CHURCH ATTENDANCE–A HYPOTHETICAL POEM

He rarely attends now,

It’s gone and got diff’rent somehow…

He feels pushed aside

Not welcomed inside,

No one’s been direct with him, anyhow!

–

They used to go faithfully,

Found the spirit there strong and free…

The Pastor moved on

And a preacher took on

Things with his own personality.

–

With his circle of friends,

For our subject, being close to a pastor ends…

You know his pride

Didn’t like “outside”

But he wanted to attend.

–

Then he and his wife

Both saw ill health in life….

Comparison

With others is sin,

And churned up internal strife!

–

The preacher/teacher and he,

(Too much alike?) weren’t happy…

It shifted into

“An authority over you”

Which wasn’t as healthy!

–

Various dissatisfactions

Led to complaints and  feigned actions….

Poor communication

Led to frustration,

In mutual distraction.

–

So now he stays at home

Sundays, with his wife alone…

No need to go

Taken for granted so,

But he’s stuck–this was his church home.

–

Socially depended on her,

His wife, for communication stirred…

When she took ill

He didn’t have the will,

To see that his opening up occurred.

–

He’s given his life for her,

Literally as it were…

Goes it alone

Reaching out he’s done,

Elsewhere–little left at “home”.

–

Options to go elsewhere?

Feels bound by his wife–so there!

Decision paralyzed–

Easier to survive

By himself, ‘though few benefits to share!

–

A “hypothetical poem”–which means it is just a poem….!

–

–Jonathan Caswell

 

 

 

 

HOW INDEED TO HONOR CHRIST?

We are His children you say,

But He speaks–you walk away—

Hypocrites all–

At Christ’s feet fall–

Before ye are burned on that Day!

–

Burned by your own lust

And mealy-mouthed lack of trust…

All-Mighty God

You noise abroad

As deity gone bust!

–

Honor the Father and Son,

Shun not the Spirit—be done

With self deception–

There’s no reception

For any double-minded one!

–

–Jonathan Caswell

(Why make God seem loathsome because of your lukewarm commitment?*)

*The Book of Revelations 3:15-16  (New Testament of the Holy Bible)

TRAPPIST FOODS

When J. J. NISSEN folded,

My image of a bakery molded…

Its replacement too big

So I had to dig,

To see what research “beholded”.

–

My past is in two places–

It one ever traces–

The lines of “me”

Diligently

For personal data chases!

–

Massachusetts, New York State,

My two major windows of fate…

Born here

But raised over there,

Memories in both are great.

–

One of my faves was Monks Bread,

A Trappist Monastery did…

And still does

The bread funds their cause,

Producing jams, jellies, plus all kinds of bread!

–

A model flat against the wall,

Leaves hardly space at all…

Have to use what I have

Of plastic walls saved,

Modeling a bakery et. al.

–

So I thought of TRAPPIST FOODS,

A catch-all title to use…

Producing bread

And conserves, I said,

Switching different train cars is a ball!

–

Specifically, flour and fruit,

Corn syrup and sugar to boot…

Isn’t enough?

They brand other stuff,

The question of a brewery—moot.

–

MONKS BREAD  from Western New York,

From that Trappist Abbey of course…

A college friend

Heading toward that end,

Found a wife and went in another!

–

–Jonathan Caswell

EXODUS 20: 3-5 A POEM

Have no other gods before Him,

Not even by innocent whim…

It’s suicidal

To worship an idol,

Walking on ice very thin.

–

So periodically

He must sort his files to see…

What grabs his heart–

With that he must part,

‘Tis better than hypocrisy!

–

Culling out accumulations

Of any conflagrations,,,

That hold him fast

He will cast,

Out for sanctification.

–

–Jonathan Caswell

JESUS WEEPS.

JESUS WEEPS…!

(An opinion piece)

–

For all the children eaten,

For all His people beaten…

At least they’ll see

Eternity

Away from life so fleeting.

–

Those who sit by,

Should hear the tortured cry…

Of a god and his raiders,

Hateful invaders,

Who make victims want to die!

–

“Progressives” who don’t care a whit,

Yawn saying “get on with it”…

So we can win

Not looking at sin,

“That doesn’t bother us one bit.”

–

They call themselves upright,

But that won’t wash tonight…

Jesus weeps

While a ruler keeps

His vacation schedule tight.

–

–Jonathan Caswell

(An opinion piece—of the Poet and those who truly care for others—photo ops. not withstanding!)

CHOSEN BY GOD–NOW GROW!

CHOSEN BY GOD–NOW GROW!

(Ephesians 1: 1-6; 15-23)

–

Open my eyes, oh Lord Most High,

That I see and comprehend…

All the Spirit  found in Thy Word–

The Wisdom that has no end.

–

Brothers and sisters praying for me,

Uplifting me through prayer…

That I may see and practice–

Avoiding demonic snare!

–

Shepherd and under-shepherd both,

Ply Christ Jesus’ troth,

His Body–His Bride–

The Church might abide

In the mind of Christ with growth.

–

Strengthen then your resolve,

To ask Spirit’s help to see…

All God’s wonder, power and mercy

And with the same, treating me!

–

If forceful men and women

Can hoodwink the American news crowd…

And not challenged for their deception,

We humble ourselves–not Proud.

–

If they can’t see through veiling,

How then can we…

Except humble asking for wisdom

From our Father God in eternity?

–

If only…the Christians would rise up–

If only they believed for sure…

That Christ, God’s Son, gave us Power

In His Spirit to do and endure!

–

–Jonathan Caswell

WANTED…CLOSE COMMUNICATING!

WANTED CLOSE COMMUNICATING!

–

The problem was both had hurts,

Committed by trousers and skirts…

Commitment to trust

Gathered rust,

Both thought the other curt.

–

Walls and grudges build

Despite commitments to yield…

Many a marriage

Is disparaged,

By combat in the field.

–

Obvious one doesn’t understand,

The other’s health demands…

One bends over,

The other takes over

And pushes one into badlands.

–

The verbose one wonders why

The silent one won’t try

to open

As they’re hoping,

To fill them in bye-and-bye.

–

The silent one’s thoughts run sarcastic,

The other one listens to drastic…

And half the time

Is not so inclined,

They both fall into that basket!

–

–Jonathan Caswell

WE GIVE OUR MAKER PRAISE

WE GIVE OUR MAKER PRAISE

–

We give our Maker praise

For all sorts of cloud and haze…

He wraps Himself proud

With myriad dark cloud,

We call Him the Ancient of Days!

–

All that with breath rejoice,

God  made Man His CHOICE…

Of being able

To choose God’s table,

Or favor and love to lose.

–

God wants with you to walk.

And not folk who just talk the talk…

Will you agree

His child to be,

Or for eternity balk?

–

–Jonathan Caswell

THEORY–SMEARY!

THEORY–SMEARY!

–

We humans love theories,

Arguing over trite queries…

Salvation needs

Done by deeds,

Debaters would whip up furies!

–

Some adhere to total free will,

Or God has us planned to the hilt…

Clever ruses

Debating who chooses,

Causing the hopeful to wilt.

–

Whether its God or you.

We still have a choice to do…

Come now decide

With God abide,

Or are you stuck in glue?

–

–Jonathan Caswell

A GREAT AWAKENING

A GREAT AWAKENING

–

Awoke to hear Doctor Graham…

“Billy” is his name,

Conduct another Crusade stand

Of Jesus Christ the Same,

–

He did not need fancy speech

to cleasr away the dross…

His Holy Bible and his faith

Pointed to the Cross!

–

Even though Crusades are reruns,

They are the best in the land…

For playing these from a while ago

Still brings god unto man.

–

The altar calls are real God says,

Come forward on appeal…

Save your souls–become God’s child–

Increase His harvest yield!!!

–

Many will ignore the call

To get right in gtheir sin…

But on review a beleiving few

Will hurry themselves in!

–

–Jonathan Caswell