Holy Thursday

“For I eat ashes like bread,

   and mingle tears with my

         drink,”  Psalm 102:9

gathering up the ashes

from the bonfire where

we tossed mercy, hope, peace,

   you shape them into

   a loaf of love;

as your tears seep

into the cup in your hand,

   you transform them

   into the bitter wine

   of grace

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

Holy Wednesday

“Do not cast me away from

         your presence,

   and do not take your holy

         spirit from me.”  Psalm 51:11

even as we walk

   away, our spirits intact

   from the threat of your

                              grace;

even as we toss you

aside like single-use plastic

      by the side of the road,

you will seek to draw us

closer to you, to fill us

with hope

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

Holy Tuesday

“Turn to me and be gracious to

         me,

   for I am lonely and afflicted.” Psalm 25:16

you stand on the

corner, a hand-written

sign “will work for grace,”

trembling in your hand,

but we are rushing

to get all the Easter

shopping done (baskets,

candy, clothes, food) and

so, turn our eye

away

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

               

Holy Monday

“Turn, O LORD, save my life;

   deliver me for the sake of your

         steadfast love.”  Psalm 6:4

indeed,

you turn to me,

inviting me to complete

my pilgrimage by following

you through the coming

days, but i

        pause, looking away

and leaving you to carry

that cross carved from

God’s steadfast love,

alone

© 2019  Thom M. Shuman

palms day

“While I kept silence, my body

         wasted away

   through my groaning all day

         long.”  Psalm 32:3

on this day,

we join our voices

in glad hosannas

of welcome and praise

(hoping to drown out

your cries for justice),

         even

as our bodies groan

from the weight

of the nails

we carry in our

hearts

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

hope

“Hope in God; for I shall again

         praise him;

   my help and my God.” Psalm 43:5b

when the maestro

convinces me my voice

is just perfect for

Misery’s Madcap Madrigals,

you hand me a new chorale

and ask me to sing

the hope line

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

hide and seek

“When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart, I will let you find me, says the Lord,” Jeremiah 29:13-14a

done counting to 100,

we peer around for you,

wondering where you have gone,

then you cough, sniffle,

rustle the leaves, shake the

branches, so we can’t help

but discover your hiding place,

if we but open our hearts

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

games

“So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, ‘How long will you keep us in suspense?  If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.’” John 10:24

like a puzzle cube,

we take you and twist

you this way and

turn you that way, hoping

everything will finally

click into place, but

you are more like

hopscotch, tossing

grace on each part

of the pattern, until

we follow you home

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

parody

instead of a pastiche

based on our politics,

prejudices, fears, why

don’t we offer that

gospel of grace, hope,

peace, and acceptance

which was shared

with us by the Author?

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

ours versus theirs

“For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him.”  Romans 10:12

believing our Jesus is

better than theirs, we

devise tests to

   fail them;

write theologies

   to distract them;

hold hoops for them

   to jump through;

build walls they

   cannot get through

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

nearby

“The LORD is near to all who call

         on him;” Psalm 145:18a

while many claim

you have moved as far

away as possible

and abandoned us,

we can find you

   in the neighbor who

   brings in our trash can;

   in the stranger who pays

   for us at the toll booth;

   in the boss who tells us

   to skip the meeting to go

   watch our granddaughter’s game

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

free

“For though I am free with respect for all, I have made myself a slave to all, so I might win more of them.” 1 Corinthians 9:19

freedom’s

just another word for

helping others more

than we help ourselves,

letting them cut in line

in front of us,

learning from those we

think haven’t a clue about anything

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

words

“Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life.” John 6:68

in the stories of endurance

told by chronic pain veterans,

in the whispers of love

shared in hospice rooms,

in the echoes of peace

in devastated neighborhoods,

in the songs of children

reconciled on playgrounds,

we hear eternal life, if

we are listening

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

the days

“The days are surely coming, says the LORD,” Jeremiah 23:5a

(however many times

it takes) remind us

that on those days,

justice will come, not

   judgment;

peace will arrive, not

   pestilence;

hope will be at our door, not

   hatred;

love will be sitting

in the porch swing, not

   our worst fears.

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

signs

“So they said to him, ‘what sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see it and believe you?  What work are you performing?’” John 6:30

if we believe

you are who you are,

we will see manna offered

   through gifts to food banks,

the heart-broken led through

   the Sea of Tears,

the oppressed offered

   their share of justice, and

we will know you are not

just some performance artist

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

refuge

“But let all who take refuge in

         you rejoice;”  Psalm 5:11a

when every door

has been slammed

in our faces, you

stand on the porch,

a plate of cookies

in your hand,

waving us over

to sit with you for

the rest of your life.

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

sabbath

“But if you listen to me, says the Lord, and bring in no burden by the gates of this city on the sabbath day, but keep the sabbath day holy and do no work on it,” Jeremiah 17:24

when justice sweeps away

oppression’s burdens;

when families matter

more than finances;

when love skips hand in

hand with grace and hope,

every day becomes

sabbath

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

clinging

“There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish.  But what are they among so many people?” John 6:9

we who have so much

cling to a theology of

scarcity, so we can

convince ourselves it is

not a fib when we tell

others that we don’t

have as much to offer

as that little boy on

a hillside so long ago

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

yeasty

“And he cautioned them, saying, ‘Watch out – beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.’” Mark 8:15

there is that yeast

made up of lies,

false promises, quick fixes,

and ridiculous claims

that can cause our anger

to rise so quickly and easily,

or that yeast you work in us,

proofing us in your heart

and needing us to become

loaves of grace, peace, and hope

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

light

“O send out your light and your

         truth;

   let them lead me;” Psalm 43:3a

we find it easier

to let liars grab us

by the hand, dragging

us into shadow’s alley,

then to wait for your

light to break over

the far horizons of our

hopelessness

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

hands

“My times are in your hand” Psalm 31:15a

from the moment we

put our feet on the

hope-worn rug to

the lonely lunch in

the corner of the

noisy café, to the

device on the wall

trying to elicit laughter

from my empty soul or

tears from my dried-up

eyes, we are cradled

in your hands, even

when we think we are

falling into fear’s pit.

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

motes

when our friends

set us adrift with

a cutting word, remind

us we are suspended

like a mote of hope

in the sheer infinity

of your grace

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

thrill hill

“Why then has this people

         turned away

   in perpetual backsliding?

They have held fast to

         deceit,

   they have refused to

         return.”  Jeremiah 8:5b

when you invite us

to come join you on

grace’s carousel, we

thumb our noses as

as we zoom down

Thrill Hill on a rickety bicycle,

our arms wrapped around

the waist of Abaddon

our legs stuck straight out,

with looks of pure delight

on our faces

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

aqua

“As the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’” John 7:38

bitter brick by

self-righteous brick, we

would keep the deep pools

of life stored in our hearts,

but you keep drilling tiny holes

in the mortar of our petty peeves,

until we spring so many leaks

we empty ourselves for others.

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

unravel

“Here you are, trusting in deceptive words to no avail.” Jeremiah 7:8

when we treat

liars as prophets,

tweets as truths,

political promises as gospel, we

should not be surprised

when life begins to

unravel

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

feast/fast

“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are beneficial.  “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything.  1 Corinthians 6:12

when i could

feast on my rights

while others hunger

for justice, let me

fast from my privilege

so grace might feed

all those with empty

hopes

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

prism

“Or is God the God of Jews only?  Is he not the God of Gentiles also?  Yes, of Gentiles,” Romans 3:29

if only

you were as rigid

as we are

in dividing everything,

especially people, into

either/or categories,

but no,

you welcome, love, affirm

each person as beautiful,

your Light traveling through them

in varied and wonder-filled ways,

hoping we will do the same,

seeing them through

the prism of your heart.

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

depths

“Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD.” Psalm 130:1

sunk so low,

i see the bottom

of bottom;

in pits so shadowy,

i can’t see my fears

in front of my face;

about to step off

the bottom tread

into loneliness,

i find you waiting

to take my hand and

guide me to hope.

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

foolish

 “For my people are

         foolish,

   they do not know me;” Jeremiah 4:22a

convinced we can

devise the right algorithm

to organize our caring,

rank those we will notice,

and filter justice to the right people,

we never notice you

leaning against the wall

with the folks longing for work,

cleaning the hotel rooms

and fast food bathrooms we litter,

leaning over to listen to those

we are too busy to hear

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

face to face

“Come,” my heart says, “seek his

         face!”

   Your face, O LORD, do I seek.  Psalm 27:8

in the little kids

hopscotching on the walk,

   i see you face-to-face;

in the immigrants

moving into the flat

across the way,

   i greet you face-to-face;

in the forgiving smile

offered by the love

i hurt the most,

   I meet you face-to-face.

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

blessing saving time

“I will bless the LORD at all times;” Psalm 34:1a

my feet barely  touch

the floor as i rush

to get my place in

the traffic jam;

i busily search my

device while waiting

in the latte drive-thru lane;

i flit from task to

               task

   and fidget in meeting

   after meeting, but

tomorrow,

i will carve out

      time

to bless you,

   (i will, really!)

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

forget-you-nots

“Take care that you do not forget the LORD your God,”  Deuteronomy 8:11a

portfolios all filled up,

letters of academia after our names,

second homes at beaches

   or on mountains,

finely tuned cars in

   our garages,

everything we want (much

   less need) delivered

   to our doorsteps, what

could possibly keep us

from forgetting you?

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

crumbs

“For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.” 1 Corinthians 1:25

on our pilgrimage

through Lent’s wilderness,

   let us push away from

   the tables laden with

      power

      wisdom

      oppression

and follow the trail

of crumbs dropped by

the Bread made of

   weakness

   foolishness

   justice, leavened

with love

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

avoidance

“But avoid stupid controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless.”  Titus 3:9

we waste so much time

searching for the latest

outrageous tweet,

organizing our points for

the next church meeting,

asking strangers to show

how far back their pedigree

stretches, we do not

have time for those

frivolous pursuits like

   compassion

   hospitality

   laughter

   common sense

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

come and see

“He said to them, ‘Come and see.’  They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day.  It was about four o’clock in the afternoon.”  John 1:39

when we see you

staying with the refugee

kids who cry themselves to sleep;

sitting next to grandparents

stored away in homes, leaning

over to hear their whispers;

walking with the trans kid

whose classmates drive by,

littering the air with insults, how

can we go home that nigh,

and act as if nothing

has touched our core?

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

choices

“It was not because you were more numerous than any other people that the LORD set his heart on you and chose you—for you were the fewest of all peoples.” Deuteronomy 7:7

(however many times it

may take) remind us that

it is not our

   morality

   politics,

   grandiose plans,

   deep piety

which enticed you

to fall in love

with us, but our

   brokenness,

   silly choices,

   stubbornness

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

ash wednesday

remember you are ashes

   of dreams unfulfilled,

   of loves burnt in passion,

   of sepia-coated photos in our minds;

remember you are dust

   of stars which exploded

      light-years away,

   of words uttered so long ago,

   of fears hiding under our bed;

remember you are God’s,

who mixes all the ashes

of our failed promises

to be more faithful

         more just

         more loving

with the dust we

have shaken from our feet

as we took our own paths,

using them to mark

the Godhead on this

pilgrimage of trust.

remember,

you are remembered

by God

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

baggage

busy packing up all

our polities and priorities,

our can’ts and should nots,

our dogmas and decrees, we

have forgotten how

to travel lightly, your

grace all we need

for our journey

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

silently, now

in the silence

i could find

your heart which

melts for mine,

your love which

mends my soul,

your hope which

fills my emptiness,

but first

i must find the

silence

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

slow down

if we spend all

our time speed reading

      your word

to find that verse (or

                          two)

which will undergird our

   fears

   politics

   arguments

we might just miss

that story which

could transform us

into your grace

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

quenched

“O God, you are my God, I seek

         you,

   my soul thirsts for you;”  Psalm 63:1a

you

are the cup of tea

which warms me

in the morning;

the cup of cold water

which cools my soul

when anger’s flames

nip at my hope;

the glass of wine

which enhances friendships

gathered in soft evenings

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman

wordy

when

words of anger

drum their fingers

on our hearts, just

waiting to reach out

and slap another,

may we hear the rhythm

of your whispers of grace

and reach out to caress

tear-stained cheeks;

when

words of judgment

tap their feet,

just longing to be released

to run through

the yards of someone’s heart,

may we slip into shoes

welted from your words of justice

to walk with the vulnerable.

© 2019 Thom M. Shuman