Storefront Tabernacle Church

The Church

A church without a steeple
Brings in all kinds of people
But on the poorer side of town
The homeless and the hopeless
Seek shelter from the storm
Some stop drinking beer
This is Tabernacle Church
A storefront miracle
It is multicultural
It is supernatural
It is a wedding chapel
It is the Tower of Babel
People confused
Churchgoers amused
But one thing is certain
They found a spiritual curtain
Jesus is the way!

Bible Degree by Correspondence

Our Pastor
Graduated through the mail
By snail mail
From an unknown school
But not a fool
Not a diploma mill
A real college
Through the mail
A seminary
A sanctuary
A reality
For pennies a day
And Jesus is the way!
He knows the Bible
Did not require a big investment
He understands the Ark of the Covenant
Realized Noah's Ark
Can take care of a flock
Nobody will drown from the flood
We are covered by Jesus' blood
Our sin is gone
And can sing wonderful songs
Amen

Alley Baptism

Out in the back
In the alley
Is a baptism bathtub
Not for rub-a-dub-dub
But for Jesus' love
See the people bow down
In a watery grave
Near downtown
Once they rise up
Out of the water
Some speak in tongues
All are reborn
From a life so torn
Wanting to obtain a better life
Freedom from chaos and strife
They were buried with Christ
And now they are resurrected
To a life
To become perfected
And no longer rejected
A new relationship with
The Father
The Son
And the Holy Spirit
Amen

Poverty is a Mindset

Christian friends please listen
Poverty is not winning
As long as we have
Jesus Christ
We have a better chance
At life
Poverty is a mindset
Existing in the mind
Even though
Some have lost
And left everything behind
You can always get it back
Ask for a Jesus love attack
Do not listen to the rich man
That will steal your soul
And put you in a garbage can
Stick with the winners
Avoid the sinners
Many people have low-income
But that does not mean
You are losing
Those are just figures
And most of it temporary
I have been there
And struggle also
But life is more than a money show
God will give us all we need
Show us how to
End the weeds
And finally plant some
Mustard seeds

Rainbow of Love

Rainbow of love
Rainbow of love
Noah's Ark
And a few sharks
Nipping at the floating vessel
Rainbow of love
And a covenant from God
To never rain again
To flood the earth
Only to offer
A spiritual birth
All can be new
Right now
Praise Jesus!

Revival 24/7

What a revival right here
In the downtown area
Although economically depressed
The church is not in recess
Twenty-four hours a day
People come in and out
Praising the Lord
Asking for help
Kneeling at a wooden altar
Like the old days–
People are falling down on their knees
A lady with a flower dress
Wept with the Holy Spirit
There is a Jesus Mindset
Trembling in Spirit
Talking in tongues
Reciting the Psalms
Dreams and visions are instilled
Twenty-four hours a day
And miracles are happening
A man stopped drinking
Someone got cured from cancer
Another woman found a job
A family got a used car
There are Godly things occurring
Tambourines are shaking
Drums and cymbals cry out
The storefront church
Is working late
Twenty-four hours a day!

A Dove

A wonderful white dove
Wrapped in gold
Stood on the church awning
As if from Noah's Ark
Was on a mission of
Some sort
Rubbed his beak
On the window glass
As if asking permission
To come inside
And the dove
Grabbed a husk of popcorn
From the sidewalk
Obtaining a wonderful
Little meal
And God takes care
Of His sparrows

Tithes & Offerings

Man, what a day
The church needs cash
Of course they need it
In Heaven too
But this church has been
Hurting economically
So they brought
The penny rollers
And the rock and rollers
Music to the ears
Money to quench tears
And they offered from
The heart
Dollar bills
Ten dollar bills
Fifty dollar bills
Hundred dollar bills
And checks
Praising God all through
The tithes & offerings day
And now there will be
Programs for children
Gas for the church bus
Food for the homeless
Free medicine for the hurting
An air conditioner for the church
A whole new bunch of books
And some KJV Bibles

Pit Bull Sunday

It is so funny to see the Pastor
Bringing in his Pit Bull dog
It stays up front in the office
A muscular dog
A heavy log
Is not really guarding
But is loving
Gives the children kisses
And it is Heaven's bliss
The dog likes ice cream
Sandwiches
And bologna
Rolled up in a ball
A funny day for all
Pit Bull Sunday
A big chunk of meat
This dog is neat
Is not a fighter
Is never a biter
Just a humorous ham
In church land
And on that special day
St. Francis of Assisi
They do the animal blessing
In the alley

Pancake Breakfast

Man, they are lining up
And this one is free!
Pancake breakfast
Funded by some city people
Always brings them in
The amount is amazing–
Pancakes to the mountain top
Syrup in gallons
Butter in pounds
Bacon strips
Like on the farm
And help from Jesus' arms
Nobody complains today
A sunny Saturday
Everyone leaves filled up
And after some good old
Christian songs
Old men smile
Children dance
Like a miracle
From Heaven
Nobody complains today
Because it is a hard life
In the city
But there is hope here
Remember Jesus fed
The 5,000 and 4,000

12-Step Meeting

It is the same
A 12-Step Meeting
Alcohol meetings
Cocaine meetings
Emotional meetings
Co-dependency meetings
Abuse meetings–
They seem to arrive on time
And a group leader facilitates
Literature is handed out
People say a prayer
Some smoke
Others drink much coffee
Testimony is given
On how good they are doing
Some are backsliding
But are back-on-track
Nothing to be ashamed of
Many have a "disease"
Or an "addiction"
Or an "affliction"
But somehow they get well
At the church
Right downtown
They never turn you down
Help is on the horizon

Sirens Downtown

Red fire trucks and police wagons
Like the old days
A dog mascot with spots
Sweating fire fighters in yellow suits
Ambulance workers with stethoscopes
On their way to an escapade
Just routine work
For brave and courageous souls
Sirens downtown
Tall buildings
Seem to talk to each other
It gets serious
In a city like this
Sirens downtown
Echoes off stairways
Echoes off of garbage cans
Rattles your ears
And reveals tears
Sirens downtown
Just a fact of life down here

Apostle Tommy

The neighbors knew of his condition
Never made it through the fourth grade
Fighting and skipping school
Stealing from the department store
But he got thrown in jail
And his life changed
Came to realize
Could not be a tough guy anymore
He was fighting himself
Bruised and battered
A city drunk
Often lying on the sidewalk
And one day
He got into church
Storefront Tabernacle Church
On the poor side of town
And he read his Bible
He was baptized
He sang with the people
He found Jesus
The neighbors called him...
Apostle Tommy
That is because of his miracle
He was not expected to live
They gave him six months
Of beer drinking and gambling
Hard liquor and wine
But he got saved
And he became a Christian
And they called him
Apostle Tommy

Homeless Salvation

On a Wednesday night the men
Came into the storefront church
Most were seeking a new birth
Several women also came
Abused and battered
From a life of blame
"Save us" they said
"Save us" they cried out
And Jesus responded
As the Holy Spirit
Was upon each and
Every person tonight
So the minister held up
His hands to Heaven
Asking for God to save
All the homeless men and women
And the Holy Spirit trembled
In the bones of the men and women
Tears of joy
Shaking and weeping
Begging for a place of their own
Wanting to live
In their own homes
A place of their own
And God responded
To the people in need
As dirty blue jeans
And even a suit
Meant nothing to God
It was the heart that mattered
And the acceptance of Jesus
To restore lives
That really mattered
Not where they have been
But where they were going
To Heaven

Holy Spirit Alive

The people approached the altar
Only room for about ten
And the Holy Spirit began
The glory cloud in the air
Like a golden sheen
Doves in the air
People trembled and shook
Some spoke in tongues
Others fell to their knees
Some quietly prayed
Even the tough-guys
Wept
The Holy Spirit is Alive
Came right from Heaven
Entered the church
Where the people are
Began changing their hearts
From the inside out
Some confessed sin
Others wanted to win
"Jesus is Victory"
A man cried out
The Pastor held his Bible
The laying of hands
Some asked for miracles
Others wanted a healing
Many were on the floor
Praying and kneeling

Dandelion Day

After church
The dandelions
Were really yellow
Standing tall
From the grass
Like God touched them
For the people to see
Like fire
Screaming out
With some kind of energy
God and
Mother Nature
Seem to know
What they are doing
There is much mystery
In the dandelion plant

Bibles Lined Up

The Bibles lined up
Like soldiers
On a wooden shelf
Active in Spirit
Some had dust
Some had rust
Some were never opened
But they line up
Like soldiers
Ready for a spiritual battle

Non-denominational Church

The church is non-denominational
Is not controversial
Nobody is right
Nobody is wrong
Everyone gets along
Doctrine is from the Bible
Not man-made religion
A healthy season

Miracles Happen

Miracles happen
Like a Saturday
With newborn puppies
And the children sing
Nobody is on crutches
There is no cancer
Addiction is cured
People rise up
From their sick beds
There are others finding jobs
Some find a mate
And get married
Keep them coming
Said the pastor
Keep them coming
Through the doors
And teach them
About God

Goldfish Swims

On the window ledge
A black goldfish swims
One with big eyes
So strong
Like an oxen
Bulging eyes
Those dime store fish
When we were young
So much fun
And the goldfish swims