June 18th

“He said to them, ‘Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all these people.’” 1st Samuel 2:23

they think no one cares,
that no one listens to
those quiet backroom meetings,
those bruised words in smiles,
the way power is offered
for crypto currency.
but questions get around,
truth whispers in the shadows,
and the Old Book implores,
why??
not to judge them
but to open their eyes
not to punish them,
but to nudge warped souls
toward that voice they ignore.
maybe grace is in such questions
offered in a quivery voice,
while God still waits at the
window,
hoping the answer will be
those prodigals finding
their way home.

© 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: Thom-Shuman

June 17th

“When shall I come and behold
   the face of God?” Psalm 42:2b

in evenings of lengthening shadows
and days of hope singing
so low we can barely hear it,
when silence parches our souls
and prayers hang loose as if
we have had a sudden loss of faith,
perhaps
in the smile creasing
the immigrant’s face or
that breath which signals
the first drops of rain,
you shimmer,
not in stunning sunsets
but in a sandwich offered by the weary,
in grace as soft as slippers,
in the creases on a nana’s face.
and as i sit and ponder
when i will get a glimpse of you,
you are on the worn pavement
crying out for justice,
in the tears shared at gravesides,
in that knot of kids selling lemonade
and
i realize i have simply
forgotten how to see.

© 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: Thom-Shuman

June 15th

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1

in the hush between
the cracking of chaos
and creation taking is first breath,
there was a Word.
before God wound the clock
on the mantle over Eden’s fireplace
or stars whispered stories in the night,
there was a Word.
not a shout of hubris
but a lullaby of love,
not a doctrine to memorize
or a puzzle to be put together,
but hope offered in a hand.
at the beginning, with God,
with every moment, in God,
from before any bang, big or little,
was God—
the Word moving into every
weary and forgotten neighborhood,
learning our names, discovering our faults,
and willing to love us, despite us.
still.

© 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 14th

"Set me as a seal upon your heart,
as a seal upon your arm;
for love is strong as death,
passion fierce as the grave.
Its flashes are flashes of fire,
a raging flame.” Song of Songs 8:6

it’s not a burning bush
or a thunderclap on a mountaintop
or even a dove showing up at baptism.
it is more like a love note
we discover in our purse or pocket
that you, God, slip in when we are not looking.
you aren’t necessarily asking for our heart,
but that we make you permanent,
immutable, as if wax pressed
by the Beloved’s ring, or like
love etched on scarred hands.
you remind us that your love
is anything but safe, that
it is stronger than death,
as passionate as what
we feel for our soulmates,
yet you would place it
on our hearts with a butterfly’s kiss,
you would tattoo it on our souls
where it would burn so bright
others can see it as clear as day.

© 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 13th

"Then he entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling things there" Luke 19:45

we immediately begin
to clap and cheer as
Jesus clears out
the privileged from their head tables,
the narcissists waiting
for their parade to pass by,
the powerful who sell their souls
for fancy airplanes and bigger portfolios.
but
then as he turns and notices
us
sitting at our tables
piled high with dogmas and doctrines,
our fancy brochures for seminars
on nothing-but-growth promised,
our books that guarantee
the sort of prosperity which will
us the envy of all our friends,
the new and improved faith
based on that old monasticism,
we see that glint in his eyes
and the twitch in his fingers
and start to sweat . . .

© 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 12th

“They replied, ‘The Lord needs it.’” Luke 19:34

the back bowed from work,
the frayed rope around the neck,
hardly the white stallion meant
to carry generals or royalty—
yet, that is what Jesus needed,
not perfection,
but the ordinary, caked with dust.
what if that’s all the permission
we need to let go
of those fears knotted
to us by frayed dreams, 

caked with dust?
after all,
maybe what is being asked
of us in such moments
or in every moment
is not perfect lives,
but that we let go
of our grip on ordinary lives
caked with the dust
of all our foolish choices
because we are needed
to carry others into
the Beloved Community.

© 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 11th

“If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.” 2 Corinthians 11:30

if i swagger, let it be
as grace turns my stumbles
into dance steps.
it i crow, let it be
with that raspy voice
from singing all night about hope.
if i boast, let it be
with the splinters of my heart
cracked by the wounds of the world.
if i gloat, let it be
about the vulnerable being chosen
to sit at the head table of love.
if i brag, let it be prayers
whispered from those
failure built prisons as mercy
creeps in on little feet.
for whatever claim
i might make about myself
is but that stone i roll
in front of my soul, but
which you push open
to welcome me into
the new life you offer.

© 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 10th

“Help, O LORD, for there is no longer anyone who is godly;
   the faithful have disappeared from humankind.
They utter lies to each other;
   with flattering lips and a double heart they speak.” Psalm 12:1-2

where?
where are you, God, when
lie seems to follow lie until
we face a tsunami of falsehood,
and truth is washed from under our feet.
yet, still, in the silence of hope
we wait,
for the whispers of the just
to mingle with the voices of grace,
gradually swelling into songs
with lyrics about endurance
and music hummed by little kids.
for it is in the silence,
trusting your truth will outlast
the storm of the knuckleheads,
that your light will brighten
the shadows of our fears,
that your justice will become
a rainbow sheltering everyone,
that our hearts will hold fast
as we wait to be reborn.

(c) 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 9th

“Even if you are exiled to the ends of the world, from there the LORD your God will gather you, and from there he will bring you back.” Deuteronomy 30:4

if the world would cast us
adrift on a paper boat headed
toward that place marked
‘here be dragons,’
still
God would find us,
using that whisper carried
back on the sighs of our souls
to find the route to us,
with that wearied trust
of a shepherd who knows
the individual voice of every sheep.
even if the powerful
grinds our hearts into dust
that they put in a container
shipped to some grace-forsaken spot,
still
God will never give up
coming to gather us,
singing us home with
lullabies as soft as mercy,
with kisses as certain
as the stars coming
out at night.

© 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Pentecost

the smell of broken bread
lingering in that upstairs room,
their hearts shredded like the
Temple’s veil, surely it was over.
but rather than knocking gently,
that holy wildfire,
that unrestrained wind,
that grace which unties
tongues of the shyest,
came barreling in
tumbling them out
into the empty streets.
and still,
in that first breath
a new-born takes,
in those songs for justice
in forgotten neighborhoods,
in whispered hopes
at gravesides in death’s chill,
she comes -
ready to push us out
of apathy-shuttered lives,
with good news sparking off us,
ready to ignite grace
in the world.

© 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 7th

“’Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.’” Luke 11:23

there is one field sown
with the wildflowers of grace
while next to it is one
teeming with the weeds of expediency.
and while we sit on the fence
that extends between the two,
not sure where we should walk,
we might remember that Jesus
isn’t inviting us to be neutral parties.
no, we are called to gather
the forgotten, the fearful,
and even those we cannot stand.
we are invited to mend nets
ripped apart by polarization,
to bandage the wounds of the wicked
as well as cradling those closest to our hearts.
and so, will we choose to hold
his hand and race toward
the splintering of the world
or just keep teetering,
as the pieces drift apart.

© 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 6th

“Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture, but you must tread down with your feet the rest of your pasture? When you drink of clear water, must you foul the rest with your feet? And must my sheep eat what you have trodden with your feet, and drink what you have fouled with your feet?” Ezekiel 34:18-19

we pull on our wellies
trampling on all grace
leaves behind.
yes, the pasture is deep and wide
yet we are determined to muck it up
with our mud-coated, narcissistic feet.
we are handed that cool drink
from mercy’s deep waters
and then toss the litter
from our picnic in the well.
whisper, Shepherd of our hearts,
so we remember how guilty
we are leaving only crumbs
from your table, for the least.
Gatherer of scattered sheep
sift our souls of our greed,
loosen our grip on our blessings,
and remind us of the burdens
we leave behind for others
to clear up from our journey.

© 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 5th

“Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. ‘Teacher,’ he said, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’” Luke 10:25

whether with a scroll
or using our tablet,
we want to test this
itinerant preacher
with the same question,
‘what must i do?’
do we really think
God’s love is ink
in the lines on a ledger,
or that grace is confined
to very narrow margins?
do we imagine we
will be pinned like butterflies
in some divine display case
on the other side of life?
so, pay attention,
because Jesus, with that
always irritating patience
simply takes our question
and tosses it like the chaff it is,
scattering our always
irritating need to somehow
earn
what is simply a gift.

© 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 4th

“His delight is not in the strength of the horse
    nor his pleasure in the speed of a runner,
but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him,
    in those who hope in his steadfast love.” Psalm 147:10-11

don’t look for God
in this cutthroat culture
or in the midst of folks
tapping their chests with fists.
it is in the pause between heartbeats,
the wind carrying whispers
of frightened children,
at the street corners where
weary souls gather hoping
to find grace offering them work –
that is where we find
the Holy delighting in us.
for it is not the Olympic
like sprinters who God notices,
but the ones with tender hearts,
with souls welcoming the lonely,
with dogged determination
to get through this obstacle
course we call life, where
goodness and mercy wait
to welcome them at the finish.

(c) 2025 Thom Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 3rd

 “He said to them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.’” Luke 10:2

we pass it every day,
that farm where the crops
God planted and tended
are at their peak, just waiting
for folks to show up
to pick them and take them
to the stores, the parking lot markets,
the pantries in food deserts
where they could offer
tantalizing grace for the forgotten,
abundant justice for the vulnerable,
delicious hope for the lonely.
but since we are convinced
that our education, our work,
our privilege, our faith should
not be wasted on such labor,
folks will continue to starve
for God in their lives.

© 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 2nd

“Jesus said to him, ‘No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.’” Luke 9:62

you see it with wide open eyes,
that grace roughened road
pockmarked with mercy,
paved with cruelty.
knowing there is no time
for rearview memories,
no room for maybe prayers,
you place your plow
in that field of flint,
as it bites and jerks,
spitting soil and breaking soul.
don't look back, you whisper,
knowing that now,
hearts must lean forward,
blisters on our hands
become sacraments,
the Beloved Community
is not a pie-in-the-sky fantasy,
but carved in each hope
by hands which refuse
to let go
of you.

© 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 1st

”’What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops.’” Matthew 10:27

there in the shadows
where fireflies flicker and
kittens prowl under the bushes,
where the Spirit whispers
into our timid souls,
and love blows through
the curtains like a gentle breeze,
let us not leave grace there
to rot in the silence
like wet leaves on the ground.
we have been muzzled
by fear long enough,
so let us rise from the hush,
gathering up love’s lyrics
which were planted in our hearts
and set to the music of angels,
so, we can sing from
the rooftops of our fears,
voices like bells ringing
on brittle winter mornings,
for what we heard in the shadows
should shine like sunlight
in the sorrows of the world.

© 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

May 31st

“An argument arose among them as to which one of them was the greatest” Luke 9:46

oh, the arguments!
as if we are on the ladder
to success in a Fortune 500 company.
and as we crank up the rhetoric
or play stab-in-the-back games
Jesus comes into the board room,
dusty feet and grace-stained robe,
carrying a child, and whispers,
in a voice which sounds like
a loaf of bread being broken:
‘greatness has no name
on the door, it simply waits
as long as it takes,
sitting on the floor,
ready to give a horse ride,
read a story, play jacks.’
so
just step away from the ladder
come sit on the floor
see if you can tell
God
from the rest of the little ones.

© 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

May 30th

“For all the gods of the nations are idols,
   but the Lord made the heavens." Psalm 96:5

those gods we idolize –
power, wealth, comfort –
they are so glamorous,
as brilliant as a new phone
but as empty as a wind blown bag.
yet, we run after them,
our altars built from calendars,
our sacrifice of family for fame,
bowing down to the great Get More.
yet, as the ancients remind us,
God made all that is around us.
All of it.
not with smoke and mirrors
not using CGI universes
or animals from AI’s imagination.
just waves lapping on beaches,
tiny birds whose wings flap
50 to 80 times a minute,
cats whose purrs still stump scientists.
it’s not a gimmick on God’s part,
just wonder,
holy wonder.
so, toss aside those other gods
and just look up
and see what the clouds
remind you of today.

© 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Ascension Day

“God has gone up
with a shout,
the Lord with the sound of
a trumpet;” Psalm 47:5

so you simply slip away,
not with a holy fanfare
or 76 trombones played by angels.
after all, it is not farewell,
but grace slipped into
the pockets of our hearts.
you are not escaping,
but filling our emptiness
with promise and possibilities.
so, let us not lose ourselves
staring into space
but look around to see you
still rising –
in neighbors, in us, in me.
there in the least likely places,
where justice is on the move,
where grace is baking cookies,
where kindness plays with kids,
where peace refuses to stop ringing
even in its bell gets cracked,
where love is always louder
than all the voices of hate.

© 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Eve of the Ascension

“so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may perceive what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints,” Ephesians 1:18

Jesus,
preparing to rise to wonder,
you will not leave us sightless
but you gift us with heart-eyes
opening wide to that hope
you have planted in the soil
of our souls through all these days.
not glory’s hope or that
of gold-paved sidewalks,
but hope which tastes like sweet butter
spread on just-out-of-the-oven bread;
hope which is that 5-second-rule
grace spilled on a kitchen floor,
hope in the silence between soul-friends.
light that candle of hope
and place it in our hearts
turning them into lighthouses
which steer neighbors and strangers
from the dangerous waters of fear
and into that safe harbor
where we can shelter in your love.

© 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

May 28th

 “And do not keep striving for what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not keep worrying. Luke 12:29

quit studying the menu.
don’t try to turn prayers
into a list for the store.
without looking in the fridge,
the birds sing a song
and lilies turn out gorgeous
without looking in the mirror.
we aren’t born to count crumbs
or bottle anxiety like sour wine.
we are made up of quarks
and clothed in wonder woven
from the threads of love and hope.
each day
we are invited to eat
where there is more than enough
as we sit down and unfold
napkins crafted from mercy.
so, take a breath
sit in stillness
and remember that
the God who never
forgets your name
is passing the cup of grace
to you.

© 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

May 27th

“Take care that you do not forget the Lord your God, by failing to keep his commandments, his ordinances, and his statutes, which I am commanding you today.” Deuteronomy 8:11

watch, comes the whisper
from God’s heart.
watch
lest life’s largesse blinds you,
lest that full pantry clouds
the memory of empty stomachs.
in the comfort of privilege
it is easy to forget the wilderness,
to brush off that dusty grace
which held you as your souls
murmured while thunder shook
mountains.
remember that hunger
which inspired you to pray,
the chronic

 thirst
that carved trust in your
throat like a psalm.
take care when you 
spend so much time
remembering the lean years
that you forget
the Giver
when your hands
can’t hold everything
you now have.

© 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

May 26th

“Light dawns for the righteous,
and joy for the upright in heart.” Psalm 97:11

through the slats of the shade
we’ve pulled over our hearts
your light tiptoes in,
so, it might warm the seeds of justice
you have placed gently in
the gardened souls
of all who choose to do right
even as the world seems to bend
more and more towards evil.
joy is not a trumpet
blaring out some sort
of triumphal anthem,
as much as it is candles,
formed from the wax
of cold hearts you have
melted with your love,
and carried into bleak alleys
and quiet corners where
compassion refuses to sit idle.
so, keeper of mornings,
scatter the seed of sunrises
into our weary lives, so
that even as dusk awaits,
we will remember to let
grace glow.

(c) 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

May 25th

“If there is among you anyone in need, a member of your community in any of your towns within the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hard-hearted or tight-fisted toward your needy neighbor.” Deuteronomy 15:7

when a sister in need
approaches you,
don’t cross the street.
if a brother is hungry,
it’s not a reason to tighten
your grip on grace.
these siblings are God,
pressing a finger against
that doorbell of your
slammed shut tight heart.
so, offer them
not just a handout
but some of your day,
not just a meal
but a table conversation,
not just a sliver of hope
but that bit or bob of you
that remembers not to hoard.
for if you take that
risk of unclenching your grip
you just might find
that your emptiness is fuller
than you ever imagined.

(c) 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

May 24th

”We who are strong ought to put up with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Each of us must please our neighbor for the good purpose of building up the neighbor.” Romans 15:1-2

strength doesn’t rely on muscles,
but on mercy for the vulnerable.
strength isn’t about how much we can lift
but who we can help rise.
strength isn’t about flexing and posturing,
it is about kneeling
and washing the feet of prisoners,
it is about those quiet acts
of patience in unseen moments,
it is about showing up for the forgotten
not showing off for the crowds.
strength isn’t about how wide
our shoulders might be,
but whether we will carry
the burdens of the weary,
gently holding the fragile and frail
and making sure they get home.
so give us your strength, God,
which makes us weak enough
to be more like you.

(c) 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

May 23rd

“For the kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Romans 14:17

it has nothing to do
with pastries or programs,
it is not about what
Aunt Martha brings to the potluck
or who brews the best coffee –
it is the tangy taste of grace
lingering on our tongues.
because the Beloved Community
is not found in recipes or doctrines,
but in our common humanity,
relationships built on trust,
peace which whispers in silence,
joy bursting into our cloistered hearts
when we thought it could never happen
again.
after all, it’s at that table designed
by an imaginative mind,
crafted by a master carpenter,
the grain in the wood almost breathing.
a table where everyone –
that’s right – everyone – finds a place.
so sit down, pass the bread,
fill your neighbor’s glass with hope,
for where life is served,
Love is the party-giver.

© 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

May 22nd

“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

rising with the dust motes
in the morning sun or
curling up in the shadows,
we belong to you, Tender Heart,
not because we deserve it
but because of the grace
woven into the seams of our souls.
so may we live
not so much for ourselves
but for those around us,
and never more for them
than we do for you.
and when we come
to the end of life,
may death be like a leaf
on an autumn tree,
finally letting go,
trusting that the Spirit
which first breathed life into us
will carry us home
to you.

(c) 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

May 21st

“The Lord is king; let the peoples tremble!He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake!” Psalm 99:1

no middle of the night
social media stuff,
no need for spin,
no lies feeding lies,
just whispers of grace.
not sitting resolutely behind
a desk, your sharpie in your hand,
but the Word cooking
breakfast on the beach.
not walking roughshod
over the vulnerable,
but with feet covered
from the dust of death
and the ashes of our dreams.
you utter your hopes
and all creation quivers –
not in terror
but in delight.
so as we continue
to believe we run the show,
shake us out of our
arrogance, our apathy,
our blind worship of idols
who walk with clay feet.

(c) 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

May 20th

 “who executes justice for the oppressed;

who gives food to the hungry.” Psalm 146:7

rolling up your sleeves,
you slip into the shadows
where hope flickers like
a match in the wind.
and there,
you hand out loaves of dignity
wrapped in napkins of grace,
those in the locked cells
of grudges or failing systems
hear you walking down the hall
the keys jingling in justice-worn hands.
the single mom counting out
nickels and dimes for food,
the back spasmed worker
looking for a second job,
even those forgotten by the forgotten,
none slip through the heart
because that is what you do,
day in, day out, always
listening to silenced voices,
lifting burdens from weary souls,
setting tables for your children,
hoping we might just take the hint,
meeting you at the pantry
not at the celebrity gala,
welcoming the stranger
not the privileged.

(c) 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

May 19th

“Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer everyone.” Colossians 4:6

each morning, may we stop
by your diner, Baker of our lives,
where we are served words
full of grace, like bread fresh
out of the oven, crusted with compassion,
smelling of your yeasty justice
and we can taste hope on our tongues.
then let us go out
into this world where so many
speak to conquer, to hurt,
to shame, to mock, to cut to the quick,
our mouths becoming your table—
where the stranger is welcomed,
the forgotten are fed,
enemies are given the best booth,
and love is the daily special,
nourishing hungers no one
ever sees.

(c) 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

May 18th

”See, a king will reign in righteousness,
and princes will rule with justice. Isaiah 32:1

in the politician who sets aside pride
to serve with kind humility,
in the privileged who are willing
to reveal their ordinary, fumbling selves,
in all who have authority but
choose to shelter the vulnerable
from the bitter storms of life
and speak truth like fresh spring air,
in those who sit exalted on benches
yet act to cradle the weary
in arms of merciful justice,
your beloved community is glimpsed
as hope twinkles in
in the summer night like fireflies
and children hear the soft
footsteps of grace
walking through their
neighborhoods.

(c) 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

May 17th

”As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.” Colossians 3:12

remember, in the morning,
bleary-eyed, mumbling, wishing
the kettle would boil sooner
that the robe of mercy is a gift,
those almost frayed socks are kindness,
that you are not perfect, which is okay.
because God doesn’t need the perfect
but the ones willing to be foolish,
who wear compassion when cruelty is chic,
who put on humility’s scuffed shoes,
not the polished boots of pride,
who pull on denims and work shirts
handed down from a carpenter.
and then, maybe today,
you will be merciful to someone
who doesn’t deserve it,
you will share grace with that
arrogant so-and-so who hasn’t earned it.
so, finish the cup,
slip into kindness,
stick some extra grace
into your backpack,
step humbly into the world
to live with all the other
children of God.

(c) 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

May 16th

“Thus says the LORD:
A voice is heard in Ramah,
lamentation and bitter weeping.
Rachel is weeping for her children;
she refuses to be comforted for her children,
because they are no more.” Jeremiah 31:15

in the communities reduced to rubble
in the hospitals without supplies
at the crossings where names are forgotten,
Ramah’s voice cries out.
not only every mother, but
every father, every sibling,
every heart which has shattered
and every soul cradling hope
is named Rachel.
yet,
there in the ashes is the God
who gathers tears into scarred hands
which, even now, are drafting
the plans for restoration,
which even now are drawing
weeping children into love’s embrace,
whispering that someday from grief
will rise grace like a phoenix.
so may we weep
not as those who have no hope
but as those who,
because of God,
never lose hope.

(c) 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

May 15th

“I have loved you with an everlasting love;
therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.” Jeremiah 31:3b

and just like that,
in case we miss it
the first time (or more), you whisper,
‘my love for you never fades.’
it won’t turn away, even when we do,
it won’t walk away, when we doubt.
it will just be
as patient as we need, and more,
weaving grace like a shawl around us
in every moment of our lives.
you see our worst, and still love,
you watch us chase after fools
and wait faithfully until we come back.
for you, it is not a burden or obligation,
simply that love which delights you.
so
today, tomorrow, whenever,
may we rest in holy wonder
that even before we ever think
of loving you,
you love us.

(c) 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

May 14th

“But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.” Luke 6:27-28

honestly, Lord?
it is hard.
the kid who shovels
snowy sidewalks, or
the co-worker who lets us
take the credit for a project –
they are easy to love
but those whose words
leave bruises on our souls
or the bitter voices which
turn our hearts to acid?
them’s the toughies.
but in your topsy-turvy,
out-of-the box beloved community,
you long for us to open our fists,
tenderize our spines,
let grace seep out of us like sunlight
through stained glass windows.
honestly, Lord, it is hard,
so keep finding a way
to teach us your illogical love
until it finds a way to slip in
through the cracks of the walls
we build out of our grudges
and turns our hurts holy.

(c) 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

May 13th

“For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,” Colossians 1:19

like a baker, you kneaded
the yeast of grace into Jesus,
and like a potter, you gently curved
him into the vessel to hold our lives
in him, we were blessed to see
love with skin on and the full feast
of creation, not just the scraps.
you tucked all of you into him –
into fingers that dared to touch lepers,
into lips that valued women and children,
into feet that walked with those
who had been forgotten by the privileged,
into hands that fed those starving for hope.
and still
into us, those cracked and stained
cups which spill more than they carry,
you hope we might dare to hold
just a thimbleful of you in us
and offer it to the thirsty, so
they might discover you,
your love, your grace, your peace,
your justice, your hope, your joy,
all of you –
in them, for them, with them.

(c) 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

May 7th

“For the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome,” 1st John 5:3

it’s not a thick volume with
thousands of regulations
nor a suitcase crammed full
of guilt wrinkled and frayed.
it’s adding a pinch of salt
to the stew simmering on the stove,
it’s turning off the light
letting our loved one doze on the couch,
it’s weeding the neighbor’s yard
while they are away at graduation.
it is not so much a boulder on our back
as it is a butterfly in our soul.
it is not so much an order
but more like a whisper,
come sit a spell, let’s take a walk,
listening to the same silly joke
the little kid tells every time
we see them in the yard.
you see,
love just doesn’t weigh
as much as we tell
ourselves that it does.

(c) 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

May 6th

“Come and see what God has done:
   He is awesome in his deeds among mortals.” Psalm 66:5

come,
with eyes wide open,
ears attuned,
souls stirring.
come and see,
not booming distant fireworks
but the quiet voice of a mother,
not breaking news
but bread slathered with jam,
not arrogant celebrities
but neighbors mopping up after floods.
come and see what God has done,
the welcome mat with everyone’s
name and picture on it,
gently massaged aches
by unseen yet always near hands,
sorrow rewritten as soft lullabies.
come and see
but stay long enough
to see joy renovate the
homes where weariness once lived,
and hear grace tell stories
which sparkle like fireflies.

(c) 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

May 5th

"The LORD loves those who hate evil; he guards the lives of his faithful;
he rescues them from the hand of the wicked." Psalm 97:10

on a bookmark, in a hymn,
it seems so simple:
love God, hate evil.
but on Monday,
when evil stalks us in cynicism,
or chills our hearts with indifference,
we realize it never wears a nametag
or feels no need to identify itself.
O God,
of course, we want to love you,
to not jump on cruelty’s bandwagon
or follow the pied pipers of anger,
or remain silent when injustice
sits down next to us wherever we are.
so, like a mother staring out the window
as kids head off to school, watch over us.
let us not become so weary
we forget to share simple grace
with those with complicated needs.
wrap us in the shawl of hope
which warms us with the promise
that even as the shadows of fear
spread across our times,
your light never dims,
your love never gives up.

(c) 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

May 4th

"Be hospitable to one another without complaining." 1st Peter 4:9

easy peasy – opening the door
with a smile plastered on our face
practiced words sliding out of our mouths.
but, cracking open the heart
without our questions slipping out,
without holding the spreadsheet
reflecting moments wasted,
meals missed, angry conversations.
yet
hospitality is not about
perfection, but about presence.
It is not about table arrangements
but the souls of those sitting around the table.
when we offer ourselves, no string attached,
when we move over to make room,
when we let the forgotten
be the guests of honor –
that’s the gift, that’s the heart,
that’s the grace we offer
every time we hold open the door
welcoming in everyone we can,
hoping that no one notices
the stray crumb of grumbling
we didn’t sweep up before
everyone arrived.

(c) 2025 Thom M. human

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

May 3rd

“We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers and sisters.” 1st John 3:16

i know love,
from the soft breath of my mother
while she read to me,
to the way friends do not
hold back in caring for me,
and in the life which is shared
with me by my soul mate.
i know how i want to keep
it locked away in my heart
like a miser putting funds
in a massive safe.
so may i dare not only
to speak the words,
but to spend love
extravagantly, even unwisely,
on those i am told
are not to be valued,
to turn towards them
so i can see their needs,
to lay down what many might
say is the most important
thing i will ever have,
but is simply a small piece
of who i am.
after all,
i know love because
you did not keep yours safe
but gave it away
for all your siblings.

(c) 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

May 2nd

"Why should I fear in times of trouble,
   when the iniquity of my persecutors surrounds me,
those who trust in their wealth
   and boast of the abundance of their riches?" Psalm 49:5-6

they want us to be afraid,

don't they, God?

as they stack their crypto currency,

as tariffs draw closer like storm clouds,

as they polish their arrogance

so it will gleam in the bright lights

of their narcissism.

they want us to be afraid,

don't they, God?

so remind us,

that a sunbeam comes

free of charge, and blue skies

come direct from your palette.

remind us that you are

the meadow in which 

we can run barefoot,

you are the windbreak

when fears rush toward us,

you are the gardener 

who rakes up their words

like autumn leaves, so

we can run and jump 

on the pile, crunching them

into dry dust clinging to our clothes

which we will wash off

in your living waters.

(c) 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

May 1st

"Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you." 1 John 2:24a

when we think

abide

means sitting in our

easy chairs of apathy, 

letting grace gather dust

out of disuse,

putting compassion

back in the box 

and on the shelf 

in the closet,

agreeing on that 

antiquated notion that

justice is a luxury for

the few, the privileged,

tip us out of our 

chairs, waking us from

our drowsy disinterest,

and leading us out 

into a world desperate

for those who actually

give a damn about 

others.

(c) 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

April 30th

"'I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.'" John 17:26

the grace to love

the ones marginalized

by the privileged -may 

we not hoard it.

the words of healing

for all wounded by hate -

may we speak them.
the arms to wrap around

all too weary to take

even one more step -

may we offer them.
the courage to stand

in the corridors of power

to witness for justice -

may we embrace it. 
the stamina to persist

against all the odds,

all the vitriol, all the misuse

of laws, remedies, and options - 

may we find it.

(c) 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

April 29th

"In the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed such dreams that his spirit was troubled and his sleep left him." Daniel 2:1

when the sheep we are counting

as we slowly dissolve into sleep

suddenly turn into dementors

trying to suck out our souls,

and we suddenly soak the sheets

with our night sweats, you pick us 

up and set us in a chair, while

you calmly put on fresh bedding.

when those fears we thought

we had tossed in the hamper

suddenly start bouncing 

on the bed waking us up as

they sing and dance and cheer,

you take us up in your arms,

carrying us to your own bed,

where we can nestle under

the soft duvet, slowly drifting

off to sleep as you sing those

lullabies of grace and love

we learned so long ago.

(c) 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

April 28th

"Fire goes before him, and consumes
    his adversaries on every side." Psalm 97:3

yes! at last!

answer our prayers and

send down those lightning bolts

turning the cruel into crispy critters,

those balls of fire burning

away the chaff,

that backdraft that will explode

and consume all the knuckleheads.

but, maybe, 

when we take a deep breath

and set aside our fiery anger,

simply plant that spark 

of humanity back in our souls,

make our hearts burn with

justice for the forgotten,

set a match to those dried

branches of our faith which

have withered from your vine,

so that like a phoenix,

we might rise and see our enemies

as those who are more like us

than we dare admit, as we all

keep getting in the way

of your loving and gracious

hopes for your children.

(c) 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

April 27th

"'And you know the way to the place where I am going'.” John 14:4

if we want to discover 

the way to that place 

we long to reach

at the end of our 

pilgrimage in life,

we need only to look for

the vulnerable and the victims,

the immigrants and the prisoners,

the poor and those we turn into 

scapegoats for all our fears,

for they are the ones Jesus

chooses to share the map.

and so, there they were

as they always are,

on the steps of 

Saint Mary Major, 

waiting to welcome their

beloved friend as he 

continued his pilgrimage

to the place where he had

been heading toward 

all of his life.

(c) 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

April 26th

"For you have been a refuge
   to the poor,
a refuge to the needy in
  their distress,
a shelter from the  
   rainstorm and a shade
   from the heat."  Isaiah 25:4

for those threatened

by a rip tide of evil

may we be the lifeguards

who grab their hands 

pulling them to safety.

for all caught in the 

daily, drenching downpour

of hateful and angry words,

may our compassion

be umbrellas wide enough

to shelter them.

for everyone baking in

the sweltering heat of

oppression and cruelty,

may our hearts for justice

offer the cool respite 

they need, so that together

we may create communities

of kindness and tolerance.

(c) 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

April 25th

"But now I am going to him who sent me; yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?'" John 16:5

some would call them

clues, others bread crumbs,

but if we tap into stories

about folks who now see

enemies as neighbors or

parents who put aside 

their hurt to embrace a child,

if we dip into our memories

of your encounter with

the excluded about a sick child

or the conversation you had

at a well in the heat of midday,

if we replay those flickering

videos of you calling out

your dear friend from the grave

or all those dinners you had

with those we offer closed hearts,

we might catch on to the truth

that your journey's end is

precisely where you are 

leading all of us.

(c) 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

April 24th

"He led me all round them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. He said to me, ‘Mortal, can these bones live?’ I answered, ‘O Lord GOD, you know.’” Ezekiel 37:2-3

these muscles which
are twisted by weariness,
can the knots be untied
by the fingers of grace?
these tendons which are
stretched beyond tautness
trying to push our fears away,
can they find some relief
in the gentle massage of compassion?
these bones, brittle and threatening
to splinter into shards which
might puncture my soul,
can they be strengthened
by hope?
these lives which seem
to be pulled apart by those
seductive songs of hate,
can they become a community
again, by your justice?
if you know, God,
could you stop being
so close-mouthed about it?

(c) 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

April 23rd

"As in the days when you
   came out of the land of Egypt,
show us marvelous things." Micah 7:15

in the patience 

of the teacher as a kid

chews on a pencil

trying to solve a math problem,
in the father who 

steps aside as his 

daughter learns to put

the spare tire on the car.

in the people whose voices

calling for justice, hope,

inclusion, and grace 

will not be silenced.

in the politician who puts

integrity over blind adherence

to party or leadership,

your marvels dance

all around us 

each and every moment.

(c) 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

April 22nd

"And when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left, your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, 'This is the way; walk in it.'” Isaiah 30:21

we sit at the Five Corners

where Foolishness Avenue,

Rocky Road, Via Dolorosa,

Bad News Boulevard, and

the Way to Hope all come together

and our internal GPS keeps 

whispering, 'recalculating, recalculating.'

we ease into the traffic circle

with others who look as confused

as we are, only to find

there are no clear exits.

we stand on the corner

tapping our feet

for the signal to change 

to 'walk' but it never does.

so, you go to the engineer's

office, grab all the plans

and put them in the shredder,

telling everyone, 'folks, you 

need to stop overcomplicating

that simple path of grace

i shared with you 

from the very beginning.

(c) 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

April 21st

“I called to the LORD out of my distress, 

   and he answered me;
out of the belly of Sheol I cried,
   and you heard my voice." Jonah 2:2

i was sitting in the

gutter with an empty bottle

at my feet and while 

the clergy rushed by 

on the way to a meeting

you sat down and, in the silence,

listened to my broken heart.

they told me if i kept 

up all the foolish choices

i was making, i would slide

so far down that they would

never be able to help me,

but when i got there, you

were waiting, having

heard those cries i thought

echoed only in my imagination,

and taking me by the hand,

we began the long journey

out of the shadows of despair

you know far better than

we give you credit.

(c) 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Easter

“Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight.” Luke 24:31

we don’t see you at first —
sorrow fogging out lenses
grief turning sacred moments
into just another dusty road
meeting another stranger
who doesn’t look much like hope.
but you stick with us,
not speaking in a God voice
or transformed on a mountaintop.
but simply by breaking bread,
our hearts suddenly dare
to beat again,
as the crust splits and
the crumbs kiss the table,
and suddenly,
not because we solved the mystery
not because of a sudden burst of faith,
but because grace
always manages to pick
the locks on disappointment’s locked doors,
pulling up a chair
right in the middle of life
and gobsmacking us
right in our eyes.

(c) 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Holy Saturday

 “So Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock. He then rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb and went away.” Matthew 27:59-60

our hearts ripped
apart like the veil
in the Temple,
the bitter wind
loneliness
rattling our windows,
we huddle in the shadows
of the corners, cradling
our grief.
meanwhile
in a deserted upper room,
Spirit
plays a dirge
on her trombone,
God sits at
the cigarette-scarred
upright composing
a tune that will
stun the universe
and behind a stone door,
the Word scribbles
new lyrics
for the angelic choir.

(c) 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman 

Holy Friday

"When Jesus had received the wine, he said, "It is finished." Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. John 19:30

in the emptying
of your heart,
we taste
your bitter
grief.

in the silencing
of your voice,
we hear
your cry of
abandonment.

in the shattering
of your soul,
we feel
our brokenness
being made
whole.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman 

Holy Thursday

"Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him." John 13:5

the basin is filled

drip by drip

with the tears 

of those whose loved

ones have been disappeared

and the teenager who 

was not being sought but

the heard the words 'take him anyway.'

it is filled 

drop by drop

with the sweat of all

working double shifts

to pay for burdening medical bills

while private equity firms 

make millions buying practices.

it cradles the sips of juice

held to the chapped lips

of folks sleeping rough 

on park benches and 

trans people we refuse

to accept as our siblings.

then you dip your hands

in to bathe away all

the apathy, the prejudices,

heartless dust on our hearts

so we can follow you 

as you hope we will.

(c) 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Holy Wednesday

"The Lord GOD has given me
   the tongue of a teacher,
that I may know how to sustain
   the weary with a word.
Morning by morning he wakens —
   wakens my ear
to listen as those who are taught."  Isaiah 50:4

sorry, dear prophet,

i have had more than enough

of words,

those lengthy posts, memes,

reels, and podcasts

'splaining in such excruciating detail

what's wrong with the world, and me,

that my mouse has pulled a hammy.

so, today and tomorrow and forever,

teach me to listen to the lonely 

silence whispered by the forgotten,

to open my heart to those

who are afraid that if they say 

what they truly feel that 

they will be ostracized 

by those who preach community,

to hear the shutters being

pulled in tight in another's soul,

weary of all those who are

convinced they are so right,

they cannot admit how much

they still need to listen.

(c) 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Holy Tuesday

“Turn to me and be gracious to
    me,
for I am lonely and afflicted.” Psalm 25:16

you sit alone at the table

in the lunchroom, 

your half-eaten sandwich

your closest friend, but

we are too busy sharing

our spring break adventures

to even notice who you are.

you sit on a chair next

to the wall as the band 

begins to play another song,

running your hand over 

your brand new dress, hoping

no one will notice the tears

dripping into a pool of loneliness.

you stand on the
corner, a hand-written
sign “will work for inclusion”
trembling in your hand,
but in a rush to get 

the last bags of candy

for Easter, we let our eyes

simply slide over you 

as if you were invisible.

(c) 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Holy Monday

"Turn, O Lord, save my life;
deliver me for the sake of your steadfast love.” Psalm 6:4

you walk patiently, gently,
almost expectantly towards
Jerusalem
while we wonder:
do we have the courage
to keep pace with you,
when you take your last breath
will you remember us,
will the grave cradle those
songs of hope and justice
which you sang to us so often?
we don’t know (though we
dare to think we do), but
we cannot imagine being
more frightened than we are now,
being assailed by words of anger,
fear marching lockstep with hate,
children crying themselves to sleep,
families huddling in the back rooms
of their homes worried about
knocks on the door at any moment.
so come, and cradle us
in your arms of love, holding us
so close to your heart
we can hear every beat of hope.

(c) 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Palm Sunday evening

"I have passed out of mind like one who is dead; 

   I have become like a broken vessel." Psalm 31:9

it would be so easy

to put you out of 

our minds now.

to toss the palm branches

into the bin at the curb,

dust off our coats,

be distracted by the celebrities

heading into space or

the roller coaster our 

retirement funds seem to be on,

to make the rest of this week

as unholy a mess as we can

because,

(spoiler alert)

we know the end of the

story (and have known,

for a very long time).

so may we join with those

who simply, by attending worship,

re-reading the story,

caring for the vulnerable,

and trusting in you,

refuse to put you out of mind,

and thus prove 

the psalmist wrong.

(c) 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Sixth Sunday in Lent/Palm Sunday

"The blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he cured them." Matthew 21:14

some are
but children,
hopping from one
foot to the next,
the flow of the
parade
carrying them in
its excitement
like a stick
down a river.
some are
the ignored and
the outcast,
hoping from one
moment to the next,
that maybe this time,
this one, will carry
them in his compassion.
some are
palm wavers,
hinting from one
shout to the next,
their longings for freedom
carried deep within
their souls.
some are
passionate doubters,
hauling their fears
from one
pocket to the next,
making room
for the nails
handed out by
the leaders;

all are
simply
us.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Sixth Saturday in Lent

"Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause

    against an ungodly people;
from those who are deceitful and unjust
    deliver me!" Psalm 43:1

is justice waiting 

to be discharged from

active duty, or for us

to get to work?

is empathy longing

to be cleared of all charges

of being a common criminal,

or for us to be arrested as well?

is truth expecting to be verified

by our appearance as witnesses

or will we keep posting 

worthless memes?

is hope resigned to living

locked away

in our souls and hearts,

or praying that we will

unlock the doors and 

throw away the keys?

is grace sitting in that

cell to which it has 

been deported by the

Intolerant Cabal of Egoists

or wondering when we will

show up to post bail?

(c) 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Sixth Friday in Lent

"Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus' feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume." John 12:3

you kneel to caress

the feet which will 

carry us as fast and

far from you as we can

when you decide 

to do what we keep

warning you to avoid.

you waste

yourself
on us, even though

the world whispers

how worthless we 

will prove to be.
you gather your tears

in your heart where,

mixed with unconditional

love, they turn into

a perfume which fills

our souls with the

fragrant aroma of grace.
you will pour out

your precious love
upon us, so we are

anointed for that morning

resurrection which awaits 

us.

(c) 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Sixth Thursday in Lent

“So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, ‘How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.’" John 10:24

when it seems
life is like
a murder mystery
with so many twists
and too many characters
to keep track
of, you come
underlining grace
every time it appears
in our story.

when we close
our eyes tight,
not wanting to
witness the horrific
scenes on the screen
at the World's
reality cinema, you come
and sit next to us,
taking our hand,
whispering,
‘don't be scared;
i know how this
ends.’

when we stumble
in the shadows,
groping along
the rough walls
of anxiety's alley,
our fingertips
raw and bloody
from trying to
find our way
unaided, you come
using the Spirit's peace
to illumine our way
home.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Fifth Wednesday in Lent

"'All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them.'" John 10:8

we would let
the hinges rust
so the noise
would alert us
when the outsiders
try to sneak in,
but you oil the
gate
so they can
simply be welcomed.
we slam the
gate shut, as tight
(and loudly) as possible
to make our point,
yet keep finding
it open every time
you go in and out.
the despots
would keep us
confined (for our own
protection, of course)
behind their walls
made of dry fears,
but you take out your
picks, jiggling the tumblers
until they fall into place,
so we can slip through the
gate
following you into
the pastures of grace.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Fifth Tuesday in Lent

"You will not fear the terror
   of the night,
or the arrow that flies by
   day,
or the pestilence that stalks
   in darkness,
or the destruction that
   wastes at noonday. '   Psalm 91:5-6

the doctor's visit
i dread,
that sweaty-palmed
first date.
the qualms
that turn lunch
into acid,
the redundancy
that obliterates
my dreams.
the pandemic
of fear
that tap dances
down the hall
toward my room
at night.
take your best shot,
everybody -
God has
my back
my front
my side
my life.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Fifth Monday in Lent

"'As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.'" John 9:5

gathering up the dust
of our broken dreams,
you mix it with living water
to dab our eyes shuttered
by our worries and fears,
so we might see you with us.
walking in what seem to be
ever deepening shadows
of anger, hate, and resentment
by those who would damage
the most vulnerable around us,
you hand out candles for us
to carry as we journey with
our siblings in our neighborhoods.
when we feel ourselves trapped
in that murkiness holding
the end of everything we hold dear,
we feel you reach out
for our hands, as you whisper,
‘it’s okay. i know the way out.’

© 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Fifth Sunday in Lent

"For though I am free with respect to all, I have made myself a slave to all, so I might win more of them." 1 Corinthians 9:19

free
to have my
way,
free to bullydoze
others
out of the way,
free
to tell others
to hang tough
while my life
is so much easier,
free to
choose
all the amazons
offering a rich array
of seductions
to me,
may i willingly
prefer
to serve your

people.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Fifth Saturday in Lent

"Simon Peter answered him, 'Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life.'" John 6:68

word of hope,

walk with us in

these uncomfortable

and fraught with fear days.

word of grace,

when we would rather

stay under the covers

send us out to be you

to those who are lonely.

word of justice,

challenge us not

to remain silent but

to drown out the voices

of hate and anger 

with passionate protests.

word of life,
come to us

so we may hear
your breaking heart,
then let us
go with you
to the death
which awaits you
even as you wait

to embrace us 

beyond our death.

(c) 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Fifth Friday in Lent

"I will tell of your name to my
   brothers and sisters;
in the midst of the
   congregation I will praise you:"  Psalm 22:22

all the parties
i no longer
get invited to,
all the kids
standing in front
of their lockers
snickering at me.
all the teachers who whisper,
'he had such potential,
what happened?'
it's as if i have
a 'kick me'
sign
on my back.
if i mention
your name,
people fall down
laughing.
if i don't,
another hole
burns in my soul.
like fawkes,
i dissolve
into ashes, yet
come back
again and again.
your words
keep spilling
out of my
mouth,
no matter
how hard i try
to put padlocks
and chains
around them.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Fifth Thursday in Lent

"We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now;" Romans 8:22

resistant
to directions,
we are pretty
sure
we don't need
to be shown the
way out
of our shadows.
we tap our
pencil
against our
teeth, eager
for the test
to be over so
we can
get to the
fun part
of life.
groaning
under our breath,
nervously drumming
our fingers on the
wheel, we
try to change
the signal by
sheer
concentration.
give us
the
patience
to wait for
your hope
to come,
just around the
corner
of our faith.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Fourth Wednesday in Lent

"The vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter's hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as seemed good to him." Jeremiah 18:4

the fingers
that unfolded
butterflies' wings
and waved goodbye
to them
now smooth
the wrinkles
of our souls.
those hands
callused by
shaping craggy
mountains
now gently
caress us into
being.
that breath
which melted
glaciers
into blue-green
oceans
now fills
our lungs
with life
as you
craft us
into earthenware
vessels
to hold
the dreams
of others.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman