Third Thursday in Lent

"The LORD is my light and my salvation; 

    whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life;
    of whom shall I be afraid?"  Psalm 27:1

today,

let us take a chance

and put fear out in

the curbside bin

once and for all.

let us climb up 

to the high board

and dive head first

into grace's warm waters.

let us believe that

the batteries in your

light will never burn out

as we wander the shadows.

today,

let us finally stop

making it a proverb,

but leap into your faith

with no qualms in our hearts.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Third Wednesday in Lent

"Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain." Mark 4:7

believing

we are called 

to weave our

prickly pride and

prejudices into thorny

walls of briars to keep

others as far away as possible,

we never notice you

trying to slowly weave us

into hedgerows of hope

to shelter all of God's creatures.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Second Tuesday in Lent

"Therefore, let us celebrate the festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth."  1 Corinthians 5:8

too often, we prefer

the sourdough starter

which comes down to us

from those whose anger

has never been calmed,

whose fears are like yeast

which expands our panic,

whose heated hatred 

is more curdled than milk

left out in the heat of August.

so feed us on that bread

whose brokenness can 

make us whole and new.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman 

Second Monday in Lent

"Let your steadfast love become my comfort 

    according to your promise to your servant." Psalm 119:76

perhaps i cannot bring

about world peace, but

i can persist in working

for peace in my spot

of the world.

maybe i cannot stop the spread

of hate by myself, but

i can offer my love in 

every moment to those

who know the pain of such hate.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Second Sunday in Lent

"Happy are those whose strength is in you, 

    in whose heart are the highways to Zion." Psalm 84:5

strewth,

we would rather

keep trying to 

recalculate that 

internal GPS which

takes us round 

Robin Hood's barn,

than follow your 

trail of grace crumbs

to God's heart.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Second Saturday in Lent

"Think of us in this way, as servants of Christ and stewards of God's mysteries." 1 Corinthians 4:1

if others think of us

as the privileged who 

set it aside so others

might know justice,

as the recovering who

know how to shatter

the bonds of addiction,

as the mended who

are craftspeople able

to create stained glass

windows in the cracks

of the hearts of others,

then we will have fulfilled

our calling to be caretakers

of that conundrum we call

God.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Second Friday in Lent

"So let no one boast about human leaders. For all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future--all belong to you, and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God." 1 Corinthians 3:21-23

oh, how we love 

the parade of

the spellbinders and stemwinders,

the celebs and the debs,

the high flyers and lowdown liars,

following behind them

with our shovels in hand

thinking that is all we 

are skilled at doing.

but grace is ours

and that is more than enough,

hope is ours and it

exceeds all expectations,

love is ours and it whispers

of how God's heart has

room for all of us

and we know

we are right where we 

belong

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Second Thursday in Lent

"One thing I asked of the LORD, 

    that will I seek after:" Psalm 27:4

to look past the mask

the other person shows me

and seek to find their soul.

to remember that each

of the people i meet 

is filled with pain they

never reveal to anyone

else, pain as great as mine.

to always take the risk

that i have more to learn

from the stranger than

i could ever begin to imagine.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman 

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Second Wednesday in Lent

"When I came to you, dear siblings, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom." 1 Corinthians 2:1

we think it is a mathematical

formula which fills the whiteboards

on all four walls in a classroom

when it is really a hopscotch court.

we are convinced it is a cold case

that teams of detectives cannot crack

while it is simply a mother

cradling a newborn and singing

a lullaby to it every night.

we believe it is a theological enigma

that some of the greatest minds

ever have not been able to explain

while it is simply you telling a joke;

"Knock, knock."

'Who's there?'

"God loves."

'God loves who?'

"God loves you!"

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

First Tuesday in Lent

"Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?" 1 Corinthians 1:20

if we pay attention,

we may learn more

about the wonders of

creation from the kids

making mud pies than

the greatest scientist,

we may discover joy

from the mime on the corner

than the foulest-mouthed

comedian at a club,

we may be blessed with

the wisdom we need in

the stumbling words of 

an aging neighbor than

from the most charismatic

politician.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

First Monday in Lent

"so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 1:7

because we have a

theology of scarcity,

we do not see the

offshore accounts filled

with hope and grace you 

have opened in our names,

available any time we need

to make a withdrawal.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

First Sunday in Lent

"As they go through the valley of Baca 

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

those grand abysses

carved from the sweat

of our fevered worries

in the middle of the night,

you will divert streams 

of water to sustain all

the life gathered there.

those death valleys 

which burn the souls

of our lives as we walk

through them most days,

you will shower with 

your tears to cool 

our desiccated hearts. 

for you have been 

through the wilderness

and know the way out.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

First Saturday in Lent

"My times are in your hand;" Psalm 31:15a

not just in that moment 

when we said 'yes,' but

in all those heart-breaking

ones when we shout 'no!'

not just during that hour

sitting in hard pews, but

all those working at our desks,

studying late at night, surfing

foolishly on the internet.

not just on those mountaintops

where we want to build

lasting monuments to you, but

in those shadowy valleys 

where death tries to welcome

us into its cold home.

not just now,

but then

and forever.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

First Friday in Lent

"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? 

    Why are you so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning?
O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer;
    and by night, but find no rest." Psalm 22:2

this is why Lent has

so little appeal for so many.

the sense that not only

are we asked to give up

those things which give us pleasure,

but the worry that you have

given us up in this season.

the fear that when we reach

out our hands, no one takes them,

and our whispers of anguish

just float in the air until the

pop like children's bubbles.

the uncertainty of whether 

or not we will be comforted

in your arms of grace at night

or just left to curl up on

the hardwood floor of our loneliness.

this is why Lent has

so little appeal for so many,

because the feelings are not

so different from ordinary days.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

First Thursday in Lent

reminded multiple ways

on social media of the 

time-out chair waiting if i let 

an 'alleluia' slip out in worship,

making sure my sackcloth

garments are roughened enough

to chafe my arms and legs and tight

enough so i always am stiff-necked,

sent the notice from the Guild

of Cranky Calvinists to not let

any sweets or energy drinks

show up at coffee hour after church,

"yet I will rejoice in the LORD;

   I will exult in the God of my salvation." Habakkuk 3:18

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Ash Wednesday

"Have mercy on me, O God, 

    according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
   blot out my transgressions." Psalm 51:1

smudged with your grace,

have mercy on us, when

we run to the restroom

as soon as the service ends

to try to blot out any sign

to others that we might believe.

made whole by that love

which refuses to let go of us,

have mercy when we think

that all we have to do is

get through the next 40 days

(or is it actually 46?) and 

we will be home free.

when we could leave the

ashes and residue behind

for someone else to clean up,

have mercy on us so we

might carry them with us all

the way to the empty tomb,

to fill it up since death no longer

can hold us in its cold grip.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Ashes' Eve

we carefully sweep up
the ashes from our fears,
our dreams, our disappointments,
putting them in a nice, neat pile,
wondering if, like a phoenix,
they might ignite into new
palm branches ready to be used
tomorrow, so we can just skip
this whole dreary season, which
does not suit our idea of faith.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

February 13th

"I am weary, O God. How can I prevail?" Proverbs 30:1c

just flat worn out

from the continued snark

that poses as conversation

and the words that cut deeper

than any two-edged sword.

tired to the point of exhaustion

by the folks who just cannot

help shredding the souls

of folks they don't even know

simply to score points in 

some sort of game i never learned.

dog-tired from all the slobbering

over folks who are paid obscene

amounts of money for playing games

and those who accumulate more

and more while sharing less and less.

weary?

doesn't come close to describing

life in most moments some days,

so help me to just push on

(with you giving me nudges from

the back)

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

February 12th

"The Lord is faithful in all his words, 

    and gracious in all his deeds." Psalm 145:13b

as the day begins,

it is all about grace:

the grace to see the

wonders of creation 

and the grace to care for it.

as the day continues,

it is all about grace:

the grace to see 

the struggles of people

and the grace to let go

of one's privilege so that

those who have none

might find hope in life.

at the end of the day,

it's all about grace:

the grace to forgive 

all the foolishness

(especially my own),

and the grace to rest

in God's peace and love.

it is all about grace:

simple grace

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

February 11th

"And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit." 2 Corinthians 3:18

give us Advent eyes

so we may see you

coming in ways which 

knock our socks off.

give us Christmas eyes

so we may see you

in the just born baby

and the grandmother

reliving her childhood.

give us Lenten eyes

that we may see, not

so much what we give up

but what we gain from you.

give us Easter eyes

that we may see you

in the new life born 

in us each morning.

give us Pentecost eyes

that we may see you

as the shutters on

our fears blow open

and the flames of new

hope dance in our souls.

give us ordinary eyes

so we may see you 

in every moment, 

even when we are

determined to keep

our eyes closed tight.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

February 10th

"If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's."  Romans 14:8

we take that first

shuddering breath and

the Spirit laughs in delight.

we crawl, then walk, run

full out in delight, begin 

to feel twinges in our 

knees and hips, and finally

end up moving as slowly

as if we were back crawling,

and Jesus holds our hand

every step of the way.

we fear the dust bunnies

under the bed and the 

clothes breathing in the closet,

we are anxious about our

first day in school or at work,

our first date and kiss, 

we lie awake waiting to

hear the kids come home

and we wonder what home

will be like beyond this life

and you whisper as you always

have, 'i told you. don't be afraid.'

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

February 9th

"And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.  And he was afraid, and said, 'How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.'"  Genesis 28:12,17

so, God,

it turns out that

the way to get to heaven

is to prop a ladder against

a house to clean out 

the gutters of an aging neighbor,

or to put one down

into the deep loneliness

of a dear friend so we can

go down and be with them

until we can climb out together,

or go up one with the little kids

until we reach the top 

of the big shiny slide and 

go speeding down with 

our hands in the air, screaming

in joy and then doing it all over

again.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

February 8th

"Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are." Romans 12:16

you make it as simple 

as you can, but we just

cannot help ourselves

and so, choose

to focus on our differences,

look down our noses

in pious pretense and 

offer snark to so many,

try to rub shoulders 

with the powerful and

obsess over celebrities, 

and proudly highlight our

academic credentials 

every chance we get.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

February 7th

i sit on park bench

with loneliness silent

beside me, and a little

child comes up and 

offers me half a sandwich.

i try to fall asleep in

an unfamiliar bed with

the distracting voices

and quiet din on

a hospital floor, and you

turn the page as you read

me a story of hope.

i wander through the 

neighborhood, trying to

remember where i live, 

and in my confusion, a

stranger stops to ask 

if there is anything they

can do, and 

"I will sing of your steadfast love, O LORD, forever; 

    with my mouth I will proclaim your faithfulness to all generations." Psalm 89:1

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

February 6th

"And once again he bent down and wrote on the ground." John 8:8

we are so busy

looking down our noses

from a position of piety,

stuffing our foolishness

in our pockets so we 

can pick up bigger rocks,

jockeying for the best

position from which

to hurl our hate, that

we cannot take a moment

to glance down to see

what you have written:

I AM

she is

you are

we are

siblings in God's family.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

February 5th

"Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it." Hebrews 13:2

perhaps

if we saw the person

who doesn't speak a 

word of our language 

as made in the divine image

and not as a danger,

if we realized the couple

with the newborn baby

driving the dented and 

paint-peeling van was a

holy family not just homeless,

if we didn't quickly turn out

the lights and hide in the

shadows of the hallway

as the wearer of life-stained

clothes and hole-y shoes

came toward the church door,

we might realize that angels

never look like the folks 

in the pictures in our Bibles.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

February 4th

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

the children on the playground

who get into a kerfuffle over

something insignificant, but 

don't let it ruin their friendships,

the little boy gluing popsicle

sticks together to make a raft

for the runoff from the storm

as he imagines sailing to Scotland,

the little girl lying in the backyard

watching the stars emerge 

in the brittle night sky, wondering

who else, somewhere else, is

watching at they same time.

these are the guides always willing

to show us the way to 

your Beloved Community.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman 

February 3rd

"Let them praise his name with dancing, 

    making melody to him with tambourine and lyre. 

Psalm 149:3

the two little girls

spinning and whirling

around on the dance floor

at the wedding, as the

grandparents hold each other

up trying not to get knocked over,

the little boy pulling out

every pot and lid and spoon

to practice becoming a drummer

for the heavy aluminum band,

the 13-year-old patiently 

practicing the piano scales

over and over and over

until the cat begs to go outside . . .

all praise you, Gentle God,

all praise you.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

February 2nd

"How lovely is your dwelling place,

    O LORD of hosts!" Psalm 84:1

the winter moon casts

shadows on the floor 

to entertain the kitten

while we sleep.

we walk behind 

our aging parents

as they hold hands

they know as well

the ones they were 

given in birth.

we pack up our beach

picnic and are suddenly

turn breathless as 

the sunset paints the

sky in a palette of colors

and

we whisper to you, 

'we love all the 

places you call home!'

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

February 1st

"When many of his disciples heard it, they said, 'This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?'" John 6:60

because we think forgiveness

is some sort of higher calculus

which we will never comprehend,

because we take simple stories

about families, farmers, and strangers

and run them through the wringers

of textual and linguistic analyses,

because we try to turn the simple

challenge of welcoming outsiders

into some sort of political brouhaha,

you sit down on the ground,

wiping the sand smooth, and

with your finger, begin to teach 

us the ABCs of faith once again.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman