Occasional Sightings of the Gospel

tools of the trade

2012-04-19T13:01:00.002-04:00

we picture you
      striding out
   of the tomb, pristine
         robes swaddling
         your brand new body,
      a gleaming, chrome
      toolbox in your hands,
            full of shiny
            new tools for
         the work ahead of
                 you

but you come,
wearing your faded
                 and patched
      bibs,
   your calloused and nicked
             hands clutching
         the toolbox handed down
                to you,
      covered with stickers from
      all the places you visited:
         Sidon and Tyre,
            Galilee,
         Skull Hill,
            hell
and filled with the tools
               you choose to use:

   disciples bent over from
      the guilt of denial,
      grief which can't be spoken,
      pain which never seems to
                    end;

   friends who have grown rusty
      because no one sees their gifts
                    (or them);

   older folks
         who've been 'honorably
                          retired'
            though time is the
               gift they can offer
     (along with all that wisdom
       that is expected to be placed
       on top of the dresser
          collecting dust);

   children who are told to
                      wait
          until that mythical
                    'future'
      they are to inhabit(and
      please don't bother the
      grown-ups till that day);

and you set to work,
   building your kingdom
            with these
old,
   bent,
       rusty
tools.

(c) 2012 Thom M. Shuman

road repairs ahead

2012-04-08T08:29:00.002-04:00

groping
    in the grotto
                of my days,
       the entrance capped
       by that avalanche of
                       grudges
           too heavy to
                            move,
my life slowly ebbs;

cornered
       in the catacombs
             by the hounds of
                    hell,
         their foul breath
                  of fear
     sucking all
         the air out of my
                 lungs,
            as the workers
         of death mortar
                    me in;

stumbling
       in the sepulcher's
                      shadows,
       tripping over my own
                        despair,
          until my shredded fingertips
                find the rock of rages
                sin has slammed
                           shut
                   over my hopes . . .

. . . until you came this
                      morning,
          rolling every stone
                       away,
          using them to pave the
                         way
              to the
                    kingdom.

© 2012 Thom M. Shuman

Holy Saturday

2012-04-07T08:31:00.001-04:00

what were they doing today?

cleaning toilets
trying to forget
their dreams
draining away?

maybe Peter wished
he was home
eating Passover
leftovers
trying to find
a way
out of his
wilderness?

did Joanna
have her Saturday list:
groceries to buy,
errands to run,
a soccer game,
a full honey-do jar?

were Herod and Pilate
nursing hang-overs
out too late last night
hitting every pub
on the Street of Tears
until they got
thrown out at the
Last Station?

were children
being shushed by
fear-ridden parents,
told
to stop playing
'soldiers and messiahs'?

did the angels
tip-toe
around heaven
afraid
to speak too
loudly
wondering
what with the Word
God was doing
behind that stone?

what were they doing today . . .

before God
yanked the legs
out
from under
death?

(c) 2006 Thom M. Shuman

nails

2012-04-06T09:05:00.000-04:00

will there be enough
nails?

i've brought one . . .
i found it in the street
after some neighbors
took off a door
to carry a paralyzed
friend
down the street
to some faith
healer;

a group of Galileans
came to the big city
for Passover
so
i had to put some
tables together last night
for their dinner party.
here's a
left-over nail;

years ago
i bought a cradle
at a yard sale in Nazareth.
just the other day
it finally fell apart;
i was going
to throw the pieces
into the garbage
but you can
have one of the nails
. . . if you need it.

on Good Friday

we never run
out of
nails.

(c) 2001 Thom M. Shuman

Holy Thursday (Mark 14:12-25)

2012-04-05T10:51:00.001-04:00

on those early days
      when no one was
               around
         to watch,
   you planted the
               seeds
         which would
               blossom
   into sheaves of wheat;
      you began to train
               grapevines
         to curl around
         your fingers

so

that on that last night
   you could take
   that loaf of
               12-grace
      bread, breaking
   it into piece of
               healing
         which could
      take our shatttered
               lives
   and put us back together
      as your
               beloved;

that in that room,
   you could take the
               grapes
      of wrath, fear, doubt,
         squeezing them through
         your breaking heart,
   pouring the sweet
               nectar
      of hope, wonder, and
         peace
   into such a simple
               cup
      we cannot begin
      to understand the
         rich complexity
   of your
               love

but only
               taste
   on this
           night.

(c) 2012 Thom M. Shuman

come Wednesday (Mark 14:1-11)

2012-04-04T11:12:00.001-04:00

come Wednesday
   the world stunk
   with the bitterness
      of intrigue;
the foul breath
   of secret machinations
      fogged the alleys
      and byways
         of the city,
while the silent
   walls echoed
            with
the whispers
   of the lovers
   of shadows.

the spines of the scolds
               stiffened
   and dander filled
      their mouths
as they took umbrage
         with the one
   who spread solace
            on the soul
         of her Beloved,
when they
   would have doused him
   with the sour perfume
         of self-righteousness.

come Wednesday . . .

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Holy Tuesday lament (Lamentations 1:17-22)

2012-04-03T10:43:00.002-04:00

you stretch
            out
      your hands
   longing for someone
               (anyone)
   to grasp them
      tenderly,
         compassion's balm
         caressing the toughened
            pads of your palms;
      firmly,
         friendship's strength
         holding you tight in
                its grip;
      hopefully,
         another's heart
         swaddling your broken
               one . . .
   but
we slap them
                  away
      wishing you would
         just leave us
            alone.

you call to your
             lovers, those
   who have told you
      over and over
      that you are the
             one;
   who whisper words
      in the night which
         prove to be as
              empty
         as the chocolate
                   bunny
       bought for your basket;
   who stand before
   the world in our
      wedding finery, vowing
         our lives to you
   and leaving the words
            lying shattered
      on the floor at the
               reception.

you groan

         but we cannot
                  hear
   over the noisy
              rebellion
      wringing our
           hearts.

(c) 2012 Thom M. Shuman

Holy Monday (Mark 11:12-25)

2012-04-02T15:59:00.001-04:00

just because your
corn flakes were
a little stale,
did you have to
take it out on
that fig tree?

and golly,
isn't free enterprise
all about letting
the small business
owners set up shop
where the customers
are (or don't you
see yourself as a
job creator)?

and
isn't 'just have faith'
a bit of a platitude,
something we don't
usually hear coming from
your lips?

'maybe you shoulda
stayed stayed in bed,'
i muttered to myself
as the hours wore on . . .

until
I noticed your eyes
continually glancing up
toward the hills
outside the city,
as if you
had an appointment
with one of them
and didn't want
to be

late.

© 2012 Thom M. Shuman

God as lighting Director

2012-04-01T14:25:00.001-04:00

I imagine many of us are familiar with the idea that in worship the congregation is the cast, God is the audience, and the preacher is simply the stage manager prompting the cast.

Today, in our worship, God showed up as the lighting director.

I knew that the service would go past the 'T'raditional 60-minute deadline. What with palms procession, reading the entire Mark passion, interspersed with special music ( a gorgeous viola rendition, by a young student, of 'Sarabande'), voices 'reflecting' on the passion, spoken responses, as well as communion, it would be a lengthy service.

As we drew to the close, with the reading from Mark about the body of Jesus being placed in the tomb, finishing with the verse 'Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid' leading into the pastoral prayer, the lights slowly began to dim, creating a solemn atmosphere for the affirmation of faith (Philippians 2:5-11) and the benediction. The dimness of the sanctuary reinforced the desire that folks leave worship in silence, rather than immediately breaking into conversation.

Several folks complimented me on that 'little touch' of creating such an atmosphere. I appreciated the compliments, but finally had to start admitting that I had nothing to do with it.

It was simply the timer on the lights dimming them as it does every Sunday at 12 noon!

But it couldn't have been better timing if I had planned it!

(c) 2012 Thom M. Shuman

holy day

2012-02-19T09:05:00.006-05:00

Perhaps more than Christmas Eve and/or Day, more than Easter, more than Pentecost, this coming Sunday is one of the holiest days of the year, in my humble opinion. Not because it is about a strange story, not because it is about two figures from the past suddenly appearing, not because it is about God speaking and inviting us to listen to Jesus.

