Holy Monday

"The Lord is near to all who call on him,
    to all who call on him in truth." Psalm 145:18

the palm leaves have

become new flooring 

for all the animals, while

the kids have grabbed

the branches for their games.

the cloaks and coats

have been carefully washed

and hung out to dry.

the crowd has dispersed

going back to work or

to the local pub or their

daily lives of idleness,

pretty sure they shouldn't

follow the colt-less rabbi

while you draw closer

to the One who is feeling

lonelier and lonelier as

each moment goes by.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Palm/Passion Sunday

   "he who vindicates me is near.

Who will contend with me?
   Let us stand in court together.
Who are my adversaries?
   Let them confront me." Isaiah 50:8

we will joyously wave

our branches, but then 

use them to brush away

any evidence you passed by.

we will take off our 

coats and cloaks to lay

them on the ground, but

grab them up to get them

cleaned as quickly as possible.

we will smile and wave and cheer

as if we could never let you

be anything but what we have

hoped for all of our lives.

we will not challenge you

or contend with you, 

we will not confront you

nor ever become adversaries.

we will simply ignore you

which may be the cruelest 

choice

of all.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Sixth Saturday in Lent

"So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day." 2 Corinthians 4:16

though we wonder

what the surgery might

discover or the treatments

might do to us, we feel your

hand holding tight to us.

though we struggle to deal

with pain which is beyond

any words or whispers, we hear

your voice, 'i am here.'

though we take steps 

on a journey we never 

expected, and are afraid

of falling, or worse, you yoke

yourself to us to give us strength.

though the days and weeks

and months and years are slowly

coming to an end, we sense you

steadfast at our side,

and we do not lose heart.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Sixth Friday in Lent

"They were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them;" Mark 10:32a

like a dog easily distracted
by a squirrel in another's yard,

like a little kid who can turn

the last ten minutes before

bedtime into the greatest 

production of procrastination ever,

like a committee charged with

developing an action plan 

which no one cares for,

we find all sorts of excuses

for letting you get closer

to what awaits us down the road.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Sixth Thursday in Lent

"As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, 'Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?'" Mark 10:17

we keep chasing after

eternal life as if we need

to cross the finish line

before something (we 

don't know what) catches us,

while the life you offer 

is found in the silence

sitting on the porch

watching shooting stars,

is tasted in the meal

with friends we have not

seen in decades and yet

the conversation picks up

right where we left it,

is felt in the touch 

of the child, the grandparent,

the lover, the neighbor who

instinctively knows how 

skin hungry we are.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Sixth Wednesday in Lent

"You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all; and you show that you are a letter of Christ, prepared by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts." 2 Corinthians 3:2-3

when we could

be an angry tweet, 

may we be a bird

singing of joy.

when we could 

offer bitter snark,

let us share living

waters of compassion.

when we could 

dash off an email

filled with disdain,

may we handwrite

a welcome note to

the immigrant family

moving into the neighborhood.

when we could scramble

the letters in the gospel

to offer only rejection, 

hate, and ridicule, 

continue to write that

Word of grace and hope

on our fractured hearts,

with that hand which

trembles with grief.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Fifth Tuesday in Lent

"I sought the LORD, and he answered me, 

    and delivered me from all my fears."  Psalm 34:4

i was afraid of outsiders

and you sent me to a doctor

who had been born overseas.

i was terrified of strangers

and one knocked on my door

every week during the lockdown

bringing a bag full of groceries.

i was nervous about interviewing

for my first job and a teacher

sat down and role-played with me.

i held up the wall at every dance

rubbing my sweaty palms on my clothes

and you nudged the most popular

kid in the class to ask me to dance.

with every person, in every moment, 

for every situation where i repeated

my mantra of panicky terror, 

you never stopped whispering,

'don't be scared. we've got this.'

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Fifth Monday in Lent

"Pursue love . . ." 1 Corinthians 14:1

may we

shadow love until

we learn its ins and outs

and deepest secrets.

chase after love

the way a dog runs

to get that mucky ball.

track love through life

noting its bounding gait

in childhood and adolescence,

its steady determined

pace in the middle years,

its slow shuffling along

as the years dwindled down.

and then,

may we start

after love once more.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Fifth Sunday in Lent

"Even the sparrow finds a home,
         and the swallow a nest for herself, "
     where she may lay her young,
at your altars, O LORD of hosts,
     my King and my God." Psalm 84:3

that blowhard who

everyone wishes would

just drift away,

that neighbor whose

political opinions bother us 

more than their choice of 

a sporting team,

that supervisor who never

misses a chance to take

all the credit for our hard work,

and yes,

even that person who 

we have the most difficulty

abiding in our lives (that 

face in the mirror every

time we look)

has a special space

in the heart of God.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Fifth Saturday in Lent

"Immediately the father of the child cried out, 'I believe; help my unbelief!'" Mark 9:24

when the meals 

of falsehoods are served,

offer us the fiber of truth.

when bitterness is offered

for our thirsty souls, 

quench us with the 

nectar of kindness.

when our weary spirits

want to call it a day,

strengthen us with 

hope's therapy.

when we are tempted

to buy the arguments

that it is better not to know,

offer us your wisdom 

which is always free.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Fifth Friday in Lent

"My God, my God, 

    why have you forsaken me?

Why are you so far from helping me, 

    from the words of my groaning?" Psalm 22:1

because we assign 

the job to you, God,

we ignore the whispers

coming from the rooms

along the hospital corridor,

the hushed sobs of kids

who are bullied by peers

and terrorized by adults,

the hollow cries 

of lonely neighbors sitting

in the shadowed rooms,

the words forming in 

our own souls and hearts

that we keep telling 

to be quiet.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Fifth Thursday in Lent

"He asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Mark 8:29a

some jump up and down

waving their hands in the air,

'we know! we know! you're

the strong man we've been

waiting for, well, forever!'

others keep erasing 

their answers and writing

in something new, all the

while wishing it was 

a multiple choice question.

a few keep muttering 

to themselves, 'he never

said anything about 

there being a test . . .'

me, i am still not sure,

but as long as you

know who i am, 

i guess i will keep

tagging along and trying

to pay more attention.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Fifth Wednesday in Lent

"And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, 'Why does this generation ask for a sign?'" Mark 8:12a

children die 

by the thousands 

in brutal attacks 

and we look around

for intimations of peace.

folks sleep rough 

on street corners and

on park benches while

we form task forces

to work on solutions.

anger continues 

to boil over into bitter

disputes and edges

toward violent episodes

and all we can do 

is sigh and shake our heads

because no one gives

us any hints on how to be 

human.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Fourth Tuesday in Lent

"When the days of weeping for him were past," Genesis 50:4

some you hold

for however long

we need the comfort

of loving arms,

some you simply

listen to that silence

echoing in the deep

emptiness of our hearts,

some you walk beside

for however long the

journey takes and 

wherever it leads,

some you simply wait

in patience, in hope,

in love, and with grace,

knowing in a very 

personal way that grief

has no clock

no calendar

no boundaries

no end

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Fourth Monday in Lent

"He who keeps Israel 

    will neither slumber nor sleep." Psalm 121:4

you will read us 

our favorite stories

until our eyes get

heavier and heavier,

you will bring us

a glass of water 

as we struggle to

stay awake,

you will put a new

bulb in the night

light so we won't

be scared,

you will sit in 

the corner chair

until we fall asleep

and

you will be there

when we wake

in the morning.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Fourth Sunday in Lent

"For in hope we were saved." Romans 8:24a

with hope,

we can get up

and face the day.

by hope,

we can begin

to see the good

in those with whom

we have differences.

for hope,

we can set aside

all our privileges so

others might have

what they are missing.

in hope,

we can dare to imagine

the Beloved Community

actually in our midst if

we but open our eyes,

our hearts, our souls.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Fourth Saturday in Lent

"No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it." 1 Corinthians 10:13

Geez-o-Pete, Lord!

sometimes the stuff

that comes out of 

the mouths of folks

in the Bible just knock 

me over backwards.

i have no doubt that 

you are faithful in every

moment, but a lot of times

the folks you are hoping

will help others through 

the tough times only seem

to offer platitudes rather

than a hand to hold on to,

a harbor in the storm,

a shoulder to cry on,

a broom and dustpan

to help pick up the pieces 

of shattered hopes.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Fourth Friday in Lent

"What then is my reward?" 1 Corinthians 9:18a

the look on the struggling
child's face when they 

finish reading a book 

with no one helping,

the old friend rushing

to wrap their arms around us

after not seeing each other

since the last reunion,

the whispers of love

shared between the 

octogenarians sitting in

front of us at the movies . . .

pearls beyond price.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Fourth Thursday in Lent

"When it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, "This is a deserted place, and the hour is now very late; send them away so that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy something for themselves to eat." But he answered them, "You give them something to eat." Mark 6:35-37a

we often ignore our
fancy brand name cups

of coffee until it 

grows cold and then

throw them out, while

millions have no drinking water,

we fill up our trash cans

with food off too-full plates

and from shelves of fridges

because it went bad, while

folks are starving in warzones,

we book fancy hotel rooms,

or houses or beach cottages

to be able to get away from

our oh-so-nice homes in 

neighborhoods others envy,

while people sleep in streets

or in abandoned motels, yet

you have the audacity to challenge

us that we have more than enough

to do all those things for the forgotten

and still have all we need

for our indulgences.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Fourth Wednesday in Lent

"They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them." Mark 6:13

we continue to anoint

ourselves with the oil

of pride, hoping it will

keep you from being

able to cast out those

demons of

prejudice and politics,

of privilege and arrogance,

of knowing we are always

right because we could

never admit we are wrong.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Third Tuesday in Lent

"Keep your tongue from evil,

    and your lips from speaking deceit.
Depart from evil, and do good;
    seek peace, and pursue it." Psalm 34:13-14

we just cannot keep

from sticking our tongues

out and touching the pole

frozen by evil's ice cold heart.

we find it easier to just

repeat the same damaging

words over and over, rather

than thumbing through the

thesaurus of grace and hope.

we cannot bring ourselves

to break it off with the Evil One

and start dating that goody

two-shoes holding up the wall

at the weekly dance.

and peace? when we could

race at top speed to catch it,

our feet seem to be stuck

in the quicksand of anger.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Third Monday in Lent

"Your hands have made and fashioned me;

    give me understanding that I may learn

    your commandments." Psalm 119:73

sitting at your workbench,

you gathered up the dust

from the stars you crafted

and flung deep into space

and cupping it in your hands,

you began your most intimate

creation, staring into the mirror

as you tenderly shaped us,

slowly breathing the Spirit 

until our lungs took deep gulps,

and then you handed us on

to the Word to mentor us

in your grace and love.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Third Sunday in Lent

"I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God

    than live in the tents of wickedness." Psalm 84:10b

may i take the job

following the horses

in a big parade instead

of being honored at the banquet

of the purveyors of prejudice.

may i be the single

parent working two jobs

to make ends meet 

rather than take a bonus

from a CEO whose firm

covers up polluting rivers.

may i be a bouncer

at a Pride bar rather 

than running for office

on a platform of denigrating

any of God's most precious

children.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Third Saturday in Lent

"You hate those who pay 
          regard to worthless
          idols,
    but I trust in the Lord." Psalm 31:6

a glimpse there,

a selfie here, and

pretty soon we cannot

keep from staring more

at the celebrities than

noticing you in the forgotten.

a word that sounds plausible,

a sound bite which attracts,

a commercial played over

and over in our ears, and

before we know it, we are

trapped in a maze of broken

promises with no way out

rather than listening to your

whispers of hope in our souls.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Third Friday in Lent

"Seek the Lord and his
          strength;
    seek his presence
          continually." Psalm 105:4

how you must be

amazed 

at how quickly we 

can go down rabbit trails,

how easily we can

slide from one video

to the next on that

ticking and tocking app,

how we don't need

to turn on our navigation

in order to get to the

corner of snark and malice

and then we murmur

about how we just 

ran out of time to spend

with you, rock of our lives.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Third Thursday in Lent

"The LORD is my light and my salvation; 

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

today,

let us take a chance

and put fear out in

the curbside bin

once and for all.

let us climb up 

to the high board

and dive head first

into grace's warm waters.

let us believe that

the batteries in your

light will never burn out

as we wander the shadows.

today,

let us finally stop

making it a proverb,

but leap into your faith

with no qualms in our hearts.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Third Wednesday in Lent

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

believing

we are called 

to weave our

prickly pride and

prejudices into thorny

walls of briars to keep

others as far away as possible,

we never notice you

trying to slowly weave us

into hedgerows of hope

to shelter all of God's creatures.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Second Tuesday in Lent

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

too often, we prefer

the sourdough starter

which comes down to us

from those whose anger

has never been calmed,

whose fears are like yeast

which expands our panic,

whose heated hatred 

is more curdled than milk

left out in the heat of August.

so feed us on that bread

whose brokenness can 

make us whole and new.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman 

Second Monday in Lent

"Let your steadfast love become my comfort 

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

perhaps i cannot bring

about world peace, but

i can persist in working

for peace in my spot

of the world.

maybe i cannot stop the spread

of hate by myself, but

i can offer my love in 

every moment to those

who know the pain of such hate.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Second Sunday in Lent

"Happy are those whose strength is in you, 

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

strewth,

we would rather

keep trying to 

recalculate that 

internal GPS which

takes us round 

Robin Hood's barn,

than follow your 

trail of grace crumbs

to God's heart.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Second Saturday in Lent

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

if others think of us

as the privileged who 

set it aside so others

might know justice,

as the recovering who

know how to shatter

the bonds of addiction,

as the mended who

are craftspeople able

to create stained glass

windows in the cracks

of the hearts of others,

then we will have fulfilled

our calling to be caretakers

of that conundrum we call

God.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Second Friday in Lent

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

oh, how we love 

the parade of

the spellbinders and stemwinders,

the celebs and the debs,

the high flyers and lowdown liars,

following behind them

with our shovels in hand

thinking that is all we 

are skilled at doing.

but grace is ours

and that is more than enough,

hope is ours and it

exceeds all expectations,

love is ours and it whispers

of how God's heart has

room for all of us

and we know

we are right where we 

belong

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Second Thursday in Lent

"One thing I asked of the LORD, 

    that will I seek after:" Psalm 27:4

to look past the mask

the other person shows me

and seek to find their soul.

to remember that each

of the people i meet 

is filled with pain they

never reveal to anyone

else, pain as great as mine.

to always take the risk

that i have more to learn

from the stranger than

i could ever begin to imagine.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman 

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Second Wednesday in Lent

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

we think it is a mathematical

formula which fills the whiteboards

on all four walls in a classroom

when it is really a hopscotch court.

we are convinced it is a cold case

that teams of detectives cannot crack

while it is simply a mother

cradling a newborn and singing

a lullaby to it every night.

we believe it is a theological enigma

that some of the greatest minds

ever have not been able to explain

while it is simply you telling a joke;

"Knock, knock."

'Who's there?'

"God loves."

'God loves who?'

"God loves you!"

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

First Tuesday in Lent

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

if we pay attention,

we may learn more

about the wonders of

creation from the kids

making mud pies than

the greatest scientist,

we may discover joy

from the mime on the corner

than the foulest-mouthed

comedian at a club,

we may be blessed with

the wisdom we need in

the stumbling words of 

an aging neighbor than

from the most charismatic

politician.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

First Monday in Lent

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

because we have a

theology of scarcity,

we do not see the

offshore accounts filled

with hope and grace you 

have opened in our names,

available any time we need

to make a withdrawal.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

First Sunday in Lent

"As they go through the valley of Baca 

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

those grand abysses

carved from the sweat

of our fevered worries

in the middle of the night,

you will divert streams 

of water to sustain all

the life gathered there.

those death valleys 

which burn the souls

of our lives as we walk

through them most days,

you will shower with 

your tears to cool 

our desiccated hearts. 

for you have been 

through the wilderness

and know the way out.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

First Saturday in Lent

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

not just in that moment 

when we said 'yes,' but

in all those heart-breaking

ones when we shout 'no!'

not just during that hour

sitting in hard pews, but

all those working at our desks,

studying late at night, surfing

foolishly on the internet.

not just on those mountaintops

where we want to build

lasting monuments to you, but

in those shadowy valleys 

where death tries to welcome

us into its cold home.

not just now,

but then

and forever.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

First Friday in Lent

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

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

this is why Lent has

so little appeal for so many.

the sense that not only

are we asked to give up

those things which give us pleasure,

but the worry that you have

given us up in this season.

the fear that when we reach

out our hands, no one takes them,

and our whispers of anguish

just float in the air until the

pop like children's bubbles.

the uncertainty of whether 

or not we will be comforted

in your arms of grace at night

or just left to curl up on

the hardwood floor of our loneliness.

this is why Lent has

so little appeal for so many,

because the feelings are not

so different from ordinary days.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

First Thursday in Lent

reminded multiple ways

on social media of the 

time-out chair waiting if i let 

an 'alleluia' slip out in worship,

making sure my sackcloth

garments are roughened enough

to chafe my arms and legs and tight

enough so i always am stiff-necked,

sent the notice from the Guild

of Cranky Calvinists to not let

any sweets or energy drinks

show up at coffee hour after church,

"yet I will rejoice in the LORD;

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

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Ash Wednesday

"Have mercy on me, O God, 

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

smudged with your grace,

have mercy on us, when

we run to the restroom

as soon as the service ends

to try to blot out any sign

to others that we might believe.

made whole by that love

which refuses to let go of us,

have mercy when we think

that all we have to do is

get through the next 40 days

(or is it actually 46?) and 

we will be home free.

when we could leave the

ashes and residue behind

for someone else to clean up,

have mercy on us so we

might carry them with us all

the way to the empty tomb,

to fill it up since death no longer

can hold us in its cold grip.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Ashes' Eve

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

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

February 13th

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

just flat worn out

from the continued snark

that poses as conversation

and the words that cut deeper

than any two-edged sword.

tired to the point of exhaustion

by the folks who just cannot

help shredding the souls

of folks they don't even know

simply to score points in 

some sort of game i never learned.

dog-tired from all the slobbering

over folks who are paid obscene

amounts of money for playing games

and those who accumulate more

and more while sharing less and less.

weary?

doesn't come close to describing

life in most moments some days,

so help me to just push on

(with you giving me nudges from

the back)

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

February 12th

"The Lord is faithful in all his words, 

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

as the day begins,

it is all about grace:

the grace to see the

wonders of creation 

and the grace to care for it.

as the day continues,

it is all about grace:

the grace to see 

the struggles of people

and the grace to let go

of one's privilege so that

those who have none

might find hope in life.

at the end of the day,

it's all about grace:

the grace to forgive 

all the foolishness

(especially my own),

and the grace to rest

in God's peace and love.

it is all about grace:

simple grace

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

February 11th

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

give us Advent eyes

so we may see you

coming in ways which 

knock our socks off.

give us Christmas eyes

so we may see you

in the just born baby

and the grandmother

reliving her childhood.

give us Lenten eyes

that we may see, not

so much what we give up

but what we gain from you.

give us Easter eyes

that we may see you

in the new life born 

in us each morning.

give us Pentecost eyes

that we may see you

as the shutters on

our fears blow open

and the flames of new

hope dance in our souls.

give us ordinary eyes

so we may see you 

in every moment, 

even when we are

determined to keep

our eyes closed tight.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

February 10th

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

we take that first

shuddering breath and

the Spirit laughs in delight.

we crawl, then walk, run

full out in delight, begin 

to feel twinges in our 

knees and hips, and finally

end up moving as slowly

as if we were back crawling,

and Jesus holds our hand

every step of the way.

we fear the dust bunnies

under the bed and the 

clothes breathing in the closet,

we are anxious about our

first day in school or at work,

our first date and kiss, 

we lie awake waiting to

hear the kids come home

and we wonder what home

will be like beyond this life

and you whisper as you always

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

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

February 9th

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

so, God,

it turns out that

the way to get to heaven

is to prop a ladder against

a house to clean out 

the gutters of an aging neighbor,

or to put one down

into the deep loneliness

of a dear friend so we can

go down and be with them

until we can climb out together,

or go up one with the little kids

until we reach the top 

of the big shiny slide and 

go speeding down with 

our hands in the air, screaming

in joy and then doing it all over

again.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

February 8th

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

you make it as simple 

as you can, but we just

cannot help ourselves

and so, choose

to focus on our differences,

look down our noses

in pious pretense and 

offer snark to so many,

try to rub shoulders 

with the powerful and

obsess over celebrities, 

and proudly highlight our

academic credentials 

every chance we get.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

February 7th

i sit on park bench

with loneliness silent

beside me, and a little

child comes up and 

offers me half a sandwich.

i try to fall asleep in

an unfamiliar bed with

the distracting voices

and quiet din on

a hospital floor, and you

turn the page as you read

me a story of hope.

i wander through the 

neighborhood, trying to

remember where i live, 

and in my confusion, a

stranger stops to ask 

if there is anything they

can do, and 

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

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

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

February 6th

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

we are so busy

looking down our noses

from a position of piety,

stuffing our foolishness

in our pockets so we 

can pick up bigger rocks,

jockeying for the best

position from which

to hurl our hate, that

we cannot take a moment

to glance down to see

what you have written:

I AM

she is

you are

we are

siblings in God's family.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

February 5th

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

perhaps

if we saw the person

who doesn't speak a 

word of our language 

as made in the divine image

and not as a danger,

if we realized the couple

with the newborn baby

driving the dented and 

paint-peeling van was a

holy family not just homeless,

if we didn't quickly turn out

the lights and hide in the

shadows of the hallway

as the wearer of life-stained

clothes and hole-y shoes

came toward the church door,

we might realize that angels

never look like the folks 

in the pictures in our Bibles.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

February 4th

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

the children on the playground

who get into a kerfuffle over

something insignificant, but 

don't let it ruin their friendships,

the little boy gluing popsicle

sticks together to make a raft

for the runoff from the storm

as he imagines sailing to Scotland,

the little girl lying in the backyard

watching the stars emerge 

in the brittle night sky, wondering

who else, somewhere else, is

watching at they same time.

these are the guides always willing

to show us the way to 

your Beloved Community.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman 

February 3rd

"Let them praise his name with dancing, 

    making melody to him with tambourine and lyre. 

Psalm 149:3

the two little girls

spinning and whirling

around on the dance floor

at the wedding, as the

grandparents hold each other

up trying not to get knocked over,

the little boy pulling out

every pot and lid and spoon

to practice becoming a drummer

for the heavy aluminum band,

the 13-year-old patiently 

practicing the piano scales

over and over and over

until the cat begs to go outside . . .

all praise you, Gentle God,

all praise you.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

February 2nd

"How lovely is your dwelling place,

    O LORD of hosts!" Psalm 84:1

the winter moon casts

shadows on the floor 

to entertain the kitten

while we sleep.

we walk behind 

our aging parents

as they hold hands

they know as well

the ones they were 

given in birth.

we pack up our beach

picnic and are suddenly

turn breathless as 

the sunset paints the

sky in a palette of colors

and

we whisper to you, 

'we love all the 

places you call home!'

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

February 1st

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

because we think forgiveness

is some sort of higher calculus

which we will never comprehend,

because we take simple stories

about families, farmers, and strangers

and run them through the wringers

of textual and linguistic analyses,

because we try to turn the simple

challenge of welcoming outsiders

into some sort of political brouhaha,

you sit down on the ground,

wiping the sand smooth, and

with your finger, begin to teach 

us the ABCs of faith once again.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman