The Pastor'S Poems

By Randy Junker

"The Pastor's Poems" were written to minister to people. They were sometimes written to the pastor himself in silent meditation, and other times written to a couple at the altar of marriage to help them prepare for life's adventre together. When written in poetry, the wedding sermon becomes more than a formality with a joke or

• Language: English
• Publisher: URLink Print & Media, LLC
• Release date: Mar 13, 2019
• ISBN: 9781643671796

Randy Junker

With the tragic and heroic actions that took the life of his son, Pastor Randy was given by God a gift to express his grief, his theology, and his walk with God. Randy Junker, a pastor with the Christian and Missionary Alliance, has served first over thirty-five churches. He now pastors the Grand Rapids Alliance Church in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, where he lives with his wife, Debbie. They have raised four children. each one married, and have gifted the Junkers with seventeen grandchildren. Randy graduated from Crown College in St. Bonifacius, Minnesota, with a BA in history and earned his MDiv from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. With his love of words, especially the words in the Word of God, he has blessed his congregation by his poetry. They have also endured his puns, which are always ""intended"", for over twenty-five years. In June of 2009, his oldest son, Nathan, drowned while saving the life of a youth in his youth group when a mighty wind blew the student off a sandbar. This book of poetry is dedicated to his memory.

Book preview

The Pastor’s Poems

Copyright © 2018 by Randy Junker. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any way by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the author except as provided by USA copyright law.

This novel is a work of fiction. Names, descriptions, entities, and incidents included in the story are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, events, and entities is entirely coincidental.

The opinions expressed by the author are not necessarily those of URLink Print and Media.

1603 Capitol Ave., Suite 310 Cheyenne, Wyoming USA 82001

1-888-980-6523 | [e-mail]

URLink Print and Media is committed to excellence in the publishing industry.

Book design copyright © 2018 by URLink Print and Media. All rights reserved.

Published in the United States of America

ISBN 978-1-64367-180-2 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-64367-179-6 (Digital)

Poetry

17.12.18

Contents

Call To Ministry

Whatever You Want, Lord

The Legacy Of A Hero

The Legacy Of A Hero

Tears Of Sorrow, Tears Of Joy

Wedding Poems

He Makes The Paper, She Writes The Song

To Do All God Commands

The Lord Will Provide

The New Family Kling

The Challenge Of A Godly Destiny

Marc & Kimo, What A Couple!

Be Strong!

Keep It Short

At This Altar Come

More Is Happening Than You See

Let The Peace Of Christ Rule In Your Hearts

Princess Bride

Poetic Words Of The Word

The Good Shepherd

Immanuel Forever

Christmas Advent Characters

The Psalms Of Ascents Or I’m Going To Church

A Psalm Of Psalms

A Psalm Of Psalms – Part 2

Today

Romans 12 – Do It

Changed By The Risen Savior

Angels

Disciple Made

The Prayer Of Jonah

David And Goliath

Poetic Words Of Walking With God

Pastor’s Holiday

A Spiritual Retreat

Go

Renew My Soul

True Liberty

With My God, Not Alone

Set Free

CALL TO MINISTRY

About the poem:

I begin with a poem of my ministry calling to be a pastor since these are the pastor’s poems.

WHATEVER YOU WANT, LORD

I think it is a personality trait

     In order to feel right in my soul.

I need to have a focus,

     Be aimed at a target, a goal.

I had a clear direction,

     A career in the medical field.

High school class choices

     I’d be a doctor revealed.

The plan was two years

     At Northwestern College.¹

Play college sports

     And learn Bible knowledge.

Get the general classes there

     In a Christian atmosphere,

Then transfer to the U of M²

     Study hard for my career.

But I lost the passion,

     If I ever really had it.

I realized doctoring

     Was just not a good fit.

But now my life needed direction.

     I truly did not have a clue.

I felt I was wasting time and money

     And daily my anxiety grew.

Also, the girl I thought

     Might someday be my wife;

We parted tearfully, poor me,

     Living a lost lonely life.

God had me where He wanted,

     A place of listening.

Steve, a respected friend,

     God’s tool of repositioning.

The captain of the basketball team

     He had chosen me

To be in a small group study

     A Campus Crusade ministry.

I was very honored

     And quickly gave my OK.

Great, he said, but first

     Let’s see what Mark will say."

Mark was the leader of Crusade,

     He had a good reputation.

We met him in the hall one day,

     A life changing conversation.

Before you join this study, said Mark,

     "You must give your word

To make a full commitment

     Totally to Christ the Lord."

I agreed but in my heart

     I was a bit offended.

I was a good Christian example

     And church often attended.

This bothered me through the day

     And still as a prepared to sleep.

So I said the right words in prayer

     But no rest in my soul to keep.

It seemed like I was struggling,

     I wanted to have it two ways;

The Lord could be my Master

     But I would have final says.

I prayed the words again and again.

     Why didn’t He hear what I said?

I got up, I laid down, no sleep.

     I prayed some more in bed.

This continued for hours,

     I was confused then I gave up.

"Whatever you want, Lord.

     I’ll drink what you put in my cup."

I immediately heard these words,

     Don’t know if they made a sound.

I want you to be a pastor.

     Now my soul was bound.

Then added, "I want you to go

     To St. Paul Bible College."³

A school at one time

     I would not even acknowledge.

I never doubted that

     This message was from God.

Soul and body entered rest,

     My spirit since is awed.

THE LEGACY OF A HERO

About the poem:

THE LEGACY OF A HERO

This book of poems is dedicated to our son, Nathan, who drowned rescuing a boy in his youth group when an unusual strong wind arose on Lake Pokegama south of Grand Rapids, Minnesota. He was 30 years old with a wife and four children. Another man who worked with Nathan also drown in the rescue. Several months later my wife, Debbie, and I went to a new ministry started by friends of ours. The ministry was called Smile Again and was for parents of children who had died. Besides being an out of the way location it provided counsel and help through the grief and pain of loss. After Debbie had gone to bed I sat down and started writing. The words seemed to come without effort. The result was this tribute to my son.

THE LEGACY OF A HERO

What happens when Superman is gone;⁴

      When Spiderman launches his final web?

Is the world left to the prey of evil?

      Does life lose all its flow and ebb?

Are we only to retell an adventure tale?

      Does truth fade to a fiction story?

Or, is there a transformation down deep

      In their souls, rousing companions to glory?

The sea arose. The wind did blow.

      Be Still!