END

HOW DO WE JUDGE

WHEN IT’S RIGHT

WHEN IT’S WRONG

TO PARAPHRASE PAUL

IF WHAT YOU DO

HAS NOT LOVE

THEN THE ACT

IS A CLANGING BELL

THAT IS OUT OF TUNE

BELIEFS

WHICH SHOULD

BETTER MAN

BELITTLE HIM

BETTER A WASTELAND

THEY THINK

THAN LET ANOTHER

SURVIVE

THE CHURCH

HAS A POOR TRACK RECORD

OF LETTING THE OTHER SURVIVE

IF WHAT WE DO

HASN’T GOT LOVE

MANY THINK

IT’S NAMBY-PAMBY

BUT TO LOVE ANOTHER

AT COST TO ONESELF

IS LIKE PETER

MEETING CHRIST ON THE ROAD

ASKING

QUO VADIS DOMINE

THE ANSWER

LED PETER

BACK TO ROME

TO DIE

FRANK A VOLLMER

I Have a Daughter

I HAVE A DAUGHTER

OF WHOM I AM EXTREMELY PROUD

WHEN IT WAS NOT POPULAR

OR FASHIONABLE



SHE SIDED WITH THE POOR

THE DISPOSSESSED

THE UNIMPORTANT



A WAR THAT WAS WRONG

DICTATORS

WHO WERE OUR FRIENDS

BUT NOT TO THEIR PEOPLE



GRAPE PICKERS

LETTUCE HARVESTERS

FARM WORKERS

MIGRANT LABOR

ANYTHING WHICH DEGRADED A MAN



CALLED A SAINT

IF SHE FED THE POOR

A COMMUNIST

IF SHE ASKED

WHY



THROUGH IT ALL SHE SANG

WE SHALL OVERCOME

THOUGH OFTEN IT SOUNDED

LIKE A LONELY VOICE

IN A LONELY PLACE



THOUGH THE BATTLE

IS FAR FROM OVER

WITH A BRIGHT DAWN COMING



WE CAN SAY

WE HAVE OVERCOME

AND WORK TO KEEP IT THAT WAY







FRANK A VOLLMER

The Talents

HIDE OR BURY YOUR TREASURE

THE RABBIS SAID

DON’T LET YOUR MONEY

BE TOO FAR FROM HAND

BUT JESUS COMES SAYING SPEND

AND HE DOESN’T MEAN MONEY

SO OFTEN GOOD PEOPLE

HOARD THEIR GOODNESS

SO THAT THEY’RE NO EARTHLY GOOD

AND CHURCHES HAVE NO PLACE FOR SINNERS

HE PRAISES THOSE

WHO WOULD EXPEND THEMSELVES

AND SCOLDS THE CAUTIOUS

THE TEN VIRGINS

SHOULD SHARE THE OIL

TILL ALL RUNS OUT

AND THE GOOD MAN SHOULD WORK

TILL DARKNESS OVERTAKES HIM

LIBERALLY GIVING HIMSELF AWAY

FRANK A VOLLMER

Plant A Tree

IN THE EARLY CHURCH

THE FEELING WAS

THAT CHRIST WAS COMING SOON

MARK SAYS

THIS GENERATION

WILL NOT PASS AWAY

UNTIL ALL THE THINGS

HAVE TAKEN PLACE

SO EITHER WE HAVE A BAD TRANSLATION

OR A BAD INTERPRETATION

BECAUSE

IT DIDN’T HAPPEN

WE HAVE PEOPLE

SEEING THE END OF THE WORLD

AT EVERY BEND OF THE ROAD

THEY SERVE A GOD WHO IS ANGRY

WHO DELIGHTS IN PUNISHMENT

A BOOGIE MAN FOR THE AGES

SUCH A GOD

I WOULD FIND IT HARD TO LOVE

BUT LET’S READ MARK AGAIN

THE MASTER IS GOING AWAY

HE LEAVES HIS SERVANTS IN CHARGE

HE SAYS IN EFFECT

MAKE ME PROUD

BE WORKING WHEN I COME BACK

THAT’S THE ADMONITION FOR END TIMES

BE WORKING WHEN I COME BACK

IT’S LIKE THE FOLK TALE ABOUT LUTHER

IF I KNEW THAT TOMORROW

WAS THE END OF THE WORLD

I WOULD PLANT AN APPLE TREE TODAY

THE KEY WORD

IS STAY AWAKE

AND WORKING

HE HAS LEFT US

IN CHARGE OF HIS KINGDOM

AND WE HAVE TREES TO PLANT

FRANK A VOLLMER

What Did You Go Out to See?

THE BAPTISM JESUS RECEIVED

WAS NOT THE SAME AS THAT BAPTISM

WE RECEIVED

WHEN MOST OF US WERE CHILDREN

BAPTISM WAS RESERVED IN THE JEWISH FAITH

FOR THOSE

NOT BORN JEWS

BUT CONVERTING

THOSE SINFUL PEOPLE

NOT BORN A JEW

THE JEW BELIEVED

THAT BEING A SON OF ABRAHAM

HE WAS ASSURED OF GOD'S SALVATION

AS LONG AS HE FOLLOWED THE LAW

HE WAS ASSURED OF GOD'S SALVATION

SO HE HAD NO NEED FOR RITUAL CLEANING

BUT THERE WAS A MOVEMENT IN JUDEA

IN JESUS TIME

THAT THE NATION HAD LOST THEIR PRIVILEGED STATUS

THE NATION HAD BEEN CONQUERED BY ROME

THE PEOPLE

WERE DESPERATELY WAITING

FOR THE MESSIAH

TO FREE THE LAND

THEY FELT THAT GOD WAS ANGRY WITH THEM

ANGRY WITH THEM BECAUSE OF THEIR LIFESTYLE

THEY FELT

THAT THERE WAS A NEED FOR A CHANGE

THAT THERE WAS A NEED FOR A CLEANSING

THAT THERE WAS A NEED FOR REPENTING

SO THERE WENT OUT INTO THE LAND

THOSE CALLING FOR CHANGE

SOME WERE CALLING FOR POLITICAL CHANGE

OTHERS LIKE JOHN THE BAPTIST AND THE ESSENES

WERE CALLING FOR MORAL CHANGE

AND THE SYMBOL OF THAT CHANGE

WAS THE WHOLE BODY PLUNGING

OF A PERSON INTO A LAKE OR RIVER

BUT THE CANDIDATE HAD FIRST TO STATE

HE WAS SORRY FOR HIS SINS

AND WOULD TRY TO AMEND HIS LIFE

JOHN'S MESSAGE OF REPENT

AND CHANGE YOUR LIFE

WAS BEARING FRUIT

MANY WERE FLOCKING TO JOHN

FOR REPENTANCE AND BAPTISM

UNDERLYING THIS MOVEMENT

WAS THE THOUGHT

THAT IF THEY CHANGED THEIR LIVES

THE MESSIAH WOULD COME

BUT THEY WANTED A POLITICAL MESSIAH

WHAT THEY WOULD GET

WAS A SERVANT

FRANK A VOLLMER

A Voice

THE DRY SOUNDS OF THE DESERT

THE CEASELESS BLOWING OF SAND

THE VOICE

OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS

MAKE STRAIGHT THE PATH

LEVEL MOUNTAINS

AND FILL UP GAPS

THAT THE KING OF GLORY MAY COME IN

TO ESTABLISH HIS KINGDOM ANEW

HIS WAY WILL BE ROUGH ENOUGH

MAKE LEVEL HIS PATH

HIS WAY IS FRAUGHT WITH DANGER

SECURE HIS PATH

HIS ENEMIES MACHINE WILL CRUSH HIM

THROW YOURSELF BENEATH THE WHEELS

DO NOT LET THE APPEARANCE

OF THE MESSENGER

DETER YOU

THIS WILD MAN

WHO EATS LOCUSTS AND WILD HONEY

WHO WEARS CAMEL HAIR FOR A CLOAK

WHO WON’T LET US BE COMFORTABLE

DO NOT FIND FAULT WITH THE MESSENGER

HIS MESSAGE IS TRUE

TOO OFTEN WE FIND FAULT WITH THE MESSENGER

AND DO NOT FOLLOW

LIKE

KING

BERRIGAN

BONHOEFFER

IT’S TIME TO ADMIT

WE HAVE BEEN COMFORTABLE

NOT ROAD BUILDERS

BARRICADE BUILDERS

NOT ROAD BUILDERS

WALL BUILDERS

THAT IMPRISON

THOSE WHO BUILD THEM

AND WHEN THEY FALL

THE JACKAL HOWLS AT THE MOON

AND THERE IS NO ANSWER

FRANK A VOLLMER

Fear Not

IT WAS THE EVENING

A COOL BREEZE WAS BLOWING

WELCOME RELIEF FROM THE SUN

THE BIRDS

HAD SETTLED

FOR THE EVENING

PERCHING ON TREE AND HOUSE

SHE WAS FINISHING HER PRAYERS

WITH

MAY MESSIAH COME

WHEN SHE HEARD A SOUND

AS IF

A LATE ARRIVING BIRD HAD COME

SHE SAW AN ANGEL

SHE HEARD A VOICE

SAYING

GOD’S CONSTANT GREETING

BE NOT AFRAID

THE CHOICE WAS HERS

THE CHOICE IS OURS

TO LET GOD SWELL WITHIN US

WHEN WE SAY SON OF MAN

WE MEAN JUST LIKE HIS FATHER

WHEN WE SAY SON OF GOD

WE MEAN JUST LIKE HIS FATHER

GOD WAITED

LIKE AN ANXIOUS SUITOR

FOR A YES

GOD WAITS

LIKE AN ANXIOUS SUITOR

FOR US TO SAY YES

AND BE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT

FRANK A VOLLMER