Sunday, March 31, 2019

yeasty


“And he cautioned them, saying, ‘Watch out – beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.’” Mark 8:15

there is that yeast
made up of lies,
false promises, quick fixes,
and ridiculous claims
that can cause our anger
to rise so quickly and easily,
or that yeast you work in us,
proofing us in your heart
and needing us to become
loaves of grace, peace, and hope

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

Saturday, March 30, 2019

light


“O send out your light and your
         truth;
   let them lead me;” Psalm 43:3a

we find it easier
to let liars grab us
by the hand, dragging
us into shadow’s alley,
then to wait for your
light to break over
the far horizons of our
hopelessness

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

Friday, March 29, 2019

hands


“My times are in your hand” Psalm 31:15a

from the moment we
put our feet on the
hope-worn rug to
the lonely lunch in
the corner of the
noisy café, to the
device on the wall
trying to elicit laughter
from my empty soul or
tears from my dried-up
eyes, we are cradled
in your hands, even
when we think we are
falling into fear’s pit.

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

Thursday, March 28, 2019

motes


when our friends
set us adrift with
a cutting word, remind
us we are suspended
like a mote of hope
in the sheer infinity
of your grace

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

Wednesday, March 27, 2019

thrill hill


“Why then has this people
         turned away
   in perpetual backsliding?
They have held fast to
         deceit,
   they have refused to
         return.”  Jeremiah 8:5b

when you invite us
to come join you on
grace’s carousel, we
thumb our noses as
as we zoom down
Thrill Hill on a rickety bicycle,
our arms wrapped around
the waist of Abaddon
our legs stuck straight out,
with looks of pure delight
on our faces

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

Tuesday, March 26, 2019

aqua

“As the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’” John 7:38

bitter brick by
self-righteous brick, we
would keep the deep pools
of life stored in our hearts,
but you keep drilling tiny holes
in the mortar of our petty peeves,
until we spring so many leaks
we empty ourselves for others.

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

Monday, March 25, 2019

unravel


“Here you are, trusting in deceptive words to no avail.” Jeremiah 7:8

when we treat
liars as prophets,
tweets as truths,
political promises as gospel, we
should not be surprised
when life begins to
unravel

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman


Sunday, March 24, 2019

feast/fast


“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are beneficial.  “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything.  1 Corinthians 6:12

when i could
feast on my rights
while others hunger
for justice, let me
fast from my privilege
so grace might feed
all those with empty
hopes

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

Saturday, March 23, 2019

prism


“Or is God the God of Jews only?  Is he not the God of Gentiles also?  Yes, of Gentiles,” Romans 3:29

if only
you were as rigid
as we are
in dividing everything,
especially people, into
either/or categories,
but no,
you welcome, love, affirm
each person as beautiful,
your Light traveling through them
in varied and wonder-filled ways,
hoping we will do the same,
seeing them through
the prism of your heart.

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

Friday, March 22, 2019

depths


“Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD.” Psalm 130:1

sunk so low,
i see the bottom
of bottom;
in pits so shadowy,
i can’t see my fears
in front of my face;
about to step off
the bottom tread
into loneliness,
i find you waiting
to take my hand and
guide me to hope.

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

Thursday, March 21, 2019

foolish


 “For my people are
         foolish,
   they do not know me;” Jeremiah 4:22a

convinced we can
devise the right algorithm
to organize our caring,
rank those we will notice,
and filter justice to the right people,
we never notice you
leaning against the wall
with the folks longing for work,
cleaning the hotel rooms
and fast food bathrooms we litter,
leaning over to listen to those
we are too busy to hear

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

Wednesday, March 13, 2019

face to face


“Come,” my heart says, “seek his
         face!”
   Your face, O LORD, do I seek.  Psalm 27:8

in the little kids
hopscotching on the walk,
   i see you face-to-face;
in the immigrants
moving into the flat
across the way,
   i greet you face-to-face;
in the forgiving smile
offered by the love
i hurt the most,
   I meet you face-to-face.

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

Tuesday, March 12, 2019

blessing saving time



“I will bless the LORD at all times;” Psalm 34:1a

my feet barely  touch
the floor as i rush
to get my place in
the traffic jam;
i busily search my
device while waiting
in the latte drive-thru lane;
i flit from task to
               task
   and fidget in meeting
   after meeting, but
tomorrow,
i will carve out
      time
to bless you,
   (i will, really!)

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

Monday, March 11, 2019

forget-you-nots


“Take care that you do not forget the LORD your God,”  Deuteronomy 8:11a

portfolios all filled up,
letters of academia after our names,
second homes at beaches
   or on mountains,
finely tuned cars in
   our garages,
everything we want (much
   less need) delivered
   to our doorsteps, what
could possibly keep us
from forgetting you?

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

Sunday, March 10, 2019

crumbs


“For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.” 1 Corinthians 1:25

on our pilgrimage
through Lent’s wilderness,
   let us push away from
   the tables laden with
      power
      wisdom
      oppression
and follow the trail
of crumbs dropped by
the Bread made of
   weakness
   foolishness
   justice, leavened
with love

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman


Saturday, March 09, 2019

avoidance


“But avoid stupid controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless.”  Titus 3:9

we waste so much time
searching for the latest
outrageous tweet,
organizing our points for
the next church meeting,
asking strangers to show
how far back their pedigree
stretches, we do not
have time for those
frivolous pursuits like
   compassion
   hospitality
   laughter
   common sense

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

Friday, March 08, 2019

come and see


“He said to them, ‘Come and see.’  They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day.  It was about four o’clock in the afternoon.”  John 1:39

when we see you
staying with the refugee
kids who cry themselves to sleep;
sitting next to grandparents
stored away in homes, leaning
over to hear their whispers;
walking with the trans kid
whose classmates drive by,
littering the air with insults, how
can we go home that nigh,
and act as if nothing
has touched our core?

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

Thursday, March 07, 2019

choices


“It was not because you were more numerous than any other people that the LORD set his heart on you and chose you—for you were the fewest of all peoples.” Deuteronomy 7:7

(however many times it
may take) remind us that
it is not our
   morality
   politics,
   grandiose plans,
   deep piety
which enticed you
to fall in love
with us, but our
   brokenness,
   silly choices,
   stubbornness

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

Wednesday, March 06, 2019

ash wednesday


remember you are ashes
   of dreams unfulfilled,
   of loves burnt in passion,
   of sepia-coated photos in our minds;
remember you are dust
   of stars which exploded
      light-years away,
   of words uttered so long ago,
   of fears hiding under our bed;
remember you are God’s,
who mixes all the ashes
of our failed promises
to be more faithful
         more just
         more loving
with the dust we
have shaken from our feet
as we took our own paths,
using them to mark
the Godhead on this
pilgrimage of trust.

remember,
you are remembered
by God

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

Tuesday, March 05, 2019

baggage


busy packing up all
our polities and priorities,
our can’ts and should nots,
our dogmas and decrees, we
have forgotten how
to travel lightly, your
grace all we need
for our journey

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

Monday, March 04, 2019

silently, now


in the silence
i could find
your heart which
melts for mine,
your love which
mends my soul,
your hope which
fills my emptiness,
but first
i must find the
silence

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman


Sunday, March 03, 2019

slow down


if we spend all
our time speed reading
      your word
to find that verse (or
                          two)
which will undergird our
   fears
   politics
   arguments
we might just miss
that story which
could transform us
into your grace

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

Saturday, March 02, 2019

quenched


“O God, you are my God, I seek
         you,
   my soul thirsts for you;”  Psalm 63:1a

you
are the cup of tea
which warms me
in the morning;
the cup of cold water
which cools my soul
when anger’s flames
nip at my hope;
the glass of wine
which enhances friendships
gathered in soft evenings

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

Friday, March 01, 2019

wordy

when
words of anger
drum their fingers
on our hearts, just
waiting to reach out
and slap another,
may we hear the rhythm
of your whispers of grace
and reach out to caress
tear-stained cheeks;
when
words of judgment
tap their feet,
just longing to be released
to run through
the yards of someone’s heart,
may we slip into shoes
welted from your words of justice
to walk with the vulnerable.

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman