August 20th

"who executes justice for the oppressed;
   who gives food to the hungry. 

The Lord sets the prisoners free;
   the Lord opens the eyes of the blind. 

The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;

    the Lord loves the righteous.
The Lord watches over the strangers; 

   he upholds the orphan and the widow,

   but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin." Psalm 146:7-9

certain that compassion 

is only found in the stories

of folks set way in the past,

may we see it in the little kids

who surround the new classmate

when the bullies approach.

convinced justice is simply

a volume of dusty history

shelved in the wrong section,

may we open our eyes to its

fresh iteration in the tiny houses

for the homeless popping up everywhere.

convinced that the only way

our kids and grandkids will

know about love is taking them

to the park to some outdoor plays,

may we watch the older woman

kneeling by the wheelchair, 

holding her best friend's hand

as they watch fireworks for 

what may be the last time ever.

when we think you have put up

the 'closed' sign and shuttered the doors,

remind us that you use action verbs,

not those in the past tense.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

August 19th

"Praise the Lord! Praise the name of the Lord;
    give praise, O servants of the Lord,
you that stand in the house of the Lord,
    in the courts of the house of our God." Psalm 135:1-2

you nervous parents as

leg jiggling kids get on the bus,

you teachers lining the walks

to cheer them a welcome,

join hands in a circle of joy.

you lifelong farmers and

weekend gardeners, you

lawn care workers and 

farmers markets shoppers,

dance jigs in the rain after

weeks of drought conditions.

you who sit by the beds of

strangers in hospital rooms

who don't know who you

are but are in your care,

you first responders and

street pastors who rush 

to gather up the fallen, 

the forgotten, the damaged,

and the delusional, 

sing soft dirges of hope 

in the small hours of night.

everyone, everywhere, 

wherever God is and 

however God is found,

sing from your hearts!

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman 

August 18th

"He raises the poor from the dust, 

   and lifts the needy from the ash heap,
to make them sit with princes,
   with the princes of his people."  Psalm 113:7-8

we spent the day

picking up the tux,

getting our hair done,

grabbing a quick bite

at the fast food joint,

and as we walk into

the gilded ballroom, we

smile wide in delight 

at our being invited 

to such a special occasion,

until we notice

the cleaner we ignored,

the stylist we didn't tip,

the fellow who cleaned

up our mess at the burger joint

being seated at the head table,

while you come up with

an armful of towels, 

handing them to us, saying,

'get busy. there's a lot 

of dirty dishes in the kitchen.'

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

August 17th

canticle 107.1

join us in thanking our God

for that deep, rich soil of love
in which we are planted
join us, believers and bumblers,
insiders and outsiders,
faithful and foolish, who God
gathers into families, groups,
communities from everywhere.

some go through each day
from the time they struggle
to get up and get going
to finally lying down at night,
living and working and walking
with pain they can never describe
and if they could, no one would believe.
yet, they can whisper words
of gentle gratitude to God
who has massaged their pain,
rubbed their shoulders and backs,
wrapped them in balm’s shawl.

some live in quiet moments
of loneliness, ignored at the wayside
as friends gather across a room,
as colleagues go out for lunch,
as neighbors host a picnic,
watching, listening, hoping for
that simple invitation of inclusion
which never seems to come.
yet, they can whisper grace as God
pulls up the chair on the
other side of the table, cup
cradled in hopeful hands, ready
to listen to the heart’s silence.

some cringe every time a
celebrity, a comedian, a politician
uses words which are like bricks
thrown through the windows
of their too-often replaced souls.
some keep to the edges of crowds
at sporting events, or concerts, or
simply walking through stores so
people won’t notice and stare
because they are seen as different
for whatever reason others have.
yet, they can whisper thanks
for the One who is always
accepts them, always affirms them,
never rejects them, because they
mirror God’s weaknesses, God’s
foolishness, God’s imperfections.

may the rest of us pay attention
to what God is doing in our midst
which we all too often ignore,
so that we are reminded there
are no weeds in that deep, rich
soil of love in God’s garden.

© 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

August 16th

"For I know my transgressions, 

   and my sin is ever before me." Psalm 51:3

i wish someone had

told me that, in this long

journey to obedience, that

the Big Seven would prove

to be the least of my worries.

for feeding on bitterness

is far more life-threatening

than mere gluttony,

wishing that someone would

just disappear from existence

outdistances any envy,

wanting to become 

an influencer in the lives

of others delights more than

sexual thought or hope,

knowing that i am smarter

than any fifth-grader or

game show contestant

offers the deepest satisfaction,

sitting back and watching while

others dare to challenge the powers 

of evil and hate and then telling them

where they messed up is restful,

continuing to do cannonballs

into the deep and delicious pool

filled with snark and disingenuous

denials of hurting anyone's feelings

is a daily delight,

and simply parading my extravagant

lifestyle (compared to most of the

rest of the world) without any modesty

are what continue to pull me

further and further from grace's arms.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

August 15th

"Just then his disciples came. They were astonished that he was speaking with a woman, but no one said, 'What do you want?' or, 'Why are you speaking with her?'" John 4:27

they finally seemed to catch on,
even foot-in-the-mouth Pete

and the jockeying-for-power

boys of old Zebedee, as they

just stood there and watched

while Jesus did his thing and

turned the world of this outsider,

as well as his insider buds upside down.

but then, 

we came along, with our list

of guidelines and polity books,

our requirements on being able

to get a ticket in line to even

try to get close to Jesus, 

our never-ending squabbles over

the best way to water a newbie

and the oh-so-proper approach

to sanitizing that final party they had.

and the wheels on 

the Good News bus came off

and it has been sitting 

by side of the road

ever since, waiting for us to let

Jesus get back in the driver's seat.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

August 14th

"But he had to go through Samaria." John 4:4

perhaps it is walking up 

the sidewalk to the porch

of the neighbor whose 

political views abhor us,

maybe it is noticing that

tattooed and pierced and

rainbow-haired kid in 

the library and asking 

if they need any help 

with the homework before them,

it could be finally 

shutting down those devices

and soul seducing social media sites

to simply sit in silence 

in order to hear the life-giving

rhythm of creation's heartbeat,

but we all have some Samaria

we have to pass through

in order to sit at a well

and share a cup of living water

with someone who risks

the same journey for us.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

August 13th

"Why are you cast down, O my soul,
   and why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
   my help and my God." Psalm 42:11

when my soul has 

been ripped apart by sorrow,

may i use the pieces

to create a quilt which

will wrap another in hope.

when i find only emptiness

deep within me because of

all the doubts and questions

which have become my diet,

may i use the silence to compose

gentle songs of thanksgiving.

when i can barely get out of bed,

when i need a device to help

me make a journey i know by heart,

when i can no longer seem 

to come up with the words 

of love and grace i could offer,

when my body seems to have taken

a sharp turn in a direction 

which fills me with fears,

may i use the difficulty before me

to discover the new life which

you are waiting for me to live.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

August 12th

"For there is no truth in their mouths;
   their hearts are destruction;
their throats are open graves;
   they flatter with their tongues." Psalm 5:9

they leave little tidbits,
tiny morsels which sound

so enticing, so enchanting

that we keep picking them up

nibbling on them as we follow

the trail of words which flow

from their hate-hardened hearts

thinking that at some point

they will begin to speak those

promises, that truth, that hope

for which we are searching,

until we come to the end 

at the edge of the abyss

of yawning nothingness as

they whisper that the treasure

is waiting for us at the very bottom

where X marks the spot and

as we tumble in after each other

they take a shovel to cover us

with all those tiny morsels 

of greed, fear, and bitterness

which we didn't have time to enjoy.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

August 11th

"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

from the memories of cradling

shattered bodies at a concert 

others seem to have forgotten

to the keening of a community

standing in the rubble of a 

bombed out mosque and school.

in the rocking chair on the 

pediatric oncology wing where

a grandmother cradles her toddler

so the parents can have respite

as well as widower who lies next

to the empty spot on the bed

where his lover of decades slept.

at the curbside in the shadowed alley

where a junkie trembles for another hit

and at the rehab where someone 

tries to get clean for the seventh time,

out of our depths, we cry to you,

and long to hear you whisper,

'why are you shouting?

i am right here beside you.'

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

August 10th

"So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, 

    beholding your power and glory." Psalm 63:2

bathed in the kaleidoscope 

of colors pouring in through

those mosaiced windows, may

we also see your beauty in the

chalk art drawn in the church

parking lot by the kids who feel

they are not welcome in your house.

marveling at the sheer magnificence

of muscles, sinews, arms, legs, 

eyes, ears all running and swimming

and riding and breaking in events 

which leave us breathless in our 

chairs, which we leave only for a snack,

may we see you, in all your foolishness,

your weakness, your mud-caked feet

and callused, unwashed hands as you

continue to walk among us, even as

we trying to ignore you.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman 

August 9th

"His mother said to the servants, 'Do whatever he tells you.'" John 2:5

hanging with the crowd

we have always wanted

to be a part of, as they plan

some sort of foolishness, 

may we hear that parent

who always reminded us,

'remember who you are.'

as we sit with our finger

poised over the 'send' button

for that oh-so-delicious snark

rejoinder which will put those 

folks in their rightful place,

may the echo of the phrase

'do unto others' resound in us.

struggling to b faithful in times

filled with so much bitterness

may we always seek to be

the ones filled to overflowing

with grace, hope, peace, and love.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

August 8th

"Do not fret because of the wicked;
   do not be envious of wrongdoers,
for they will soon fade like the grass,
   and wither like the green herb." Psalm 37:1-2

we stand at the edge

of the garden as we shake

our heads wondering why

nothing is appearing in 

some of the sections, while

in others, the growth is so slow

you would think we 

we trying to grow molasses,

so surely

it must be that the knuckleheads

slipped in at night and planted

that new variety of anger with

augmented root systems, or

reset the timers on the irrigation

system so it never comes on

because 

we just needed to throw out

those beans of grace, hope,

kindness, peace, love, and 

justice and just wait for them

to grow like in the fairy tales,

right?

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman 

August 7th

"'And now, friends, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers.'" Acts 3:17

however we parrot the anger,

the bitterness, the demeaning

words which we hear from 

those who claim to have our 

best interests at heart,

wherever we blame a certain

party, or community, or people

for all the problems around us,

when we share posts and memes

which echo our world views but

which have no truth behind them,

have mercy on us,

Holy One of all people,

for we cannot claim that

we did not know any better, 

while proudly boasting that

you are the One we follow,

whose words we believe,

whose life we seek to mirror,

whose love, grace, hope, 

justice and peace are the pillars

which we fall off of all too often.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

August 6th

The Lord said to Gideon, ‘The troops with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand. Israel would only take the credit away from me, saying, “My own hand has delivered me.” Judges 7:2

that bootstrap we think we used

to pull ourselves up to where we are

was the neighbor who hired us 

to mow the lawn and babysit the kids,

was the teacher who let us 

retake that test we needed to pass,

was the supervisor who took a chance

on the untrained person sitting across

the desk in a botched job interview.

that self-made person we see

in the mirror every day and brag about

came about through the sacrifices

of the grandmother who worked in factories,

the uncle who drove a tractor, 

that older sister who tutored us in math,

the parents who gave up their own dreams.

that success we enjoy which

so many others applaud and envy

is because of those who stayed

in the background silently nudging us

even though we left them behind

without a simple word of thanks.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

August 5th

"For God alone my soul waits in silence, 

    for my hope is from him." Psalm 62:5

when i lose my balance

on the beam of aching age,

as my grip on the high bars

of professional achievement slips

and i do a face plant in front

of the boss and all my colleagues,

where i grow dizzy from spinning

around on that hobby horse of worry

that pommels me over and over,

if i step out of bounds or fail

a double tumble walking

the floors of the hospital while

a loved one is in surgery,

still, 

you wait for me on top

of your podium of hope,

where you wrap me in 

a great big bear hug, telling me,

'you nailed every event

in the olympics of life.'

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

August 4th

"My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast;

   I will sing and make melody.
   Awake, my soul!" Psalm 108:1

so weary from worries,

fears, doubts, and the

way life grinds us down,

we have trouble remembering

those songs of wonder and

of joy and of hope you 

taught us long ago, when

we sat on your lap, and so

we can only seem to sing

those minor key pieces which

a broken world composes, so

teach us those daily exercises

of grace and love which help

our hearts become more balanced

and our souls grounded in you

once again, as our voices 

are awakened to new life.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

August 3rd

"Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed the."  Matthew 28:16

in the alleys and streets,

cleaning up the mess tossed

aside by midnight revelers.

on the playgrounds helping

the children of immigrants

learn the ins and outs 

of the games their neighbors

have played for years.

walking through the hallways

of the retirement communities

checking to make sure each

resident is doing well in times

of extreme heat or winter's blast.

on the march down to concrete

palaces where the politicians

make decisions which affect 

the people they never notice

while being driven to power,

we realize we are on the mountains

where you have called us to serve.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

August 2nd

"For my soul is full of troubles, 

    and my life draws near to Sheol." Psalm 88:3

weariness seems to be 

my constant companion these days.

social media seems to be

more like anti-social mudslinging

with folks posting kind memes

about how we cannot know

what another person is enduring

and then, a few scrolls down, 

someone is being shredded because

they said something 

these very same so-called carers

didn't like or took offense at

or just didn't fit into their philosophy

and i find myself clinging to the sides

of that pit that is made more and more

slippery by the flash flood of snark

running down my page.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

August 1st

   "I hear a voice I had not known:

'I relieved your shoulder of the burden;
    your hands were freed from the basket.
In distress you called, and I rescued you;
   I answered you in the secret place of thunder;
   I tested you at the waters of Meribah'" Psalm 81:6-7

our muscles are knotted so tight

that simply taking a breath 

causes us to whimper in pain

until you lean over and gently

begin to massage our shoulders

while talking of the exercises

we might try on our own, using

the bands of cloth left over

from that night in Bethlehem as aids.

we hear the thunder of angry voices

all around us, crashing down and

trying to drown out the whispers

of grace and love, until in the silence

after the voices run out of steam,

come those gentle melodies 

you first taught to the songbirds

to share with us, until we learned

them by heart.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 29th

"So when Pilate saw that he could do nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took some water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, 'I am innocent of this man's blood; see to it yourselves.'" Matthew 27:24

when they bring us in
and seat us in the
interrogation room, and

begin to question us about

why we allowed children

to go hungry each night

while our garbage bins 

reeked of thrown out food,

why we refused to demand

that those who want to open

up homeless shelters in winter

be given the same incentives

as the developers building 

million-dollar gated communities,

or why we simply choose 

to remain silent instead 

of confronting bullies, we

simply wring our hands 

under the table protesting 

our innocence, while

you weep behind the 

one-way window into our

souls.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 28th

"'Now if you are unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.'" Joshua 24:15

we could listen quietly
sitting on our tongues

to make sure they do not

just get up and into 

someone else's face.

we could sweep our fears

off the front porch of our hearts

and put out the welcome mat

so others know that they

can find a home in us.

we could walk Grace and Hope

down the street, letting all 

the little kids (and the big ones)

run up to hug them and

get wet sloppy kisses to bring

healing to their wounded souls.

we could pause and turn

to see those that scare us

so much face to face, only

to discover we are looking

into the mirror.

or

we could choose

to keep living just 

as we are right now.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 27th

"Be very careful, therefore, to love the Lord your God." Joshua 23:11

reckless with our words
we damage the spirits

of folks seeking hope.

indiscreet with our feelings

we break the hearts 

of the ones we claim to honor.

remiss with the gift of mercy

we continue to sentence 

friends to a life time of guilt.

absent-minded with our thoughts

we slowly erode our spirits until

they can barely manage 

to remember kindness and peace.

negligent about keeping the secrets

of those who thought they

could trust us with their lives,

we shatter their souls into 

a million tiny shards of grief.

impetuous in our life long dream

of slowly trying to bend you

to our selfish will and whims,

we relegate you to that bin 

which overflows 

with the ashes 

of our love.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 26th

"This is the reason that I have so often been hindered from coming to you." Romans 15:22

we sit around hard tables
in chairs getting more uncomfortable
that we rush out of the place
never noticing you and the folks
with the towels, mops, bins
waiting to clean up the mess
we manage to leave behind.
we sit in our easy chairs
looking through those yearbooks
which carry the memories of all
those good old days, which were good
because we didn't have to make
any of the hard life-changing decisions
and so do not see you standing
on the sidewalk, pack on your back,
walking stick in your hand, and a
gleam in your eye, as you hope
to lead the way to even better days
than we could ever begin to imagine
as we sit wrapped in the past.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 25th

"Transgression speaks to the wicked 

    deep in their hearts;
there is no fear of God
   before their eyes." Psalm 36:1

they look at us,
a hunger in their eyes

for our adulation and

chants of their name,

of wanting to see us

waving our hands in worship

and a bending of our knees

in abject loyalty to them,

or a recognition that their

words overflowing with

hollow promises fill that 

void in our shriveled lives

and their winks, nods, and

finger pointing our way 

show a deep affinity with us, 

a relationship which is abiding 

beyond all words.

but

when we look deeply 

into their eyes, all we glimpse

is that deadness of souls which

have shriveled because of 

the contempt and distrust they

truly have for every single person

who is not them.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 24th

"And there, in the presence of the Israelites, Joshua wrote on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written." Joshua 8:32

sorry, Josh, but
we need to borrow the stone

which warns about having

any other Gods, to put under

the chair of our political choice,

and that one about honoring

our parents and their generation

we will place in their way so they

can stumble all over the place

proving we are right that folks

who are of a certain age are useless,

and those ones about not 

telling falsehoods, or killing, no

cheating on those we swear to love,

and not being jealous of what others own,

well, gosh, they have just gone 

out of style as far as we are concerned.

and just like that, your hopeful reminders

are ground into gravel we can walk

over on our way to foolishness

beyond imagination.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 23rd

"If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's." Romans 14:8

when our hearts

are so full of hubris

that we cannot be humble

enough to care for the

forgotten, the vulnerable,

the despised, the lonely;

when our souls slowly

begin to shrivel because

they drink deeply from

the bitter waters of fear

rather than from the sweet

fountains of grace;

when we would rather 

live with grudges weighing

us down instead leaving them

by the side of the way as

we seek to follow you, we

are slowly dying on the vine

of love, wonder, and joy

which we know as you.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 22nd

"Owe no one anything, except to love one another;" Romans 13:8a

we would max out our plastic
treasure in order to buy

rounds for all our mates

at the bar, but become

skinflints over feeding 

a few hungry souls,

we would take out 

a second mortgage

in order to have that

vacation of a lifetime

but turn into mini-Scrooges

when someone needs 

shelter from winter's blast,

we would borrow ten dollars

from a buddy in order 

to have another cup of joe

at the newest coffee shop

but roll up the window as

the car draws near the

fellow on the corner 

holding a hand-written

plea for help.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 21st

"So the people shouted, and the trumpets were blown. As soon as the people heard the sound of the trumpets, they raised a great shout, and the wall fell down flat;" Joshua 6:20

if only it was

as easy shouting

to bring down the walls

of division and discord.

if only all it took

was the world singing

to give peace a chance.

if only it was as simple

as marching in the 

light of God to end

all hatred and oppression.

if only we had to pick up

our trumpets to turn

our communities into havens

of hospitality towards all,

of healing for the broken,

of kindness offered to

the forgotten and the vulnerable.

if only . . . 

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman 

July 18th

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect." Romans 12:2

when we have a mind
that folks need to earn

justice rather than freely shared

or 

kindness is just to be

that random sort of thing

we do when someone needs

a door held open in the rain

but building affordable housing

doesn't seem to come to mind

or 

we think that the world is right 

when the wealthy get all the breaks

the powerful are never held accountable

the celebrities are always given

a hall pass for their knuckleheadedness

well, we seem to have 

a different notion than you do

about what is good.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 17th

"The Lord looks down from heaven; 

     he sees all humankind." Psalm 33:13

peering through our 

rose-colored glasses 

of all's right with the world,

we never notice 

the children at the park

playing playing by themselves,

the older lady eating 

alone in the bistro,

the immigrant family 

struggling to buy food

in a language they 

cannot speak yet,

the pierced young person 

with the multi-hued hair

wondering why everyone else 

who had been sitting 

in the waiting area 

have been called back 

for a job interview, when

they were the first person

to arrive that morning.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 16th

"Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, 'Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.'" Matthew 25:24-25

afraid they might spend it

on addicts, the homeless,

and all the other losers 

who hang out on our streets,

we keep your grace in 

safe deposit boxes, throwing

away the keys, 

we bury your hope ten feet

below the ground and then

pour two foot thick slabs

of concrete over the dirt,

we put all our justice 

into bearer bonds which 

won't mature for at least

another 50 years which by then

will make it someone else's problem,

we put put a lot of memes

and platitudes and posts

about how we can't look

at another person and know

what they are going through,

while turning our backs on

those standing on street corners,

all the while waiting for you 

to pat us on the head 

like good little girls and boys.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 15th

"So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace." Romans 11:5

in the din of the angry,

shouting, chanting voices 

breaking all decibel records,

there is a little girl

singing of gentleness.

in the crowds of folks

who are pushing and pulling

at grace as if it was 

a ball in a rugby scrum,

there is a referee reminding

folks that it is just a game, after all.

in the alley way, where 

loneliness sits huddled in

a sagging cardboard box,

as tears from heaven 

rat-a-tat over its head, a

homeless fellow walks by

offering a sip of hope, and

then walks on, saying,

'keep the bottle.'

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 14th

"They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes." Mark 1:22

is it irony that folks

seem more interested

in putting the 10 Rules on display

rather than the 8 Blessings?

is it telling that we

keep reminding folks of

the parable of the lucky sheep

and those unfortunate goats

but fall silent about your

reminding us to notice

that big log in our eyes 

and not the speck in another's?

is it something about us

that we find your woes 

and curses far more astounding

than those comments about

loving enemies, giving away 

all that we have, about taking

up that cross called faith and

following you wherever you lead?

or is it, we think your authority

has diminished somewhat?

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 13th

"So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ." Romans 10:17

faith

comes in those old stories

we have heard so often

from those with snow white hair

that we could finish them

before they get to the end

and sometimes it annoys us

with those troubling questions

that kids ask which make us turn

hoping to see someone behind us

who can answer them.

and 

in the silly songs composed

by little ones in bubble-filled baths

as they try to put off bed time

for as long as they can, as well

as in the birds who hesitantly,

and then with greater courage,

begin to sing of hope and joy

after a terrifying storm has 

rushed past our houses, 

we hear the whispers of

faith.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 12th

"But what does it say?

   ‘The word is near you,
    on your lips and in your

       heart’
(that is, the word of faith that we proclaim);" Romans 10:8

like little kids taking

a vow to keep a secret

and miming locking

our lips with a key, we

seem reluctant to sing

of grace to those who

have forgotten the tune

as well as the words.

like a dog which builds

a 'fort' of pillows and blankets

to hide behind when the

fireworks are going off,

we think justice needs 

to be protected at all costs

from those who would 

sneak in and pry it from

our privileged grasp.

like those who are deaf 

to the familiar words 

their loved ones tell them

because they just 

do not care any more,

we refuse to listen 

to the joyous shouts 

of those who discover

how easy it is to show

mercy to others, rather

than carry grudges 

throughout each day.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman 

July 11th

"What shall I return to the Lord 

    for all his bounty to me?" Psalm 116:12

when, at the last, 

i stand before you

may i have no love left

because i shared it 

without any conditions,

no grace in my pockets

because i handed it out

to those i met along the way,

no hope tucked away in my soul

because i set it free to run

and throw its arms around

those forgotten by the world,

no justice left in my hands

because i used it to build

better communities for all

judged unfairly by the privileged,

no peace because there were

people who needed it to bring

an end to ancient hostilities,

no ego because i met those

who set aside their dreams

to care for the most vulnerable

of all your children rather 

than serve themselves.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

 

July 10th

"but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him,

    in those who hope in his steadfast love." Psalm 147:11

remind us, Tender Heart,

to look past that ancient bugaboo

that we are supposed 

to stand before you,

shaking in our shoes,

knees knocking a rhythm,

terror's tremors reducing us

to seeming puddles of nothingness,

but 

to see you holding out

your hands to gather all

our panicky, prickly fears

so you can rub them 

to dust in your hands

and then blow them away

like dandelion puffs in grass

where the Spirit will transform

them into hope which will

shower us like cooling rain

on the hottest day imaginable.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 9th

 "Help, O Lord, for there is no longer anyone who is godly; 

    the faithful have disappeared from humankind." Psalm 12:1

where have all the faithful gone?

we've gone chasing after

the peddlers of broken promises.

where have all the godly gone?

we've left the thin places

to fill the arenas of those demanding

a different way than the gospel

of love, hope, grace, justice.

where have all the merciful gone?

we've linked arms in solidarity

with anyone who blames everyone

for everything.

where have all the helpers, the 

peacemakers, the menders, 

the gentle, the welcomers gone?

farther away from your Beloved Community

as you would ever have imagined, and

we can't seem to find those 

breadcrumbs you left

so we could find our way back.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

 

July 7th

"And immediately they left their nets and followed him." Mark 1:18

we sit in our easy chairs

and when the doorbell

 rings, we peek through

the curtains and when we

see who it is, stage whisper,

'it's Jesus! turn off the TV! 

maybe he'll go away.'

we drive down the road

and see you at the side

holding a sign reading, 

WILL CALL FOLKS TO FOLLOW

FOR FOOD AND SHELTER,

and quickly do a U-turn.

we answer an online ad

for a job which requires 

a willingness to listen and

no manual labor, and send

the reply from you to our spam folder.

for some reason,

immediately

just isn't in our vocabulary.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 6th

"I see him, but not now; 

    I behold him, but not near—" Numbers 24:17a

we know the names

and stats of all the players

running up and down 

the pitch, the floor, the field,

but those who pick up the trash,

care for the grounds, arrive early

to get the concessions ready,

and who mop out the facilities

after everyone has gone home?

them we could care less about

because they are not the famous,

the superstars, the GOATS,

the ones with the big contracts.

but we can bet 

that

you know the names of all

the ones we are so quick

to discount, to ignore, 

to complain about the loudest

if our least little whine is not

heard and responded to

immediately.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 5th

"O Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger, 

    or discipline me in your wrath.
Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are shaking with terror.
My soul also is struck with terror,
   while you, O Lord—how long?"  Psalm 6:1-3

if we were you,

the knuckleheads would

spend s-o-o-o much time

staring at the walls, 

or having to sit on cushions

while the place where their

brains seem to be heals,

or would be grounded 

well past the first successful

flight of all the pigs,

but being you,

you gather us from the corner

and place sit us on your lap,

you turn your wooden paddles

into kindling for making s'mores,

and you hug us with your grace

calming the tremors of that

false narrative of your wrath.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 4th

"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Romans 8:1

they sit before us, or
stand in the dock, as

we look down at them

from high on the bench

of our self-righteousness,

ready to pronounce the

sentence of outright rejection

and being cast into the 

outer regions of forgetfulness

when

suddenly the door in the back

bangs open and you come

marching down the aisle, 

"for the defense, Yahweh 

Elohim Jesu Christu 

Ruach Spiritus, ready to

present some new evidence

that they are no more guilty

than you . . .

and I should know."

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

July 3rd

"I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate." Romans 7:15

here is what i realize
when i gaze in the my own

mirror of serised:

it's not those things which

would rank in just about

anyone's top ten list of

what we know we shouldn't do.

it is

hopelessness gnawing 

at my weary heart,

it is the seduction of those who

intentionally choose cruelty,

it is that deep longing

to just throw in the towel

when i should be wiping

the tears of another's struggles,

it is that lingering doubt

that maybe seeking justice,

doing kindness, and following

God really are outdated.

those are the sins crouching

on the porch outside my

soul.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman