April 28th

"Let everything that breathes praise the Lord! 

    Praise the Lord!" Psalm 150:6

squirrels chittering in laughter

at the dogs at the foot of the tree

who wish they could climb.

little kids yelling, 'watch this!'

as they jump feet first 

into the swimming pool.

soft breezes in the evening

creating lullabies which cradle

folks struggling to fall asleep.

an older couple singing 

'their song' to one another

as they dance under 

the moonlight in the backyard.

oh,

the praises we offer

to you, our God!

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

April 27th

"'You have heard that it was said, "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth" But I say to you,'" Matthew 5:38-39a

perhaps it is the
eye which sees 

the other as enemy

which we need to 

pluck out,

maybe it is the 

tooth we would use

to bite another with

our hate which we

need to extract,

might it be the hand

we easily use to push

away those who only

want justice from us

which we need to lose.

what say you, Jesus?

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

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