November 2nd

 "On that day, says the Lord, 

    a cry will be heard from the Fish Gate,
a wail from the Second Quarter,
   a loud crash from the hills." Zephaniah 1:10

on this day, 

may we turn off the ads

we have heard so many times

we could make the pitch,

so we can hear the cries

of those who have no one

approving their message of

longing for compassion and hope,

so we hear the weeping from

all the parents in rubble strewn

communities aka battlefields,

so we might listen to those

whose dreams for justice

have collided with the ever

increasing desires of the privileged

who, miraculously, always seem

not to be at fault and can walk away

with no responsibility at all, and then

tomorrow, when we can make a difference

we might hear those echoes 

deep in our hearts.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

November 1st/All Saints Day

“Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?” Revelation 7:13

‘I ain’t no saint,’ he protested
as he began to unload
the boxes and bushels
of fresh vegetables
so the volunteers at the foodbank
could cart them into the warehouse—
‘I’m just a simple farmer
grows extra for those folks
who need it most.’

‘oh, one of the parents
called me that the other day,’
said the bus driver
as she pressed the button
to start the lift bringing
the little child in the wheelchair
up to the level of the seats,
‘but I just love caring
for all those the world tends
to turn its back on.’

‘don’t put that label on us,’
laughed the volunteers
passing our tents, blankets,
coats and hats and gloves
to the rough sleepers as
the chill of Fall seeped in,
‘we’re just folks who
have been graced so
we might grace others.’

It’s funny, God,
how many folks think
they ain’t saints.

(c) 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

October 31st

“Then I saw another beast that rose out of the earth; it had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon.” Revelation 13:11

as the Day of the Dread approaches
and we want to crawl as deep
into the pit of forgetfulness as we can,
may we take a moment to watch
all those little witches and wizards,
those hobgoblins and sports stars,
those ballerinas and ninja turtles,
those Barbies in pink and little men in black
wander from house to house
giggling and whispering
among themselves, just waiting
to get back home where they will
remove all the masks which cover
their wonder, joy, and hope, for
they are the ones who know
with the faith of the foolish that
there are no monsters under the bed
or walking dead hiding in the corners
except those we shape from the dust
of our fragmented fears.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

October 30th

“Mountains and all hills,
   fruit trees and all cedars!” Psalm 148:9

Autumn’s afternoon sun
through the orange, gold,
and red leaves forms
stained glass windows on
our lawns and porches,
the crunch of the drying
leaves as we hike through
the woods reminds us of
kids munching on popcorn,
the crisp morning air
billows the lace curtains
as if all creation was
taking a breath,
while we lie in bed
praising you for all
the marvelous gifts
of this changing season.

© 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

October 29th

What shall I return to the LORD
   for all his bounty to me?
I will lift up the cup of salvation
   and call on the name of the LORD,” Psalm 116:12-13

how?
i shall return your grace
you so extravagantly give to me
by being as generous
in sharing it with others.
i shall return your serenity
with which you swaddle me
by giving peace more
than just a once-in-awhile chance.
i shall return your justice
which was passed on to me
by those who sought it long ago
by demanding it for others
whose lives and voices are ignored.
i shall return your ineffable hope
which is often too overwhelming
to try to put into words but
i will try to make it a part
of my everyday conversations.

© 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

October 28th

"And I say, 'O that I had wings like a dove! 

   I would fly away and be at rest;
truly, I would flee far away;
   I would lodge in the wilderness;'" Psalm 55:6-7

like Frodo, we wish that
we did not have to live
in these perilous times,
yet here we are, by your grace.
so, may we seek to find
that piece of you in every person,
even those we are convinced
are empty of compassion.
may we never abandon our call
to be people of grace, of justice,
of peace, of including everyone.
may we try, as hard as it may be,
to never let the word hopeless
become a part of our vocabulary,
just as it has never been
a part of yours.


(c) Thom M. Shuman


Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

October 27th

“But this was very displeasing to Jonah, and he became angry.” Jonah 4:1

we hired you to play this role,
expect you to follow the script
as if it was filled with inerrant words,
simply punishing those we despise,
blessing everyone we approve,
and seeing everything through our eyes.
so, what’s with the attitude, God?
you improvise way too much—
loving all the wrong folks,
forgiving those we never would,
and always eager to share mercy
when we clearly indicate judgment.
no wonder we sit in the shade
of self-righteous indignation,
sulking because you keep messing up
but then that inconvenient Spirit whispers
so what if God’s epic failure
is loving those we find impossible,
welcoming those we push aside,
offering grace greater than our grudges?
help us to toss our script out the window,
open our rock-stubborn hearts,
and learn to love who you love,
even when it makes us
want to chew nails.

(c) 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

October 26th

“For I was envious of the arrogant;
   I saw the prosperity of the wicked.” Psalm 73:3

it really is so unfair—
we take one step forward,
stumble and end up two steps back
while those so-and-sos glide up
ladders of success as easily
as spreading butter on bread.
we see their groaning table,
plenty spilling from stuffed pockets,
laughter which diverts them from
the sights and cries of the poor.
have we gotten the way to life
wrong all our lives
as if compassion was the worst
investment we could ever make
in this world which rewards ruthlessness?
forgive us,
when we think what we possess
is the measure of your blessings
or mistake the shininess of gold
for the light of your grace.
the wicked may indeed prosper,
for a season or more,
but it is your love which
sustains through all time
and only your mercy
which makes us
and only your mercy
which should fill our portfolios.

(c) 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

October 25th

“But Jonah set out to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid his fare and went on board, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord.” Jonah 1:3

oh my, do we know the way to Tarshish—
it is programmed in our virtual maps,
it is number one in our speed dial,
we could get there with our eyes closed,
for it is anywhere but where
you long for us to go.
we dash into our to-do lists,
we lodge in our certain opinions,
we slide into our comfortable worship
hoping no one will mention the unlovable,
we cross to the other side of the street
to avoid that neighbor whose politics trouble us,
that stranger we eye warily,
the hungry with their cardboard signs,
the broken with tears that a whale
could swim in.
we travel as far as we can
from those who offend us,
those we just cannot bring ourselves
to offer forgiveness,
all who just weary us to death.
yet, you persist in calling us—
not to the safety the world offers
but into that gathering storm
where compassion waits,
where grace has our name on it,
where your love will drench us.
so, when we go to the travel agent
to book a cruise away from your heart,
turn us around, that we might discover
those we think we need to flee from
are the very ones through whom
you are running toward us.

(c) 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

October 24th

“Woe is me! For I have become like one who,
   after the summer fruit has been gathered,
after the vintage has been gleaned,
   finds no cluster to eat;
there is no first-ripe fig for which I hunger.” Micah 7:1

that hollow ache is deep in us—
for just a little peace for frazzled fears,
kindness to soften anger’s voices,
that truth not yet twisted to feed
the egos of the politicians.
we hunger for bread
yet the world’s tables groan with plenty
we yearn for justice while
the powerful devour privilege,
we long for relationships while
scrolling past the lonely hoping
someone will notice us
this ache, this emptiness, this
hunger is older than any prophet—
searching for fruit among empty branches
maybe the world does have
more than enough to feed us,
but we seek that which truly
nourishes our famished souls,
so come, all who are hungry
to God’s table with the bread of mercy,
cups overflowing with justice,
and love never reaches
a use-by date.

(c) 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

October 23rd

“He has told you, O mortal, what is good;
   and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
   and to walk humbly with your God?” Micah 6:8

today,
may we dare to do justice—
standing with those shoved aside
by the powerful and the privileged,
setting more chairs at those tables
for those who have never felt welcomed;
today,
may we dare to love kindness—
not simply a sticker on a car
or a imprinted t-shirt, but
as mercy offered unconditionally,
as bread share generously,
as forgiveness opening locked hearts;
today,
may we walk humbly with God—
not running ahead proclaiming
all of the answers, but stumbling
with all those who falter,
not offering unwanted advice, but
listening for that still, small voice
which always whispers, ‘love everyone.’
for God’s Beloved Community
doesn’t arrive when everyone is right,
but when we all do what is right—
one stance for justice,
one breath of kindness,
one step of humility at a time,
so that, by the grace of God,
hope finds feet.

(c) 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

October 22nd

“But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah,
   who are one of the little clans of Judah,” Micah 5:2a

coming from a backwater
everyone avoided if they could,
growing up in a village not mentioned
even once in your Old Book,
no wonder you spent time
wandering around with folks
who were diminished by the rest
of society for any, and every
reason imaginable and un—
the little kids everyone tried to block,
the least likely women in any town,
the last person picked for a team,
the lost ones wandering forgotten
even by those who claimed
to love them to infinity and beyond.
maybe we have had it
all wrong, Jesus our sibling,
perhaps your middle initial
is not H but actually L—
for

your birthplace,
your heritage,
your true heart.

(c) 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

October 21st

“they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
   and their spears into pruning-hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
   neither shall they learn war any more;” Micah 4:3b

true,
we may not carry guns
but oh, the damage we do
with the finger pointing out
all the mistakes another makes.
we do not walk around with swords,
but have you seen the wounds
we can inflict with just
a simple word of judgment,
that subtle thrust of cruelty?
we don’t hurl spears
at anyone these days,
but with those small devices
we carry in our palms,
the sharpened points of
every platform on social media
serves the same purpose today.
remind us, Gentle God,
that we still learn war today,
we just don’t notice it
because it does not fit
the image we have carried
around from all the movies
we watched so long ago.

(c) 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

October 20th

“Do not drag me away with the wicked,
     with those who are workers of evil,
who speak peace with their neighbors,
     while mischief is in their hearts.” Psalm 28:3

they just will not leave us
alone.
knocking on our door,
paired with their partner in clone,
smiling broadly, wanting only
a few minutes of our time—
to try to convince us that
wickedness is the new faith,
that cruelty is the best thing
to come along since sliced bread,
that we certainly want to get in
on the ground floor of buying
shares in cryptopeace,
all while planning new tricks
to play on those who have
already signed on the dotted line,
rubbing their hands gleefully
in anticipation of the bonuses
they will get if they meet their quota.
so not-so-gently, take our hands
and help us to slam the door
in the faces of these drones of disaster
and listen to your heart which
shows us the way to life which
is filled with grace, love, and hope.

(c) 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

October 19th

I will surely gather all of you, O Jacob,
   I will gather the survivors of Israel;
I will set them together
   like sheep in a fold,
like a flock in its pasture;
   it will resound with people. Micah 2:12

maybe it is the 2 or 3
gathering together.
it could be those
‘hidden righteous ones’
who are scattered only
you know where, O God.
perhaps it is the little kids
on every playground
who make up new games
or even different rules
so everyone can play.
it might even be the woman
who sits on her apartment patio
and casually smiles and greets
everyone who strolls by
even if they never respond.
but in the world where the angry
seem to dominate social media,
in this time when bitterness
has polluted almost every relationship,
in these moments when folks wonder
if there is any decency, justice,
compassion, or grace anymore,
remind us that you always keep
a remnant close to your heart
who will bring the healing of us all.

(c) 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

October 18th

“Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.” Matthew 16:20

you are but one among the hungry
yet we keep our pantries locked,
you are the stranger we meet
but let fear silence our welcome,
you lie among the wounded
but our prayers are drowned out
by the vast indifference of the world,
your name is always on our lips
but never when it might cost us something—
which is all okay, we tell ourselves,
we are simply practicing what
you told your friends so long ago.
yet, despite our stubborn silence
you are still here—
in all those places we avoid,
all the people we walk past,
in every grief-stricken heart,
in every shattered life longing
to be seen.
for the world yearns to see Jesus
in believers who begin living
as if he were here
and not just a well-kept secret.

(c) 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

October 17th

Take words with you and return to the LORD; say to him, "Take away all guilt; accept that which is good, and we will offer the fruit of our lips. Hosea 14:2

O God of these unsettled days,
when anger shouts
louder than wisdom,
when fear builds walls
where bridges should be,
when we have more opinions
than compassion,
and more reasons to turn away
than to reach out our hands—
teach us the words
that bring us home to you.
take the broken sentences of our lives,
the apologies caught in our throats,
the prayers that stumble over our grief,
and the hopes we hardly dare to whisper.
let us bring them all—
not polished, not perfect,
but honest as the ache in our hearts.
for you have never asked us
to arrive with everything figured out,
only to come with open hands
and hearts willing to begin again.
so receive the words we have, O God,
and make them seeds of mercy,
instruments of peace,
and promises of love
in a world desperate to hear them.

(c) 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

October 16th

"O Lord, you have searched me and known me." Psalm 139:1

you know the ghosts that
inhabit the attics of my memories
and those monsters of my id
hiding in the closets and under
the bed on which i lay my weariness.
you know those words of shame,
of criticism, of unkindness written
in the dictionary of my mind
and you have heard those love
songs, those lullabies i composed
for myself in the silence of life.
you know those sirens who sit
on the rocks singing their seduction
and you know those paths i am still
searching for in my heart.
you know,
because you love me enough
to want to know me even more.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

October 15th

“Yet I have been the LORD your God ever since the land of Egypt; you know no God but me, and besides me there is no savior.” Hosea 13:4

oh, are we good!
at forgetting, that is—
that you didn’t just bring
long-dead ancestors
out of unimaginable lives
in a time covered in dust’s history
but you come far more often
than we notice to offer
a way out of our foolishness.
forgetting that no matter
how many celebrities or
politicians or influencers
we believe can offer us
that impossible life which
is based on today’s equivalent
of smoke and mirrors,
you still pile grace upon grace,
hope upon hope,
peace upon peace
into our empty souls
as you keep your promise
never to forget us.

© 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

October 14th

And now they keep on sinning and make a cast image for themselves, idols of silver made according to their understanding, all of them the work of artisans. "Sacrifice to these," they say. People are kissing calves! Therefore they shall be like the morning mist or like the dew that goes away early, like chaff that swirls from the threshing floor or like smoke from a window. Hosea 13:2-3

oh, are we good!
at least at making gods
to suit our ridiculous lives—
so shiny, they catch the light,
so small, they slip into our pockets,
so quiet, they never challenge
the choices we make.
we kneel before the idols of our time:
clutching their power,
feeding on their outrage,
worshiping the wealth they promise
(but never carry through on),
turning neighbors into enemies.
is it any wonder
the morning always seems empty,
our promises vanish like the dew,
our fields of plenty leave
too many of us hungry.
so, call us back,
mercy-stubborn God—
from those gods we craft
to that grace we cannot buy,
to the love we dare not hoard,
to justice too long denied,
lest we vanish like the morning fog,
and teach us to become the people
you have been calling us to be—
not creators of idols,
but makers of peace.

© 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman