CHRISTMAS POEM 2023

 

The war in Ukraine has no end in sight.

Ukraine struggles on against Russia’s might.

Does it matter that they are in the right?

Many lives have been lost in this terrible fight.

Yet all around town I see Christmas lights.

 

Hamas attacked Israel on that October day.

They raped and murdered women to our dismay.

Now though some hostages have been set free,

The end to that conflict no one can see.

My neighbours have set up their Christmas trees.

 

How many times can Trump be on trial?

How long keep at his election denials?

To elect a speaker it sure took a while.

And he was part of the election denial.

It is Christmas, why are they so hostile?

 

Tensions are high between India and us.

Between Trudeau and Smith there is little trust.

There is much talk about our pension plan.

Which news items keep my attention span?

Is all of this conflict part of God’s plan?

 

Why did the angels talk about peace on earth,

When they came to announce our Savior’s birth?

All around me I see that conflicts abound.

Yet there is a manger scene in my town.

This season is there any real peace to be found?

 

Christmas is when we celebrate Jesus’ birth,

Yet this year there is little peace on earth.

When all around us we can see discord,

We can have peace if we make him our Lord.

At Calvary’s cross our victory he scored.

 

Christ our Savior’s birth was only the start,

Of the salvation that he came to impart.

His mission was to bring peace to our hearts.

To proclaim the good news let’s do our part.

To tell others about him is very smart.

 

 

 

 

UNDER GOD’S CURSE

 

We want to think we can earn God’s favor;

That God rewards our good behavior;

That He is impressed with all our labors;

But then we would not need a Savior.

Such thinking could not possibly be worse,

All who teach that come under God’s curse.

 

Surely all my good deeds must matter.

Surely my reward must be fatter.

It must be my choice that makes me saved.

Then to stay saved, I must learn to behave.

Such thinking could not possibly be worse,

All who teach that come under God’s curse.

 

On the Cross, salvation’s plan was finished.

God’s love and grace would be diminished,

If we think that we need to do more.

For it was all of our sins that He bore.

Such thinking could not possibly be worse,

All who teach that come under God’s curse.

 

To the gospel of grace we must be true.

To earn God’s grace there’s nothing we can do.

Thinking our deeds matter is a disgrace

Living by works means to fall away from grace.

Such thinking could not possibly be worse,

All who teach that come under God’s curse.

 

I WILL NEVER REALLY KNOW WHY

 

I will never really know why God loves me.

He knows that my heart is as black as could be.

To the world I put on a very good face.

If my thoughts were revealed I would be disgraced.

 

Every Sunday you will find me in church.

There my heart and my mind I want God to search.

I want to worship God in spirit and in truth.

I want to return to the zeal of my youth.

 

Years ago I was called to Christian ministry.

That I had no talent everyone could see.

When I had success at many other things

Why did God call me when he knows I can’t sing?

 

I know that in all of the churches I served,

It is clear that God has blessed more than I deserved.

Today marks thirty-nine years of ordination.

I’m still glad to be in this denomination.

 

Now that my heart burns with the truths of God’s Word.

To remain silent would be patently absurd.

Maybe I will preach to the day that I die.

To serve God I want to continually try.

 

 

 

 

 

In God’s Eyes

 

I know in God’s eyes there’s no blacks and browns.

In God’s eyes there’s no wrong side of the town.

God’s eyes look right through the skin to the heart.

I know that God has loved us from the start.

 

In God’s eyes it’s not the clothes that we wear.

Does he care about the length of our hair?

With God it’s all about our attitude.

What he wants is a sense of gratitude.

 

In all the politics that divide us

We all claim that God is there beside us.

Do you think that God leans left or right?

Do you think he wants his people to fight?

 

Jesus prayed that his disciples would be one,

To show the love between the Father and Son.

Today I would like to pose a query.

What does he think of the Replacement Theory?

 

Jesus loved the whores and tax collectors.

He says that we should forgive our debtors.

It’s too easy to be like the Pharisees

And look down on those not like you and me.

 

When God’s eyes look through our skin to our hearts,

Does he see the love Jesus came to impart?

Or does he see a lot of hate and strife

Among those for whom Jesus gave his life?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A different look at a familiar song

 

O say did you see that so terrible sight
What we sadly saw used at the insurrection?
Those broad stripes and bright stars through the violent fight
We watched used by the crowds under Trump’s direction.
The surveillance cameras which we viewed on air
Gave proof during the fight the flag was used there.
O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the proud boys and the home of the slaves?

 

 

What would Jesus say about the new Georgia law?

 

Matthew 10:42 “And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.”

 

Matthew 25:34-46 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ ³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ ⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ ⁴¹ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴² For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’⁴⁴ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ ⁴⁵ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ ⁴⁶ “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

 

How should Christians respond to the new Georgia law?

 

 

 

‘Twas the Night Before Christmas 2020

 

‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the land

Nothing was stirring; no events were planned.

There was almost no toilet paper to share

With all the stockpiling, the store shelves were bare.

 

The children were all restless in their beds

Thoughts of Corona Virus raged in their heads.

A newspaper was spread out in my lap

Indicating cases all over the map.

 

On the TV there rose such a clatter

A crowd was shouting “black lives matter.

Government spending seemed quite rash

How could they dish out so much cash?

 

Christmas lights danced on the new-fallen snow.

But there were few people out to watch the show.

When what to my weary eyes did appear

It was announced that a vaccine was near!

 

But there on the TV looking so plump

What did I see again but Donald Trump?

He was saying again that it was all a scam.

The election was an out and out sham.

 

 Krebs said the election was the most secure.

This was more than Donald Trump could endure.

He was sure that this man had to be fired.

How could he say this is what transpired?

 

With a great flourish the lawsuits did fly,

But one by one the judges said, “Nice try.”

It did not matter how many Trump lost.

Trump found a way to cover the cost.

 

With a abundance of tweets on Twitter

He could raise money from those who were bitter.

The money came in by leaps and bounds

No matter how foolish all these tweets sound.

 

Donald Trump could play golf every day.

No matter what the news people did say.

Day after day new records were set.

He still downplayed the Corona Virus threat.

 

How many people he’s fired I cannot say.

The count continues to grow day after day.

I wonder if when all the lawsuits are done

If he will still continue to say, “I won.”

 

Even as Donald continues to dream

Biden is building a transition team.

The senator race is still on in Georgia

Do we really need any more drama?

 

Trump’upset angry when I see him in spite of myself.

The rants and the rages that come out of his head,

Tell me that maybe we still have lots to dread.

 

I wish he’d speak not a word but go straight to work

And deal with the virus and not be a jerk.

But each day it seems the crazier he grows

Yet the money he raises continues to grow.

 

Yet Biden and Harris spring to the task.

And urge all Americans to put on a mask.

Now when it seems the vaccine is in sight,

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD-NIGHT!