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

Fourth Friday in Lent

"What then is my reward?" 1 Corinthians 9:18a

the look on the struggling
child's face when they 

finish reading a book 

with no one helping,

the old friend rushing

to wrap their arms around us

after not seeing each other

since the last reunion,

the whispers of love

shared between the 

octogenarians sitting in

front of us at the movies . . .

pearls beyond price.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Fourth Thursday in Lent

"When it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, "This is a deserted place, and the hour is now very late; send them away so that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy something for themselves to eat." But he answered them, "You give them something to eat." Mark 6:35-37a

we often ignore our
fancy brand name cups

of coffee until it 

grows cold and then

throw them out, while

millions have no drinking water,

we fill up our trash cans

with food off too-full plates

and from shelves of fridges

because it went bad, while

folks are starving in warzones,

we book fancy hotel rooms,

or houses or beach cottages

to be able to get away from

our oh-so-nice homes in 

neighborhoods others envy,

while people sleep in streets

or in abandoned motels, yet

you have the audacity to challenge

us that we have more than enough

to do all those things for the forgotten

and still have all we need

for our indulgences.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Fourth Wednesday in Lent

"They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them." Mark 6:13

we continue to anoint

ourselves with the oil

of pride, hoping it will

keep you from being

able to cast out those

demons of

prejudice and politics,

of privilege and arrogance,

of knowing we are always

right because we could

never admit we are wrong.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Third Tuesday in Lent

"Keep your tongue from evil,

    and your lips from speaking deceit.
Depart from evil, and do good;
    seek peace, and pursue it." Psalm 34:13-14

we just cannot keep

from sticking our tongues

out and touching the pole

frozen by evil's ice cold heart.

we find it easier to just

repeat the same damaging

words over and over, rather

than thumbing through the

thesaurus of grace and hope.

we cannot bring ourselves

to break it off with the Evil One

and start dating that goody

two-shoes holding up the wall

at the weekly dance.

and peace? when we could

race at top speed to catch it,

our feet seem to be stuck

in the quicksand of anger.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Third Monday in Lent

"Your hands have made and fashioned me;

    give me understanding that I may learn

    your commandments." Psalm 119:73

sitting at your workbench,

you gathered up the dust

from the stars you crafted

and flung deep into space

and cupping it in your hands,

you began your most intimate

creation, staring into the mirror

as you tenderly shaped us,

slowly breathing the Spirit 

until our lungs took deep gulps,

and then you handed us on

to the Word to mentor us

in your grace and love.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Third Sunday in Lent

"I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God

    than live in the tents of wickedness." Psalm 84:10b

may i take the job

following the horses

in a big parade instead

of being honored at the banquet

of the purveyors of prejudice.

may i be the single

parent working two jobs

to make ends meet 

rather than take a bonus

from a CEO whose firm

covers up polluting rivers.

may i be a bouncer

at a Pride bar rather 

than running for office

on a platform of denigrating

any of God's most precious

children.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Third Saturday in Lent

"You hate those who pay 
          regard to worthless
          idols,
    but I trust in the Lord." Psalm 31:6

a glimpse there,

a selfie here, and

pretty soon we cannot

keep from staring more

at the celebrities than

noticing you in the forgotten.

a word that sounds plausible,

a sound bite which attracts,

a commercial played over

and over in our ears, and

before we know it, we are

trapped in a maze of broken

promises with no way out

rather than listening to your

whispers of hope in our souls.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Third Friday in Lent

"Seek the Lord and his
          strength;
    seek his presence
          continually." Psalm 105:4

how you must be

amazed 

at how quickly we 

can go down rabbit trails,

how easily we can

slide from one video

to the next on that

ticking and tocking app,

how we don't need

to turn on our navigation

in order to get to the

corner of snark and malice

and then we murmur

about how we just 

ran out of time to spend

with you, rock of our lives.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman