God's Fullness

When I am full of God, it's just halfway,
and empty, it's just halfway emptiness,
yet halfway full is so much more, I'd say,
than halfway emptiness of Him is less.

Just as halfway sweet spring is full of hope,
so halfway full of God seems almost full,
as halfway fall resists the slippery slope,
so empty God holds back the downward pull.

God never wants to fully fill us up
and never wants to let us empty be,
He always leaves some Godness in our cup
and gives us space because He made us free.

Empty or full of halfway God or whole,
a bit of God is fullness to my soul.

                        -- by Pete Voelz            3/05

Mighty Test

In me You made, O God, a mighty test,
You gave me awe-filled freedom as my sword,
to cut through all distractions on my quest
to choose the best in service of my Lord.

You formed my freedom to make faith the first
of all the great decisions I must do,
to set myself aside and be immersed
in seeing, knowing, loving, serving You.

O God, to take the test You make me turn
to follow You or choose my own desires,
like wanting selfish things and thus to spurn
the harder, better things Your way inspires.

O God, I pray help me to take my blade,
fight for Your sake and, faithful, make the grade.

                              -- by Pete Voelz           5/07

You and I

I am the only one who's been the I
who's lived inside of me, lo, all these years,
no other's seen the world from my own eye,
and none has felt my joy or known my tears.

You've sheltered me, O God, wherever I go,
sometimes I've been myself, sometimes Your tool,
I've been protected all this time, I know,
by family, church, my government and school.

Of course, You've helped from inside me, it's true,
and outside when I think I'm on my own,
whatever I've done, it's always been with You,
inside and out, I've never been alone.

I thank You, Lord, for all You've done for me,
may we make me who You want me to be.

                                  -- by Pete Voelz       4/09

Just and Merciful God

O all just God, show me Your mercy please,
O God of justice, please forgive my sin,
O righteous God, calm down the threatening seas,
O Father, save me from the storm I'm in.

O God, You're famous for Your perfect justice,
I'd hate to see it mark imperfect me,
and yet I know You cannot really trust us
to judge ourselves where justice wouldn't be.

If justice is the law compassionate,
and law makes room for mercy's seasoning,
then Lord, let sweet compassion in somewhat
that tender mercy may rush in full swing.

I know, God, if Your justice has its say,
Your mercy will take all our fears away.

                            -- by Pete Voelz         4/04

True Love Entwined

Love’s not true love unless it is entwined
with God’s own love where all true love is from,
for God is love, to Whom true love must bind,
the source of love that makes His Kingdom come.

True love is a commitment meant to last,
not just with feelings that can lead to sin,
through thick and thin and pain, true love holds fast,
quite independent of the mood we’re in.

True love’s not blind, nor just part of some trance,
but like God’s love, it’s unconditional,
true love takes work and courts in constant dance,
with God it makes a lifelong miracle.

God’s love gives love its own true deep allure,
that grows with years to true love strong and sure.

                                by Pete Voelz         8/13/15

Do I Count, God?

 O God, I ask You, do I really count?
“I loved, before I knit, you in the womb.”*
You love me but how much is the amount?
“Forever infinite beyond the tomb.”

And too I ask You, Lord, why do I matter?
“With unconditional love, no explanation.”
Why should I stay with You while others scatter?
“For you I made the world and all Creation.”

You love me lots, but how much am I worth?
“For you I sent My Son to suffer and die.”
But how much me compared to all on earth?
“Because you are the apple of My eye.”

Lord, You are worth it and count more than me,
“Well, just you wait for heaven, then you’ll see.”

* Jeremiah 1:5

                           by Pete Voelz         8/8/15

Seamless Life

God makes all life and to all life He gives,
there never is a time when He’s not giving,
God gives us spiritual life that lives and lives,
there’ll never be a time when we’re not living.

Around us all the physical things are dying,
their nature is to pass away and die,
our spiritual life lives on without our trying,
our nature is to live and not to cry.

God’s always been and He will never end,
His gift of life to us He’s always sending,
our body-souls will rise and once more blend,
our life will be forever never-ending.

You lead us, Lord, to life we’re always winning,
when we die, seamless life is just beginning.

                         by Pete Voelz        8/8/15

Real God

O God, Yours is the real that's really real,
the spiritual world that's true reality;
we know as much as You choose to reveal
to let us touch our lasting destiny.

Each time we probe a riddle of creation,
we find there are profounder mysteries;
while H20 tests our imagination,
we're awed by all the secrets of the seas.

As much as we can sense the world around,
we know a deeper world of soul inside;
we feel so real within our body bound,
but see we’re still alive when it has died.

Just like up there, down here I want to spend
a lot of time with You until the end.

                              -- by Pete Voelz       2/06

What Does Prayer Do?

What does prayer do
and how do we get it to?  

What is this spiritual force
we do as a matter of course?  

Where is the ear to hear
words breathed in silent fear?

And when the prayer is done,
how do we know we've won?

Must it take faith to pray,
certain to have God's way?

Or is it most a hope
we reach for just to cope?

When does the payoff come
and must we too pay some?

How can we make prayer last
without a little fast?

Does one small sacrifice
help prayer to make it nice?

Or is prayer just some wraith
that asks for just more faith?

Whatever prayer demands,
I leave, God, in Your hands.

    -- by Pete Voelz     2000

God Superhero

Our supernatural God should be the hero,
our heroes all have supernatural power,
but God made us ex nihilo--from zero,
no superhero can create a flower.

Though God’s most powerful, He can’t be seen,
we see His works, but He’s invisible,
our superheroes we just see on the screen,
the greatest power--unseen--is spiritual;.

My spiritual power is faith in what is real,
with supernatural gifts like hope and love,
not violence like our superheroes’ appeal,
I’ll look where God’s power starts and ends--above.

Our superheroes’ power’s just fantasy,
while You, Lord, give true superpower to me.

                     by Pete Voelz         8/4/15

Close In On God

How best to use the time that I have left?
To separate myself from worldly ways,
not to care much for things I am bereft,
and to close in on God these cancer days.

To all my friends I want to say goodbye,
clean up my messes, not leave them behind
so family doesn’t have to as they cry,
and all the time “Be kind, be kind, be kind.”*

Then, Lord, try to clean up my spiritual mess,
as I say “Hi!” to You in all I meet,
in all ways “make You more and make me less,”**
Your blood and flesh to daily drink and eat.

Though cancer-filled, let me be full of grace,
as You decide when we meet face-to-face.

* The 3 most important things to do, said Henry
James to his nephew leaving to seek his fortune.

** The goal of St. John the Baptist--John 3:30

                         by Pete Voelz         8/2/15

My Honorness

Part of my honor is a bit of fear,
I want to keep my sense of honor, yes,
I do fear not to have my honor clear,
I do not want to lose my honorness.

Part of my honor is a bit of pride,
I prize my reputation, I confess,
but more I want good thoughts of me inside,
I'm proud about my own good honorness.

I care what certain others think of me,
I don't want my loved ones to love me less,
my parents, wife, and all my progeny,
I want to honor them with honorness.

For fear or pride or love, I pray You bless,
and help me keep, O God, my honorness.

                              -- by Pete Voelz     4/06

Deep in My Soul

I reach deep in my soul and find God there,
there is no depth where He cannot be found,
or search the stars to find Him everywhere,
He is inside, outside, and all around.

God's in my soul more than He's in the stars,
closer to me than He is far above,
more deep in me than in the world's bazaars,
for He lives most where most abides His love.

I have to stretch to sense Him in my soul,
and yet sometimes He'll catch me by surprise,
I see Him best when I give up control,
and humbly I submit to One more wise.

O God, You fill the universe and me,
I sink my soul, my self, my whole in Thee.

                           -- by Pete Voelz       1/08