August 3rd

"Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed the."  Matthew 28:16

in the alleys and streets,

cleaning up the mess tossed

aside by midnight revelers.

on the playgrounds helping

the children of immigrants

learn the ins and outs 

of the games their neighbors

have played for years.

walking through the hallways

of the retirement communities

checking to make sure each

resident is doing well in times

of extreme heat or winter's blast.

on the march down to concrete

palaces where the politicians

make decisions which affect 

the people they never notice

while being driven to power,

we realize we are on the mountains

where you have called us to serve.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

August 2nd

"For my soul is full of troubles, 

    and my life draws near to Sheol." Psalm 88:3

weariness seems to be 

my constant companion these days.

social media seems to be

more like anti-social mudslinging

with folks posting kind memes

about how we cannot know

what another person is enduring

and then, a few scrolls down, 

someone is being shredded because

they said something 

these very same so-called carers

didn't like or took offense at

or just didn't fit into their philosophy

and i find myself clinging to the sides

of that pit that is made more and more

slippery by the flash flood of snark

running down my page.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

August 1st

   "I hear a voice I had not known:

'I relieved your shoulder of the burden;
    your hands were freed from the basket.
In distress you called, and I rescued you;
   I answered you in the secret place of thunder;
   I tested you at the waters of Meribah'" Psalm 81:6-7

our muscles are knotted so tight

that simply taking a breath 

causes us to whimper in pain

until you lean over and gently

begin to massage our shoulders

while talking of the exercises

we might try on our own, using

the bands of cloth left over

from that night in Bethlehem as aids.

we hear the thunder of angry voices

all around us, crashing down and

trying to drown out the whispers

of grace and love, until in the silence

after the voices run out of steam,

come those gentle melodies 

you first taught to the songbirds

to share with us, until we learned

them by heart.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 29th

"So when Pilate saw that he could do nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took some water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, 'I am innocent of this man's blood; see to it yourselves.'" Matthew 27:24

when they bring us in
and seat us in the
interrogation room, and

begin to question us about

why we allowed children

to go hungry each night

while our garbage bins 

reeked of thrown out food,

why we refused to demand

that those who want to open

up homeless shelters in winter

be given the same incentives

as the developers building 

million-dollar gated communities,

or why we simply choose 

to remain silent instead 

of confronting bullies, we

simply wring our hands 

under the table protesting 

our innocence, while

you weep behind the 

one-way window into our

souls.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 28th

"'Now if you are unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.'" Joshua 24:15

we could listen quietly
sitting on our tongues

to make sure they do not

just get up and into 

someone else's face.

we could sweep our fears

off the front porch of our hearts

and put out the welcome mat

so others know that they

can find a home in us.

we could walk Grace and Hope

down the street, letting all 

the little kids (and the big ones)

run up to hug them and

get wet sloppy kisses to bring

healing to their wounded souls.

we could pause and turn

to see those that scare us

so much face to face, only

to discover we are looking

into the mirror.

or

we could choose

to keep living just 

as we are right now.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 27th

"Be very careful, therefore, to love the Lord your God." Joshua 23:11

reckless with our words
we damage the spirits

of folks seeking hope.

indiscreet with our feelings

we break the hearts 

of the ones we claim to honor.

remiss with the gift of mercy

we continue to sentence 

friends to a life time of guilt.

absent-minded with our thoughts

we slowly erode our spirits until

they can barely manage 

to remember kindness and peace.

negligent about keeping the secrets

of those who thought they

could trust us with their lives,

we shatter their souls into 

a million tiny shards of grief.

impetuous in our life long dream

of slowly trying to bend you

to our selfish will and whims,

we relegate you to that bin 

which overflows 

with the ashes 

of our love.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 26th

"This is the reason that I have so often been hindered from coming to you." Romans 15:22

we sit around hard tables
in chairs getting more uncomfortable
that we rush out of the place
never noticing you and the folks
with the towels, mops, bins
waiting to clean up the mess
we manage to leave behind.
we sit in our easy chairs
looking through those yearbooks
which carry the memories of all
those good old days, which were good
because we didn't have to make
any of the hard life-changing decisions
and so do not see you standing
on the sidewalk, pack on your back,
walking stick in your hand, and a
gleam in your eye, as you hope
to lead the way to even better days
than we could ever begin to imagine
as we sit wrapped in the past.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 25th

"Transgression speaks to the wicked 

    deep in their hearts;
there is no fear of God
   before their eyes." Psalm 36:1

they look at us,
a hunger in their eyes

for our adulation and

chants of their name,

of wanting to see us

waving our hands in worship

and a bending of our knees

in abject loyalty to them,

or a recognition that their

words overflowing with

hollow promises fill that 

void in our shriveled lives

and their winks, nods, and

finger pointing our way 

show a deep affinity with us, 

a relationship which is abiding 

beyond all words.

but

when we look deeply 

into their eyes, all we glimpse

is that deadness of souls which

have shriveled because of 

the contempt and distrust they

truly have for every single person

who is not them.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 24th

"And there, in the presence of the Israelites, Joshua wrote on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written." Joshua 8:32

sorry, Josh, but
we need to borrow the stone

which warns about having

any other Gods, to put under

the chair of our political choice,

and that one about honoring

our parents and their generation

we will place in their way so they

can stumble all over the place

proving we are right that folks

who are of a certain age are useless,

and those ones about not 

telling falsehoods, or killing, no

cheating on those we swear to love,

and not being jealous of what others own,

well, gosh, they have just gone 

out of style as far as we are concerned.

and just like that, your hopeful reminders

are ground into gravel we can walk

over on our way to foolishness

beyond imagination.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 23rd

"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

when our hearts

are so full of hubris

that we cannot be humble

enough to care for the

forgotten, the vulnerable,

the despised, the lonely;

when our souls slowly

begin to shrivel because

they drink deeply from

the bitter waters of fear

rather than from the sweet

fountains of grace;

when we would rather 

live with grudges weighing

us down instead leaving them

by the side of the way as

we seek to follow you, we

are slowly dying on the vine

of love, wonder, and joy

which we know as you.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 22nd

"Owe no one anything, except to love one another;" Romans 13:8a

we would max out our plastic
treasure in order to buy

rounds for all our mates

at the bar, but become

skinflints over feeding 

a few hungry souls,

we would take out 

a second mortgage

in order to have that

vacation of a lifetime

but turn into mini-Scrooges

when someone needs 

shelter from winter's blast,

we would borrow ten dollars

from a buddy in order 

to have another cup of joe

at the newest coffee shop

but roll up the window as

the car draws near the

fellow on the corner 

holding a hand-written

plea for help.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 21st

"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) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman 

July 18th

"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 freely shared

or 

kindness is just to be

that 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 mind

or 

we think that the world is right 

when the wealthy get all the breaks

the powerful are never held accountable

the celebrities are always given

a hall pass for their knuckleheadedness

well, we seem to have 

a different notion than you do

about what is good.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 17th

"The Lord looks down from heaven; 

     he sees all humankind." Psalm 33:13

peering through our 

rose-colored glasses 

of all's right with the world,

we never notice 

the children at the park

playing playing by themselves,

the older lady eating 

alone in the bistro,

the immigrant family 

struggling to buy food

in a language they 

cannot speak yet,

the pierced young person 

with the multi-hued hair

wondering why everyone else 

who had been sitting 

in the waiting area 

have been called back 

for a job interview, when

they were the first person

to arrive that morning.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 16th

"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) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 15th

"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) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 14th

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

is it irony that folks

seem more interested

in putting the 10 Rules on display

rather than the 8 Blessings?

is it telling that we

keep reminding folks of

the parable of the lucky sheep

and those unfortunate goats

but fall silent about your

reminding us to notice

that big log in our eyes 

and not the speck in another's?

is it something about us

that we find your woes 

and curses far more astounding

than those comments about

loving enemies, giving away 

all that we have, about taking

up that cross called faith and

following you wherever you lead?

or is it, we think your authority

has diminished somewhat?

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 13th

"So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ." Romans 10:17

faith

comes in those old stories

we have heard so often

from those with snow white hair

that we could finish them

before they get to the end

and sometimes it annoys us

with those troubling questions

that kids ask which make us turn

hoping to see someone behind us

who can answer them.

and 

in the silly songs composed

by little ones in bubble-filled baths

as they try to put off bed time

for as long as they can, as well

as in the birds who hesitantly,

and then with greater courage,

begin to sing of hope and joy

after a terrifying storm has 

rushed past our houses, 

we hear the whispers of

faith.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 12th

"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.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman 

July 11th

"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) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

 

July 10th

"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) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 9th

 "Help, O Lord, for there is no longer anyone who is godly; 

    the faithful have disappeared from humankind." Psalm 12:1

where have all the faithful gone?

we've gone chasing after

the peddlers of broken promises.

where have all the godly gone?

we've left the thin places

to fill the arenas of those demanding

a different way than the gospel

of love, hope, grace, justice.

where have all the merciful gone?

we've linked arms in solidarity

with anyone who blames everyone

for everything.

where have all the helpers, the 

peacemakers, the menders, 

the gentle, the welcomers gone?

farther away from your Beloved Community

as you would ever have imagined, and

we can't seem to find those 

breadcrumbs you left

so we could find our way back.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

 

July 7th

"And immediately they left their nets and followed him." Mark 1:18

we sit in our easy chairs

and when the doorbell

 rings, we peek through

the curtains and when we

see who it is, stage whisper,

'it's Jesus! turn off the TV! 

maybe he'll go away.'

we drive down the road

and see you at the side

holding a sign reading, 

WILL CALL FOLKS TO FOLLOW

FOR FOOD AND SHELTER,

and quickly do a U-turn.

we answer an online ad

for a job which requires 

a willingness to listen and

no manual labor, and send

the reply from you to our spam folder.

for some reason,

immediately

just isn't in our vocabulary.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 6th

"I see him, but not now; 

    I behold him, but not near—" Numbers 24:17a

we know the names

and stats of all the players

running up and down 

the pitch, the floor, the field,

but those who pick up the trash,

care for the grounds, arrive early

to get the concessions ready,

and who mop out the facilities

after everyone has gone home?

them we could care less about

because they are not the famous,

the superstars, the GOATS,

the ones with the big contracts.

but we can bet 

that

you know the names of all

the ones we are so quick

to discount, to ignore, 

to complain about the loudest

if our least little whine is not

heard and responded to

immediately.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 5th

"O Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger, 

    or discipline me in your wrath.
Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are shaking with terror.
My soul also is struck with terror,
   while you, O Lord—how long?"  Psalm 6:1-3

if we were you,

the knuckleheads would

spend s-o-o-o much time

staring at the walls, 

or having to sit on cushions

while the place where their

brains seem to be heals,

or would be grounded 

well past the first successful

flight of all the pigs,

but being you,

you gather us from the corner

and place sit us on your lap,

you turn your wooden paddles

into kindling for making s'mores,

and you hug us with your grace

calming the tremors of that

false narrative of your wrath.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 4th

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

they sit before us, or
stand in the dock, as

we look down at them

from high on the bench

of our self-righteousness,

ready to pronounce the

sentence of outright rejection

and being cast into the 

outer regions of forgetfulness

when

suddenly the door in the back

bangs open and you come

marching down the aisle, 

"for the defense, Yahweh 

Elohim Jesu Christu 

Ruach Spiritus, ready to

present some new evidence

that they are no more guilty

than you . . .

and I should know."

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 3rd

"I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate." Romans 7:15

here is what i realize
when i gaze in the my own

mirror of serised:

it's not those things which

would rank in just about

anyone's top ten list of

what we know we shouldn't do.

it is

hopelessness gnawing 

at my weary heart,

it is the seduction of those who

intentionally choose cruelty,

it is that deep longing

to just throw in the towel

when i should be wiping

the tears of another's struggles,

it is that lingering doubt

that maybe seeking justice,

doing kindness, and following

God really are outdated.

those are the sins crouching

on the porch outside my

soul.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 1st

"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.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 30th

"Therefore we will not fear,
   though the earth should change,

though the mountains shake
   in the heart of the sea;" Psalm 46:2

despite the politicians

who cannot speak truth

and those whose faltering words

raise concerns among many,

we will not be deterred 

by seeking justice for all.

even when storms are increasing

in both events and ferocity,

we will not stop partnering

with you in the healing of creation.

though the anger around us

makes us wary of stepping outside

and the bile spewed by others

discourages us from speaking,

we will not be afraid to remind

others of your compassion for the forgotten,

your hospitality for the immigrant,

your love for those rejected so casually.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 29th

"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.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 28th

"There were two blind men sitting by the roadside. When they heard that Jesus was passing by, they shouted, 'Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!'" Matthew 20:30

some days, okay most,
i am staring through those
lenses ground thick 

by my stubbornness.

on other days, 

i decide to put those drops of love

in my eyes and am stunned

because i can actually see

to the far shore of grace.

and then, there are simply

those days when, blinded

by my sheer narcissism, 

i can only cry out, 'have mercy'

hoping that you are able

to see me sitting by the side

of the that potholed road called

Loneliness.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 27th

"and hope does not disappoint us," Romans 5:5a

when the promises of
all those we trust
let us down in the end,

hope always keeps its

end of the bargain.

when the ones we believe

are the role models we

have been looking for

shatter our illusions by

the foolish choices they make,

hope continues to live the

sort of life which seems

so boring, yet faithful.

when the people we gave

our very hearts to take them

and dash them against

the rocks of cruelty, 

hope stays true to the vows

it made to us so long ago.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 26th

"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 are seem to be lowering,

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) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 25th

"As the eyes of servants look

    to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a maid
   to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the LORD our God,
   until he has mercy upon us."  Psalm 123:2

when we do not 

see your hands placing

the food in front of us,

when we do not 

notice your eyes weeping

when people are abused

by those who should 

be loving them,

when we do not 

watch your feet marching

beside those who are going

down to government offices

to speak out for the ones

whose voices are so easily

discounted, simply because

they have no power,

have mercy on us,

have mercy on us.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 24th

"For I know that the LORD is great;" Psalm 135:5a

you are great, not
because you command

mighty armies, but

because you created

ants to show us how

to work together with others.

you are great, not

because you shaped 

towering mountains which

kiss the clouds in the sky, but

because of those tiny seeds

children can plant in paper cups

and watch the miracle of them

growing into gentle plants.

you are great, not

because you are the 

smartest in any room,

any group, any conversation

but because you were wise

enough to become one of us

so we might know you 

whenever we see another person.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 23rd

"'Now therefore why are you putting God to the test by placing on the neck of the disciples a yoke that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear? On the contrary, we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.’" Acts 15:10-11

we expect others to live

in ways that would 

bring us to our knees.

we want to impose

our beliefs on the kids

who just want someone

to believe they are worth

loving, feeding, housing,

protecting, mentoring.

we insist on putting those

millstones of prejudice,

hate, bitterness, suppression

around the necks of folks

who we just don't like

because, well, 

simply because they want

to be accepted for who

they know they are.

and all the while,

you keep asking,

why?

why?

why?

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 22nd

"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 are the chefs

with multiple restaurants

and streaming shows,

the athletes whose shoe

deals earn them more 

than some small countries,

the politicians who become

idols simply by using words

which would get a 5-year-old

a very long time out.

and then there is

us

discounted

ordinary

insignificant

ignored

yet we are precisely

the ones you choose

to draw up into your lap

singing us the songs

of love and grace composed

in your heart for your

beloved.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 21

"'For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves.'" Matthew 18:23

your old abacus may be
gathering dust in the corner

and your once brand new

adding machine is now vintage,

but we remain convinced

that you are nothing more

than a glorified accountant

wearing a worn green visor,

bent over your thick ledgers

settling up the accounts 

for every one of us, 

and so,

we miss you using 

the ink stamp and marking

each of our names as

'forgiven.'

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 20th

"Cast your burden on the Lord, 

    and he will sustain you;
he will never permit
   the righteous to be moved." Psalm 55:22

when the kibitzers surround

you with their constant mocking,

listen for the whispers of affirmation

tickling the ears of your heart.

as the knuckleheads change

the rules so they always seem 

to be in control of everyone, 

keep clapping your hands and

encouraging others to keep caring

for one another and never

backing down from doing 

what are the right things.

if the world keeps placing

millstones around your neck

until you are about to topple

just link arms with the 

'hidden ones' who, by God's grace,

will keep the world 

from falling to pieces.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 19th

"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) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 16th

"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

may we refuse 

to hoard peace, even

as we turn to face

the oppressors of our time.

may we always offer

grace to those around us

as we look at the ones

who need it most.

may we be as kind 

to the folk who trouble us

as those who know us

at our worst continue

to bless us.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 15th

"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) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 14th

"Let us not become conceited, competing against one another, envying one another." Galatians 5:26

not us.
those pictures with the
famous in our field,

our tastefully placed

diplomas and awards

throughout our offices,

those impressive titles

before our names and

the letters after,

the bars, tabs, and 

academic regalia which

clothe us in our work,

these are simply the

incidentals that go 

with our jobs, not

a game of upmanship.

not us.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman 

June 13th

"He said to them, 'But who do you say that I am?'" Matthew 16:15

the teacher who spends
the long break between terms
sending notes to the kids who
have moved on and the ones
they will have in a few months,

the teenager who uses

each day learning a new language

in order to reach out to 

the family next door,

the incarcerated folks taking

the time to foster dogs to become

service animals for those 

immured by their lives,

that's who you are

and more

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 12th

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

when

we choose to run off

and join the circus where

the funny haired clown 

is the master of ceremonies

rather than living in communities

where the gentle voices of children

sing songs of hope and grace,

and when

we listen to the voices of all

who are embittered by those

false narratives spun by liars  

instead of the stories of those

who were willing to give their all

so that those they would never meet

might have life to its fullest, we

should not wonder why life

seems to be unraveling before us.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 11th

"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

for those who make sure

kids have meals when

schools are on summer break

and pools are open 

to break the hot days,

for all who pick up 

friends and neighbors

who need rides to appointments

and those who train to be

court appointed guardians,

for kind souls who learn

the names of strangers and

who refuse to deadname

those who have transitioned,

we give you our praise.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 10th

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

we would keep the
forgotten at the other side

of the fence at the playground.

we keep telling the

outsiders that they have

to learn all the rules by heart

before they can join the game.

we make justice sit 

at the very end of the bench

waiting its turn to play (which

never seems to come).

and we tell the triplets

Grace, Peace, and Hope

they are too little to hang

out with all the big kids.

but you?

you hold wide your arms,

calling, 'red rover, red rover,

send everyone over, 

and gathering them up 

in your embrace of love.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 6th

"When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them . . . " Matthew 14:14a

Drawing near to the shore
- coming ever closer, yet

Daring to believe that 

Anything or anyone

You might encounter

Would be worth

All you might endure

So that those people,

Family members and strangers,

On farms and in towns

Rallying around radios,

Understood the great compassion

Shared for all generations to come.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 5th

"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) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 2nd

"So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, 'Do you understand what you are reading?'" Acts 8:30

of course, we know
how to love our neighbor

as much as we love ourselves

until, that is, the neighbor puts

a sign in their yard which sickens us.

and, yes, we assent to love

our enemies because you ask

until we discover the synonym 

for enemy is the political party

which we would never vote for

even if you headed the ticket.

why, we can even sign on the

dotted line to open our ears

and listen to your parables, until

they are re-enacted in ways

which makes us so uncomfortable.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

June 1st

"Be gracious to me, O God, for people trample on me; 

    all day long foes oppress me;
my enemies trample on me all day long, 

   for many fight against me. 

O Most High,
      when I am afraid, I put my trust in you." Psalm 56:1-3

as the detectives interview

neighbors about any folks

who had a grudge against me

and the forensics teams

takes pictures of the

boot marks all over me

and prepare to draw

the white outline around me,

you come in wearing your

deerstalker cap, pipe in mouth,

and magnifying glass in hand,

pointing out that they have

misread all the signs while

i have been turning the 

proverbial cheek to all, just

as you have asked of me.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman