Tuesday, October 27, 2020

day 301

 “How precious is your steadfast love, O God!” Psalm 36:7a

 

if my stock portfolio

turned to dust,

if my bank accounts

were suddenly hacked

and totally depleted,

if my pension was

taken away tomorrow,

i am still wealthy

beyond imagination

if your love

is all i have  

to my name

 

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

Monday, October 26, 2020

day 300

 “For you have maintained my

          just cause;” Psalm 9:4a

 

we turn the page

to check the stock market,

and forget the story

about the folks being evicted.

we switch channels

to find the score from

last night’s late game,

never noticing the

lonely child kicking

the football around

in the schoolyard closed

because of the rising cases.

we read the latest

social media posts,

and as our blood pressure

rises,

we forget about mailing

the note to a friend.

 

but

you remember them all

each and everyone

 

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

day 299

 “Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.”  1 Corinthians 10:17

 

in these days

it is stale crackers

and cold milk for some,

a slice of toast

and sweet hot tea for others,

for a few lucky ones

it is the special loaf

made just for the occasion

as well as the wine

opened just for the feast,

but

whatever, wherever, however

we all share the same meal

because we are one

in you

 

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

day 298

 “He has told you, O mortal,

          what is good;

    and what does the LORD

          require of you

but to do justice, and to love

          kindness,

    and to walk humbly with

          your God?” Micah 6:8

 

it is a struggle

at times but, yes,

we will march for justice,

and yes, we will learn

to play nice with others

no matter how they

treat us, but

can’t we at least

let everyone know

what wonderful people

we are . . .

not keeping it all

under our hearts?

 

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

day 297

 “‘For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.’”  Luke 11:10

 

why is it we expect

you to give us

everything we want,

to come looking

for us every time

we wander off,

leave the door

wide open, no matter

how far past the curfew

we get home, but

we think we should

not do the same for

others?

 

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

day 296

 "And he said to him, ‘You have given the right answer; do this, and you will life.’” Luke 10:28

 having received A++

on every test,

had no red ink corrections

on our written essays,

finished our dissertation

before it was due,

we pack all our learning

away

and immediately forget

we are supposed

to live out everything

you have taught us

 

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

day 295

“they shall beat their swords
           into plowshares, 
    and their spears into into 
          pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword 
          against nation, 
     neither shall they learn war any more” Micah 4:3b 

 may we turn 
our angry rhetoric 
into songs of joy, 
our mean spirits 
into unlimited compassion, 
and our narcissism 
 about our nations 
into gentleness for all people. 

 © 2020 Thom M. Shuman

day 294

“Should you not know justice?—” Micah 3:1c 

 with teachers like Harriet, 
Frederick, and Sojourner, 
with mentors such as 
Rosa, Martin, Cesar, Russell, 
with martyrs like Emmett, 
George, and Breonna, 
surely we should know justice 
but too often, 
we act 
as if we slept 
through those classes

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

Monday, October 19, 2020

day 293

 but they did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem.” Luke 9:53

 

with the cross

trailing behind you

like some shadow

no one has ever seen,

you are so focused

on your destination, you

do not notice us

rushing off to the travel agent

to buy a ticket to Tarshish

 

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

Sunday, October 18, 2020

day 292

 Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he wa] the Messiah.” Matthew 16:20

 

every time

we do not stand

up to those who bully

the vulnerable,

we do not condemn

injustice with more

than just a ‘tsk, tsk,’

we refuse to see

the stranger in our midst

as a sister or brother,

we continue to keep

you

a secret

(especially from ourselves)

 

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

 

Saturday, October 17, 2020

day 291

“And all were astounded at the greatness of God.” Luke 9:43a

 

it is not the multimillionaire

athlete phoning in his game,

but the Special Olympian

reaching the finish line

long after everyone else,

nor the politician determined

to enrich themselves by

the office they hold, but

the little girl emptying her

piggybank for the cancer fund

for a classmate she barely knows

who reveals your greatness

to us, O God, for they know you

better than we do

 

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

Friday, October 16, 2020

day 290

 You are a hiding place for me;” Psalm 32:7a

 

while the Adversary

closes its eyes and

counts to 100, you

take me by the hand,

your finger on your lips

to shush my giggles,

and lead me into

the hollow of your heart,

where i will never be found

by all those eager

to capture me

 

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

Thursday, October 15, 2020

day 289

 “Once when Jesus was praying alone, with only the disciples near him, he asked them, ‘Who do the crowds say that I am?’”  Luke 9:18

 

you are

the shelter always open

for rough sleepers,

the candle in the window

showing prodigals you are

waiting for us to come home,

the family that welcomes

every lonely stranger,

the heart the breaks

every time ours do

 

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

Wednesday, October 14, 2020

day 288

 “But he said to them, ‘You give them something to eat.’” Luke 9:13

 

our pantries overflow

with hoarded hope,

our closets are crammed

with garments of grace,

our garages are full

of boxes filled with love

to get us through winter,

but

we offer empty hands

and emptier hearts

to all who come asking

for just a smidgen

of what you share with us

 

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

Tuesday, October 13, 2020

day 287

 "But as for you, return to your God,

    hold fast to love and justice,

   and wait continually for your God."  Hosea 12:6


in our rush to follow

all the wrong words,

people, ideas, beliefs,

we look back, only

to notice we have left

justice and love,

grace and hope 

in the dust behind us.


(c) 2020 Thom M. Shuman



Monday, October 12, 2020

day 286

 Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. So he got into the boat and left.”  Luke 8:37

 

like our faith ancestors

in the wilderness, we

grumble a lot about life,

we bemoan all our aches,

pains, and miseries,

we complain about our

burdens and worries,

but when you offer

to remove them from us

and send them off into

forgetfulness,

we buy you a ticket

for the first plane out of town,

since

we prefer the comfort

of our uncertain lives

over the discomfort

of the life you long

for us to have

 

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

Sunday, October 11, 2020

day 285

 “Yet it was I who taught

          Ephraim to walk,

    I took them up in my

          arms,

but they did not know that

    I healed them.”  Hosea 11:3

 

convinced

you are just a

mean and angry

so-and-so, we

never notice you

putting the training wheels

on our faith, your

hand on our shoulder

steadying us as we

totter down the sidewalk,

your bending down to

clean our scraped knees

and kiss all the boo-boos

every time we fall off

 

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

Saturday, October 10, 2020

day 284

 “’Then pay attention to how you listen,’” Luke 8:18a

 

when

we listen with

our ears, we

hear but words

 

when

we listen with

our hearts, we

hear one’s soul

 

when

we listen with

our souls, we

hear your whispers

of grace

 

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

Friday, October 09, 2020

day 283

 “Wild animals and all cattle,

    creeping things and flying

          birds!

Praise the LORD!”  Psalm 148:10, 14c

 

kittens kneading

our toes in the

middle of the night

 

little birds’ shadows

darting across sunbeams

on the kitchen floor

 

tortoises racing

as slowly as they can

across a yard

 

join all creation

in praising

God!

 

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

Thursday, October 08, 2020

day 282

 “God is a refuge for us.” Psalm 62:8c

 

you are the

bed

ready to cradle us

when we collapse.

you are the

easy chair

where we can

curl up in to

read stories of hope.

you are the

tub

filled with hot

soapy water

to ease our achy souls.

you are the heart

which

is always open

to us

 

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

Wednesday, October 07, 2020

day 281

 “’the Son Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, “Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!”’”  Luke 7:34

 

we think we will

find you at the restaurant

where folks wait months

to get a reservation, dressed

in a tux and hobnobbing with

the elite and privileged, but

you are around back,

sitting outside the kitchen door,

sipping a cold one and

passing around platters

of fried fish, hush puppies,

and coleslaw with the

dishwashers, servers, and

folks who will clean up when

the front doors are shut.

 

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

Tuesday, October 06, 2020

day 280

"And Jesus went with them, but when he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to say to him, 'Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof;'" Luke 7:6

convinced you already

have too much on your plate,

we shuffle our feet, afraid

to talk about what is on our hearts,

and in the silence, you knock

and fling open the front door

of our soul, striding in to listen

to our hearts and offer what

we need


(c) 2020 Thom M. Shuman

Monday, October 05, 2020

day 279

 "’Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye?’” Luke 6:41

 

we are always so

quick to pull out

our ophthalmoscope

to find the least little

imperfection in the other’s

soul,

all the while bumping

them with the big,

gnarly branch protruding

from

ours

 

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

Sunday, October 04, 2020

day 278

 ”’Let us know, let us press on to know the Lord;

    his appearing is as sure as the dawn;
he will come to us like the showers,
    like the spring rains that water the earth.’”  Hosea 6:3

 

when it seems

we have been riding

white-water rapids

that only get more

and more wild, deep,

and filled with boulders

ready to mash us,

let your grace fall on us

like a gentle shower,

which awakens us

to discover we are held

in your comforting arms

 

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

Saturday, October 03, 2020

day 277

 “’Do to others as you would have them do to you.’” Luke 6:31

 

somehow,

i do not think

you meant

snark for snark

grudge for grudge

bitter bile for bitter bile,

angry retort for angry retort,

hate for hate

 

but a lot of folks

try to prove me

wrong

 

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

Friday, October 02, 2020

day 276

 “My people consult a piece of wood, and their divining rod gives them oracles.”  Hosea 4:12a

 

sadly,

we rely more on

social media memes,

listings from

stock exchanges,

and flipping

a coin than

we do in the wisdom

of your Spirit

 

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

Thursday, October 01, 2020

day 275

 “I kept my faith, even when I said, ‘I am greatly afflicted’;” Psalm 116:10

 

in these wearisome

times, it would so easy

to say the dog

ate my faith,

that i accidentally

through it in the bin,

that i just cannot

remember

where i last saw it,

but since you

keep filling up my

pockets, my heart,

my soul with it

i know i will always

have more than

needed

 

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

Wednesday, September 30, 2020

day 274

 “Praise the LORD!

How good it is to sing praises to our God;” Psalm 147:1a

 

we could continually

offer our thanks

to you for all

you do for us, but

it seems more delicious

to be constantly

murmuring to one

another

like our grandparents

in the wilderness

 

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

 

day 273

 “Transgression speaks to the wicked deep in their hearts;” Psalm 36:1a

 

why

can we listen

the softest whisper

of foolishness, but

can’t seem to hear

you shouting hope

into our

hearts?

 

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

 

Monday, September 28, 2020

day 272

 “When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.”  Luke 5:11

 

duh!

of course, those

uneducated, smelling-of-fish,

roughhewn folks would

follow, but do you really expect

those of us with

degrees after our names,

houses with second mortgages,

kids to put through college,

and a retirement to plan

to do the same?

 

duh!

 

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

Sunday, September 27, 2020

day 271

 "'Have you understood all this?'  They answered, 'Yes.'"  Matthew 13:51


of course, we do,

as we nod our heads 

wisely

(with our fingers 

crossed behind our backs)

hoping it won't all

be on the final exam.  


(c) 2020 Thom M. Shuman

Saturday, September 26, 2020

day 270

 I was glad when they said to me,

    “Let us go to the house of the Lord!”  Psalm 122:1

 

and where is your

house?

it is where kids

are popping wheelies,

and where folks are

pushing along their

walkers,

it is where volunteers

are boxing up food

for their neighbors

and teachers are

doing virtual tutoring,

it is where delivery

folks are setting groceries

in front of doors

and teenagers are

carving pumpkins

for the little ones –

that is where

we find you

dwelling

 

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

Friday, September 25, 2020

day 269

 “The LORD answer you in the

          day of trouble.”  Psalm 20:1a

 

over the boisterous

boasting of braggarts,

over the angry

annoyances of adversaries,

over the ridiculous

rhetoric of rascals,

it is hard for us

to hear your still

small voice of grace,

O God, so

please keep speaking

until we pay attention

 

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

Thursday, September 24, 2020

day 268

 “’The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

     because he has anointed me

          to bring good news to the

             poor.

   He has sent me to proclaim

           release to the captives

       and recovery of sight to the

              blind,

           to let the oppressed go free,

   to proclaim the year of the

           Lord’s favor.’”  Luke 418-19

 

yet

the spirit of anger

is upon us, as we

anoint others with

the bile of bitterness,

proclaiming judgment

on those we lock away

in our prisons of prejudice,

remain blind to the loneliness

of the forgotten around us,

imposing our self-righteousness

on those who think in different ways,

as we proclaim the year of

snarkiness

 

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman