November 6th

“For I will leave in the midst of you
     a people humble and lowly.
They shall seek refuge in the name of the Lord-”
   Zephaniah 3:12

as the Old Book says:
it is not those wrapped in flags
or who call their power holy;
it is not the ones who holler
God’s name the loudest
all while turning their backs
on the most vulnerable among us
that God relies on in our times.
no, God’s people
are the humble, the ignored,
those who open their hearts
to the stranger,
who speak truth when lying might
earn them more money as influencers,
who offer compassion while the powerful
applaud cruelty and hate.
yet they are the rich soil
where God plants the future,
the quiet who don’t need
to ask what Jesus would do—
the remnant God is still
using in our midst.

(c) 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

November 5th

“And again he said, ‘To what should I compare the kingdom of God?’” Luke 13:20

your Beloved Community
is like the poll workers
who volunteer their time
for long hours and low pay
because they believe in
democracy.
your Beloved Community
is like the students marching
40 minutes to cast their ballots
when the powerful denied
an early voting site on their campus.
your Beloved Community
is like the folks standing in line
and always insisting that
an older person, or someone
with disabilities go ahead
of them to the voting booth,
without wondering, asking,
or caring about politics.
your Beloved Community
is like those who care enough
about their communities
and nations to be good citizens
without relinquishing their
primary allegiance to you,
O God.

(c) 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

November 4th

“And just then there appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight.” Luke 13:11

some have been looking
at the ground for longer than they remember,
some are afraid to glance up
into the faces of cruelty,
some are just bowed down
under the weight of hate,
crushed by divisive words,
bruised by the powerful who so easily
ignore, if not outright forget,
the least among us,
and we, who are among the privileged,
though we pretend otherwise,
have become skilled at looking away,
stepping over the suffering of others
on our way to comfortable lives,
labeling brokenness as ‘their’ problem.
but not you, Friend of the forgotten—
you see
you call
you touch.
so, perhaps the healing we need
is simply to be graced with your eyes,
to refute the voices which demean,
to stand with those the world
keeps weighing down with hopelessness.
for the Beloved Community
is not built on the backs of the vulnerable,
but by enabling every child of God
to stand tall in grace, dignity, and hope—
and when such miracles take place,
our nation will begin to heal.

(c) 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

November 3rd

"These things I remember,
     as I pour out my soul:" Psalm 42:4a

here is what i will cling to
this day, and i pray, in all
those days to come,
that
when the hurlers of hate
are the loudest, love's whispers
will be heard in our hearts.
that
when the demagogues of despair
think they have convinced the crowds,
hope will be marked on more ballots.
that 

when cruelty targets outsiders,
trying to sell us locks for our doors,
more folk will put out welcome mats.
that 

when gangs of grudges lurk
like frighteners in the shadows,
we will hold tight to one another
as grace walks us home.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

November 2nd

 "On that day, says the Lord, 

    a cry will be heard from the Fish Gate,
a wail from the Second Quarter,
   a loud crash from the hills." Zephaniah 1:10

on this day, 

may we turn off the ads

we have heard so many times

we could make the pitch,

so we can hear the cries

of those who have no one

approving their message of

longing for compassion and hope,

so we hear the weeping from

all the parents in rubble strewn

communities aka battlefields,

so we might listen to those

whose dreams for justice

have collided with the ever

increasing desires of the privileged

who, miraculously, always seem

not to be at fault and can walk away

with no responsibility at all, and then

tomorrow, when we can make a difference

we might hear those echoes 

deep in our hearts.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

November 1st/All Saints Day

“Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?” Revelation 7:13

‘I ain’t no saint,’ he protested
as he began to unload
the boxes and bushels
of fresh vegetables
so the volunteers at the foodbank
could cart them into the warehouse—
‘I’m just a simple farmer
grows extra for those folks
who need it most.’

‘oh, one of the parents
called me that the other day,’
said the bus driver
as she pressed the button
to start the lift bringing
the little child in the wheelchair
up to the level of the seats,
‘but I just love caring
for all those the world tends
to turn its back on.’

‘don’t put that label on us,’
laughed the volunteers
passing our tents, blankets,
coats and hats and gloves
to the rough sleepers as
the chill of Fall seeped in,
‘we’re just folks who
have been graced so
we might grace others.’

It’s funny, God,
how many folks think
they ain’t saints.

(c) 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

October 31st

“Then I saw another beast that rose out of the earth; it had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon.” Revelation 13:11

as the Day of the Dread approaches
and we want to crawl as deep
into the pit of forgetfulness as we can,
may we take a moment to watch
all those little witches and wizards,
those hobgoblins and sports stars,
those ballerinas and ninja turtles,
those Barbies in pink and little men in black
wander from house to house
giggling and whispering
among themselves, just waiting
to get back home where they will
remove all the masks which cover
their wonder, joy, and hope, for
they are the ones who know
with the faith of the foolish that
there are no monsters under the bed
or walking dead hiding in the corners
except those we shape from the dust
of our fragmented fears.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

October 30th

“Mountains and all hills,
   fruit trees and all cedars!” Psalm 148:9

Autumn’s afternoon sun
through the orange, gold,
and red leaves forms
stained glass windows on
our lawns and porches,
the crunch of the drying
leaves as we hike through
the woods reminds us of
kids munching on popcorn,
the crisp morning air
billows the lace curtains
as if all creation was
taking a breath,
while we lie in bed
praising you for all
the marvelous gifts
of this changing season.

© 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman