July 21st

“Why do you pass judgment on your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.” Romans 14:10

do you ever shake your head,
drop it into your hands, and
mutter to yourself,
“how long? how long?”
for no matter who you send,
no matter who shares your words,
nor how often you repeat yourself,
we remain stubbornly insistent
that not only do we
get to judge others, and not you,
but we get to set the standards
as to who, how, and why
others around us are judged.
maybe that is why you are willing
to patiently wait, until we step
into your living room at the end of time,
just to see the look on our faces
when we see all those losers,
those deplorables, those prats,
curled up next to you on the couch,
eating the cookies you just
took out of the oven.

© 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 20th

“Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.” Romans 13:10

not waiting for a committee report
or a vote of confidence,
love crosses every street
we have been told to avoid,
stepping onto those porches
and knocking on the doors
we teach ourselves to fear.
despite every voice demanding
we choose sides and not neighbors,
you whisper a different approach—
offering a heart before hearing a word,
healing wounds instead of arguing,
seeing your sibling in God, not a label.
when love is that quiet courage
to refuse harming simply to harm,
to put more chairs at the table,
to tear down walls to build wells,
then the law is fulfilled.
for when every barrier is removed,
every act of mercy replaces meanness,
then newcomers and old-timers
remember they all live
in the same neighborhood
found in God’s heart.

(c) 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 19th

"So the people shouted, and the trumpets were blown. As soon as the people heard the sound of the trumpets, they raised a great shout, and the wall fell down flat;" Joshua 6:20

if only it was
as easy shouting
to bring down the walls
of division and discord.
if only all it took
was the world singing
to give peace a chance.
if only it was as simple
as marching in the
light of God to end
all hatred and oppression.
if only we had to pick up
our trumpets to turn
our communities into havens
of hospitality towards all,
of healing for the broken,
of kindness offered to
the forgotten and the vulnerable.
if only . . .

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 18th

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities; for there is no authority except from God, and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God. Romans 13:1

but before we bow,
may we remember
that every seat of power
is on loan for but a moment
and rests on the foundation of dust.
for authority does not mean holiness
and power is not the same as love.
the Word who named the stars
knelt to wash the feet
of the vulnerable we ignore,
and chose to carry a cross
while never wielding a weapon.
thus, when laws brush past mercy,
when the smallest voice is silenced,
we will bend our knees
only to the God
whose justice lifts the forgotten,
whose peace confounds tyrants,
whose kingdom is based not
on any military strength
but a welcome to all, to all.
so may we always honor the good,
stand up to all that is cruel
and follow the Christ—
the One whose authority
is grounded in grace and love.

© 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 17th

If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Romans 12:18

if we depend
on blustering politicians,
we should expect more
dangerous choices;
if we depend
on bile-filled voices,
we can expect
an increase in
hate and anger;
if we depend
only on ourselves,
the odds are we'll
screw it up;
but
if we depend on
you,
we just might learn
how to live
with each other.

© Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 16th

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect." Romans 12:2

when we have a mind
that folks need to earn
justice rather than
the privileged sharing
it freely with the forgotten
or
think kindness should on be
a random sort of thing
we do when someone needs
a door held open in the rain
but building affordable housing
doesn't seem to come
to pop into our heads
or
we believe that all is right
in the world when the rich
get breaks which bring more wealth,
when the power brokers
are never asked what is going on,
and when the celebrities
are granted permission for
all the knuckleheadness in the world,
obviously, we have a
far more skewed idea than you
as to what is good.

(c) 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 15th

“Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us,
    even as we hope in you.” Psalm 33:22

there are mornings
when we wake before the alarm,
our hearts already weary
of the day’s headlines even
before we learn of them
and we want simply to
pull the duvet of apathy
back over our heads.
or if we should have
to venture out, we long
to clothe ourselves in
small, skeptical, mocking lives
and wander around the world
boxed in by despair’s heaviness.
yet, you would have us
not let fear, misery, anger
control our hope or our hearts,
so help us to listen,
to get up,
to speak out,
to act as those whose lives
are so filled with your
love which never gives up
on us or anyone else,
that we become
the resistance movement
to the chaos around us.

© 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 14th

"Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, 'Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.'" Matthew 25:24-25

afraid they might spend it
on addicts, the homeless,
and all the other losers
who hang out on our streets,
we keep your grace in
safe deposit boxes, throwing
away the keys.
we bury your hope ten feet
below the ground and then
pour two-foot-thick slabs
of concrete over the dirt.
we put all our justice
into bearer bonds which
won't mature for at least
another 50 years which by then
will make it someone else's problem.
we put put a lot of memes
and platitudes and posts
about how we can't look
at another person and know
what they are going through,
while turning our backs on
those standing on street corners.
all the while waiting for you
to pat us on the head
like good little girls and boys.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 13th

"So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace." Romans 11:5

in the din of the angry,
shouting, chanting voices
breaking all decibel records,
there is a little girl
singing of gentleness.
in the crowds of folks
who are pushing and pulling
at grace as if it was
a ball in a rugby scrum,
there is a referee reminding
folks that it is just a game, after all.
in the alley way, where
loneliness sits huddled in
a sagging cardboard box,
as tears from heaven
rat-a-tat over its head, a
homeless fellow walks by
offering a sip of hope, and
then walks on, saying,
'keep the bottle.'

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 12th

“They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” Mark 1:22

if only
i might be knocked
off my feet by your stories
about you coming to find
the lost (even me).
if only
i might be gobsmacked
by your simple assurance
that you welcome us
just as we are (even me).
if only
i might be stunned
by your insistence that
our worth is not based
on what we achieve,
but by God’s grace (even for me).
if only
i could be astounded
by that good news
which seems so comfortable,
so convenient, so ordinary,
that we yawn every time
we hear it (especially me).

© 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 11th

“Blessed is that slave whom his master will find at work when he arrives.” Matthew 24:46

when we roll up our sleeves,
our hands fragrant from
the bread we share,
cradling the tears of
those the world forgot,
and planting hope in all
the exhausted places,
we are merely blessings
as you taught us.
you don’t care if we
set the alarm for the
right time, but that we
were too busy caring
for the lonely,
the overlooked kids,
the weary souls just
at the edge of our lives.
so may we stop glancing
at the sky, and open our doors,
for you weave every act
of kindness into a welcome mat
as you arrive disguised
in all who show up needing
grace.

© 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 10th

"But what does it say?
‘The word is near you,
on your lips and in your
heart’
(that is, the word of faith that we proclaim);" Romans 10:8

like little kids taking
a vow to keep a secret
and miming locking
our lips with a key, we
seem reluctant to sing
of grace to those who
have forgotten the tune
as well as the words.
like a dog which builds
a 'fort' of pillows and blankets
to hide behind when the
fireworks are going off,
we think justice needs
to be protected at all costs
from those who would
sneak in and pry it from
our privileged grasp.
like those who are deaf
to the familiar words
their loved ones tell them
because they just
do not care any more,
we refuse to listen
to the joyous shouts
of those who discover
how easy it is to show
mercy to others, rather
than carry grudges
throughout each day.

© Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 9th

"What shall I return to the Lord
     for all his bounty to me?" Psalm 116:12

when, at the last,
i stand before you—
may i have no love left
because i shared it
without any conditions,
no grace in my pockets
because i handed it out
to those i met along the way,
no hope tucked away in my soul
because i set it free to run
and throw its arms around
those forgotten by the world,
no justice left in my hands
because i used it to build
better communities for all
judged unfairly by the privileged,
no peace because there were
people who needed it to bring
an end to ancient hostilities,
no ego because i met those
who set aside their dreams
to care for the most vulnerable
of all your children rather
than serve themselves.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 8th

"but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him,
   in those who hope in his steadfast love." Psalm 147:11

remind us, Tender Heart,
to look past that ancient bugaboo
that we are supposed
to stand before you,
shaking in our shoes,
knees knocking a rhythm,
terror's tremors reducing us
to seeming puddles of nothingness,
but
to see you holding out
your hands to gather all
our panicky, prickly fears
so you can rub them
to dust in your hands
and then blow them away
like dandelion puffs in grass
where the Spirit will transform
them into hope which will
shower us like cooling rain
on the hottest day imaginable.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 7th

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

not all our yesterdays
which try to pull
us back into foolishness,
nor our tomorrows
which crouch outside
with fear and worry;
not the doubts
we keep bumping
our heads on,
nor the slippery peels
of our banality;
not our towering
arrogance which
pushes you aside,
nor our unabashed
allegiance to voices
of animosity
will ever convince
you
to stop loving
us.

© Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 6th

 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. Romans 8:26

we always find
the words
to order off
desires' menu;
to finely craft
phrases to describe
our fears;
to pound out paragraphs
about the slights
we are forced to endure;
but
that ache
scraping the bottom
of our heart;
the hollowness
of our soul;
the emptiness
gnawing at the edges
of our faith?
only the Spirit
can discern them
and craft a
bridge of sighs
to you.

© Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 5th

“Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news." Mark 1:14-15

there—
where mercy is planted
and hands swaddle loneliness,
where chairs are added to tables
and the weary feast on hope,
where gentle words are spoken
and silence is the only prayer,
where love never gives up
and grace is shared freely.
there—
in that nurse who sits by the bed
and the neighbor carrying firewood,
in the shattered soul choosing forgiveness
and children who share lunch,
in people who refuse to hate
and in streets where justice is sought.
there—
in the ordinary and the forgotten,
in the vulnerable and the overlooked,
in the rejected and despised,
your Beloved Community
shines through the dusty windows
of a world which no longer believes.
there—
just out of the corner
of our eyes

© 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 4th

"I see him, but not now;
   I behold him, 

   but not near -- " Numbers 24:17a

help us to see you,
not in those well-known
and well-heeled superstars
on the pitch,
but in those who
sweep up the litter
after the match
whose names are lost;
not in those who
gather around arenas
and national lawns
to idolize those who
are so full of themselves,
but in those who
are dropping off food
to the homeless
and the forgotten;
not in the privileged
at the resorts and spas
on the beach,
but in those
who make the beds,
empty the bins
and clean the toilets.

(c) 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 3rd

“it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God,” Romans 8:16

we don’t hear her
in the loudest voices,
for the Spirit uses the cracks
in our fretful hearts to slip through
to sit with the forgotten,
walk with those full of questions,
whispering to the frightened:
‘Beloved, you have always been
God’s own.’
and all those protecting walls
turn into open doors to strangers,
our clenched hands awaken
to that buried memory of being blessings,
our sore, sore feet find the courage
to keep following Love,
just one more time.
for in a world which would
stick a label on everyone,
the Spirit knows that name
given to us long, long ago:
children of God’s heart.
and so, may that witness
be what we carry into
every broken
every beautiful
every given day.

(c) 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 2nd

"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Romans 8:1

therefore,
may we stop
sending others
to some sort of imaginary
extended time out corner;
beating ourselves up
until our souls turn
every shade of yellow,
purple, and green;
tattooing XXL scarlet

 ‘A’s on our hearts;
shutting ourselves into
guilt’s crowded closet
and throwing away the key;
firing everyone from
being our own worst critic
because we have been
honing that skill
all of our lives;
now

© 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 1st

“How can I curse whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce those whom the LORD has not denounced?” Numbers 23:8

how easy it is
to reach into our pockets
and grab a handful of snark
to throw up against the screen
when we see THAT politician,
person, outsider, whoever
who just ruins our moments.
how simple it seems
to pick up some of
the hate, the prejudice,
the cruelty which has fallen
on the ground from the mouths
of all the haters, the bitter hearts,
those pettifoggers who cannot see,
hear, or accept that any good comes
from someone they cannot stand.
and how difficult, apparently,
for us to see each and every person
as made in your image,
a beloved sibling of ours.

© 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 30th

"In God, whose word I praise,
   in God I trust; I am not afraid;
what can flesh do to me?" Psalm 56:4

my once smooth skin
now is a patchwork
of wrinkles and age spots
and under a doctor's care.
my muscles no longer
impress anyone but flap
loose under my arms.
my luxuriant hair is
fading, thinning, disappearing,
oops, completely gone.
my once sharp as a
tack mind seems to be
duller and duller at times.
yet
i continue to trust
that you love me more
today than yesterday
and will be in love
even more tomorrow.

© Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 29th

"He will send from heaven and save me,
   he will put to shame those who trample on me.
God will send forth his steadfast love
   and his faithfulness." Psalm 57:3

when i want to hide under
the covers because it is just
so scary out there, send
those little birds who will sing
glad songs of hope.
when i need to go through
more physical therapy
because the knuckleheads
just refuse to stop pummeling
me with the bitter words, send
those gentle hands which
will ease the tight muscles
of my soul.
when it seems that i am
the only one who sees that
little glimmer of hope
there in the eye of the old
folks who everyone discounts
simply because, well because
they are old, may i not turn
away but learn from those
faithful, not-so-ancient-as-we-think
lives.

© Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 28th

"The God who made the world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands," Acts 17:24

the multi-campus
congregation,
the high tech
sanctuaries,
the capital campaign
to build the
office complex
for expanded staff.
remind us where
we will find you—
in the hearts
of those who
refuse to build walls;
in the hands
of servers in
shelters and kitchens;
in the feet
of marchers for
human rights;
in the voices
of advocates
for justice;
in the lives
of those who see
you
in every person
they meet.

© Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 27th

Praise the LORD!
   I will give thanks to the
   LORD with my whole heart,
in the company of the 
   upright, in the congregation. Psalm 111:1

running
with the little kids
chasing fireflies in
summer's meadows;
sitting
with the seniors
monitoring their
bingo cards like hawks;
packing
sack lunches for
the volunteers
building affordable homes;
spraying
teenagers at the carwash
to raise funds for
an immigrant family's
move:
i praise you, with
all the young and old hearts,
the whole and broken hearts,
the wondering and wandering
hearts.

© Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 26th

Jesus stood still and called them, saying, "What do you want me to do for you?" They said to him, "Lord, let our eyes be opened." Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes. Immediately they regained their sight and followed him. Matthew 20:32-34

open our eyes
so we will discover
you in the dreamers
and the dissenters.
open our ears
so we might listen
to the stories of all
who have found their words.
open our arms
that we might draw
into an embrace of grace
everyone who has been
shamed by the world.
touch our apathy
as well as our boasting,
touch our fears as well
as our fickle foolishness,
touch faithfulness as well
as our stubborn refusal to follow,
so
you might lead us
into the grace of your
Beloved Community.

© 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 25th

“When Moses went into the tent of the covenant on the next day, the staff of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted. It put forth buds, produced blossoms, and bore ripe almonds.” Numbers 17:8

don’t despair,
God still works—
not where sycophants kiss power
but in communities told repeatedly
that nothing good will bloom there,
not in behind flickering screens
but in hearts shattered by grief,
not in corridors of power
but in neighborhoods weary of worry.
don’t despair,
God still works—
where teachers never give up,
in friends who always show up,
in children who always hope,
in strangers sharing kindness.
don’t despair,
God still works—
in the steady noise of fear,
division, hate, and cruelty,
God touches those dry branches
which the world is ready
to use as kindling,
and grace, love, justice,
peace, inclusion, and joy
begin to bud.
don’t despair,
God still works.

© 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 24th

"Hoping against hope," Romans 4:18a

though the poll numbers
about being able to restore
creation to better days are poor,
we hope we will be wise enough
to keep working at it.
though the expectations as
to whether we are able
to accept others for who
they ae seem to be diminishing,
we hope we will never stop
standing with those who are
bullied and shamed by the world.
though we know we cannot
bank on the wealthiest of the wealthy
to be willing to share from
their abundance, still we
will not give up hoping that
everyone, one day, will never
have to go without the very
necessities of life.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 23rd

“Now to one who works, wages are not reckoned as a gift but as something due. But to one who without works trusts him who justifies the ungodly, such faith is reckoned as righteousness.” Romans 4:4-5

we think faith
is a timecard
we use each day
to make sure God knows
how diligent, how hard working,
how compassionate and just,
how many hours we are accumulating
as we move through life
until that final paycheck
that gets us God’s good grace.
but it is that simple,
even foolish in the eyes of the world,
childlike trust we have, even
before we got out of bed,
before we had breakfast,
before we had planned our day,
before we did a single thing,
which is how God’s good grace
has gotten us.

© 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 22nd

“Then what becomes of boasting? It is excluded. By what law? By that of works? No, but by the law of faith.” Romans 3;27

like precious plants we nourish,
we bring our framed diplomas,
our trophies polished and gleaming,
our report cards
and perfect attendance records,

a memorized acceptance speech—
but when we stand before you,
they slip away like dust
to be carried away on a breeze
for all we can bring are empty pockets.
because faith is not a medal
but an open door
to your Beloved Community,
where your mercy arrives
before any of our successes
and your welcome before
all that we think is most dear.
and so, we are invited
to walk beside you,
no taller than anyone else,
no wiser than a kid
just learning to read,
but full of gratitude.

© 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 21st

“The whole assembly kept silence, and listened to Barnabas and Paul as they told of all the signs and wonders that God had done through them among the Gentiles.” Acts 15:12

in the joy of a child telling
Grandpa about seeing her
favorite player score a goal
in the match she attended.
in the stranger who prepays
for the groceries for the
family behind him, who
are counting their money
while looking at what they
could put back if needed.
in the young person visiting
his grandmother in the
memory unit, and then begins
singing a French ballad
for her neighbor who has
no family to visit her.
in people we never notice
because of being glued
to our mindless devices,
in voices we never hear
because we have the
speakerphone turned on,
we miss so many of your
signs and wonders, O God.

© 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 20th

"Then the men who had gone up with him said, ‘We are not able to go up against this people, for they are stronger than we are.’ There we saw the Nephilim (the Anakites come from the Nephilim); and to ourselves we seemed like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them.’" Numbers 13:31, 33

there’s a trillionaire
who sells tickets to
billionaires so they can
travel to be among space
which is made up of
the same dust from creation
which we are (at no charge to us).
there are strutting, bulked up,
more inked than newspapers
folks performing in cages,
and then having the gall
to mock grace personified.
then there are those
delivering groceries to the hungry,
advocating for kids in the system,
marching proudly with neighbors,
bringing people out of captivity,
lifting up the forgotten and
never forgetting the rejected.
and you whisper:
‘blessed are the grasshoppers
for they are stronger than
all the knuckleheads
the world adores.’

© 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 19th

Then Peter came and said to him, "Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?" Matthew 18:21

because we cannot see you
as anything than an accountant
working from a spreadsheet
with debits and credits accruing
for each name in the system,
or like a team of professors trying
to come up with the ultimate
math formula which cannot
be solved by the next genius,
we have overcomplicated
the simple act of forgiving
(which is good, because it
lets us off the hook when
it comes to this question)
but for you, forgiveness
is a number so simple
it has no end, which seems
completely irrational to us.

© 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 18th

“What do you think? If a shepherd has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray.” Matthew 18:12-13

duh!
it isn’t rocket science,
after all, is it?
of course, the forgotten:
the addict who has failed
rehab more times than
the family can count,
the hacker, the con,
the folks who hold cardboard
signs on every street corner
should be brought back
and welcomed back into
your Beloved Community—
but since we are too busy
rejoicing over the latest
snark that sticks it to all
those with whom we just
cannot stand to do anything,
we will let you take care of it.

© 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 17th

"Or do you despise the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience? Do you not realize that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?" Romans 2:4

sitting in the bar
at the No Regrets Inn
we sip at that well-aged
25-year-old bitterness
which we enjoy every day,
and thinking you are
of the same mind as us,
we send a bottle down
to you with our compliments
but
you wave it away, saying,
'thanks, but i think i will
stick with this,' holding
up a glass of crystal clear
grace on the rocks.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 16th

“Why are you cast down, O my soul,
    and why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
    my help and my God.” Psalm 42:11

we let our souls run barefoot
through shadowy valleys of fear,
instead of splashing in mercy’s pools.
nights may seem interminable in
those hearts weighed down by silence,
yet, God still hears the songs
buried deep within us.
for hope is not a denial of grief—
it is the candle we carry in such moments,
and should tears become our daily bread,
love is still nearer than breath,
more reliable than each morning’s sun.
so, let us sing lullabies of patience,
of faith, of listening

to our sad sack souls
for the One who carved canyons
still lays out paths to joy.

© 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 15th

“He said to them, "Because of your little faith. For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you." Matthew 17:20

stop worrying about size,
we don’t need to XXXL
our faith in any way—
we just need to take
those particles so tiny
we are afraid we will lose
them in our pockets and
sprinkle them on the world.
stop thinking about volume,
our faith doesn’t need to boom
like thunder bouncing off mountains
and frightening everyone away—
it just needs to be a lullaby
sung to a world which is
too anxious to fall asleep.
stop trying all those tips
from seminars and books
to bulk up your faith—
sit down and listen to a
first grader learning to read,
caress the aged hands covered
with paper thin skin which
has held more grace than grudges.
stop believing that we
are the ones to move mountains.
God will do the heavy lifting—
we are called to be seed planters.

© 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 14th

“The LORD bless you and
     keep you;
the LORD make his face
     to shine upon you, and be
     gracious to you;
the LORD lift up his
     countenance upon you,
     and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26

we bless others and keep them
as part of the fabric of life, when
we do not build fences shutting them out,
but cup our hands gently
around their fragile hopes.
we can turn toward the laughter
of children who glimpse joy in shadows,
toward the grace found in
checkout lines, at workstations,
and in all those everyday places
where people wonder if they are seen.
we can raise people out of fear
with a peace that is deeper than quiet,
out of loneliness by holding
neighbors and strangers alike,
out of grief by becoming
a glimpse of God’s love.
and as we do, we slip
blessing upon blessing beneath
the doors of weary hearts.

© 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 13th

"And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. " Matthew 17:2

you take our anguish
and transfigure it
into hope others need,
you gather up the pieces
of our shattered hearts
and transfigure them into
the healing for communities,
you mingle our tears with yours
and transfigure them into that
roaring river of justice which
can give new life to the forgotten,
you lift our grudges from
off our wearied bodies and
transfigure them into grace
which can shine a light
in the shadows in which
we have chosen to live.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 12th

“If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit.” Galatians 5:25

these folks who want us
to let them guide us through life—
they are like the people
in movies and TV shows
who stand at arrival gates
holding signs with someone’s
name written on them and
people blindly follow them.
for that is what these folks
want us to do, to follow blindly—
simply because they offer
the trendiest seminar,
the latest book of the day,
the top ten of whatever
list we carry around in
our buckets, until we realize
we are left with emptier pails.
but the Spirit?
the Spirit simply wants
to be that friend who has already
gone through the grief,
known the job loss,
dealt with broken relationships,
lain awake for night after night
and will show us the way out
however long a journey it might be.

© 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 11th

“Send out your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will get it back” Ecclesiastes 11:1

for those shores flooded
with the flotsam of fear,
for those riverbanks which
overflow with injustice,
for those communities who wonder
if the dam will break from
the rising anger,
may we continue to keep scattering
grace like twigs little kids toss
into water running down the street.
we don’t know where it lands,
nor whose thirst it might slake,
or what souls it might nourish
long after it disappears
from our sight.
but God says to trust what is given—
healing words,
hands which refuse to let go,
an open door to a stranger.
for every act of kindness
we release upon troubled waters
becomes a part of that river
God is sending toward hope.

© 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 10th

"The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded than the shouting of a ruler among fools." Ecclesiastes 9:17

these days it’s not with seltzer bottles
or cramming bodies into tiny cars
or seeing who has the most
slips on banana peels.
no, our pratfall of clowns
is obsessed with social media,
with cage fights on hallowed grounds,
with whom can take the greatest
offense at honest questions.
and there seems to be no end
to those who are jockeying
for the point position
in the flock of fools
which take to the air each day.
so when we are tempted
to run away and join this circus,
may we hear the songs children
make up in the backyards,
may we stop to hear the memories
of folks who have seen so many
traveling sideshows come
and go throughout their lives
they have lost count,
and pay attention to those
who teach us how to weave
unraveled hopes back together.

© 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 9th

"They put them at his feet, and he cured them, so that the crowd was amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel." Matthew 15:30c-31

we aren’t asked to tell
folks to throw away their
walking sticks or wheelchairs.
we are called to make sure
children who lose breakfast or lunch
on summer break are fed.
that neighbors or friends
who have no transportation
get to doctor visits and clinics.
that kids who are in the ‘system’
have trained advocates who
will be their voices
that all who are transitioning
are known by their chosen name
especially ‘beloved.’
after all,
you do not expect us
to be miracle workers
but simply those who share
grace, compassion, justice,
and hope—
which is why we praise you.

(c) 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 8th

“And his disciples came and urged him, saying, "Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us." Matthew 15:23b

we want you—
to tell the forgotten to stop
standing on the corner
with their pathetic signs.
to shush those stuck
in hopelessness voicing
their silly expectations that
we privileged will do more
than offer prayers
before heading out
to our safe, safe lives.
to place a restraining order
on compassion which keeps
stalking us, hoping we will
fall in love with it so deeply
that we cannot keep from
caring for the most vulnerable,
never realizing that when
we want to send the hurting,
the broken, the fearful,
the lonely, the grieving away,
forgetting that it is actually you
we want to get rid of.

(c) 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 7th

“I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you;” Job 42:5

at first, it was the preacher’s rumors,
the hymn words i read
sitting next to my mom,
those hand-me-down stories
around summer camp evenings.
i learned to trace your name
in the dust of the faith of others,
filled the pockets of my soul
with answers stolen from friends.
but now:
after loneliness was my only friend,
after my doubts outnumbered stars,
after grief sat in the shadowed corner—
now my eyes are wide open.
not in easy certainty but
in that soft presence,
not in answers from whirlwinds
but in your whispering my name.
finally i can release
what i think i know,
my heart open to that
mystery woven from grace.
and while hearing about you
yesterday
was all i needed (and
maybe wanted)
today,
in the silence after the storm,
i see you.

(c) 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 6th

“O God, you are my God, I seek you,
   my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you,
   as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” Psalm 63:1

before the sunbeam creeps
across my pillow
before the kettle whistles,
before fear places today’s
lesson before me,
my soul wanders toward you,
not because i am strong
but because i am thirsty.
those deserts i carry—
worries in my wallet,
grief lurking behind my smile,
hope rubbed raw by waiting
cannot satisfy themselves
so i come searching
as i wait for that mercy
falling like showers
onto a parched desert.
you are the water
for my prayer seeds,
that well deeper than emptiness,
the dawn rising while
i am still discovering
how to trust light
and so, before it reaches out
for anything else, my heart
stretches out for you.

(c) 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 5th

“Never be rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be quick to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven, and you upon earth; therefore let your words be few.” Ecclesiastes 5:2

carrying baskets so full of words
their handles creak, we come with
paragraphs of piety, promises on
the verge of breaking, excuses,
and prayers we have redacted—
yet in the silence which greets us
our syllables flitter away like butterflies.
you have no need for our noise,
you won’t be turned by tumbling words,
for you live in those still places
between one heartbeat and the next.
so, show us how to release
our tight grasp of flowery words,
model for us the holy art of listening,
so that as words become fewer
wonder will become greater,
and prayers are not performances
but those small candles of trust
we set gently before you.

(c) 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 4th

“Moreover I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, wickedness was there, and in the place of righteousness, wickedness was there as well.” Ecclesiastes 3:16

now, more than ever
justice goes to those
with the deepest pockets
which leaves out those
with holes in theirs.
now, more than ever
people seem willing to take
all the grace, hope, compassion
which belongs to them and melt
these gifts down to make
golden statues of the wicked
that they can worship.
so maybe
this should be the verse
held up at sporting events,
to remind us of where we are
and who we are called to be.

(c) 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 3rd

“yet we know that a person is justified not by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ. And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by doing the works of the law, because no one will be justified by the works of the law.” Galatians 2:16

we have so much trouble
believing that we are made
right with God if it is not
we who are making all
the effort, doing all the
heavy lifting.
yet
it might be even simpler
than we think . . .
it might have more
to do with Jesus’ faith
in us that
we can change
we can be more loving,
we can seek justice
for the forgotten,
simply by trusting
in that faith.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 2nd

“So I hated life, because what is done under the sun was grievous to me; for all is vanity and a chasing after wind.” Ecclesiastes 2:17

tired—
tired of counting
of achieving
of proving
of gathering life’s wind
into our closed hands.
and we carry all we
have chased here
beneath the sun and
these weary days feel like
sand slipping through our fingers.
and that Old Preacher reminds us
that striving will not save us
that success cannot hold us
that all our work leaves us hollow.
yet, here in this truth which aches
is where God meets us--
not in bronze or stone statues
but in the breath which enlivens us,
not in our portfolios and accounts,
but in the soft embrace of mercy.
and when it seems everything
we are told is of value dissipates
Love still abides—
constant as the rising sun
gentle as our loved ones’ breath,
waiting for us to relax
and simply welcome
such grace.

(c) 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 1st

“Then I saw that wisdom excels folly as light excels darkness.” Ecclesiastes 2:13

as dusk gathers, we take the lamp
fueled by wisdom.
despite its wavering flame
casting soft light upon our path,
it cannot push back the night,
it cannot make a deal with time
or shut our hearts against grief.
still, it burns—
which might be enough
to show the way under us,
the companion in the shadows,
mercy there where the road bends.
if we are wise,
we know we cannot keep
night from catching us,
but we can learn to walk,
eyes open and hopeful,
hands unclenched in trust,
souls searching for wonder,
as we journey through the shadows.
and the One who named
both night and day,
waits for us in each—
in the shining awareness of knowing
as well as in that
tender mystery of all
we cannot understand

yet

(c) 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Trinity Sunday

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit ,” Matthew 28:19

today
may we realize you
are not a puzzle to solve,
but that relationship always
reaching out to embrace us.
you shaped galaxies with a lullaby
and still kneel in the muck
of our lives, planting hope
you walked on dusty roads to death
and still sit with us at gravesides,
graduations, and diner booths.
you moved upon waters breathing life
and still dance through locked doors
three voices, harmonizing as one,
three personas, one grace to hold us.
and the mystery we never need to solve—
before we ever needed
to search for you,
you were already swaddling us
in love creating us,
in love redeeming us,
in love breathing through us
now and forever.

(c) 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Eve of Trinity Sunday

“Lord, you have been our dwelling place
in all generations.” Psalm 90:1

long before wiggly kids sit on floors
and ‘holy, holy’ rises to the sky,
long before preachers stammer
to unravel your tangled Mystery
and bystanders listen with glazed ears—
you are here.
home to stardust and soft breaths
abode for all who don’t know we are lost,
open door for every moment of grief and joy,
you sheltered our ancestors in grace,
held our grief through empty nights,
listened to every unformed prayer.
tonight we rest on those clues
which are scattered around us—
love which will not step aside
when hate strolls into life,
love which walks with all
who wander grief’s shadows,
love which breathes through us
to bring justice to the forgotten.
and as evening draws near,
we come home again—
not to roofs or walls or floors,
but to you.

(c) 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman 

May 30th

"Let them curse, but you will bless." Psalm 109:28a

they store up their
grudges to pile them
onto my weary soul,
but you fill me with grace
so it might overflow
into the lives who need it.
they learn as many
new profanities as they
can, especially in
other languages, but
you teach me the language
of love, so each may hear it
without needing an interpreter.
they mock us, seeing others
as nothing but trash
tossed out of a car, but we
are the heirlooms of hope,
justice, and welcome
you would share with
others.

(c) 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

May 29th

“Where can I go from your spirit?
   Or where can I flee from your presence? Psalm 139:7

in that dimly lit
pub where we hope
no one knows our name,
you hand us a pint, and
wiping down the bar,
you stand, in the silence,
just in case . . .
we sit on the bench
in the shadows of the trees
at the cemetery, so you pause
and lean on the rake, gazing
with us at our love’s marker,
just in case . . .
as we trudge down the
side of death’s dusty road,
you pull up beside us,
open the door,
and offer us a ride,
just in case . . .
whenever,
wherever,
however
we are convinced that
we can make it on our own,
you show up
just in case . . .

© 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

May 28th

“Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse;
   the cautious will keep far from them.” Proverbs 22:5

words sharpened by snark,
headlines which never end,
promises which lose their glitter
leaving splinters in our souls,
how crowded are the avenues
of our lives, O God—
these are the thorns
we feel in our impatience.
and yet, you show us
other paths to follow—
walking just a bit slower,
taking time to listen (deeply),
taking on compassion
as our guide on this pilgrimage
while anger tries to shove us off
so keep a watch over us,
Gentle God,
opening our hearts to kindness,
making us wise enough
to recognize every pitfall,
and gracious enough to pick
the paths which lead toward
love,
justice,
hope,
peace,
you.

© 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @ Thom-Shuman

May 27th

“The beginning of strife is like letting out water; so stop before the quarrel breaks out.” Proverbs 17:14

it is just an annoying drip
at first, not falling that often
or so loud that we can’t sleep—
but then
the off-the-cuff thought a friend
tossed in our direction,
that rudeness of a stranger
while we were waiting in line
(rather patiently, i thought),
a cold stare the lover gave
when we had hoped for passion
and suddenly
the drips start falling faster,
the noise slowly slides like
a trombone into a din,
our hearts begin to beat faster,
our blood pressure rises,
our anger is fueled by hurt
and
a friendship
a community
a love
is swept away simply
because we refused
to turn off the drip
when it first plopped
into our hearts.

© 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @ Thom-Shuman

My 26th

“Better is a dinner of vegetables where love is than a fatted ox and hatred with it.” Proverbs 15:17

me?
i would rather share
a bowl of soup around
a scarred kitchen table
where stories and laughter
are louder than the kettle’s whistle
than sit at the head table
of a gold-trimmed ballroom
where cruelty is sharper than any knife.
because love isn’t plated on plenty
but in torn bread shared,
in the quiet ‘how are you, really?'
in the hand resting on the grief
of the silent person next to them.
which is why Wisdom advises us
to find the table where grace still is served,
to enjoy that simple meal crafted from need,
to gather with those whose kindness
outshines their imperfections,
and where mercy, inclusion, love
is more than enough
to make even the smallest portion
a banquet for those starving
for community.

© 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @ Thom-Shuman

May 25th

“The LORD does not let the righteous go hungry, but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.” Proverbs 10:3

in this time of empty shelves
and overfull portfolios,
of news which feeds on hunger
and tables reserved by fear,
may it be enough
that you move among us
like food passed hand to hand.
you will not forget all who rise
tucking hope into weary souls,
who weave together meals and prayers
and wrap others with this faith.
you know that hunger
which lies below physical hunger—
for hope, for grace, for someone
to notice or listen or just be.
as you discomfort all
who consume without seeing,
gather without sharing,
confuse possessions for peace,
may we learn your economy of grace—
opening our hands to outsiders,
trusting that enough is holy,
believing that your abundance
was never meant only for our tables.

© 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @ Thom-Shuman

Day of Pentecost

“you make the winds your messengers,
fire and flame your ministers.” Psalm 104:4

Spirit of the Living One—
you slip through the cracks
of our locked rooms,
not with thunder first,
but with the soft sigh
of God breathing dust into dancing.
you make your messengers winds,
the psalmist whispers;
and we know now
those winds carry names,
carry stories,
carry fragile hearts into streets
they never imagined walking.
today, fire does not consume—
it illumines.
tongues become bridges.
silence learns to sing.
and somewhere,
amid the chaos of newsfeeds, sirens,
and weary prayers folded at midnight,
your Spirit still moves over creation
like a mother smoothing
blankets over restless children.
so breathe on us again,
until our fear becomes welcome,
our bitterness becomes bread,
and our lives become small Pentecosts
set loose into the world.

Eve of Pentecost

the Spirit is my comforter;
i shall not be afraid.
she sings lullabies
as i try to go to sleep;
she puts a glass of water
on the table in case i get thirsty;
her warm breath soothes me.
she looks under the bed
and in the closet corners
so i know i am safe each night.
as i journey towards the
end of time, she is my advocate
reminding death whose i am.
she refuses to leave me alone,
her flames dancing on my heart
to melt the fears chilling my soul.
she spends all day getting
my favorite dish ready for me,
while those who never liked me,
watch in envy.
she teaches me how to braid my hair,
as we sit drinking hot chocolate
watching the sun go down.
she races ahead of me
and all my friends,
throwing open all the
windows and doors
of our new home, so we
know how welcome we are.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

May 23rd

"for she said to herself, 'If I only touch his cloak, I will be made well.'" Matthew 9:21

if we only touch
your heart, we might
become more loving.
if we only touch
your spirit, we might
become more inclusive.
if we only touch
your grace, we might
become more forgiving.
if we only touch
your justice, we might
be more passionate for
all the forgotten.
if we only touch
your hope, we might
heal the brokenness
consuming our world.
if we only touch
your life, ours might be different.

if only . . .

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

May 22nd

"Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." Ephesians 5:1-2

remember—
Jesus didn’t stand off
to the side, watching our
failures fall like snowflakes.
he stepped into our misery,
our word sharpened by fear,
our weary nights of pulling
the covers over our heads.
and with scarred hands,
he gathered us like branches
scattered after winter gusts.
so perhaps that holiness we seek
is not found by grasping, but
leaving behind that vocabulary,
walking barefoot in mercy’s fields,
becoming bouquets of grace for all
whose hands are so empty.
and as we do, God smiles,
for we are learning love
birds learn to the sky,
by following the One
who first showed the way.

© 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

May 21st

"Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice," Ephesians 4:31

bitterness?
it is that rough pebble
we idly pick up on a walk
putting it into our pocket
where it keeps turning over,
like an old grudge we keep polishing
until it shines brighter than forgiveness.
anger?
it is the vocabulary book
published daily by the world
so we can become wordsmiths
in snark on glowing screens,
judgments hurled to protect
our hearts from listening to hope
and still, Christ tiptoes in—
not trying to drown out noise
but kneeling in the dust of grief
to cradle us in scarred hands.
‘put these away,’ he cautions,
as we might gather shards
of a broken glass, so a child
would step in them in the dark
stick wrath out with the bins,
let malice drift away like dandelion puffs,
let go of what calluses your soul.
for every cruel word we abandon
opens up space for mercy to breathe
and every act of grace
becomes an act of resistance
in this wrangled world.

© 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

May 20th

“Suddenly they shouted, ‘What have you to do with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?’" Matthew 8:29

it is comfortable here
in the shadows where
we chain our assumptions
and name them as wisdom,
until you come along,
not to toss us into those tombs
carved from bitterness and noise,
but to ask why we are
so eager to settle for
being haunted, not healed.
and when we lash out,
‘what do you want us to do?’
you edge a bit closer—
through the worries and tears,
through these exhausting times
simply to touch what
we want no one else to see,
to unname the horde of demons
who consider us part of their clan,
to walk with us from
the rubble of our lives
into the enchantment
of being human once again.

(c) 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

May 19th

"And they went and woke him up, saying, 'Lord, save us! We are perishing!'" Matthew 8:25

they know our names
all too well in these times—
those winds which whisper
despair down hospital corridors,
those storms which blow
hate across borders of nations,
those chill breezes which sit
by empty beds and emptier tables.
and still, we grasp the sides
of our frail coracles,
woven from strips of fear,
patched with words of outrage,
laden with cargos of grief.
and those frightening words
screamed by disciples ages ago,
are now echoed by weary teachers,
parents standing by gravesides,
the forgotten, the refugees, the lonely
and somewhere, from out of the chaos—
not with anger at our fear
but with hands callused by mercy,
you are there,
touching first the storm within us,
then speaking the unexpected grace
we forget too easily,
‘peace,’
and we dare rest in
the stillness of your presence.

(c) 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

May 18th

"If it had not been the LORD who was on our side" Psalm 124:1

when the waters of chaos
come swirling around us,
we could have just become
names carried away like debris,
but you climbed into your boat,
rowing out to gather us up.
for it is not always in the lightning
nor in the easy answers we devise,
but it is your steady hand
holding our trembling hearts
as we seek to live
in these rollercoaster moments—
your breath cradling our tears,
your heart refusing to learn
the vocabulary of giving up.
into the din of the world,
you gently tip toe—
in that silence after anger,
in the welcome of strangers,
in that courage which shows up
when we thought fear
was our only companion
which is why we whisper praise
to our Shelter in every storm,
our Pilot of our fragile lives,
the Teacher of our souls.

 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

May 17th

"Happy are those
who do not follow the advice of the wicked
or take the path that sinners tread
or sit in the seat of scoffers,
but their delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law they meditate day and night." Psalm 1:1-2

how blessed we are
when we refuse
social media invitations
to sit at the table of outrage or
invest in cryptocontempt.
for when we step away from
the oligarchs of mockery or
when we will not learn the new
language of bitterness,
we lean towards compassion
as sunflowers to morning light.
we pull the duvet of wisdom
over us before dawn, while grace
rewrites the algorithms of hate
we let our minds drift down
the quiet rivers of God peace,
and offer shade for the fatigued,
pass out fruit for the hungry,
water the deep roots of hope
for a world desperate
to survive the storms
raging around them.

(c) 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

May 16th

"They will still bear fruit in old age,
   they will stay fresh and green," Psalm 92:14 (NIV)

they are there in the shadows,
silent as a beam of sun
on a kitchen table in winter
their hands paper thin from
decades of laundry, making menus,
pulling on boots for children
who now do the same for theirs.
no one comes over for a selfie,
no paparazzi stalk them,
they just are there, near
the edges of our days—
and yet, like late roses
refusing the touch of frost,
love still fills their souls.
they remember birthdays,
they tuck prayers into
the hearts of visiting family,
they are the ones who knit
mercy into booties for strangers,
they are remember to water
the thirsty seeds of grace.
and God smiles at these
forgotten-by-the-world saint,
still fresh and green in holy ways,
still bearing the Spirit’s fruits,
long after the world thinks
they have withered on the vine.

(c) 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

May 15th

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God – “Ephesians 2:8

we tug on your sleeve—
prayers written on napkins,
worryscrolling on our screens,
hearts determining our value
by chore jars emptied, applause,
and exhaustion’s spread sheets.
and like a cat gently making biscuits,
and God—
like rain gently curling
down the kitchen window,
whispers:
i never charge for sunsets,
when it comes to grace i
don’t look at your resume,
i take hesitant questions over
polished answers every time,
and bumping over life’s potholes
or stepping in misery’s mud
is what faith looks like, a gift
placed in hands sometimes
too weary to carry it.
so may we remember that
when the world expects us
to prove that we belong,
let us simply breathe,
for mercy found us first.

(c) 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

May 14th (Ascension)

"As I watched," Daniel 7:9a

i wondered where God was
and then i noticed the folks
who were mowing the lawn,
cleaning the gutters, and
painting the house of the
struggling retired couple, and
i knew.
i went down the street
hoping i might bump into Jesus
and walked past the homeless
vet feeding his dog before he ate,
slipped past the kids making a game
out of picking up the litter on the grass,
and stopped dead in my tracks.
i watched the mist moving slowly
across the lake in the morning,
heard the whispers of the couple
at the next table planning a surprise
party for their mail carrier, and felt
the gentle breeze on my face
and realized the Spirit was tagging along.
so, think how much
i would have missed if
i spent all my time sky gazing,
wondering why you haven’t
returned.

(c) 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

May 13th

"Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." Ephesians 1:2

Grace isn’t interrupting
our favorite shows these days
or catching our devices’ attention.
instead
it is the weary checkout person
helping the widow count out coins,
it is the nurse putting another blanket
on the patient before they ask,
it is the child who chooses
the classmate who is always forgotten
to be their partner at recess
it is not just a word from
another century or place—
it still breathes in our chaos,
the gentle presence of that
Someone who walks beside us
through fear stacked like bricks
across the days of our lives,
the One leaning close to our weariness
whispering mercy not judgment,
swaddling us with tenderness
when we can barely survive,
finding those cracks where
the seeds of peace may be planted
in the rubble
of an ever-breaking world.

© 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

May 12th

"I kept my faith, even when I said,
   'I am greatly afflicted';" Psalm 116:10

it was faith who
opened their arms
to let me sob my heart out
when my soulmate died.
it is faith who sits

next to me, singing

soft lullabies until i drift

off to sleep each night.

it was faith which 

held my hand when the

echoes of angry voices 

with angrier words turned

my deep sleep into nightmares.

it is faith who whispers
in my soul of how valued
i am when everyone else
mocks and rejects me.

it was faith who came

storming into my room

yelling 'no more fears

jumping on the bed!'

it is faith who has been
my most trusted counselor,
my best friend,
my cherished companion,
even when i thought
i was walking alone.

(c) 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

May 11th

"Their idols are silver and gold,
   the work of human hands.
They have mouths, but do not speak;
   eyes, but do not see.
They have ears, but do not hear;
   noses, but do not smell.
They have hands, but do not feel;
   feet, but do not walk;
they make no sound in their throats.
   Those who make them are like them;
so are all who trust in them." Psalm 115:4-8

we have created our idols
in the images lodged in our hearts:
the angry whose words
nourish the bitterness
flowing from our lips,
the ones who claim
to see all our suffering
but are looking only
at themselves in a mirror.
those seekers of our adulation
who act as if they listen
to the brokenness within us,
but only hear the songs
of the sycophants around them.
the politicians who clap
as if applauding us but
would push us away
given every chance,
the singers whose lyrics
claim they walk in our shoes,
but drive off in limos
and climb into private jets
when the concert ended.

© Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

May 10th

"It is he who remembered us in our low estate,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;" Psalm 136:23

when everyone walks right
past us because they have
forgotten not just our names
but who we are, you stop
open your arms and shout,
'i know you!"
when we have fallen
about as far as possible
without hitting bedrock,
others stand at the edge
shaking their heads and
muttering to one another,
and you hand them a rope
and ask them to hold tight
as you rappel down to bring us up.
when we are not at work
or in school or sick at home
and gossip begins
to sharpen tongues
to flay our character open,
you stick up for us
every time.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

May 9th

'"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it.'" Matthew 7:13

polished promises crowd walkways
seductions smooth bumpy roads,
the easy way is marketed
as the redemption millions need,
and flickering screens immerse
us in pools of distraction.
but
there is that quieter path—
as narrow as forgiveness,
as steep as truth telling,
the one too often ignored
under the din of fear,
outrage, narcissism, lust.
Jesus stands at that gate
rusted by so little use,
because the sign invites
us to leave so much behind—
that pride which wears us down,
the certainty which aches our shoulders,
that self which excludes others.
for just past the brambles
of the world, a narrow path
opens into the wide grace of God,
where outsiders become friends,
where enemies have our backs
and where weary souls
find that the hardest roads
are the surest way to find
our way home.

(c) 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

May 8th

"'Do not judge, so that you may not be judged.'" Matthew 7:1

we flick judgments with our thumbs,
measure outsiders based on rumors,
angry voices, fragments of fear—
for we want quick and easy judgements
and Jesus reminds us to sit
with our own fractured selves
before we accuse another’s brokenness,
to remember that every soul
carries bruises no one can see,
hearts are full of silent grief,
voices choke on unfinished stories
for while judgment has become
our go-to defensive position,
mercy asks more of us—
to listen before speaking,
to walk humbly, not harshly,
to unclench our fist around certainty
so maybe the holiest thing
we can do on any day, for every person
is to simply give space
space for transformation
space for misunderstanding
space to allow grace
to slowly work in each person,
especially us.

(c) 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

May 7th

“'When an alien resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the alien. The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the native-born among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.'" Leviticus 19:33-34

holes in their shoes or
soaked from leaky boats,
with stories tucked in their souls
like faded love letters,
strangers stand at our borders
while the God of dusty roads
and rooms borrowed from friends
reminds us that
once we were the folks
carried by grace through that
wilderness we would not choose.
even now, as we
put up barriers of fear,
dismiss compassion as weakness,
pretend we do not see
our ancestors’ faces staring
back at us across borders,
your voice echoes from that
dusty book we misuse too often
to remind us to love.
not tolerate, nor legislate,
and certainly, not fear—
but share bread at midnight,
offer shelter from the storm,
open the door to every person
who knocks in hope, for
they may just be bearers
of those pieces of our souls
we left behind
on our journey to privilege.

(c) 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

May 6th

“Do not turn to idols or make cast images for yourselves: I am the LORD your God.” Leviticus 19:4

no need for gold, silver, marble, wood—
our idols are carved from pixels,
looping reels popping up endlessly,
borrowed faces gleaming
all on the altar of being noticed.
we scroll for redemption as
our thumbs offer restless prayers
through strangers dancing in
that wilderness of wanting more.
we were warned about this,
long before Claud, AI, et al,
yet every morning we worship
at those tiny, bright temples
cupped eagerly in weary hands.
and somewhere,
not trending, not trolling,
not offering clickbait or ads.
not seeking more sponsors
or caring about likes and shares—
God waits,
speaking so softly we must
so softly we must
shut down our devices
to hear the Voice we need.

(c) 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

May 5th

“"When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words.” Matthew 6:7

bands play polished mercies,
leaders recast grief as slogans,
endless blessings nobody can touch
scroll down our screens,
and even prayer seems eager
for applause, yet you,
God of 2:00 a.m. phone calls
and kitchens serving the homeless
while the privileged sleep,
you listen to every weary breath
not well-rehearsed tongues,
you pay no attention to holy words
trying to build stairways to heaven.
you hear the mother who can
only whisper ‘help me.’
you hear the widower holding
grief’s silence like a chipped mug.
you hear children of war asking
the same fearful questions.
so, perhaps that is our lesson—
to stop filling the air with
emptiness we rehearse
until our speech is perfect
but
to let truth run barefoot,
to know that hope needs
hands, not just a pat on the back,
that love will always be heard
even if all we can do
is whisper it in our souls.

© 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom M. Shuman

May 4th

“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who have died, so that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.” 1st Thessalonians 4:13

in that shadowy room of absence
we sit, our hands wrapped around
those memories which ache with warmth,
but we do not sit alone.
our tears are caught in the palms
of the One who stands beside graves
and calls love to return to the light.
for even now,
crushed by sorrow’s burden,
hope tiptoes quietly—
like dawn which refuses
the caress of the longest night.
for the ones who have crossed
to the other side of grace
are not forgotten by God,
and however loud grief echoes
in our empty souls,
it does not have the last word.
because love always remembers,
mercy keeps watch,
and the Shepherd walks gently,
resurrection cupped in scarred hands
like a candle lighting the way
through every shadowed valley.

© 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom M. Shuman

May 3rd

"Let everything that breathes praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!" Psalm 150:6

it doesn’t require a praise band,
just some kids singing made up
songs at bath time.
we don’t need someone
with a degree in music,
just those birds who awaken us,
whether we want them to or not,
early in the morning.
it doesn’t have to be
practiced over and over again
until the notes are perfect,
just that lullaby offered
by soft breezes in the trees
on a spring evening.
we don’t need instruments
that are all in tune and played
by folks who have been doing
so for as long as they can remember,
it can be a symphony of
pots and pans and lids,
of empty boxes and spatulas,
of cats meowing and dogs howling—
for everything, and everyone,
can praise God, especially
without any inhibitions!

(c) 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

May 2nd

 "'You have heard that it was said, "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth" But I say to you,'" Matthew 5:38-39a

perhaps it is the
eye which sees
the other as enemy
which we need to
pluck out,
maybe it is the
tooth we would use
to bite another with
our hate which we
need to extract,
might it be the hand
we easily use to push
away those who only
want justice from us
which we need to lose.
indeed, we would do well
to listen to your words
rather than the taunts,
the boasts, the cruelty
of all around us.
what say you, Jesus?

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

May 1st

"But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me." Psalm 49:15

we will sit at the table,
sharing tea together,
telling of what has
been going on in our lives,
laughing at old jokes,
fighting over the very
last sandwich, and sharing
one final scone slathered
with cream and jam.
then brushing off
the crumbs and leaving
an extra-large tip
for all the staff, we
will walk outside, standing
side by side in the light mist,
until the bus pulls up
and i board, beginning
that trip through the
falling shadows on that
road which ends at
the other side of grace,
as i turn to wave goodbye
to death.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

April 30th

"Father of orphans and protector of widows
   is God in his holy habitation." Psalm 68:5

you open the shelter door
for the battered women
and their kids, so they find
safe lodgings and hope,
you gather the little girls
who the rigidly religious
believe have no right
to an education, and hand
them books from your library,
you use the app on your phone
to order rides for all the adolescents
who found a suitcase on the
front porch and the locks changed
so they can come and stay
at your place for as long
as they might need.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

April 29th

"Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp; he called it the tent of meeting . . . Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend." Exodus 33:7, 11a

like those blankets donated
to the local animal shelter
because we grew too old,
too grown up to toss them
over chairs and furniture
to create indoor tents,
it is in those faded pictures
in our minds that we remember
you as that friend who laughed
at our silliness and listened intently
to the deep longings of our hearts
which we could only share with you.
yet, in that gentle silence
in a restaurant booth with
that old friend who doesn’t
expect every moment
to be filled with sound,
or in the stillness of a cemetery
where a widow goes every afternoon
to tell her lifelong love
about the trivialities of her day
so she doesn’t have to think
about that grief which shadows
her in every moment,
we meet you face to face,
old friend.

(c) 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

April 28th

"'You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid.'" Matthew 5:14

no need to look for you
where the black tie and
fancy gown crowd gathers—
you are in the shadowed alleys
where the forgotten huddle
longing for that tiny beam
of grace you bring with you.
it is not in the hallways of power
under the bright lights of media
where you wander—
but in those straits of life
where hope is blockaded
by the privileged of the world.
in every shadow of worry,
under every rock which we use
to try to hide ourselves,
in the lengthy evening of dread
creeping across the lawns
of every soul in every place,
you try to create that
Beloved Community of hope,
of grace, of inclusion, of justice,
praying we might bring
our lights to merge with yours.

© 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

April 27th

"And the LORD changed his mind about the disaster that he planned to bring on his people." Exodus 32:14

we gather up the dry branches
of our fears to use as kindling
for fires we love so much
we give them names, as we
idolize those golden things
others create in hopes we will trust.
anger trembles at the very edge
of our hearts, longing to spill over—
yet forgiveness lingers longer.
in these days, when so many
are quick to harden their souls,
you choose, once more,
to turn—
not away
but toward us.
so,
teach us this holy pause
which keeps the fist unclenched,
which softens harsh words,
and opens tomorrow
to possibilities
beyond our closed minds.

© 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

April 26th

"Praise the LORD, all you nations!
    Extol him, all you peoples!
For great is his steadfast love toward us,
    and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever.
Praise the LORD!” Psalm 117

in
the dandelions
which delight the bees
each spring (and annoy
lawn care purists).
in
the little kids
who could spend hours
dancing in water sprinklers
(and the parents who
tolerate wet clothes
scattered all over the house).
in
the mama birds
who keep an eye out
for dangers
(and the older folks
watching from their
retirement, remembering
doing the same thing).
in
the barren trees
we thought would need
to be cut down
(and the tree trimmers
who turn off their chainsaws
when they spot new growth
we failed to see).

your creation endures forever!

© 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

April 25th

“But now you must get rid of all such things - anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive language from your mouth.” Colossians 3:8

and here it is,
the loophole we need.
for if it is typing on a
keyboard, or tapping with
our thumbs,
if it is combining emojis,
finding just the right GIF,
if it is using a meme maker
(oh, better yet, posting one from
a person far more skilled),
or simply sharing a screed,
a whine, a ripping a new one
which popped up in our feed—
we can be as cruel, mean,
hateful, demeaning as
all those folks we condemn
for doing the same thing.
after all,
none of this is coming
from our mouths, is it!

© 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

April 24th

“He disarmed the rulers and authorities and made a public example of them, triumphing over them in it.” Colossians 2:15

memes meant to offend,
standing before podiums
dressed in certainty, words
polished to fear’s perfections,
our self-proclaimed saviors
strut across our devices, hoping
to tighten a grip on every fearful heart.
yet, quiet as a breeze, persistent as dawn
the cross stands, its laughter
unthreading every imperial lie.
for what tries to crush
is turned inside out,
what is meant to shame
is stripped bare in resurrection life,
for peace disarms violence,
mercy mocks every display of power.
in the slow uprising of hope,
stubbornly weaving through
our streets, our hopes, our hearts,
the victory of love is carried
throughout the world’s brokenness,
grace scattered like confetti
behind the Risen One.

(c) 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

April 23rd

"You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth." Exodus 20:4

how blessed we are,
God,
that we no longer worship
those idols made of stone,
of wood, of various metals
now seen as artifacts in
museums with little cards
implying how foolish those
ancestors of ours were.
which gives us more
energy and passion and
focus on our devices we
keep in our pockets and
mounted in our cars
so that we are not alone,
who are next to us
as we sleep to keep
watch over us and
to awaken us for any
and every meaningless
text, meme, reel from
our new pantheon of gods -
InstaFaceXSnapTokTube
residing high on Mount Cyber.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

April 22nd

"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation;" Colossians 1:15

and now,
we see your face
in the wrinkled skin
of grandparents walking
hand in hand each evening
and in the smiles of immigrant
children moving into a new home.

now,
we feel your hands
in the touch of a nurse
comforting a cancer patient
and in the pat on the back
of a teacher encouraging
a struggling student.

now,
we hear your feet
in those who march
for justice in broken communities,
in those who take part
in relays for life,
in those who walk
to a neighbor's house
to bring a casserole of hope.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

April 21st

 "The people all answered as one: 'Everything that the LORD has spoken we will do.'" Exodus 19:8

yes, friends,
we do an admirable job
of doing ‘everything,’
don’t we—
except
for those bits about
loving our enemies
and not seeking revenge;
or the prophetic hopes
we might be the justice
pouring through communities
like rampaging rivers;
as well as those 'blessed are'
little phrases that Jesus
tossed about so freely.
we shouldn’t pretend
that Jesus had absolutely
nothing to say about finances.
And no matter how hard the
Influencers try to convince us,
we still have obligations to
welcome the outsiders,
keep a light burning for prodigals,
as well as learning from
those we look down
our noses at.

© © 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

April 20th

“We have escaped like a bird
   from the snare of the fowler;
the snare is broken
   and we have escaped.” Psalm 124:7

they would place us
in cages with locks,
where we can only flap
our wings, the bars made
out of the fears confining them,
but you come along
and pick the lock
gently reaching in to
cradle us in your hands
as you whisper love
as you breathe peace
as you stroke us with fingers
made soft from the balm of hope
and then
you toss us up
in the air, so
we can spread our wings
and fly in the freedom
of resurrection grace.

© Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

April 19th

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

it does not matter who—
composer or novelist,
song writer, poet, teenager,
artists of every media,
every person, every generation
believes they are the first
to have ever experienced . . .
love
but in truth
it is simply
that dust from which
we were created—
the same dust found
in the stars
in our pets
in the air we breathe
yet because we dismiss dust
as inconvenience in life,
no wonder we are so surprised
when we realize how much
we need love to be fully
human.

© 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

April 18th

“He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled and tested the LORD, saying, "Is the LORD among us or not?" Exodus 17:7

it’s the oldest story
in the Old Book—
we are just never happy,
whatever God does.
given a beautiful garden,
we make creation all about us.
let loose from Pharoah’s cell,
we grumble about our new digs.
offered food without having
to produce or purchase it,
we complain about the use-by date.
having emptied our water bottles,
we moan that God doesn’t care a whit.
and, as usual, we expect someone else
to take our complaints to God.
maybe
if we kept our mouths closed,
but our eyes and ears wide open,
we might finally realize
that we are the only ones
who are turning this relationship
into a test.

© 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

April 17th

“Do not fear what they fear, and do not be intimidated,” 1st Peter 3:14b

the knuckleheads are
at again, keeping
quite busy these days—
strutting around in their self
importance to convince us
we need more walls,
doors that slam shut
via remote gizmos,
a new picture book with
memes which would make
their moms cringe in horror.
so let us simply keep
sharing your
grace
hope
justice
love
compassion
welcome,
making a covenant
with you and others
to keep ignoring
the Department of Silly Fears
(which is what they fear most).

© 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

April 16th

“I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father.” John 15:15

we haven’t earned our way
to the table by being good employees,
we have a seat because
you pulled up chairs
in the dust of our days.
while we scroll past cruelty
looking for memes which seduce,
while we believe mercy
should be rationed carefully,
while we do not see your stories
in the faces we rush past,
you call us friends—
leaning close to share God’s secrets
that love washes feet,
compassion sticks around,
that grace throws away the rules.
to be your friends now
is to forget what separates,
to be a listening heart
in the noise of the world,
to carry each other as if
we were carrying you.
may we learn friendship
as you model it for us—
unconditional,
risk-taking,
a threat to a time which
would turn us all into enemies.

© 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman