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

Fourth Tuesday in Lent

"But he said to them, 'It is I; do not be afraid.'” John 6:20

fear

comes as a spider

weaving its threads

of conspiracies and lies

into a web just waiting 

to snare us while it slowly

creeps toward us to suck

all our humanity out of us.

fear

sounds like those ancient sirens 

sitting just on the

edge of our journey 

through these difficult times,

singing sweet, alluring songs

hoping to lure us from 

staying the course towards

compassion, justice, and hope.

fear

is a decaying past

we are told we need

to keep alive at all costs,

no matter how damaging

it was to so many people.

so, 

may we take you deep

into our hearts and souls

that we might not trust fear

more than we trust you.

(c) 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman