December 31st

"Trust in the LORD forever,
   for in the LORD GOD
you have an everlasting
   rock."  Isaiah 26:4

when the thunder
of angry words rattles
the windows;
when the strong wind
of pious platitudes
howls through
trees;
when sorrow lashes
all around us,
we long for you,
and seek your light
as the shadows
creep up on us.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

December 30th

"It will be said on that day, 

    Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, 

    so that he might save us.
This is the LORD for whom we have waited;
    let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation." Isaiah 25:9

they cannot admit they are wrong

and we are too afraid to say it aloud,

but that day when we have 

to make a decision, or be born anew,

or go down to the front took place

in that little podunk town called Bethlehem.

the warrior-prince,

the general on a white horse

that strong man who would make things right

turned out to be a tiny, squalling baby

reaching out its finger to be held by our hearts.

we no longer need to wait,

we no longer need to worry,

we no longer need to be afraid.

God got tired of waiting for us,

and all we can do in response

is sing songs of praise,

live for justice, care for the forgotten,

be beacons of hope, and unconditional

love to everyone we meet.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

December 29th

"They shall be called, 'The Holy People, The Redeemed of the Lord'; and you shall be called, 'Sought Out, A City Not Forsaken.' Isaiah 62:12

when we become humble enough
to care more for the poor
than maintaining our privilege,
we can be called holy.

when we are willing to stand up

to the bullying billionaires and

the influencers who don't care 

for anyone but their ascendancy,

we will know we are changed by God.

when we go out on winter nights

to bring the rough sleepers 

to warming shelters and hot showers,

we will know we have been found.

when we stop giving tax breaks 

to those who build 'affordable housing'

which the young, new families, immigrants

cannot begin to afford then, indeed,

we may be cities shining as beacons

of justice, compassion, hope, and life.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman 

December 28th

"Even these may forget,
   yet I will not forget you.
See, I have inscribed you 

   on the palms of my hands;" Isaiah 49:15b-16a

as we sit in the diner

the coffee as bitter 

as the ashes in our hearts,

the phone rings, and we hear,

'where are you? i'm coming

to pick you up and bring you home.'

as we watch you in the rear view

mirror as we head out in life,

we know that image

may begin to fade with time,

but

you remember us every time

you splash water on your face

or bring your hands up in prayer,

for you have tattooed our pictures

in the palms of our hands, so that

we never fade from your memory.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

December 27th

"Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life."  1 John 5:12

Bethlehem’s
baby did not come
so we could
clean up his mess,
hold his finger when he
tried to walk,
sing lullabies to put him
asleep,
but so, he might
change our lives,
show us the way to
grace, and
cradle us in love.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

December 26th

"I treasure your word in my
heart," Psalm 119:11a

after tracking down 

the missing lamb the

cat had carried off and

hidden under the sofa,

we gently place the manger

figures on the soft cotton,

where they will stay, not

uttering a sound until next

year,

while you

cradle in your hands

that infant Word

the world considers to be

so out of touch with 

our lives,

trying every day to slip

it into our weary hearts,

where it will whisper of 

your grace

your love

your justice

your hope

in all the weary moments

to come.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Christmas Day

"God’s love was revealed to us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him."  1 John 4:9

in the rustle of children
shaking presents,
in the hustle of kittens
scrambling up trees,
you stealthily tunnel
your way under the
flooring;

tossing all the traditional
marches in the shredder,
you collaborate
with the choir director,
composing a simple
oratorio for this night,
stressing that 'the tenors
are going to have to
reach that high note'

cup in hand,
you worm your way
through the office party,
touching us on the
shoulder,
subtly cracking the
combinations
of our frozen hearts,
to slip the still warm
loaves inside.

come,
Saboteur of our weary years,
bringing the Gift we need.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Christmas Eve

"And he will come to Zion as
   Redeemer," Isaiah 59:20a

when the grumblers

try to sneak in and grab

all the wonder and joy

of the season, while humming

mournful dirges,
Hope comes out of the kitchen

with hot chocolate and cookies

to warm them before going out

to sing carols in the parks.

when the purveyors of panic
never close their doors, but

offer sale after sale on all

the fear imaginable and not,

providing discounts on 

weapons of mass polarization,

Peace still wanders the weary streets,

placing luminaria in front of every home

so folks might find their way

to one another.

when gloom knocks on the door

calling out, "package!"

trying to entice us to open 

the door so it can wrap its arms

tight around us, pulling us

into its dreary embrace,

Delight grabs us by the hand,

and we sneak out the back,

picking up our sleds so we can

go through the neighborhood,

inviting everyone to join us

racing down the steep hill,

where we will stand around

an open fire, toasting marshmallows

and singing, 

'Joy to the World . . .'

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

December 24th

 “to give light to those who sit
in darkness and in the
shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the
way of peace." Luke 1:79

overnight,
heavy and wet,
covering the walks and streets,
temptations fall quietly
drifting up to our doors
and window sashes,
yet very early, you are
up
shoveling and clearing
the road for us;
the indifference
of our hearts
seeps out,
glazing our relationships
even with (no, especially)
those we don't know
with that permanentfrost
that causes us to slip
and slide through life,
until your tears' saltiness
melts the thickest layer
of ice imaginable;

as you prepare that
pathway
for us
to your kingdom,
illuminate it with your
grace,
so we will have no trouble
finding it.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

December 23rd

"'See, I am coming soon!'"  Revelation 22:7a

while we are waiting,

may we be the outsiders

who lift up the broken

as we tend to those wounds

ignored by the pious privileged.

while we are waiting,

may we be the wealthy

who are willing to adjust

our spending habits so the 

hungry, the homeless, the hopeless

might be given new life.

while we are waiting,

may we be in a hurry

to help all those whose 

weary patience has worn thin

because we are too thick

thinking that our primary calling 

is to simply wait.  

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman 

December 22nd

"Its gates will never be shut by day--and there will be no night there." Revelation 21:25

at the front desk,
Pete is overwhelmed
by the number of
folks
insisting they have
guaranteed reservations
for the
suites
on the top floors;
a crowd is clustered
around the concierge
desk,
trying to get Mike's
attention (with
at least $50 folded in
their palms)
to get tickets
for the streetcar which
will take us down
the see-through gold
streets;
we are double-checking
the floor plans at the
website, trying to
figure out exactly
where
we will place the
antiques stored back
home;
meanwhile,
you
and the maintenance
crew are busy removing
all
the bars and locks
from the gates, pouring
so much water
on the hinges, that
when they rust, no
human efforts will
ever swing them
shut;
then,
wiping your hands
on the bandana pulled
out of your
back pocket,
you smile to yourself,
'there. now no one can be
turned
away.'

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

December 21st

"But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be." Luke 1:29

really?

you didn't just sit down

suddenly in the chair,

stunned beyond words.

you didn't run down to the kitchen,

yelling, "Mom!  Mom!" 

and then in circles when

you couldn't find her.

no searching for the hidden

speaker or looking in the closet

to see if your little brother

was holding a microphone

pranking you with that voice

which no one else could hear.

"much perplexed"

is the best you could

come up with in that

gobsmacked

out-of-the-blue

life changing -

no,  that life-shattering moment?

no wonder we are left

pondering 

what sort of person you 

are

until you start singing

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @ Thom-Shuman

December 20th

 "Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire; and anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire." Revelation 20:14-15

take a moment and

open a book, any book,

look at the page before

your eyes (any page, not

any special one), and what

do you see?

words 

that's it, simply words.

so maybe, just maybe,

in this book of life we

worry so much about, 

it's not our names written

on all those pages, but words.

and not just any words,

but one,

written over and over and over

so many times we lose count.

that one Word

the Word which was at the beginning,

the Word which called everything

including us into life

that Word which became flesh

that Word which told death and hell

to throw wide its doors so it could 

come out and remind us that 

the most important word 

in God's vocabulary is simply

grace

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

December 19th

"On that day the Lord will extend his hand yet a second time to recover the remnant that is left of his people, from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Ethiopia, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the coastlands of the sea. Isaiah" 11:11

most days
we do our best
to ignore what is happening
in parts of the world which,
to be honest, mean nothing to us,
but on that day,
you will hold out your hand
to draw others into the circle
we thought was reserved
for only us.
a lot of days
we seem more concerned
about lights in the night sky
than we do about those living
in the shadows of rejection,
but on that day,
you will reach out to lead
the forgotten to the best
seats at your table of grace.
just about every day
we do a pretty good job
hiding who we truly are,
but on that day,
bring us -
the fearful,
and the faithful,
the outraged
and the hopeful,
the favorites
and the outcast -
home.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman 

December 18th

"Praise him with clanging
   cymbals;
praise him with loud
   clashing cymbals!"  Psalm 150:5

in the gentle knock
of the door or a tug
on the jingle bells
tied to the doorknob
of folks being delivered
meals they need in the
loneliness of the season.
in the quiet of the moment
where a Sensory Santa sits
on the floor with two kids
on the spectrum, playing with
toys just right for them until first
one, then the other, and finally the
white-bearded gent breaks
the silence with their smiles.
in the soft swish, swish of
the Golden’s tail against
the rocker of her forever friend
who stares into the land known
only to them, but they know they
do not journey alone
everything, everything
praises God!

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

December 17th

"The people who walked in darkness 

   have seen a great light;
those who lived in a land of deep darkness —
   on them light has shined." Isaiah 9:2

we keep hoping for

just the right recognition, 

we keep jockeying 

for the positions of power

where (because no one else 

seems up to the task) we can

finally change everything that

has been dumped into that

handbasket heading you know where,

but

all you want us to do

is to be that flashlight which

can show those huddled in fear

the way to hope, or at least

be a candle which flickers

when everyone else has snuffed

theirs out to save them for

another day.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

December 16th

"I will wait for the Lord, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope in him." Isaiah 8:17

in the doctor's office,
jiggling my leg nervously,
i waited for you to show up
to calm me, but there was
only the little girl playing
peek-a-boo.

riding the bus on the way

to my fifth interview of the day,

i waited for some sort of sign

of support from you, but there

was only the old man standing

on the sidewalk smiling and 

giving the peace sign to everyone.

i waited for you at the elevator,

rushing from one meeting

to another, hoping you might

have time for a quick chat over coffee,

and never glanced over to see

the co-worker who had just

left a cupcake on my desk because

they thought i could use a kindness.

and so, i spent another seemingly

hopeless day.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

December 15th

"Lead me in your truth, and
teach me,
for you are the God of my
salvation,
for you I wait all day long." Psalm 25:5

i waited
at the complaint window,
ready to unload on you
(if you ever decided to open)
turning to the person
standing behind me, who
kept nodding whenever
i offered my bitter whine,
gently touching my arm
in unexpected kindness.
i waited
for you at the bus stop
tapping my foot
impatiently as i glanced
down the road every few minutes
all the while trying
to ignore the (obviously weird kids)
with their hair all sorts of colors,
tattoos and piercings on full display
constantly inviting me to join
in singing carols, until
i walked away, grumbling to the air.
i waited for you
and waited in more places
than i can name, always
having to put up with
people’s unasked-for concern.
i will go back to waiting tomorrow,
but could you at least
have the courtesy
to show up?

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

December 14th

"For the Lord spoke thus to me while his hand was strong upon me, and warned me not to walk in the way of this people, saying: 'Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what it fears, or be in dread.'" Isaiah 8:11-12

they pull the wool of wolves
dressed in sheep's clothing
spinning it into fine threads.
they gather up the yarns of
those who tell the biggest tales,
and taking up their knitting needles
they put together garments of false
promises and wacky theories, trying
their best to sell us on this being
the latest fashion that everyone is wearing.
and you keep whispering in our ears,
'don't throw away that well-worn
coat of compassion, or those slightly
frayed gloves of grace.
keep that three piece suit of faith, hope,
and love in your closet - it will come back
into style soon.
and for goodness sake, don't ever be afraid
to live differently from others.
the world needs more marchers to
a different beat, not more lemmings.'

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

December 13th

"Then Isaiah said: 'Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary mortals, that you weary my God also?'" Isaiah 7:13

we grumble how tired

we are from being able

to go from store to store

until we find just the right

gift for someone who, in turn,

will barely acknowledge it,

while a family whose beds

are the seats in a car parked

in the shadows of a store

go from agency to agency

and church to church trying

to get just a little assistance

in providing a simple holiday

for their children who stare out

the windows into the winter sky

wondering what it is like to have

the sorts of lives they see in all

who pass by them, moving as 

quickly as they can while 

avoiding any eye contact that

might force us to be just a little

human.

and you shake your head 

in that weariness which never

seems to go away because

we can't ever seem to move 

away from those seductive

privileges the world offers us.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

December 12th

So he consented and began to look for an opportunity to betray him to them when no crowd was present. Luke 22:6

in the sacred space,
cocooned with so many
others, it is easy
to pray without ceasing,
to whisper your name in awe,
to find just the right words,
but
at home,
when the hammer hits my thumb,
when the bills fall through
the slot in the door,
when the shadows lengthen,
ah, how i use your name in a different way!
in the small group,
with those i promise to
share my deepest, darkest,
piety comes as part of the
book study,
earnestness is the pin in
my lapel,
faithfulness is always
the course of action,
but
at work,
in the cubicle, with only
the screen to monitor me,
it is easy to wander
into those sites
which shouldn't be found.
in the choir,
harmonizing with all
the other voices
in praise, wonder, joy,
and adoration, how can
i keep from singing
praises,
but
driving home,
in the anonymity of the car,
what fun to crank up the speakers,
boost the bass,
shout the demeaning, degrading,
rapping lyrics, until
i rattle the souls
of all those around me.
with no
crowd
around, how many
opportunities
abound!

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

December 11th

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I, send me!" Isaiah 6:8

sure, count me in.
though i should check
my online calendar,
and i know the legal team
will want to pour over
any non-disclosure agreement.
and, of course,
we need to be clear
on the length of the contract
and what the buy-out
package might look like
should we decide
that the job is not panning out.
i assume, as well,
that i own the rights
to any original pronouncements
i make (even if i drop your name
first.
should you have any
reservations, at all,
about my terms,
I guess we are back
to the original question.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

December 10th

 'the LORD opens the eyes
   of the blind.
The LORD lifts up those who
   are bowed down;
the LORD loves the
   righteous. Psalm 146:8

when i am tempted
to place myself
in bondage to debt
to show how much i love
others,
set me free to give them
myself instead;
when the glitter, the tinsel,
all the bright shiny
got-to-have-or-elses
cause me to
squeeze my eyes tight shut,
open them, so i can see the
snow falling gently
on a winter's night;
when i can only think that all
the names on all the lists
are the only ones that matter,
may the shepherds
stop me to tell 

(with wonder and delight)
of the hope they just met
in a bairn.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

December 9th

"There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves.” Luke 21:25

looking for signs
in the entrails
of the latest politician
to be skewered,
we may miss
the story
about
the homeless fellow
who pushed a
family's car out of
the snow
and accepted only
a 'thank you'
as his reward;
reading the handwriting
on the 'net
regarding the cliff
we lemmings
seem to be running
toward,
we overlook
the kids lined up
at the tellers'
windows, emptying
their piggy banks
for their teacher
battling cancer;
convinced that the warnings
of that disembodied
radio voice
portend the end
of our sacred cows,
we ignore the songs
composed in
the bathtub
by our grandchildren
as they celebrate
all the wonder of
the life they have.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman 

December 8th

"Let me sing for my beloved
my love-song concerning
his vineyard:"  Isaiah 5:1a

carols cascade
from the lips
of third-graders
packing shoeboxes
for children in
parts of the
world they
only know from
web searches;
hymns are hummed
by neighbors
who rise before
the sun rubs
sleep from its
eyes,
to shovel the walks
of the family who
just brought home
their new baby;
piano keys are tickled
by the arthritic fingers
of the white-haired
janitor who
has just finished
polishing the
gym floor
for tonight's
dance.
our Beloved's
love-songs
are all around us
if
we but take
the time to
listen.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

December 7th

"But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who have died, so that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope." 1 Thessalonians 4:13

it is so easy to forget
as we stand by the bed

that the last breath 

of our loved ones 

on this side of grace

is the Spirit carrying them

into your arms of love.

we may not realize it

but as we walk away 

from the graveside, we

have not placed someone

in the cold embrace of earth

but into your arms 

of wonder and peace.

so, remind us of that

hope

which is indeed the 

dust of the stars seeded

deep within all creation,

especially us.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

December 6th

"Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD.

    Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
   to the voice of my supplications!" Psalm 130:1-2

we know the quiet of mornings

as the world bustles awake and

the grieving lie in beds made

so much bigger by the absence

of loved ones.

we know the reticence of midday

eating our stale sandwiches 

sipping on the cup of bitter tears

at the table where the forgotten

always find a 'reserved' sign.

we know the silence 

of nights when the voices

of the mockers drown out

the whispers of children offering

prayers crafted from their 

loneliness.

and because you listen to

the cracking of those hearts

which everyone refuses to hear,

we know we are never

alone.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

December 5th

"O house of Jacob, 

    come, let us walk
in the light of the LORD!" Isaiah 2:5

we tiptoe through 

the shadows of our fears,

our fingertips brushing along

the walls bricked by loneliness

desperately trying not

trip over anyone who might

have already given up finding home,

and then,

there

in the far distance

we see a small flame flickering,

slowly drawing closer to us

until we see it held in your hand,

your other reaching out to grasp us

and walk with us so, together,

we can turn the corner and see

the bright light of Advent hope

welcoming us.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman