Easter Sunday

“They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” John 20:13

we have taken you away
and made you the keynote speaker
for those who believe power
and wealth are the pillars
of your teachings, as well as
those who advocate for the needy
while buying another house
and increasing their portfolio.
we have taken you away
and hired you to be the
advocate for unjust wars
and the press secretary for
those who talk justice but
whose words turn to dust
when it is time to work
we have taken you away
as far as we can from
your simple gospel of love,
grace, justice, hope, and inclusion,
making it so complicated that
even experts cannot agree—
and all the while,
you are planting gardens
to feed the hungry,
calling the forgotten by name,
teaching children those games
where the only rule is everyone
gets to play on the same team,
and hoping we will eventually
notice where you are.

© 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Dreich Saturday

“I have passed out of mind like one who is dead;
   I have become like a broken vessel.” Psalm 31:12

silence
is the only language needed
on this day which sits like a bird
on the fence between heartbreak
and hallelujah.
grief settles into our bones
like a friend moving in for a stay.
there are no stories to tell
no miracles to share on social media,
just the thick, silent, absence
which sucks at our souls like quicksand.
the promises seem to have slipped
through our fingers, like lyrics
to favorite songs we can’t recall.
hope has gone underground, perhaps
behind the stone, where we cannot see.
and yet, like the earth where
even now, unseen life is stirring,
may the silence be but a pause
and not an ending,
a waiting, but never forgetting,
because even in the stillness
God has not stopped working.

© 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Grim Friday

“But this I call to mind,
   and therefore I have hope:” Lamentations 3:21

we stand, not at the foot,
but as far away as we can
trusting your fading sight
cannot see us,
and yet you forgive us.
as the soldiers mock
the religious types cackle
and thunder rolls in the distance
and lightning provides the
only proper lighting,
we keep our mouths shut,
and yet you forgive us.
as you slowly lower your head
and are swaddled
in the chill arms of death,
may we hear the hope
you whisper in that moment:

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
is mercies never come to an end;” Lamentations 3:22

(c) 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Holy Thursday

"Jesus answered, ‘You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand.’” John 13:7

we’ve been to a lot
of funerals, but we still
don’t know much about death
but we do know a bit about
trying to be faithful in a time
when faithlessness is applauded.
even though we sing and trust
in that promise of Easter,
we still can’t explain resurrection,
but we do know a bit about
trusting God with our lives
even as we enter that dreaded
valley of shadows.
even with the hints and hopes,
if truth be told, we are not sure
where following Jesus will end
but this night reminds us
we are not left alone
on this pilgrimage, even
when it looks like we are.

© 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Holy Wednesday

"Jesus said to him, 'Do quickly what you are going to do.'” John 13:27b

the days, months, years,
even generations it takes
to get that immovable object
called injustice to budge just a bit.
the process we can create
so that by the time a task force
appointed and charged to improve
school systems releases a rough draft,
the kids have already graduated.
gee, it’s funny how time slips away
when we are asked to care
for others, for creation, for the forgotten
but
turning our backs on you
saying we don’t know you
claiming we have no idea
who you are or what you’re doing?
that only takes a moment
any moment
every moment.

© 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Holy Tuesday

“And he said to me, “You are my servant,
     Israel, in whom I will be glorified.” Isaiah 49:3

it’s not in the hallways
where power prowls with arrogance,
but in those lives tossed aside
like stones unfit for building.
it is not in the words of those
who just cannot stop telling lies,
but in the cracked voices
singing about justice.
it’s not when the bright lights
of the media shine
but in those alleyways
where hope flickers.
it is not in the exclusive club
for the privileged,
but in the shelters where stories
are folded like frayed blankets.
it is not in the five star restaurants
with a waiting list of months,
but in those palsied hands
still sharing day-old bread.
as we continue to drag our feet
and stay as far back as we can
on this road to the cross,
remind us that, if we want
to see your glory around us,
we will find it in the least among us
as we kneel before them
to learn your way.

© 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Holy Monday

“But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, ‘Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?’ John 12:4-5

the palms are in the bins
out by the curb, with the rest
of the trash from the weekend.
the cleaners are doing
great business making sure
all the coats and cloaks
are cleaned and pressed.
the donkey is back where
it started, tethered to another
in a series of dreary days.
the hosanna crowd has wandered
back to school, to work,
to idle hands for the Evil One
to fill with nails.
and us?
we’re back arguing about
the church budget, asking
(once again) why
you always waste grace,
mercy, justice, and hope
on all the wrong people.

© 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman