third thursday of eastertide

“Then God spoke all these words” Exodus 20:1ff

only you

you in every person

use your name in love only

hallow that day of rest

care for the most vulnerable

(especially the older folks)

see all life as sacred

don’t mess up relationships

don’t think about grabbing others’ stuff

use truth in every conversation

don’t be stupid when it comes

to other people’s relationships

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

third wednesday of eastertide

“He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” Colossians 1:17 

scattered

broken

shattered

forgotten

shredded

cracked to pieces

we all feel like humpty

these days, wondering if

we will ever be able

to be put back together

again, but

we already are, simply

by the one made whole

by resurrection love

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

third tuesday of eastertide

“The people all answered as one, ‘Everything that the LORD has spoken we will do.’” Exodus 19:8b

we will (honest!)

until

we read the fine print

about

loving your neighbor

forgiving a lot of times

looking after the vulnerable

treating enemies as friends

and all those other

silly expectations

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

third monday of eastertide

“In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming,” Matthew 3:1

in these days

of wandering in

the wilderness of

isolation and stepping

in the quandrysand of fear,

let the baptized declare:

love will not be hidden

behind a mask,

hope will reach across

every distance,

life (for all) is the reason

we choose to be alone

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

third sunday of eastertide

^“Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you have had from the beginning;” 1 John 2:7a

convinced we are

shaped out of

glory’s grit,

hope’s lint,

cinders of compassion,

and flakes of faith,

show us the sawdust

from the 2 x 4s of love

you used to craft

all of creation, reminding us

‘there are your ancestors’

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

second saturday of eastertide

“Above all, maintain constant love for one another,” 1 Peter 4:8a

whether it’s the rough sleepers

who look after each other in the park

or the most popular kid in the class

sitting alone at home on Saturday night,

whether it’s the older couple separated

from one another by a strange illness

or the newlyweds learning to navigate

this strange journey called marriage,

whether it’s the most cynical cad

or the lifelong romantic searching,

everyone is looking for the same thing:

love

constant

creative

compassionate

love

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

second friday of eastertide

“Do not fear [their fear], and do not be intimidated.” 1 Peter 3:14b

with their ads, coupons,

offers of free delivery,

the fast fear chains make

their menu so appetizing,

so

may we choose to try

the healthier soul food

of hope, grace, peace,

that may take awhile

to appreciate, but

we soon notice the change

when we look in the

mirror of life

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

second thursday of eastertide

 “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” John 15:13 

if giving your life

seems like a bit

of a stretch, well,

could we be willing

(at least)

to wear a mask,

to stay at home awhile longer,

to keep an even safer distance,

to value a life

(anyone’s)

more than an economic

upswing?

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

second wednesday of eastertide

“Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.’”  Matthew 28:10

whenever we take

a tentative step

outside the door,

however afraid we

find ourselves,

wherever we find ourselves

in any moment

of any day, we are

in Galilee, where

Jesus is waiting, having

already shown us the way

through worry, fear, uncertainty,

even death

to life

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

second tuesday of eastertide

“He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness

    to the house of Israel.” Psalm 98:3

older than

even dirt itself,

God has not forgotten

those promises made

so long ago.

together for more years

then there are candles

to put on a cake, God

doesn’t forget to tell us

“I love you”

first thing in the morning

and last thing at night

(and all through the day)

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

second monday of eastertide

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,” 1 Peter 1:3

not just a snippet

from Emily’s poem,

not a song sung by

many singers, not

something we can’t see

but imagine it might be, now

hope

is as deep in us

as our hearts,

as close as

the breath we take,

as real as the tears

we taste on our cheeks.

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

second sunday of eastertide

“This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all.” 1 John 1:5

in the silence of

of unnoticed caring

and the songs

for our neighbors,

in the stories told
to little ones at night

and in the memories

of our grandparents,

in the whispers

of prayers on our walks

as well as the waved

hellos to strangers,

let us remind the world

that the Light has not

gone out of it

or our lives

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

first saturday of eastertide

"The Lord went in front of them in a pillar of cloud by day, to lead them along the way, and in a pillar of fire by night, to give them light, so that they might travel by day and by night.”  Exodus 13:21

in the calm approach

of leaders and scientists,

in the soothing whispers

of gentle caregivers,

in the familiar voices

of teachers over the internet,

you continue to point the way

on this uncertain path

in the reassuring touch

of a parent at bedtime,

in the comfort of food,

stories, songs, and pets,

in the wonders of the sky

as night begins to settle,

you remain the light

in the shadows of our lives

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

first friday of eastertide

“‘Where, O death, is your

      victory?

Where, O death, is your

      sting?’”  1 Corinthians 15:50

walking out of

the tomb, you lean

down to suck the

poison of death out

of where it has bitten us, so

together we can walk

hand in hand leaving

that last enemy lying

in the dust

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

first thursday of eastertide

“Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them.” Matthew 28:16

we might be in

that unfamiliar territory

called calculus,

we might be trying

to figure out the intricacies

of Zoom meetings (what?),

we might be seeing

if we have any recipes

that might make that

box, that can, that frozen

(unidentifiable) meat into

a meal our family will applaud,

but

wherever we are, we

are in Galilee, where you

are waiting for us, just

like you said

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

first wednesday of eastertide

“After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb.” Matthew 28:1

on the second day

of the week, the other Mary

started making masks

for the folks in her

apartment complex;

on the third day

of the week, Peter

boned up on history

to help his kids with

their school work;

on the fourth day

of the week, the other Mary

handed out boxes of food

at the local pantry

for those who had nothing

and on the following days,

we . . .

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

first tuesday of eastertide

 “The last enemy to be destroyed is death.” 1 Corinthians 15:26

if,

in God’s usual reversal,

the thing we fear

first and foremost

has already been

taken care of,

then we really

don’t have anything

to lie awake at night

worrying about,

do we?

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

first monday of eastertide

“And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb.” Mark 16:2

and

on the second day

of the week, Peter

heard it raining outside

and rolled over to go back to sleep,

Mary Mags put another

load in the laundry

before sorting out the first,

Pilate tried to set up

a Zoom meeting with

his officers, but gave up

in frustration,

all as if nothing had happened

on that first day

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

Easter

“Praise the Lord, all you nations!

    Extol him, all you peoples!
 For great is his steadfast love toward us,
    and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.
Praise the Lord!”  Psalm 117

not just the chosen,

but those who aren’t

even picked last for teams;

not just the elect

but those who aren’t

considered for the ballot;

not just the favored few

but for all who have been

forgotten for so long;

not just the decent

and the orderly,

but for all the rabble-rousers

and smelly rough sleepers;

not just for the privileged

but especially for those

who are pushed aside . . .

the tomb was emptied

so there could be room

for everyone in God’s heart.

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

holy saturday

“You came near when I called on you;

    you said, ‘Do not fear!’” Lamentations 3:57

into the shadows that seem

so thick we cannot see

our hope in front of our faces,

into the silence that is

so deafening we cannot

hear a whisper of grace,

into the brokenness not

even the queen’s guard

can put back together,

into the tears which quench

the flickering candle

of our faith,

into the death which seems

to have the final word

over us, you come and

take us by the hand,

‘don’t be scared, sillies;

i’ve been down here before

and know the way out.’

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

holy friday

“But this I call to mind,

    and therefore I have hope:” Lamentations 3:21

when every moment

seems longer than the last,

when isolation is starting to make

us just a little bit weirder than before,

when every life’s forecast

seems dreichier than yesterday’s,

let us hear that hope you whispered

as you slipped into the cold, empty

embrace of death:

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
    his mercies never come to an end;” Lamentations 3:22

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

holy thursday

“While they were eating, he took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to them, and said, ‘Take; this is my body.’”  Mark 14:22

with a dustpan and broom

you sweep up the crumbs

of our hopes and dreams

scattered under the table,

to shape them into that

life

which you will break

and offer back to us, all

the while knowing that

we will shatter your heart

and leave it lying

in pieces in a deserted

garden

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

holy wednesday

“But if anyone has caused pain . . . I urge you to reaffirm your love for him.” 2 Corinthians 2: 5a, 8a

we find it so easy

to hold grudges against

those we have never met

simply

because of how they look,

what comes out of their mouths,

their political beliefs, so

remind us that even

in the final days, up

to that very last breath,

you continued to love those

closest to you,

the very best of friends

who denied you,

turned their backs on you,

betrayed you

forgot you

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

holy tuesday

“He who rescued us from so deadly a peril will continue to rescue us; on him we have set our hope that he will rescue us again,” 2 Corinthians 1:10

if we have the

common sense to

listen to the old stories,

we will know that our help

comes from those we least expect:

not the wealthy and wise

the powerful and profound,

but the stockers in grocery stores

working the graveyard shift,

the truck drivers hauling stock

over emptier and emptier roads,

the weary nurses, the frazzled doctors,

the lab workers, the chaplains in crammed hospitals,

and all the other overlooked, unsung,

underpaid, working-double-shifts

heroes and heroines.

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

holy monday

“How lonely sits the city

    that once was full of people!” Lamentations 1:1

playgrounds

with yellow caution tape

swaddling the swings and slides,

hallways

echoing the absent voices

of students sequestered at home,

faith communities

with silent pews and chairs

and musical instruments

muted and deadened,

while

you walk the empty

streets

leaving breadcrumbs

of hope and grace

for us to follow

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

passion/palm sunday

“Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope;

    today I declare that I will restore to you double.” Zechariah 9:12

though

thrown into isolation

and convinced the key

has been thrown away,

yet we will hope;

quarantined from the rest

of those who put their

trust in compassion and kindness,

goodness and mercy,

yet we will hope;

slowly stepping out

to follow you on that

dusty road which leads

to only you know where,

yet

we

will

hope

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

sixth saturday in lent

“Then Jesus said to him, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ The blind man said to him, ‘My teacher, let me see again.’”  Mark 10:51

remove the cataracts

of caution which

have slowly grown

in our souls, take

the logs of loneliness

out of our eyes, so

we can see that

the world is still full

of wonder, joy, love,

hope, and grace

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

sixth friday in lent

“But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us.” 2 Corinthians 4:7

our lives shattered

by isolation, livelihoods

tossed out the back door

to lie broken in the

alleyways of the world,

the future seeming more

murky minute by minute,

still

you would use us

as your most precious

possessions

to be the grace, the hope,

the wonder, the welcome

the world needs

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

sixth thursday in lent

“Since, then, we have such a hope, we act with great boldness,”  2 Corinthians 3:12

isolated,

we can still be

conduits of hope;

sheltering in place,

we can still let

hope take a walk

around the neighborhood;

maintaining a safe distance,

we just need to practice

more and more until our

arms are strong enough

to toss hope to those

six feet (or more) away

from us

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

sixth wednesday in lent

“and you show that you are a letter of Christ, prepared by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.”  2 Corinthians 3:3

that text,

email,

tweet,

even old-fashioned

hand-written note, when

people open it, will

they want to keep

it folded in their hearts,

or wish

they had

deleted

ignored

recycled it before

ever opening it

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman