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