offering

“Offer right sacrifices,
    and put your trust in the Lord.”  Psalm 4:5

may we share

justice

from hope’s harvest;

may grace

be the first

as well as the

last fruits

we offer to those

around us

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

the wake

“You have turned my mourning into dancing;
    you have taken off my sackcloth
    and clothed me with joy,”  Psalm 30:11

at the wake,

you see me standing

against the wall, and

taking me by the hand,

lead me out on the floor,

to teach me joy’s jig,

draping your shawl of grace

over my weeping heart

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

oops

“Then they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling and those who were buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves;”  Mark 11:15

when we think

this story permits

us to hurl venom

at others (because

they make us madder

than a hornet),

remind us that you

were trying to overturn

a system of injustice,

not venting

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

believe

“so, you see, those who believe are the descendants of Abraham.”  Galatians 3:7

believing the wild

stories of prevaricators;

buying up stock in

worthless fears;

putting our trust

in the hands of those who

would drop us like

a hot potato, we

sell our birthright

for a bowl of

twitter stew

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

needed

^“If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here immediately.’”  Mark 11:3

we give away more

than seems prudent,

we welcome those

turned away by others,

we offer grace to all

who would give us anger;

and why?

it’s what Jesus needs,

and that is enough

for us

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

cry out!

“‘Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’”  Mark 10:48

while we keep telling

the vulnerable

the oppressed

the forgotten

to shush and deal

with their lot, you

are whispering to them,

‘keep ratcheting up the noise,

until they pay attention;

if they won’t listen to me,

hopefully they will to you.’

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

who, us?

“They were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them; they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid.”  Mark 10:32a

like all the

‘followers of Jesus,’

we

are gobsmacked

by your willingness

to welcome everyone,

to listen to anyone,

to see the good in everyone,

to walk with anyone,

and terrified you will

ask us to become

someone

like you

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

one thing

“Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, ‘You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’”  Mark 10:21 

perhaps,

(just perhaps)

the one thing

i lack has absolutely

nothing to do with

what’s in my pocket,

but what is not in my

heart

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

kids

“ ‘Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.’”  Mark 10:15

when we rediscover

the joys of making mudpies,

instead of grumbling

about pulling weeds;

the wonders of shooting

stars in the night sky,

instead of staring

at our devices;

the tenderness of

a lover’s hands

instead of clenching

our fists in fear,

we will once again

welcome your

Community

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

listener

“Give ear to my words, O Lord;
    give heed to my sighing.”  Psalm 5:1

you hear the sighs

no one else will listen to;

you put back together

the words of my shattered

heart;

you listen, simply

because you know

the language of

loss

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

welcomer

“Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, ‘Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.’” Mark 9:36-37

remind us, Welcomer,

that little kids never

build walls on playgrounds,

but friendships;

never see strangers,

but playmates,

never hold grudges,

but offer a hand

to the kid who has

fallen, saying, ‘c’mon,

it won’t hurt for long.’

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

not just chopsticks

“Let them praise his name with dancing,
    making melody to him with tambourine and lyre.”

Psalm 149:3

convinced you have been

playing chopsticks over and over

from the beginning of beginnings,

we do not notice you

sitting at the cigarette-scarred

piano sounding out the notes

in your heart, as you wait

for us to pick up the bass,

sit down at the drums,

loosen our vocal cords, to

join you in improvising

the creation you began

at the beginning of beginnings

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

waiters

“I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
    and in his word I hope;” Psalm 130:5

with shattered souls

and hearts hollowed by hate,

with knees stained from kneeling

at makeshift memorials and

hands aching from holding tight

to others at candle-lighted vigils,

with lips longing to sing

and minds empty of the words,

we wait, we wait, we wait

for you and the hope

you shape from your own

tears

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

kindling

“The king said, ‘Is there anyone remaining of the house of Saul to whom I may show the kindness of God?’”  2 Samuel 9:3a

we are so busy

stacking the kindling

of anger to light

against others,

we miss the chance

to simply transform

them

with God’s kindness

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman 

where have all the godly gone?

“Help, O Lord, for there is no longer anyone who is godly;
    the faithful have disappeared from humankind.”  Psalm 12:1

the godly?

can be found working

for justice and

standing up to bullies;

the faithful?

are lining up to donate blood,

listening to frightened children,

contacting their legislators,

refusing to let hate and fear

dominate the news cycles

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

homeless

“‘I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent and a tabernacle.’”  2 Samuel 7:6

convinced we leave

you behind when the

church is closed up, we

never notice you sitting with

the bone-weary mom

on the playground bench,

the trans teenager

walking home alone from school,

the senior citizen sitting

on their front porch

staring into the distance

towards the graveyard

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

go and see

“Nathanael said to him, ’Can anything good come out of Nazareth?’ Philip said to him, ‘Come and see.’” John 1:46

let us not listen

to the Nathanael-sayers

of our times with their

pointing fingers and disparaging words,

but go to see for ourselves

the treasures found in Baltimore

and other places where you

dwell

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

enough

“He asked them, ‘How many loaves do you have?’ They said, ‘Seven.’” Mark 8:5

in our scarcity, we

think there is barely

enough to split among

the privileged, while

in your compassion,

you have more than

enough for the forgotten

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

open

“Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, ‘Ephphatha,’ that is, ‘Be opened.’” Mark 7:34

once again,

you whisper to our

locked and shuttered

hearts,

‘be opened’

as heaven looks

down and sighs,

‘may it be so’

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

music

“Raise a song, sound the tambourine,
    the sweet lyre with the harp.”  Psalm 81:2

with a wooden spoon

and upside down pans,

with a guitar missing 3 strings,

with voices that crack and creak,

let us lift joyful songs

to the Composer of our lives

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman