February 28th

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

not that China pattern

passed down the generations

or porcelain vases brought

from far away countries

or jewelry so valuable 

that it needs to be kept

locked away and rarely worn

or heavy, bulky, blocky

antique furniture that the 

kids admit is just not them.

but clay,
dust of the earth

scooped up in your 

callused hands, cradled

gently as you shape 

us not for power,

but weakness.

not for hubris

but humility.

not for cruelty

but compassion.
not for judgement

but for justice.

not for hate

but for hope.

(c) 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

February 27th

”Teach me to do your will,
    for you are my God.
Let your good spirit lead me
    on a level path.”  Psalm 143:10

day by day
may i sit at
the feet of grace
absorbing its deep compassion
until it becomes second nature

day by day
may i cling to justice
never letting it be left
by the side of the road

day by day
may i live with hope
so it might nourish
my ever-weary soul

day by day
may i journey beside
your good spirit
for without it as my guide
i would surely lose my way

day by day

(c) 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

February 26th

"For we are not peddlers of God’s word like so many; but in Christ we speak as persons of sincerity, as persons sent from God and standing in his presence." 2 Corinthians 2:17

we could set up 

our table on the corner

challenging people to 

games of 3 card monte

or guess which cup 

covers the little ball of love,

we could open up 

the back of our car

in the parking lot near

where people shop, 

trying to hawk grace.

we could go door to door

through those neighborhoods

crumbling from hopelessness, 

offering a ponzi scheme 

based on taking their 

slim savings all the while

promising massive returns

of justice sometime in the future.

or

we could walk in your shadow

to genuinely care for the 

forgotten and vulnerable.

(c) 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

February 25th

"He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts;" Mark 6:8

no chauffeured limousines

pulling up to buildings 

which look like corporate headquarters,

no mega-mansions 

in fenced-off properties

with security to match,

no celebrity-studded 

board of directors and

no high-financed 

public relations firm

spinning every sermon,

just trust,

trust that, 

by your grace

we will find 

the places, and

the people, 

you know need

you more than 

we need adulation.

(c) 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

February 24th

“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy." Matthew 5:5-7

by your grace, God of all,

may we always remember

that the meek are not doormats

for the arrogant to wipe their feet

but the ones who, in quiet watchfulness,

are able to point us to the vulnerable

you would have us carry as far as needed,

may we stop thinking that justice 

is a full-service restaurant where 

we can eat our fill while others starve,

and may we never forget 

that is mercy - simple, gentle mercy -

which is the role model you would

have us emulate in a world which

idolizes cruelty to the point of blasphemy.

(c) 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

February 23rd

"As a mother comforts her child,
   so I will comfort you;
you shall be comforted in
   Jerusalem."   Isaiah 66:13

into neighborhoods
crumbling in despair,
you come, wearing your tool belt
filled with hope and grace;

where families are torn apart
by old grudges
and fresh wounds,
you swaddle them in
cloths drenched with
peace and forgiveness;

in places where children
are abandoned on the streets
by politicians and platitudes,
you gather them up
and bring them home with you.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

February 22nd

“Of course, there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment;” 1 Timothy 6:6

it is so easy to be
content in our lives,
so content, that going
without shopping, or
eating out, or buying
more stuff we don’t
really need seems almost
liking adding another bar
to that perfect attendance pin
people used to wear,
but is it truly any sort
of gain or increase in godliness
if we will just go out and
shop, or eat, or stream,
or party, or buy that same
useless stuff on some
other day?

© 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

February 21st

"The second is this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these.'" Mark 12:31

when we get up from
the table to walk out
of the room when someone
whose politics is different enters,
when we would turn
the wheels of time back
to the days when people
lived in the belief that
those whose gender
or race or whatever
did not make them equal,
when we cannot bring
ourselves to open our doors,
much less our hearts, to welcome
the immigrant who has just
moved into the neighborhood,
do you ever mutter,
‘you folks obviously do not
love yourselves very much
do you?’

(c) 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

February 20th

"I was ready to be sought
   out by those who did
   not ask,
to be found by those who
   did not seek me.
I said, 'Here I am, here I am.'
    to a nation that did not call
    on my name."  Isaiah 65:1

convinced you are off

in the woods looking

for your lost golf ball

or having wandered off

without our noticing you

like those aging parents

we worry about living alone

we never notice you

sitting at the table

in the corner of the pub

the chair across from 

you empty, but a pint

placed in front of it, 

just waiting for someone,

anyone (even those of

us too proud or privileged

to think we might need it)

to sit down, take a long drink,

and hear you call us by name.

and you will be there, 

waiting,

however long it takes

for us to walk through the door.

(c) 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

February 19th

"Offer right sacrifices, 

   and put your trust in the LORD." Psalm 4:5

when we could offer

grace to those longing

for a gentle word, we have

to load them down with

all the grudges we carry.

when we could share 

the justice which so many

search for in these times,

we continue to wear it 

like an heirloom which 

can only be passed down

to those who are taught

the secret handshake 

from the moment of birth.

when we could extend 

a hand of welcome to all

who have been pushed 

aside by the ones with power,

we can't bring ourselves

to trust that you have 

vetted them as worthy 

enough to be in our group.

(c) 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

February 18th

"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 123:4

how easy it is 

to believe that we

are the ones 

deemed contemptible

when the super-rich seek

to take away our imagined

well-deserved perks,

yet all the while those

whose fingertips cling to the

edges of the floor of privilege

on which we have built

our superior attitudes and lives,

know that we would have

no hesitation in stepping 

on their hopes and turning

away as they fall into that

basket labeled 'deplorables.'

(c) 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

February 17th

"They rise in the darkness as
   a light for the upright;
they are gracious, merciful, and
   righteous. Psalm 112:4

they gather on the corner
as the sun is barely awake
ready to offer a cup of coffee,
a hot breakfast, a hopeful word.
they warmed up the buses
to pick up the folks
as the shelters close for the day
to drive them to clinics,
to job interviews,
to warming centers.
they clock out of the
graveyard shift, rushing home
to be with their kids
for a few brief moments
before shoving off to
their second job.
and, we never notice,
snuggled in our warm beds
sleeping off the exhaustion
of arguing into the early hours
about what folks should do
for the “less fortunate.”

© 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

February 16th

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

it was the switch you threw
that first moment to illuminate
creation beginning to bloom.
it was the spoon that stirred
the elements in the falling rain
which filled the seas.
it was the breath that moved
the leaves in the trees
and filled the lungs of ancestors –
love.
as old as dirt and
fresh as the breath
of the person leaning over
to whisper in our ears,
and all you hope
is that

we will never stop
giving it away.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

February 15th

“proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable; convince, rebuke, and encourage, with the utmost patience in teaching.” 2 Timothy 4:2

may hope
never disappear from
our vocabulary
or be executive ordered
from our lives

may we never
take a holiday from
pursuing peace

let patience
be that spiritual gift
we never knew we had
and now, want to share it
with everyone who annoys us

may we spend
(at least) 10 times
as much energy and passion
building up others as we do
in tearing them down.

© 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

February 14th

“The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,” Isaiah 61:1a

the Spirit of the Lord
can be annoying as heck
on a lot of days,
nudging me towards kindness
when snark fills my heart.
opening my eyes to the
struggles of the vulnerable
when i would rather try to score
tickets for the hottest concert.
whispering in my ear about
the loneliness of my neighbors
when i want to listen to podcasts
done by conspiracy theorists.
the Spirit of the Lord
is upon me, and she just
will not go away, so
i probably should
pay attention.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

February 13th

“Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, ‘You lack one thing;’” Mark 10:21a

it seems a simple thing
to expect others to give
away everything they have,
especially since we convince
ourselves that our privilege
really is best known as scarcity.
but if you point out
our political beliefs
our self-righteous indignation
our prejudices we so easily deny
our carry-us-kicking-and-screaming
refusal to think you are talking
about or to us . . . 
well, you might force us
to turn our backs on you
even if we tell others we
would never do that!

© 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

February 12th

“But the word of God is not chained.” 2 Timothy 1:9b

we can treat
the good news
of compassion as
if it is an endangered
species behind glass
in a zoo, but you will
break in at night,
setting it free to run
through our streets.
we can try to ban
all your promises about
fairness and inclusion
out of fear that they might
groom our children to be
more just than we are,
but you will continue
to slip those words
into the backpacks
of their hearts and souls
when we are not looking.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

February 11th

“As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God.” Psalm 42:1

as a squirrel
stalks the peanut shell
rolling on the ground,
as the seagull
flies above the beach
ready to dive for
a piece of bread,
as a dog nudges
its best friends for
just one more walk
before bedtimes,
as the sleepy cat
follows the sunbeam
across the floor hoping
it will stay still for a nap,
as a oldster tries to
come up with the digit
to finish a number grid,
as a couple searches
for the missing pieces
to complete the puzzle,
so does my lonely heart
ache for you, my God.

(c) 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

February 10th

“See what large letters I make when I am writing in my own hand! Galatians 6:11

when God could
have chosen to use
a giant parade balloon,
a text with letters
in 72 point font,
a supernova which
exploded eons ago
whose light is just reaching us,
to remind us that
we are the Beloved,
we are graced,
we are forgiven,
we are wrapped in arms
which will never let go,
God
chose to become
weak
foolish
broken
dead
for us
and that’s all
God needed to do.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman 

February 9th

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,” Hebrews 12:1a

the hungry families
throughout the world
are reminded of
our stinginess once more.
the forgotten who had
edged a little closer
to becoming our kin
know again our inhospitality.
the lonely, those working
more than one job,
the veterans needing care,
those who are disabled
line up to bear witness
to our callused souls,
and when they try
to be heard,
they are threatened
with being deported
from our hearts.

© 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

February 8th

“Thus says the Lord GOD,
   who gathers the outcasts of Israel,
I will gather others to them
   besides those already gathered.” Isaiah 56:8

all
of our forms and documents,
our debates and doctrines,
our petty arguments
as well as our prejudices,
our walls built of brick
as well as those constructed
from outdated fears,
will not keep
you
from gathering
all
of your children
into your love
your grace
your welcome

© Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

February 7th

“By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.” Galatians 5:22-23

and yet when
we attach conditions
too numerous to mention
to our love,
we are only generous
when it suits our interests,
we have come to believe
that patience is as outmoded
as caring for the forgotten,
self-control keeps us
from being able to be
the free spirits we imagine,
and faithfulness is
for all the dinosaurs
around us,
why do we wonder
that the Spirit’s fruits
rot before anyone picks
them?

© 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

February 6th

"For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery." Galatians 5:1

we can join the grumblers
and whiners who want to go back

to those so-called good old days

when women were chained to a stove,

when kids never opened their mouths,

when everyone knew and kept their place

churning out those bricks and mortar

for the fancy homes of the bosses (who,

surprise of surprises, were those

selfsame grumblers and whiners . . .)

or we can dare to follow the One

across the Freedom River into

that land called promise where

each person is free to be 

graced

valued

accepted

beloved

by God, and by us.

(c) 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

 

February 5th

"See, my servant shall prosper;
   he shall be exalted and lifted up,
and shall be very high.” Isaiah 52:13

your portfolio was 

those scraps of paper

filled with notes about

grace, love, justice no one

wants to hear.
your mode of transportation

was a pair of scraggly sandals

under legs wearied by too

many miles on lonely roads.
you made your mark 

by collecting all the folks

in your neighborhood that 

everyone avoided at all costs.
daring to be the sort

who saw washing the feet

of others as the highest calling,

no one thought you would

amount to much.

your one shining moment

came when you were

nailed to a wooden beam

before being lowered

into a shadowed tomb.
and

for God,

that was more than enough.

(c) 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

February 4th

"For you shall not go out in haste,
   and you shall not go in flight;
for the LORD will go before you,
   and the God of Israel will
   be your rear guard." Isaiah 52:12

in these tik-tokky, follow

every conspiracy theorist

down every un-factchecked

rabbit hole which pops up,

may we slow down just enough

to follow your lead so we can

smell the barest hint of spring

on the breeze which chills us,

and sit on the park bench

watching little kids play together

with simple, joyful abandonment

and

then refreshed

let you pull us to our feet

as you gently push us forward

to protect the forgotten,

to challenge those who think

that when Jesus spoke of

the little, the lost, the last, the least,

he was speaking of the wealthy,

to never choose silence as the 

best way to deafen hateful words.

(c) 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

February 3rd

"But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law,"  Galatians 4:4

you could have waited

until we had wised up

but you came when 

we were so foolish.

you could have waited

until we were rich

but you came when

our pockets were empty.

you could have waited

until we had finished

building our dream home

but you came when 

we were in a one-room flat.
you could have waited

until you knew beyond

every possible doubt

that we would catch on

to what you were doing

but you came 

because you could not

bear another moment

of our being separated

from you.

(c) 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

February 2nd

"but do not have love, I am nothing." 1 Corinthians 13:3c

may your love be patient
with us, when we long

to call the whole thing off.

may your love be kind

to us, when we drift towards

being cruel.

may your love keep us

from becoming as arrogant

as the self-righteous powerful.

may your love keep lighting the way

of keeping the faith, even

when we want to kick it to the curb,

of continuing to stand by truth

so it never disappears,

of carrying grace to everyone

however heavy it becomes,

of never doubting that

good will survive such times,

of building community from

the burnt rubble of hope,

of refusing to ever lose heart

even if the remnant keeps 

shrinking.

because love which is

gritty and gutsy

bruised and bloodied

shattered and scattered

dismissed and despised

is exactly that love

which keeps you bearing,

believing, hoping, and 

enduring since love began.

(c) 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

February 1st

"Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith."  Galatians 3:24

so engrossed with
making sure that we
toe the
line,
keep our souls
spotless,
learn every jot
and tittle of the
rules,
before sending us
off to bed without a
snack,

the babysitter
never notices
you
sneaking into our
rooms, and
with a shushing finger
to your lips,

tiptoe us out
into the firefly-spackled
evening
where we twirl and
twirl in circles until
collapsing in the dew,

watching the dawn
color the morning sky.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman