November 24th

"'Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?'" Matthew 6:25-26

may we not get
our knickers in a twist

about there being enough

marshmallows on the sweet potatoes

or did the cook follow Nana's recipe

for the green bean casserole

or if there will be desserts for us

non-pumpkin pie folks, 

or if the teenager's date 

will show up with a clean shirt,

but

let us notice the kitten 

tiptoeing in the sunshine,

the dog whimpering as it

chases a squirrel in its sleep,

the last leaf clinging for its life

on the topmost branch of the oak

and remember, that the One

who called all of them good

is the Heart which calls us

Beloved.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

November 23rd

"The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective." James 5:16b

yet,
however powerful, poetic,

evocative our words might be

and however they move 

our hearts and souls as well

as those who might hear them,

they are like leaves blown around

in the gusty winds of November

unless we turn those letters,

those syllables, those sentences

into compassion which cradles

the broken hearts of the lonely,

into courage which refuses to bend

in loyalty to the cruel,

into hope which plants its feet

in the path of the despisers,

into love which proves more tenacious

than all the forces hate tries to muster.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

November 22nd

"Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord." James 5:7a

or, we could choose the option

of being impatiently patient.

to be so annoyed at hate

that we will not let it 

bully its way into our communities.

to become so ill at ease

with the notion that the wealthy

should continue to get all the breaks

while the poor are told 

"get your act together."

to stop sitting on our hands

but be raring to go to challenge

those injustices that folks

believe should be ignored.

to be piqued beyond peevishness

towards all who preach a Jesus

who no longer cares for the forgotten,

the hungry, the lonely, the scared.

and maybe, just maybe, if we do,

we will realize that being 

impatiently patient is right up 

your alley.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

 

November 21st

"Instead you ought to say, 'If the Lord wishes, we will live and do this or that.'" James 4:15

when we think that grace
is like the wishbone of a turkey

which the person who gets

the bigger piece is more blessed,

when we are convinced 

we can tell who deserves justice

based on how hard they work

at three menial jobs,

when we come to believe 

that generosity is simply tossing

coins in a jar on a table and

then giving the change to a food bank,

when we cling to the outdated

notion that we can tell your favorites

based on the cars they drive or

the neighborhood in which they live,

we clearly are not paying attention.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

November 20th

"So who, then, are you to judge your neighbor?" James 4:12b

who indeed, God?

it is so much easier 

for us to assume that

because someone does not

believe the same way we do,

or hold the same political view,

or support the same issues that

they are wrong, or intolerant,

or filled with hate, or even evil.

and yes, maybe they are.

but if we pause, looking in the mirror,

realizing that folks may look at us,

making the same sort of 

quick assumptions about us,

i'm guessing (and it is only me)

that i would be pretty steamed

they are judging me without really

taking the time to know me.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

November 19th

“yet I will rejoice in the LORD;
   I will exult in the God of my salvation.” Habakkuk 3:18

even though it seems
as if compassion has gone
into winter’s hibernation,
and the fruits of the Spirit
have shriveled or rotted.
even though it appears
love can no longer seem
to elicit any sort of response
from people of privilege,
and community gardens which once produced
bumper crops of grace now lie fallow.
even if young people seeking acceptance
for the neurodivergent and genderfluid
are dismissed by uncaring politicians
and so many people want to become
ostriches when looking at climate change,
yet, i will continue to join God
in singing songs of hope,
and i will not stop believing
that God is with us in our times.

© 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

November 18th

"For there is still a vision for the appointed time;

   it speaks of the end, and does not lie.
If it seems to tarry, wait for it;
   it will surely come, it will not delay." Habakkuk 2:3-4

in these times

it seems we are taught

that what connects is division,

that the scarlet threads woven

through our common humanity

are anger and fear, and that

hate has finally become our god.

so we pray, that despite

all the seeming odds against,

we will let hope and grace

be the sinews in our relationships,

that love and kindness will be

the muscles which allow us

to work and share together,

and that justice and peace

are the nerves pulsing through

this Beloved Community you

are shaping in our midst.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

November 16th

"O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;

   his steadfast love endures forever!" Psalm 118:1

with all that goes on

in the world these days,

i could care less about

an aging boxer slash bully

slash narcissist match,

but i hope i am passionate

about those fighting hate.

i have no real feelings 

one way or another about

some superstar celebrity 

who has thousands of dollars

stolen while earning so much 

more playing a brutal game, 

but i am ashamed of a political

culture which seeks to rob 

people of their self-worth.

i hope i will never trust more

in the false promises and 

hollow lies offered every day

than i do in your love which,

however battered and windswept,

weary and frayed at the edges,

refuses to let go of me.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

November 15th

"Then afterward
    I will pour out my spirit on 

         all flesh; 

your sons and your 

         daughters shall 

         prophesy, 

   your old men shall dream 

         dreams, 

   and your young men shall 

         see visions." Joel 2:28

in these afterward days,

may our dreams of justice

not turn into nightmares

for the most vulnerable.

may our children continue

to call us to mend creation,

to speak the names of the cruel,

to challenge the privileged 

to open their eyes and hearts.

and may their children look back,

giving thanks that when you

kept nudging us, pushing us,

breaking through our shuttered fears,

we did not turn away or run away,

but opened our souls to the Spirit,

holding tight to one another and

becoming whirlwinds of grace,

of hope, of kindness, of love.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

November 14th

"Why do the wicked renounce God, 

and say in their hearts,
   'You will not call us to account'?
But you do see!
   Indeed you note trouble and grief,
that you may take it into your hands;
   the helpless commit themselves to you;
you have been the helper of the orphan." Psalm 10:13-14

they send cruel texts

to people of color, about

buses coming to take them

to plantations for work.

they rub their hands in glee

that they are not just going

to fall back for daylight savings

but hopefully all the way back

to those causes they think

have been lost along the way.

they believe that anger has finally won,

that hate has conquered love,

that bullies are your best friends,

that you have anointed them 

to share a fake gospel of hate.

but you are keeping an eye out,

continuing to give strength

to those who will not let 

grace disappear,

hope be consigned to landfills,

justice to be ignored,

kindness to be swept away,

love become dusty history.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman 

November 13th

“So he told them this parable: ‘Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it?’” Luke 15:3-4

grace is running ahead of us
to show us the way to serve
the forgotten of our times.
joy is limbering up, ready
to turn cartwheels as we discover
the mercy to share with the broken.
love has cleaned away breakfast
and has a map so we can go
and search for those who have
been relegated to the ‘not worth it’ status.
hope has gathered up all the tools
we need to build housing for all
who have slipped away from life
without anyone noticing.
justice is ready, as always, to offer us
a refresher course in caring more
for the vulnerable than the privileged.
compassion? well, compassion will continue
to look after the folks who don’t really
require that much, while we are out
with you, searching, searching, searching
until all the others are found.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

November 12th

"Have mercy upon us, O Lord,
   have mercy upon us,
for we have had more than enough
   of contempt.
Our soul has had more than its fill
   of the scorn of those who are at ease,
   of the contempt of the proud." Psalm 123:3-4

Holy One:

they think they will be able

to get us to eat only at the place

where one can gorge on all

the contempt you can eat for one price,

and the desserts are slathered 

with rich bittercream icing, but

we will continue to show up at your diner

where the formica top is probably

as old as you are, the cracked leather

seats are patched with duct tape

and the weary waitress, Holly Spirit,

knows us all so well, bringing us

our usual orders of hope and grace,

slices of justice with mercy's marmalade,

and free refills on cups of compassion

so we can go out into each day

doing all we can to put the Bitter Buffet

out of business as quickly as possible.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

November 11th

"Give ear to my words, O Lord; 

   give heed to my sighing." Psalm 5:1

for those who are not ready

to leave their cave's comfort,

you are not alone, even if

you can't see others in the shadows.

for all whose tears just won't stop,

we will offer as many shoulders

as you need to cry on.

for anyone who can't turn on the news,

we have tons of playlists, pet videos,

and streaming programs to share.

for everyone who fears the future,

we are by your side

we have your back

we cradle your heart.

for folks who are ready to move on,

walk a little slower,

talk a little less,

care a lot more.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

November 5th

"These things I remember, 

     as I pour out my soul:" Psalm 42:4a

here is what i will cling to

this day, and i pray, in all

those days to come,

that

when the hurlers of hate

are the loudest, love's whispers

will be heard in our hearts.

that

when the demagogues of despair

think they have convinced the crowds,

hope will be marked on more ballots.

that when cruelty targets outsiders,

trying to sell us locks for our doors,

more folk will put out welcome mats.

that when gangs of grudges lurk

like frighteners in the shadows,

we will hold tight to one another

as grace walks us home.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

November 4th

"On that day, says the Lord, 

    a cry will be heard from the Fish Gate,
a wail from the Second Quarter,
   a loud crash from the hills." Zephaniah 1:10

on this day, 

may we turn off the ads

we have heard so many times

we could make the pitch,

so we can hear the cries

of those who have no one

approving their message of

longing for compassion and hope,

so we hear the weeping from

all the parents in rubble strewn

communities aka battlefields,

so we might listen to those

whose dreams for justice

have collided with the ever

increasing desires of the privileged

who, miraculously, always seem

not to be at fault and can walk away

with no responsibility at all, and then

tomorrow, when we can make a difference

we might hear those echoes 

deep in our hearts.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

November 3rd

"If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing." I Corinthians 13:1-3

if i join the angry crowds
echoing the bile of speakers

or make t-shirts which quote

the mocking words of another side,

my love is slipping away from my life.

if i speak as if i know exactly

how others should vote or respond

to my candidate or react to any, if

not every, issue which i support,

my love is drying up in my heart.

if i am willing to go into debt 

to support my vision of how things

should be or i refuse to have anything

whatsoever to do with those 

with whom i disagree,

my love is seeping out of my soul.

and if i lose all my love,

whatever will happen to me or,

indeed, the world who needs

every bit of love it can find.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

November 2nd

"'Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit;'" Luke 12:35

we look toward the horizon
and for many of us, there is
a looming shadow of fear and worry

which seems to be blocking 

all kindness, all grace, all love.

so, rather than turn and walk,

if not run in the other direction,

may we put on our jeans

stained with the paint from

fixing houses for rough sleepers,

our flannel shirts covered in buttons

which welcome the alien in our midst,

our work boots handcrafted by justice

and resoled many times with peace,

so we may continue to be beacons

of hope whatever may happen

in the coming days.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

November 1st

"As they go through the
         valley of Baca
    they make a place of
         springs;
    the early rain also covers it
         with pools." Psalm 84:6

those faithful folks still caring

for the ones struggling to rebuild

after all the camera crews 

(and the world) has moved on.

the children who, rather than

filling buckets with candy, asked

their neighbors for spare change

to help their homeless classmate.

the clean-up crews who worked

long, hard, extra hours to sweep

up the litter of jubilant celebrations

after the superstars absorbed all the cheers.

there are still saints in our midst,

walking through our neighborhoods

as unnoticed, as ridiculed, as forgotten

as all the others throughout the ages. 

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

October 31st

"I walk before the LORD

   in the land of the living.
I kept my faith, even when I said,
   'I am greatly afflicted';" Psalm 116:9-10

as the Day of the Dread approaches

and we want to crawl as deep

into the pit of forgetfulness as we can,

may we take a moment to watch

all those little witches and wizards,

those hobgoblins and sports stars,

those ballerinas and ninja turtles,

those Barbies in pink and little men in black

wander from house to house

giggling and whispering

among themselves, just waiting 

to get back home where they will

remove all the masks which cover

their wonder, joy, and hope, for

they are the ones who know 

with the faith of the foolish that

there are no monsters under the bed

or walking dead hiding in the corners

except those we shape from the dust

of our fragmented fears.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

October 30th

"And I say, 'O that I had wings like a dove!
   I would fly away and be at rest;
truly, I would flee far away;
   I would lodge in the wilderness;'" Psalm 55:6-7

like Frodo, we wish that

we did not have to live

in these perilous times,

yet here we are, by your grace.

so, may we seek to find

that piece of you in every person,

even those we are convinced

are empty of compassion.

may we never abandon our call

to be people of grace, of justice,

of peace, of including everyone.

may we try, as hard as it may be,

to never let the word hopeless

become a part of our vocabulary,

just as it has never been

a part of yours.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

October 18th

"O Lord, you have searched me and known me." Psalm 139:1

you know the ghosts that
inhabit the attics of my memories

and those monsters of my id

hiding in the closets and under

the bed on which i lay my weariness.

you know those words of shame,

of criticism, of unkindness written

in the dictionary of my mind

and you have heard those love

songs, those lullabies i composed

for myself in the silence of life.

you know those sirens who sit

on the rocks singing their seduction

and you know those paths i am still

searching for in my heart.

you know,

because you love me enough

to want to know me even more.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

October 17th

"It was I who fed you in the wilderness, in the land of drought." Hosea 13:5

because you know us so well,
your food truck is stocked

with grace for those who

have been rejected by family,

with hope for all who drag

their weary souls behind them,

with justice for the ones

dumped by the side of the road

by all the platitude mouthing privileged,

with love which can ease the acid

taste of hate sitting in the pit

of everyone's stomach,

to those who walk the valleys of death,

you hand cups of life with a guarantee

of free refills through all time,

and somehow, for every single 

one of us, the bill seems 

to have mysteriously disappeared.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

October 16th

"He said to them, 'Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money - not even an extra tunic.'" Luke 9:3

you pretty much traveled
lighter than light on your journey

but when we set out

to share the simple message

of God's love for everyone,

well,

we need one of those 

hotel luggage carts to hold

our books of polity,

all of our tomes of theology,

the files holding old sermons

as well as outdated ideas,

our notes from all those seminars

on church growth and how 

to create a magnetic church,

and you just shake your head

in amazement, walking on

with nothing but 

pockets full of grace.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

October 7th

"The voice of the LORD causes the oaks to whirl,

    and strips the forest bare;
and in his temple all say, 'Glory!'”  Psalm 29:9

i have rested in old chairs

worn smooth by so many generations

and listened to their silent

prayers lodged in the memories

of the river stones in the walls,

and whispered, 'glory!'

i have taken my place in

decision-making church bodies

where the same discussion

keeps being tabled until

the very next meeting, and

muttered under my breath,

'good grief.'

i have sat on carpet squares

as little kids gathered around

to listen to a book being read

while their attention and hands

were distracted by the golden

retriever curled up on the floor

and sang to myself, 'thank you!'

  

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman 

October 6th

“How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
   How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I bear pain in my soul,
   and have sorrow in my heart all day long?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?” Psalm 13:1-2

the people with the microphones
in their hands and cameras over
their shoulders want stories of resilience
while all many are trying to do
is find makeshift bandages for
their broken spirits.
Appalachia Strong, Boston Strong,
Manchester Strong all sound wonderful
in memes, on media, in songs, but
where is the sign which says,
‘shattered into tiny pieces and we
can’t even make a mosaic of hope.’
the pushers of platitudes talk about
‘we are at our best when the worst happens’
or
‘folks will rise like phoenixes from
this terrible moment,’
but they are not the ones
standing in ashes up to their hearts.
why is it, that in the most
excruciating grief for so many
the world (even those of faith)
seems to send the message
‘no laments allowed.'

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

October 5th

 "O God, you are my God, I seek you,

          my soul thirsts for you;
     my flesh faints for you,
          as in a dry and weary land 

    where there is no water." Psalm 63:1

the loneliness which seeps

into us even in the most 

crowded of places seems

like our most faithful friend.

the barrenness of humanity

seems to make our world unable 

to produce any sort of crops

of goodness or of peace, 

of generosity or even simple grace.

the springs of hope which once

quenched our parched souls 

now seem to be only a trickle 

as if the pipes have been 

clogged by fear.

yet, 

and yet,

we will not give up, trusting

that as always, we will find you

in the most unexpected places

and the least likely people.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman 

October 4th

"Then he looked up at his disciples and said: 'Blessed are you '" Luke 6:20a

blessed are those who climb power poles
to run new lines to valleys and up hillsides

and those who haul generators on pack

mules up the water cratered mountains.

blessed are the ones who resist the urge

to ship boxes of things no one really needs

as well as those who make as many donations

as possible to those with boots on the ground.

blessed are stores which put out furniture

for the asking to those who have lost everything

and strangers who pile up the debris and haul

it away before anyone can catch their names.

blessed are . . . 

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

October 1st

"The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit." Psalm 34:18

roads may be impassable
but God is still making a way
for the helpers to travel.
bridges may be washed away
but God is sending the engineers
with the equipment to build 

temporary crossings.

people may be stuck 

up on the sides of mountains

or down in isolated valleys

but God is using old-fashioned

pack mules and modern drones

to bring medicine, food, water.

cell towers may be out 

but God is still listening to you

and to all those offering prayers.

people may feel cut off 

from neighbors and friends

but God is stuck to them

like velcro.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

September 30th

 "From there I will give her her vineyards, and make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.  There she shall respond as in the days of her youth, as at the time when she came out of the land of Egypt."  Hosea 2:15

however long it takes,
may the hollows of East Tennessee
once more ring with Dolly's songs of grace,
may families hike up Greybeard Trail
while others stand atop Chimney Rock
gazing over Hickory Nut Gorge,
may the beaches of St. Petersburg
and the wonders of Florida's Big Bend
attract folks from all over the world,
may the hallowed grounds of Augusta
echo the whispered prayers of golfers
and churches which became shelters
for neighbors and strangers ring bells
of rebuilt communities and new life
as the debris and devastation of Helene
are crafted into valleys of hope.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

September 29th

"'The kingdom of heaven is like . . .'" Matthew 13:44a

where out of state crews
drive hours to be in place
to restore power in storms,

when a friend brings a generator

to someone's house so they

can keep medical equipment running,

as folks go door to door

making sure everyone in 

the community is safe and 

accounted for,

in the folks who bring food

which will spoil soon to churches

so meals can be prepared and

served to folks who lost everything,

there

in those moments,

those people,

those places,

the Beloved Community

has taken root.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

September 27th

"By the rivers of Babylon— there we sat down and there we wept when we remembered Zion." Psalm 137:1

as we slowly wring our hands,
we watch the unlucky weather person

tasked with standing in harm's way

of the winds and rain lashing homes

we had driven past every day before

we were told to get out fast.

holding our breath, trying not

to let the smoke choke our lungs

or blur our vision as we cling to

only what we can carry in our arms

(including our beloved fur babies)

as the rescuers urge us onto the

vehicles which will carry us to life.

and the tears run down our faces

as our memories are turned to ashes

or carried out to a burial at sea.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

September 26th

"So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed." Acts 19:20

the unheard take in deep breaths

to shout your hopes for justice

so that even the most uncaring

of the privileged will hear it in

their soundproofed panic rooms,

while the whispered dreams

of little children staring into

the shadows of their bedrooms

fall like gentle rain so that

the wise ones among us will listen

and understand that our task

is to do everything we can

to make them come true.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

September 25th

"He entered the synagogue and for three months spoke out boldly, and argued persuasively about the kingdom of God." Acts 19:8

we go to multiple seminars,
read far too many books,

organize committees and then

sit on even more committees,

all trying to come up with just

the right way to sell the kingdom

to a consumer-driven culture, 

and so we neve discover it

smack dab in our midst

in the older folks whose memories

are like mustard seeds which

grow into marvelous shrubs

filled with life and hope,

as well as in the immigrants

planting their own dreams

which they long to bring forth

a bumper crop of life for

all the future generations.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

 

September 24th

"I call upon you, O Lord; come quickly to me;
   give ear to my voice when I call to you." Psalm 141:1

we sit by the window

with the lamp illuminating

the page we keep reading

and re-reading because 

we keep glancing down the road,

wondering if, like the prodigal,

we might see you coming,

so we can rush out to throw

our arms around you and 

begin to tell you all that has

been happening to us, all

the worries which weigh us down,

all the fears which stalk us,

every word we dare not utter

to anyone else but you.

and all the while, you sit

in the shadowed corner,

a cup of tea warming your hands,

wondering if we will ever notice

that you are not the one 

in this strange relationship

who has drifted away.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

September 23rd

"And the crowds asked him, 'What then should we do?'" Luke 3:10

in the midst of the crowd at the rally,
inspired by the impassioned rhetoric
of the speakers, we loudly proclaim
our commitment to speaking the truth, 

but we go home, and there is the person

we have known for decades as not

just a neighbor, but also a friend, and

they are posting a sign in their yard

with a message which breaks our heart.

and now,

what shall we do?

remain silent, not wanting to hurt

this relationship, this person, this

soul we have always known to be

as good and gentle as our very own?

simply post our own sign, hoping

that might serve as a statement

of honest differences of opinion?

or shall we take that hesitant 

first step, our hand open wide

in peace and trust, hoping that

relationships are stronger than rhetoric,

that common bonds are uncommonly strong,

that truth can be found in hearts

which care more for others 

then slogans on signs in two yards?

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman 

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

September 22nd

“Be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves.” James 1:22

words, words, words,

they're so sick of words.

we sing of grace, but amaze

others by our ungraciousness.

we claim to seek justice, but

too often only for the streets

where the privileged live.

we treat hope, compassion,

kindness, inclusion, and love

as illustrations for Sunday morning.

no wonder the broken and forgotten,

the lonely and the lost, 

the silenced and the stragglers

are so sick of our

words, words, words.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

September 7th

"'Oh, that I knew where I might find him,
   that I might come even to his dwelling!'" Job 23:2

we put on our masks and
play dress up with garments 

woven from our fears and worries,

going from house to house 

hoping to find the one where

grace and hope will be offered,

not platitudes filled with sugary promises.

we linger outside on summer evenings

when everyone else is heading in

for an evening of being seduced 

by the mindless pap on all devices,

continuing to gently call out,

'ollie, ollie, oxen free' in hopes

you will rustle the bushes or

giggle from behind your hiding place

so we can join you, enveloped by

your loving arms, as you sing 

gentle lullabies until we fall asleep

and you carry us to our beds,

where we will sleep all night in peace,

while you sit in the corner, the light

turned down low, keeping watch

as you always do, even when 

we think you are looking the other way.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

September 6th

"Then Job answered: 'How long will you torment me, and break me in pieces with words?'" Job 19:1-2

they were wrong to teach us
that childhood mantra,
for in truth, words do hurt us.

the peers watching us while

giggling behind their hands, might

as well be shouting 'loser!'

the friend who suddenly shares

all those secret fears and doubts

with folks i barely know, breaks

my heart into a million pieces like

Humpty falling off that wall.

and the family member who 

cannot seem to be able to keep

from bringing up that epic fail

every time we gather for holidays

keeps ripping the scab 

off my soul, just when i think

it is finally starting to heal.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman 

September 5th

"'where then is my hope?

    Who will see my hope?'" Job 17:15

if you notice the single parent
at the sports event of their child
who, when it ends, kisses them
and then heads out to a second job
so they can keep living in their home.
if you catch the teenager who goes
through the neighborhood, stopping
at the homes of the oldest residents
to mow their yards, walk their dogs,
set out their garbage cans for the morning.
if you drive past the empty parking lot
where a community's grocery store
used to be before corporate closed it, 

and wonder about the knot of folks
gathered to offer meals to any one

who just happens to show up,

well,

now you know from where 

my hope

comes.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

September 4th

"'my transgression would be sealed up in a bag, and you would cover over my iniquity.'" Job 14:17

every day, you come by,
tapping on the door, and
as you holler, 'housekeeping,'
you step into our lives, 

stripping the beds of the sheets

damp with those tears of grief

over our lives not turning out

the way we thought,

dumping the ash trays

where we snubbed out 

the embers of our faded hopes,

using the broom to sweep up

all the broken promises which

we let fall from our lips and

shatter on the floors of another's soul,

stacking the washer with the glasses

and plates of another meal of misery

warmed up in the microwave, and

as you carry the bag out to the curb,

you turn to whisper, 'i'll keep coming

back to help, even if you hang the

do not disturb sign on your heart.'

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

September 3rd

"God is a righteous judge, and a God who has indignation every day." Psalm 7:11

it is not just at night any more, 

that you wake up calling for

Jesus to bring you a glass

of cold milk or for the Spirit

to bring you some antacid tablets.

the heartburn you experience

while you watch our hearts grow

colder towards those who are

ignored by the powerful (which 

are most of us, in truth) and who

are forgotten by the privileged

(again, us when we look in mirrors)

churns your stomach into a 

cauldron of aggrieved acid which

sticks with you every day.

so,

may we be the healing YOU need

by becoming more compassionate

more caring, more gracious, and

more just, so the ulcers we cause

will finally go away.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

September 2nd

"For the needy shall not always be forgotten,
   nor the hope of the poor perish forever." Psalm 9:18

we gaze at the night sky
and think of your skills

as an incredible astrophysicist.

we watch tiny little ants

carry loads far outweighing them

and marvel at your biological acumen.

we take note of the rich variety

of plants, of minerals, of birds,

of animals, of humans all around

and are stunned by your imagination.

but

when we listen to the songs

of Hannah and Mary about

your overturning our orderly ways

and rearranging pecking orders,

when we pay close attention

to the people Jesus chooses

to hang out with all of his life,

we can't help but conclude 

that you see your sole vocation

as being that of caring for the

forgotten.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

September 1st

"If iniquity is in your hand, put it far away, and do not let wickedness reside in your tents." Job 11:14

when we want to reach
out and hold tight to the hand

of temptation as if we 

were teenagers on our first date,

slowly loosen our fingers, 

helping us to flex them so

we can stroke the fur of a

frightened dog who shakes

every time the thunder rolls.

when we think the best route

is to turn our souls into 

airbnbs for the knuckleheads

of cruelty to rent out for 

as long as they need, gently

whisper in our ears that we

might want to turn them 

into shelters for the grace,

the hope, the justice which

has been kicked to the side

of the road by the privileged.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

August 31st

"'Why did you bring me forth from the womb? Would that I had died before any eye had seen me,'" Job 10:18

if you think i am good at complaining,

it's because i learned from the best.

those ancestors whose photos have

faded over the years until they look

like the dirt of Sinai they carried on

their sandals and clothes for decades.

it's from listening to the stories 

that the disciples forgot to redact

from the good news books 

they were so quick to self-publish,

with those clueless comments 

when they couldn't understand 

those simple, everyday stories you told,

or those knuckleheaded challenges

they threw in your face when you

let slip that your journey was going

to end with you crossing over into

a different sort of promised land.

so,

when i whine (and i will)

when i grumble (too many times)

when i murmur under my breath

thinking you can't read my lips,

be as patient, as forgiving,

as willing to stick with me 

like you were with all those 

whose words i am just repeating

(even though i think they are brand new).

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman