Friday, July 31, 2020

day 213

Lord, God of my salvation,
    when, at night, I cry out in your presence,
let my prayer come before you;
    incline your ear to my cry.” Psalm 88:1-2

when our souls
are shucked open
like an oyster,
when our hearts
are peeled away
layer by layer,
when our hopes
have been ground
under the heel of
bitterness,
you come to gather us
up
and listen to
our shattered words.

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

Thursday, July 30, 2020

day 212


“The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, ‘Sir, we remember what that impostor said while he was still alive, “After three days I will rise again.”’” Matthew 27:62-63

there, in the dim
light of the tomb,
death sits before
the mirror, slowly wiping
off the fake tan,
slipping off the set
of falsely perfect teeth,
hanging up the
rented tux in the closet,
and heads out the
door,
its role as the
Great Impostor
of Fear
come to the end
of its run

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

Wednesday, July 29, 2020

day 211

“You silence the roaring of the seas,
    the roaring of their waves,
    the tumult of the peoples.” Psalm 65:7

may we mute
the angry voices,
may we put on the
noise-cancelling headphones,
may we stuff cotton
in our ears, so
we can hear your
whispers of grace
and hope in our
souls

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman   

Tuesday, July 28, 2020

day 210


I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church at Cenchreae,” Romans 16:1

we put those who
signed the letters up
on the pedestals, but
you notice the folk
who set up the chairs
for worship,
who hand out the bulletins,
who scrub the dishes
after potluck suppers,
who clean the bathrooms,
all those whose names
we can’t quite recall
if we are asked on a
test

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman


Monday, July 27, 2020

day 209


“I lie down among lions
    that greedily devour human prey;
their teeth are spears and arrows,
    their tongues sharp swords.” Psalm 57:4

they lie in wait
as i walk the streets
for justice, they
curl up on the front
porch waiting for me
to step outside,
they circle around me
just waiting to take
a nibble here,
a taste there,
but you hold the chair
and snap the whip
keeping
my fears from ever
devouring me

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

Sunday, July 26, 2020

day 208


”’Now if you are unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.’”  Joshua 24:15

every day (and
sometimes, during
the day many times)
we must choose
between the petty gods
or the One who is grace,
between the petulant gods
or the One who is peace,
between the prosperity gods
or the One who is extravagant
in giving everything away,
between the hateful gods
or the One who is overflowing love

every day . . .

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman



Saturday, July 25, 2020

day 207


“Be very careful, therefore, to love the LORD your God.”  Joshua 23:11

careless with hope,
   we risk harvesting
   a crop of despair
careless with grace,
   we could end up
   with a garage full
   of grudges
careless with you,
   we might let you
   fall out of our hearts
and never notice

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

Friday, July 24, 2020

day 206


"Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD.
   LORD, hear my voice!"  Psalm 130:1

there is so much noise,
so much shouting,
such anger and bitterness
that we wonder if anyone
can hear us over 
all the cacophony, but
you draw us up 
in your lap, whispering
'talk away . . .
i have all the time
in the world for
you'

(c) 2020 Thom M. Shuman


Thursday, July 23, 2020

day 205


“We who are strong ought to put up with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves.” Romans 15:1

when we look in
the mirror, may we see
not ourselves, but
the lonely teenager
longing for friendship,
the rough sleeper in
need of a comfortable bed,
the forgotten hoping
for recognition by others,
the long line of folks
who have not had
the chances
the privileges
the choices
we have had

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman


Wednesday, July 22, 2020

day 204


”Let us therefore no longer pass judgment on one another, but resolve instead never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of another.”  Romans 14:13

we just cannot
seem to help ourselves,
but are constantly sticking
our feet shod with anger,
bitterness, and judgment
out so we can trip
those who are seeking
simply
to follow you

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman


Tuesday, July 21, 2020

day 203


“Welcome those who are weak in faith, but not for the purpose of quarreling over opinions.” Romans 14:1

sometimes,
like a kitten creeping
along just waiting
to pounce on the
unsuspecting toes, we
rub our hands in delight
when we get the chance
to prove our superiority
in matters of faith, but
you would prefer we be
like the dog chasing its
own tale, until
we become exhausted
with ourselves and lie down
to take a long nap

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman







Monday, July 20, 2020

day 202


Owe no one anything, except to love one another;” Romans 13:8a

the mortgage has
been burned,
i paid cash for the car,
the student loans
have been marked ‘paid’
yet
my credit score
is still so low, as
i continue to deal
with my indebtedness to
love
which may take until
my final breath
to pay off

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

Sunday, July 19, 2020

day 201


“I hear a voice I had not known:
   ‘I relieved your shoulder of the burden;
    your hands were freed from the basket.’” Psalm 81:6

when
we thought the
surgeon would remove
the grudges,
we were convinced
physical therapy
could strengthen our
muscles to carry them,
we were sure they
would never become
an inconvenience,
you came along and
pried our hands from
the box they were
all stored in, and took
them out to the curb,
and now, we can stand
tall, without any pain

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

Saturday, July 18, 2020

day 200


“On the day I called, you answered me,
    you increased my strength of soul.” Psalm 138:3

give us strength
to offer compassion
not criticism,
to share kindness
not kibitzing,
to care for the vulnerable
not devalue their worth,
to welcome the forgotten,
not walk past them,
to be more like you,
and less like us

O Lord,
give us strength
to be as weak
as you dared to be

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

day 199


“If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” Romans 12:18

if peace
is depending on me,
it may be greatly
disappointed, seeing
as how easily i respond
every dog-whistle
calling me to run
to someone’s side
and feast on the treats
of anger, hurt, and
bitterness they hold
out to me

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman



Thursday, July 16, 2020

day 198


But when the disciples saw it, they were angry and said, ‘Why this waste?’” Matthew 26:8 

we keep old coats
in the closet, while
folks shiver in the cold.
we toss food away
because our eyes were
bigger than our stomachs
when we shopped, as
children gnaw on days-old
hunger.
we save our change for
that giant jar on our dresser,
rather than drop it
in the cup of the fellow
sitting against the wall,
and consider you a
wastral
for pouring jars of
grace
all over the losers

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

Wednesday, July 15, 2020

day 197

"'All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats,'" Matthew 25:32

we are so convinced
you are too much of
a marshmallow, we
take on the task of
identifying the goats
and so, miss all the
opportunities we are given
to be the sheep you
keep looking for in us

(c) 2020 Thom M. Shuman

Tuesday, July 14, 2020

day 196


“do not hide your face from me
    in the day of my distress.” Psalm 102:2a

in these days
of uncertainty,
of fears nipping
at our heels, and
worries stalking us,
may we see you
in the faces
of chalk-drawing kids,
mask sewing neighbors,
weary and lined nurse,
and friends caring
for strangers they meet.

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman




day 195


“So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace.” Romans 11:5

they may have the podium
with all the microphones,
but we will still
speak of justice.
they may seduce folk
with bitter words,
but we will still
embrace everyone.
they may be certain
that they will always
be powerful,
but we will still
serve in weakness.
they may be convinced
we are outnumbered
but we will still
be sharers of grace

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

Sunday, July 12, 2020

day 194


“They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” Mark 1:22

sadly, because
forgiveness
grace
hope
justice
peace
have become simply
fillers for sermons and
prayers, they
have lost their power
to knock us off
our apathetic faith

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman



Saturday, July 11, 2020

day 195


"'Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.'" Matthew 24:35

when our grudging
words are ashes,
there will still be your
grace.
when our shaming 
names have blown away
in the wind,
there will still be your
love.
when our hateful
hurlings are tossed
onto the landfills,
there will still be your
hope.

(c) 2020 Thom M. Shuman

Friday, July 10, 2020

day 194


“It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”  Deuteronomy 31:8

wondering how we
made it past yesterday,
we only have to look back
to see you picking up
the litter of our fears
we left by the side of the road.
worried as to how we
will reach the end
of this long, weary day,
we only need to glance
ahead of us, to see you
filling in the potholes
of our loneliness, so
we will not trip and fall,
and so, we know that
tomorrow can hold no
terror for us, for you
are already there,
waiting for us
to catch up

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

Thursday, July 09, 2020

day 193


But the one who endures to the end will be saved.”  Matthew 24:13

perhaps
it is not the rumors
or the reality,
the storms that shake us
the winds of worry,
the threats, the viruses,
the famines, the failures
that we need to be
concerned about, but
whether or not we
have the faith to
endure in grace

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

Wednesday, July 08, 2020

day 192

"'Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it!  How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!'" Matthew 23:37

you patiently follow us
around, trying to gather
us in your arms of hope,
but we are too busy
running around, pecking
at all the cheap grace 
tossed on the ground
by those who care 
nothing for us

(c) 2020 Thom M. Shuman

Tuesday, July 07, 2020

day 191


“What then are we to say about these things?” Romans 8:31a

simply this:
God
has not forsaken us
has not forgotten us
has not walked away from us.
God
has a tight grip on us
has wrapped us in love
pours grace into our souls
for
neither foolish politicians
nor those who make bad choices,
neither a virus we cannot see
nor the angry we can hear,
neither what yesterday, today,
nor tomorrow bring, nothing
absolutely not a thing (!)
will ever, will ever, will ever
separate us from the love of
God

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

Monday, July 06, 2020

day 190


“Every day I will bless you,
    and praise your name forever and ever.” Psalm 145:2

may my blessing
be more than words,
but justice for the forgotten,
listening to the voiceless,
walking with the lonely.
may my praises
be more than hollow songs,
but laughter with old friends,
welcoming the newcomers,
sharing compassion with the broken.

every day

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

Sunday, July 05, 2020

day 189


“Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.’”  Mark 1:14-15 

i use the bitter
words,
i see the cruel
treatment,
i cringe at the hateful
words,
i persist in my hurtful
ways,
and wonder
‘did i miss it,
the day the kingdom
came to town?’

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

Saturday, July 04, 2020

day 188


He said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’  This is the greatest and first commandment.  And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” Matthew 22:37-39

unfortunately 
(all too often)
we go with the
variant readings of
loving ourselves before
our neighbors, and
loving you with a
sliver of our hearts,
a horcrux of our souls,
and whenever we
think about you, which
is often just a fleeting
moment

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

Friday, July 03, 2020

day 187


"Be gracious to me, O LORD,
         for I am languishing;
   O LORD, heal me, for my
         bones are shaking with
         terror." Psalm 6:2

there are days,
(okay, lately it is
most of these days)
when i can barely summon
the energy to move 
my little toes, much less
bounce out of bed and
get moving through the day,
so comfort my trembling heart,
energize me with your spirit,
walk with me through the day.

(c) 2020 Thom M. Shuman

Wednesday, July 01, 2020

day 186


“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1

therefore
let us quit judging,
may we stop with
all the snark,
help us to embrace
rather than embargo,
simply open our hearts
to everyone with whom
we disagree
because
we are all in you

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman