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The church stood there for a hundred years

In a seemingly pious devotion.

People took their nourishment from it

From a spiritual diversity.

And one could say that it sings well,

At least they always returned

Marked either by the love of God

Or the fear of hell and burning.

Anyway, people seemed to find

What human nature longs for.

It welcomed them at their births

And saw them to their graves.

Who knows why, in the early days,

They went there to nurture.

But that was a social plus

That became quite obvious.

The good always goes to church

Was understood.

Faith didn't really change their lives.

Just going made them feel good.

Then, as today, they gathered there

Around that votive table.

Then, as today, they would go to bear

Their casual Christian label.

But "Christians" rarely leave the church

With devotion

To spill the love of Christ abroad.

They are "Christians" because they have gone.

In the beginning was the Word ... and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth.

John 1:1,14

There they read the Bible

Which says: "Christ is the Word

That for the sad and hopeless humanity

Is the best thing one hears."

So they nourish the Word of God

But one must recognize

It is only used so they feel good

Thus it is hard to discern.

They speak deeply in Christian love.

They hold classes to go through them.

But by example, they teach one how

To never have to do it.

They wipe themselves in their own needs

And their own desires

And when another church member is hurting

They take covered dishes.

But for people with real needs

That their love could have alleviated

They could pray or give some money

But they never engage.

Oh, they comfort a church sister

Or strengthen a brother

And they think they share the love of Jesus

By leaning on each other.

Then, so it looks to the people around

As if they pity a little

They come with a task right at hand

And form a new committee.

They talk and talk and talk and talk.

In eloquence, they shout it.

They talk and talk and talk and talk

And talk and talk.

They talk and talk and talk and talk

Until a year or more has passed

And then they proudly say

They have finally solved it.

So, to love all their fellow humans

They think they are the epitome.

But they never touch a life in need.

They do it through the liturgy.

Their faith in them is very near

And the way they know it is real

Is not by sharing it with people.

So they see and feel.

In humility before the Lord

They stand on the feet of clay

And they structure their religion

To keep the feet that way.

As newborns desire the sincere milk of the Word, that they may grow thereby.

1 Peter 2:2

From the babes who need the "milk"

One would expect it to grow

A loving, caring Christian soul

Not a puffed-up ego.

What only cares for itself

And the status height

And that it gets recognition for

The altar decoration.

And when the middle-aged folks

Go out to dinner

And when the clothing for Sunday

Looks a bit thinner.

And should it poorly occupy

He calls the prayer committee

And has them call around, so people

Know who they are to lean on.

For even at this time, you should be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the Word of God. You still need milk, not solid food.

Hebrews 5:12

So these babies just remain babies

Their thoughts are me, me, me.

And they are sure, like every baby

So sweet it is.

And if someone tries in another way

To live their calling

By sharing God's rich life.

Why - they find that dreadful.

They are sure, if someone shares their faith

With those whose lives are hard,

Their actions stem from psychological need

And likely they are insidious.

"Let the children come to me, do not hinder them; for such belongs the kingdom of God." ... And he took them in his arms and blessed them and laid his hands on them.

Mark 10:14,16

Like then, when Jesus took some children

In his arms and blessed them.

Well, the current church people would surely

Think he wanted to bother them.

And whoever gives one of these little ones a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you: He will not lose his reward.

Matthew 10:42

And the stuff about cups of water

Just isn't realistic.

It keeps these people on welfare

And is probably communist.

Christ's concern for these temporal things:

The sick, the poor in spirit,

The fatherless, the widows

It's such a shame to hear it.

How insecure Christ must have been.

He surely felt inferior.

Why else would he share the needs of people?

Except to feel superior?

The historic childhood of Jesus

Was surely a disaster.

He spent his time with poor people.

He claimed to be the master.

His "guilt" and those illusions

Why, he could have been psychotic.

And some people didn't like him.

The Jew is at least neurotic.

If he had gone to their church,

That one neurotic Jew

Would have proven that they loved God's children.

But please, only one will do it.

Yes, he should have gone to their church

And whether Jew or Black or Syrian,

He could have consulted with their pastor

With his Adlerian training.

He would have been sent to some retreat

And talked until nightfall.

They would have said: "God loves you brother.

This guilt doesn't feel right.

The church is for your blessing

But to really be blessed

Give all your thoughts to church people.

Don't worry about it.

Take the burdens of other people

To the Lord in prayer.

Maybe God helps them

But you don't have to care."

I wonder what a pen would say,

That is, if it could speak,

About the people who sit there

The first day of every week.

I think the speech might go like this,

"Having you here is great.

They learn about God's love, they say,

But I just don't understand.

People eat their precious food here

But all I can see

Their effect on their lives is

They sit and dare to me.

"For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me." ... Then they will say to him: "Lord, when...?" And he will say: "Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me."

Matthew 25:35-36,40

They talk and sing about "other sheep"

And "the least of these brothers."

That's it. They talk and sing

And pray for the others.

You see, their constant concern is

How they look and feel

And what the other church people think

So they have no time to do.

Jesus said: "Simon, do you love me?" Simon said: "Yes, Lord." Jesus said: "Feed my lambs. ... feed my sheep."

John 21:15-16

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God ... is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction.

James 1:27

"My food is to do the will of God and to accomplish his work ... do not say: 'There are yet four months, then comes the harvest. Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.'"

John 4:34-35

With worldly things like the commands of Christ

To feed his lambs and sheep,

Or James' true religion,

Or to harvest his white fields.

Their time is consumed with churchy things

Like meetings, songs, and prayer

And a dozen other social things

To get them there and keep them.

So they feed their childish egos

But, just in case you doubt it,

They care about the others.

They often pray about it.

So come and sing and pray with us.

We care for the feeling that you will just swell up.

We cuddle in Jesus' arms

And the others say,

"GO TO HELL!"