April 26th

"But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me." Psalm 49:15

we will sit at the table,
sharing tea together,
telling of what has
been going on in our lives,
laughing at old jokes,
fighting over the very
last sandwich, and sharing
one final scone slathered
with cream and jam.
then brushing off
the crumbs and leaving
an extra-large tip
for all the staff, we
will walk outside, standing
side by side in the light mist,
until the bus pulls up
and i board, beginning
that trip through the
falling shadows on that
road which ends at
the other side of grace,
as i turn to wave goodbye
to death.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

April 25th

"Father of orphans and protector of widows
   is God in his holy habitation." Psalm 68:5

you open the shelter door

for the battered women

and their kids, so they find

safe lodgings and hope,

you gather the little girls

who the rigidly religious

believe have no right 

to an education, and hand

them books from your library,

you use the app on your phone

to order rides for all the adolescents

who found a suitcase on the

front porch and the locks changed

so they can come and stay

at your place for as long 

as they might need.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

April 24th

"Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp; he called it the tent of meeting . . . Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend." Exodus 33:7, 11a

Friend God,

in the tent made out
of sheets over furniture
as ghost stories are told
on dark and stormy nights,

in the intimate conversation

shared in a tea shop with

a friend we haven't seen in ages,

in the silence of a graveyard

as an old man tells of his day

to his lifelong love lying

beneath his feet, we meet

you face to face.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

April 23rd

"'You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid.' Matthew 5:14

you wander through the

bombed out communities

in Ukraine, carrying a tiny,

flickering candle of peace.

in a rubble-strewn hospital

somewhere in Gaza, you
hold steady a single light

to enable the surgeons to see.

in every shadow of worry,

under every rock which we use

to try to hide ourselves,

in the lengthy evening of dread

creeping across the lawns

of every soul in every place,

you try to create that 

Beloved Community of hope,

of grace, of inclusion, of justice,

praying we might bring 

our lights to merge with yours.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

April 22nd

"And the LORD changed his mind about the disaster that he planned to bring on his people." Exodus 32:14

we dig our heels
deep into long held convictions

on how people should live,

while you kneel down, writing
'you are forgiven' in the sand

for the stubborn folks watching

how you might respond to

unacceptable behavior.

we cling so tight to our

entrenched beliefs that they

almost cringe in pain, and

you pause and reflect, 

saying, 'you know, now

that i think about it, maybe

i was wrong . . . "

and then watch to see

if we might respond in kind.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

April 21st

 "He said to them, ‘Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.’ For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.” Mark 6:31

you gently take
the devices out
of our hands, inviting
us to simply sit back
and watch the sunset.
you turn off all of
our streaming apps,
podcasts, news programs,
sports events, and those
voices shouting for our attention,
and ask, ‘can you hear the wind?’
you take us by the elbow
to gently lead us away
from the arguments which
consume our souls, and
lead us over to a bench,
where we sit in comfortable
silence.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

April 20th

"As God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience . . . Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony." Colossians 3:12, 14

breaking your own rule, you

gather up scraps of justice, 

some pieces of hope, a few 

snippets of grace, some

lace woven from kindness,

to mend and patch our 

faded, frayed love into a

garment of many gifts 

fit for everyday wear.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

April 19th

"Moses took the blood and dashed it on the people, and said, 'See the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words.'" Exodus 24:8

may we see

the blood of the covenant

in the children injured

in wars and abuse.

may we touch

the blood of the covenant

coursing through the veins

under the paper thin skin

of older folks sharing wisdom.

may we feel 

the blood of the covenant

pulsing through us in

a transfusion donated 

by a stranger who we 

might never meet (or like)

giving us life.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

April 18th

"You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth." Exodus 20:4

how blessed we are,
God

that we no longer worship

those idols made of stone,

of wood, of various metals

now seen as artifacts in

museums with little cards

implying how foolish those

ancestors of ours were, 

which gives us more 

energy and passion and

focus for our devices we

keep in our pockets and

mounted in our cars 

so that we are not alone,

who are next to us 

as we sleep to keep 

watch over us and 

to awaken us for any

and every meaningless

text, meme, reel from 

our new pantheon of gods -

InstaFaceXSnapTokTube

residing high on Mount Cyber.

(c) 024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman 

April 17th

"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation;" Colossians 1:15

and now,

we see your face

in the wrinkled skin

of grandparents walking

hand in hand each evening

and in the smiles of immigrant

children moving into a new home.

now,

we feel your hands

in the touch of a nurse

comforting a cancer patient

and in the pat on the back

of a teacher encouraging 

a struggling student.

now,

we hear your feet

in those who march 

for justice in broken communities,

in those who take part

in relays for life,

in those who walk 

to a neighbor's house

to bring a casserole of hope.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

April 16th

"The people all answered as one: 'Everything that the LORD has spoken we will do.'" Exodus 19:8

except
for those bits about

loving our enemies

and not seeking 

revenge upon them,

or the prophetic hopes

we would let justice

rush through our communities

like a raging river,

and those 'blessed are'

little phrases that Jesus

tossed about so freely,

and we mustn't forget

the nudges Jesus gave

about how we handle money,

welcome the outsiders,

keep a light burning for prodigals,

as well as learning from

those we look down 

our noses at . . .

we're doing a pretty

good job, even if we

say so ourselves, which

we do constantly.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

April 15th

"An account of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham." Matthew 1:1

you gave birth
to a new family:

Peter beginning a long

line of fellows thinking

they are infallible while

prone to stick their

feet in their mouths.

Mary Magdalene the first

in generations of women

like Julian and Hildegard

whose words bring life

but are too often disbelieved.

James and John passing on

the DNA of wanting too much

power, glory, and fame.

Phoebe and the first wave

of church ladies who passed

on their recipes for food,

compassion, hope, and love

still shared around tables

in fellowship halls.

Thomas who wrote the

first theology of doubt, leading

to generations of folks called

heretics, witches, writers of 

banned books, and words which

push the boundaries of faith.

Mary, who with a simple song

to a tune only she heard, but

caroling it at night in the ears

of little girls who grew up to be

named Joan, Clare, Rosa, 

Harriett, Roe, and Greta.

you gave birth

to a new family.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman 

April 14th

"Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed." 1 John 3:2

when it will take place

we do not know, but

until it does, let us not

waste our time loving

the wrong dreams as

well as the wrong people.

how it will take place

we cannot imagine, but

wherever it is, may it be

the streets we have already

walked lifting up the fallen

as well as the fields and 

oceans and air as we 

care for creation.

who we might be, we 

dare not take a guess,

but as we continue on

this pilgrimage now, may

others know us simply as

lovers

of God

of them

and even of ourselves

despite who we think

we are in these moments.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

April 13th

"Praise the Lord! 

        Sing to the Lord a new song,
   his praise in the assembly of the faithful." Psalm 149:1

you take the ashes of our hopes

and mix them with your tears

to fill your ink pen, as you

imagine the treble notes

from the silent cries of

the forgotten and forsaken,

using the echoes of the

bullfrogs surrounding 

the pond in your yard,

and as the Spirit whispers

the lyrics you need, you

create a new cantata of love

for us to sing every morning.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

April 12th

"Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you;" 1 Peter 3:15b

our hope

is not a to-do list

we write out each day,

it is that new commandment

serving like a stent in our heart.

it is not a coach's diagram

on a whiteboard before the game,

it is a dogged determination

to do the best we can 

in the worst of situations.

it is not a theological

conundrum which 

no one can solve, 

it is the witness we offer

by the lives we share.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

April 11th

"Who is like the LORD our God,

    who is seated on high,
who looks far down
    on the heavens and the earth?" Psalm 113:5-6

we imagine you walking

the solid gold pavestones

of heaven, lyre-playing angels

going before and behind you,

and never notice you walking

by the side of the road 

cleaning up the litter we toss

as trucks and cars go

blasting past you.

we think you are sitting

on that jewel-encrusted throne

lazily swinging your foot and

tapping the arm aimlessly

almost bored to tears, but

you are cleaning the toilets

in the shelters for rough sleepers

and scrubbing down kitchens

preparing meals for those 

in all the war zones of our times.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

April 10th

"It is better to take refuge in the LORD
   than to put confidence in mortals." Psalm 118:8

we pass by the

knot of celebrities

and, as they sing

their siren songs, we

turn quickly to listen.

we watch the same ads

from the same politicians

saying the same words

to feed their narcissism,

and we offer them back

so they will not starve.

we slip and fall on 

the banana peels the

rich and powerful toss

in front of us, so we will

think they are the only ones

who will ever help us,

and

we wonder why we 

cannot find that shelter

of grace, hope, and justice

you talk about constantly.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

April 9th

"For you, O God, have tested us;" Psalm 66:10a

we don't have to write

lengthy essays,

we don't have to worry

about achieving

a high score,

we don't have to cram

for every test so we

can do better than the goats,

we don't have to try

to ace all the answers.

for you grade us

on whether we will

sit and talk with strangers

at modern day watering holes,

if we will challenge the powers

to become weak,

if we dare to stand up

to the bullies in every place,

if we share from our abundance

of grace, love, peace, and justice

rather than saving them

for some imagined final exam.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

April 8th

"Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the exiles of the Dispersion," 1 Peter 1:1a

to those whose hopes
for justice have been taken

away into captivity

by legislative chambers,

to those whose welcome

of outsiders makes them

aliens in their own land

which seems a stranger to them,

to those whose love of

transgender kids earns 

them the persecution of

the haters who crawl out

from under their vile rocks,

may you find peace 

in the company of those

who are joint outcasts,

may you know this exile

will last for a short while,

may you be the living hope

the world needs in this moment.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom M. Shuman

April 7th

"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life.'" John 14:6b

and

when we follow

the pied pipers of 

foolish bitterness,

when we choose

to rely on fake news,

when we are convinced

that the only life worth

pursuing is wealth,

power, and success,

take the crumbs from

the broken bread which

you brushed off the table

to put them in your

pocket as keepsakes

and sprinkle them on the ground

so we can find the way

back to you.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

show me

was the Doubter
refusing to listen

not only to the women

but his colleagues as well?

was he the first 

to buy into the grand

conspiracy theory that

your friends had bribed

the soldiers to drug you

and then they snuck in

and took your sedated

body while the guards slept?

or

was he just 

from Missouri?

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

April 6th

"The LORD went in front of them in a pillar of cloud by day, to lead them along the way, and in a pillar of fire by night, to give them light, so that they might travel by day and by night." Exodus 13:21

you keep a light 

on in the hallway

so we won't stub 

our toes coming 

in after curfew,

you turn on your

mobile's flashlight so

they can see you

sitting in the corner

when little kids wake

up afraid in the dark,

you brighten our days

with the sun and then

eclipse it with the moon

so we can marvel at

the wonders of your

imagination.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

April 5th

"'Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?'" 1 Corinthians 15:55

when we stare into
the shadows of our

very worst fears.

as the doctor enters

the room with hands

trembling from the results

printed on the pages

she is carrying.

while we struggle 

to take another breath

wondering if it is our last,

remind us

that death's victory 

is, in truth, Pyrrhic  

and you remove its

stinger from us with

the tweezers of grace

and kiss that boo-boo

with your steadfast love.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

April 4th

"'You shall tell your child on that day, "It is because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt."' Exodus 13:8

when we sit across

the table, mug in hand,

as our friend tells of 

their journey from 

addiction to recovery,

when we ring the bell

as the medical staff

cheers for us as we

leave the cancer center

for the last time,

when we gather the

kids and grandkids

to tell them the story

of the ancestors who

were here before any

of the outsiders crossed

the seas to settle here,

we find ourselves riding

shotgun as God drives

towards the future 

without needing a map,

leaving Egypt fading

behind in the rearview

mirror.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

April 3rd

"After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb." Matthew 28:1

on the first day

of the week, Maggie

and Mary (nicknamed

the Spare) were absolutely

gobsmacked finding the

tomb as empty as their hearts.

on the second day

of the week, they argued

as to whether or not they

might open a jumble shop

in the empty tomb, with 

Jesus' left behind clothes

in the bargain bin.

on the third day 

of the week, an entrepreneur

approached them about

offering tours of the site

but Joe A, who actually owned

the spot, would not accept.

so today, they joined their

siblings in shaking the dust

off their feet and heading 

back home to Galilee 

to see if Jesus was pulling

their legs or not about

being there.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

April 2nd

"But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it." Mark 16:11

so who, exactly,

are the people

we are willing to believe?

influencers on social media

or those who transform

the lives of kids living

on the streets,

politicians who sell 

their souls to the highest

bidders, or the person

gathering up the rough

sleepers to give them shelter,

late night commentators

who mock anyone and

everyone (all in 'good fun')

or the kids who stand up

to the bullies of their 

nonbinary friends?

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

April 1st

"'But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.'" Mark 16:7

so now,

let us go back

to where it all

began, to Galilee,

to sit by our nets,

our desks, our lives,

our loneliness, and all,

waiting to be called

once again for the first time

to follow you down those

dusty, all-too-familiar, roads

hoping that, maybe this time,

we will have the ears to listen,

the eyes to see, and the soul

to know what you are truly

all about.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: Thom M. Shuman

Easter

"Jesus said to her, 'Woman, why are you weeping? For whom are you looking?' Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, 'Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.'" John 20:15

there is nothing we

can say which hasn't

been said before, 

really.

but we will try,

Lord, we will try!

new images,

new metaphors,

new (and improved!) 

theology with just a

bit of rationality woven in,

we will pile the words up

one by one until they 

become that new pile

of stones shutting you

back up in the tomb 

of our foolish attempts

to explain a mystery neither

Sherlock or Gamache could solve.

while all you hope

is that we will take 

a few tips from the master

Gardener

and plant just a few seeds

(even if it is only one)

of justice for the forgotten

of hope for the miserable

of love for the lonely,

of joy for the grieving

of wonder for the hopeless

of life, for all.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Dreich Saturday

"It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD." Lamentations 3:26

we keep ourselves

so busy on this day:

rearranging the flowers

for the umpteenth time,

tuning instruments 

and voices for THE day,

rewriting the fourth draft

on a sermon which, in

truth, will say nothing new.

but

if we were 

to simply sit

in silence

in the shadows

wondering

hoping

fearing,

we might begin

to catch a glimpse

out of the corner

of our eyes

of the glint 

in your eyes

of what is about

to happen

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Grim Friday

"Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene." John 19:25

we would stand near

your cross, but have

you seen how many

texts we need to answer?

we would stand close

to your cross, but 

the influencers are 

blowing up InstaTok!

we would stand in

shouting distance 

of your cross, but we

need to make use of

the sales for Sunday dinner.

we would edge towards

your cross, but it is 

spring break and we promised

the family a trip to the beach.

we would be there

at the cross with you

but . . . 

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Holy Thursday

"So the disciples set out and went to the city, and found everything as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover meal." Mark 14:16

flat worn out

after flipping tables

for a purpose everyone

down the years will misinterpret,

after cursing a fig tree

which just got in the way

as you looked at your friends'

casual approach to faith,

after hitting hump day 

where you just want 

to take off that flinty face

and be your old self,

and now, the gang is

getting ready for the 

annual feast where, once

again, you will try to point

them into a new way of

seeing what God is doing

(and giving odds that 

you won't succeed),

it is no wonder that you are

flat worn out.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Holy Wednesday

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

ironic, isn't it,

how we have 

to be cautious

in confronting injustice -

forming committees,

going through draft after

draft of action plans, and

then revising them once more.

or how slow our pace becomes

when we are asked to walk

over to the immigrant family

who has just moved in 

to invite them to the weekly

gathering of neighbors.

but 

betraying you

denying you

forgetting you?

those only seem to take

a New York minute.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Holy Tuesday

"'While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of light.' After Jesus had said this, he departed and hid from them." John 12:26

we talk (and sometimes

joke) about being afraid

of night's shadows, yet we

long for its comforting embrace.

we tell others to turn 

their faces towards the

light which can warm them

but then turn to look for 

the ice-cold dementors

hoping they will catch up.

we sing of that little light

which is ours and would

never be blown out, and 

then breathe a sigh of relief

when it begins to flicker, just

waiting for it to disappear.

and so, we join you in 

trying to hide from that

light which would expose

our fears, our doubts, our lives

even as you seemed to do.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Thoughts on a fig tree

"In the morning as they passed by, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. Then Peter remembered and said to him, 'Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.' Jesus answered them, 'Have faith in God.  Truly I tell you, if you say to this mountain, "Be taken up and thrown into the sea," and if you do not doubt in your heart, but believe that what you say will come to pass, it will be done for you. So I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.'"
'Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.'"  Mark 11:20-25

we could water the lives

of those who annoy us

but pour bitterness into

their souls.

we could place the 

mulch of kindness around

the feet of those who frighten

us beyond measure

but pat our ground up 

snark all around them.

we could whisper words

of tenderness and hope

thinking it might transform

them into being more us,

but we stand and shake 

our fists cursing the other.

and Jesus has no need

to curse us, for our faith

has already withered 

in our hearts.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

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