Rev. Jonathan David Faulkner

Saturday at 4AM
I am in the basement again
Before me is the wall
Wooden planks that are older than I
I preach my sermon to them
This is the best time
Before the hustle and bustle of the day
Recording a Sunday Sermon leads me here

And so I preach to those wooden planks
I preach to them from Isaiah
From Mark
From Ephesians
From Malachi
I tell them all about the plan of salvation
I tell them how they can come down from their wall
How they can know the God of the universe

I lay it out for them,
Week in and week out
Telling the of Christ’s finished work
The nail holes
The humility
The death
The burial
The resurrection
I tell them of it over and over again
I preach the Gospel to those wooden planks

Yet they are silent
They are unresponsive to this good news
When the hymns are sung
They stare blankly
As though untouched
Unloved
Cold
motionless
Does this news not make them shout?
Should they join the rocks?
What great grace has been lavished on us
Yet the planks stare blankly

Oh my dear planks
Don’t you know you are loved?
Don’t you know you are alive?
touched?
Cared for?
Held?
Watched over?
Where is your joy O Planks?
Where is the peace of Christ?
Where is the fruit of the Spirit in you?

“The world is a terrifying place”
They reply
There are axes here
Fire
Torment
Agony
Despair
Are not you paying attention?
Do not you see how terrible it all is?
How can you expect Joy from us?

Oh dear planks
Why is your heart downcast?
Do not you know that Yahweh has overcome the world?
You have nothing to fear
to fret
to despair
to be concerned about
The day of the Lord has come
Christ is present
There is nothing to be afraid of
You can trust in Yahweh
He will never fail you.

It’s Sunday at 10AM
I step out of the pulpit again
I pray that the planks of this house
Built on the foundation of God
Will stand for Him
Will not wilt under the fear of this world
I pray that they know salvation
I pray for the salvation of wooden planks.

12973040_10154269785339245_3845786340930956602_oRev. Jonathan David Faulkner is a Graduate of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary holding Masters in Divinity and Church History, a Pastor, Musician and Writer. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Christian Education & Administration with a concentration in Urban Ministry. He lives with his wife and daughter in Northern Iowa and seeks to be a part of the project of reconciliation in the local and international church. He is currently serving as the Pastor of First Congregational Church of Buffalo Center