No, this particular Sunday is holy for me because it is the day when pitchers and catchers report for Spring Training in baseball!

Now before you laugh and dismiss this thought, hear me out.

If one listens carefully to the young men who play baseball and who are invited to spring training, you find some common threads in their stories.

First, they BELIEVE that they have been given gifts, some natural skills called 'tools' in baseball (scouts/teams are always looking for the '5-tool' player), which allows them to play, to compete at the professional level. Others may have more speed, others may have better hand-eye coordination, others may have stronger throwing arms, but they don't all believe they have what it takes to play the game.

Second, they TRUST that what others have to teach them is of value; that by listening to their coaches, by focusing on a training regimen, by being willing to change their diets and other habits, by watching how the veterans on the team conduct themselves, by focusing on how they can better themselves and thus better
the team they can achieve some goals that others players and team will not.

Third, they are willing to ACT upon what they believe and trust. A new hitting coach may teach something completely contrary to what their first baseball coach showed them, but they will follow the new routine. The 'best of the best' don't spend the offseason resting on the past season, but by training, improving,
focusing on getting better. They will adopt a new diet if that improves their stamina, they will drop 20 pounds if it means a quicker step, they will share their ideas, their techniques, their learning with younger players, in hopes it will improve the team as a whole.

Believe, trust, act.

I don't know if the transfiguration 'really' happened as we are told in Mark. It may have been Mark's interpretation of Peter's embellished description of a conversation he had one night with Jesus on a mountaintop. But I do BELIEVE that the story is in the gospel for a reason, that it can say something to me and to others about how following Jesus just might transform my life in unexpected ways, that in
hindsight I might describe such a moment in language that just seems too good to be true. And I do believe that I am given visions of the kingdom in everyday life.

I don't know if God spoke in a voice which Peter and the others could clearly understand. Most of the time I am leery of folks who claim to have 'heard' God - too often, such folks end up bringing pain and heartache to others. But I do TRUST that God does speak to us, if we are only willing to put ourselves into that attitude of openness, that awareness that God's voice is heard in the laughter of children on a playground, in the questioning doubts of an adolescent, in the stories wise ones are only too ready to share.

I don't know if what Mark tells us is an actual event, an allegory, a short story. But I do think I am called to
ACT upon what I believe and trust in this story which is part of my faith tradition, which is in my sacred writings. Not act to defend it against those who would challenge its 'truthfulness,' who would question its reality, who would dismiss it as some sort of delusion (I don't worry about those sorts of thing, to be honest). But to act, if I do believe that in Jesus I catch glimpses of what God is doing in the world, that in Jesus I see someone I would like to follow the rest of my life (however that might be for me), that in Jesus I find myself on mountaintops, and in valleys, and in every place in between, but do not find myself alone
any where. But to act, if I do trust that God is willing to tell me, if I am willing to listen, that the world can be
transformed from evil into good, even as I can be; that love is greater than hate, and that I am loved when
others tell me different; that goodness is the path which I am meant to walk, and others will help me
find the way, even as I can be a guide to others. If I believe, if I trust, if I act, than this story does indeed
become real in the life I am called to lead; it is indeed truth that can change and continue to change me, that it is the gospel - good news.

And then every day becomes holy, doesn't it?

© 2012 Thom M. Shuman

the bothy

2011-12-24T15:16:00.002-05:00

every room will be blazing with
                              light,
      so i will have no trouble
           finding the place
   when i arrive, or so i
                imagine:
      the table covered in fine
                                lace,
                   heirloom china
        and mirrored silver at each
                     place
          with the feast's aroma
             drifting in from the kitchen;
   my feather bed will manger
                my weary body while
     silks sheets swaddle me to sleep
                   after a relaxing soak
         in the jet-streamed tub.

but

         what if it is
just a box built out of
               river rocks,
   the door wind-weathered
                   and water-buckled,
      refusing to stay shut
          as if expecting more folks;
a rough-hewn shelf
         in one of the corners
    holds a clay pitcher brimmed
            with cool clear water,
      a hand-drawn map to the spring
                next to it;
wood has been laid
                     in the fireplace,
          ready to be brought to
                             life;
a stone shelf is all that keeps
         one's body from the ground,
    just wide and long enough
             for a rough blanket,
      a candle and matches
                  where the pillow would be;
           and there's a shovel
                by the door for taking care
                     of the necessaries;

it seemed perfect for
                                       you
       when you arrived,

didn't it?

© 2011 Thom M. Shuman

Third Friday of Advent

2011-12-16T20:19:00.000-05:00

Protect me, O God, for in you I take
          refuge.
I say to the LORD, "You are my Lord;
    I have no good apart from you."
As for the holy ones in the land, they
          are the noble,
    in whom is all my delight.
Those who choose another god
          multiply their sorrows;

The LORD is my chosen portion and
          my cup;
    you hold my lot.

You show me the path of life.
    In your presence there is fullness
          of joy;
    in your right hand are pleasures
         evermore.
          Psalm 16:1-4a, 5, 11

As I grow older, I seem to come closer and closer to the psalms. Whoever the writers were, they often express a faith I often wish I had. In the midst of terrible pain, suffering unspeakable loss, surrounded by 'enemies' (often those who were once considered to be friends - and we have all known that experience!), worries about the future - no matter the circumstance, the psalmists express a deep and abiding trust in God. Psalm 16 is a great example. Like many of that generation, as well as ours, she could have chosen other gods. Instead, the God who is a refuge, who holds the writer like a mother holds a child, who shows the path to joy, to life, to pleasure - that God is chosen!

The writer doesn't tell us how to do it, that would be too easy, and making choices is never easy. All she can do is tell us what that choice has meant to her. The psalm is unable to give us faith, it can only offer us faith. It can offer us the choice to trust in a God who, yes, is often hidden.

   a faith that is confident that God has a new way of life to teach us;
   a faith that, despite all the evidence to the contrary, not only believes
      that can, but that God will act - in the lives of individuals,
      through communities of faith,
      in the affairs of nations and rulers,
      throughout all of human history.

What a marvelous gift - this choice. Will we open it this year?

(c) 2011 Thom M. Shuman

Third Thursday of Advent

2011-12-15T21:50:00.000-05:00

When the LORD restored the
         fortunes of Zion,
   we were like those who dream.
Then our mouth was filled with
          laughter,
   and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then it was said among the nations,
   "The LORD has done great things
         for them."
The LORD has done great things for
         us,
   and we rejoiced.
Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
   like the watercourses in the Negeb.
May those who sow in tears
    reap with shouts of joy.
Those who go out weeping,
    bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
    carrying their sheaves.
             Psalm 126

Because we are unable to measure up to the world's standards of happiness (determined by one's wealth, looks, success), we no longer believe in joy, no matter how much we sing of it. Because we can find little enjoyment in the days filled with barrages of emails, constant demands on our time, the hurries and hassles imposed upon us by so many, we are so close to tears that we can taste them on the insides of our eyelids. Because life just hasn't turned out like all the experts, the teachers, the books, the prognosticators told us all those years ago, no wonder so many of us have turned to anger as our drug of choice. Things have gotten so out of hand that no one seems to be in control.

But Psalm 126 reminds us that all those things - every thing - that take place in our lives are in God's hands. Whether they be good moments of unexpected laughter, or those storms of struggle, God is with us. When we take those faltering steps into the unknown, or simply walk into our grandchild's school for the music program, God is beside us. If we are lucky, we may discover that, like the psalmist, it is not because of anything we have done, or the church does, or our communities or families, it is simply God's actions which bring about hope and restoration in our lives.

When God acts, then lives are changed;
when God acts, our deepest sighs become peals of laughter;
when God acts, our laments turn into shouts of gladness;
when God acts, our bitter tears become pools of water
   refreshing the seeds of joy planted deep within us.

Do you believe it?

(c) 2011 Thom M. Shuman

Third Wednesday of Advent

2011-12-14T07:59:00.000-05:00

Fools say in their hearts, "There is
          no God."
    They are corrupt, they commit
          abominable acts;
    there is no one who does. good.
God looks down from heaven on
          humnakind
    to see if there are any who are
          wise,
    who seek after God.
        Psalm 53:1-2

In our technologically-driven world with its IMs, iphonepads, 24/7 instant news, it is easy to assume there is no God. After all, where is the evidence. The poverty numbers keep increasing, more and more people die violent deaths, war is still the answer to settling disputes, food pantries are running out of food, soup kitchens are throwing more stones into the pot. Is there anyone, anywhere, who does good anymore?

We would hope, as we should pray, that God would look down and find us doing good, especially in this season of goodness. This is what we are called to do, this is why God became flesh, this is what Jesus challenges us to do. After all
   how will the world know that its mourners will be comforted,
      if we don't wrap them in shawls of compassion;
   how will we show that peacemakers are the children of God,
      if we hurl other names at them;
   how will folks know that the pure in heart will indeed see God,
      if God isn't even reflected in us;
   how will those who hunger and thirst for righteousness be fed,
      if we are not willing to feed them with justice's hope;
   how will people know that there is a God,
      that there is not just one person,
      but countless throngs of folks willing to do good,
      if we are not willing to love, to care, to heal, to forgive?

(c) 2011 Thom M. Shuman

Third Tuesday of Advent

2011-12-13T08:06:00.001-05:00

LORD, you were favorable to your
          land,
    you restored the fortunes of
          Jacob.
You forgave the iniquity of your
          people,
    you pardoned all their sin.     Selah
You withdrew all your wrath;
    you turned from your hot anger.
Restore us again, O God, of our
         salvation . . .
           Psalm 85 1-4a

We could do with a little restoration these days. At one time in lives, this seemed like the best time of the year. We couldn't wait to get the box of Christmas out of storage and decorate the house. We went out and got a real tree, not that artificial thing; we baked, decorated, boxed and delivered dozens of sugar cookies; we sang Christmas carols non-stop.

But it is the middle of December and we are beat down, frazzled beyond words. The cards are scattered on the table unsigned, the gifts clutter the closets, the party invitations are unopened, and stress keeps ringing the doorbell. Why don't we just crawl back into bed and pull the covers over our heads?! We need a delivery of energy, a cuppa energy, a booster shot of restored spirits.

And so, like the psalmist, we wonder, we hope, we pray that God will restore us. Not in the sense of that hot August night, big tent, hellfire and brimstone revival, but simply bringing us back to life, simply giving us life once again. Will God do it?
   restore those senses numbed by the songs of commercialism;
   restore hearts hardened by too many appeals for help;
   restore peace in those who lives are too hurried, too harried;
   restore goodness to us - that simple gift so we can survive
      the complexities of our lives?

Restore us again, O God, of our salvation, restore us!

(c) 2011 Thom M. Shuman

Third Monday of Advent

2011-12-12T11:28:00.000-05:00

All your works shall give thanks to
          you, O LORD,
    and all your faithful shall bless.
          you.
They shall speak of the glory of you
          kingdom,
    and tell of your power,
to make known to all people your
         mighty deeds,
    and the glorious splendour of your
          kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting
          kingdom,
    and your dominion endures
          throughout all generations.
The LORD is faithful in all his words,
    and gracious in all his deeds.
The LORD upholds all who are
         falling;
    and raises up all who are bowed
         down.
           Psalm 145:10-14

Psalm 145 is one of those acrostic psalms in its original form, with each verse beginning with a succeeding letter of the Hebrew alphabet. We can't quite do justice to it in other translations, but you can imagine the work the writer faced! But we can do justice to the challenge offered to us by this lovely song.

The way it begins and ends, it comes across as a psalm of personal praise and worship to Bod. But there, in the middle there are these reminders about what God has done in the world, about God's compassionate and generous love towards all, about God's kingdom which is all around us, about the One who hears, lifts up, watches. The author is so overwhelmed by this God that praise has to be lifted up every day.

What about us - are we able to see those glimpses of God's presence in our world? Do we believe we are in God's kingdom? Why not take some time, today and the next, to look for those signs of the kingdom?

Maybe we will see God reflected in the teacher who faithfully takes extra time with the kids struggling in class.

Perhaps we will know God's surprising grace in the stranger who lets us go ahead of them in the long line at the store.

God's justice might be revealed in that child who asks that her presents this year be given to a homeless child.

You could be God's heart and ears by listening to the loneliness of the neighbor across the hall.

If we just open our eyes, our hearts, our ears, our lives to what God is doing around us, we might just find ourselves standing on the corner of Hope and Wonder in God's kingdom, joining the carolers who are praising God!

(c) 2011 Thom M. Shuman

Fourth Sunday of Advent - B

2011-12-11T21:37:00.002-05:00

Texts: 2nd Samuel 7:1-11, 16; Luke 1:46b-55; Romans 16:25-27; Luke 1:26-38

Call to Worship
L: O come, Rest of the righteous:
wrap us in your shawl of hope,
cradling us in your comfort and peace.
P: O come, Servant of salvation:
unlocking the chains of our sin,
sending us to dance in your kingdom's joy.
L: O come, Gospel of graciousness:
so we would welcome the outsider
and embrace the lonely hearts in our midst.
P: O come, Lover of the lowly:
to raise them up until they can look you in the eye,
and kiss your soft cheeks in gratitude.
L: O come, Child of the covenant:
heir of all those promises made so long ago,
and bearer of all the grace flowing from God's heart.
P: O come, Companion of creation:
to transform the mess we have made
into gardens overrun with goodness and beauty.
L: O come to us, Immanuel, come and live with us:
P: this day, and forevermore, come!

Prayer of the Day
You take us by the hand,
Gentle grace,
so we may walk
the paths of your kingdom,
carrying the light of joy,
to find the traveling companions
you give us for our journey
into the holiness of this season.

Adonai's Anointed:
you came among us
to whisper of your hope
above the jingles of these days;
you have been with us,
in every moment of our lives,
disguised as our friends and families,
living among us as the strangers
who welcome us as kin.

You are with us,
Spirit of kindness,
planting seeds of peace
which can bear fruit
for a shattered world;
you send us to sing
the glad tidings of
incomparable joy,
that God has kept every
promise ever made.

God in Community, Holy in One,
you give us the words we need,
even to pray as Jesus teaches us,
Our Father . . .

Call to Reconciliation
If we are to welcome the Child into our hearts, we must speak
of all the ways we have hardened ourselves against the good
news he brings. Let us confess our sins, as we pray together,
saying,

Unison Prayer of Confession
How can this be, Holy One of Advent?
We would put the powerful on pedestals,
     but you send the lowly to remind us
     of our call to be servants.
We would stock our pantries with more and more,
     but you send our friends to our door,
     collecting for those who hunger and thirst for hope.
We would listen to seasonal sounds of sales,
     but you send the angels to carol to us
     of the promises made to all.

Forgive us, Hope of the world.
As we watch for your coming,
     may we see the need around us;
as we prepare to celebrate your birth,
     may we live with open hearts;
as we long for healing and hope,
     may we discover it in the Babe of Bethlehem,
     Jesus the Christ, sent for us.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
L: The good news is not just announced to all people,
it is indeed, for all people. For the proud, as well
as the humble; for the rich, and for the poor; for
those who have found faith, and those who long for it.
P: Our hearts rejoice in the promises, and our souls
rejoice in the One who has come to us, bringing
hope, joy, and peace into our lives. Thanks be to
God. Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
L: Favored ones, the Lord is with you!
P: And also with you!
L: Children of God, lift your hearts to the One
       who brings good news to you.
P: Our hearts glorify God, who strengthens us in every way.
L: Beloved of the Lord, sing glad songs of praise.
P: We rejoice in God our Savior, who looks with joy upon us.

Architect of the Universe:
like a mist over a lake,
your Spirit moved above creation,
so your peace could walk gently
through the fields of goodness,
so your hope could tiptoe quietly
into our lives to dwell forever.
You created us in your image,
so we could rest in your gentleness.
But we decided to warm ourselves
by the fireside of sin and death.
You asked the prophets
to come and remind us
of your everlasting covenant,
but we scattered their words
into the empty hollows of our hearts.
So, looking favorably upon us,
you sent Jesus to come,
appointing him to bring salvation
to us once and for all.

So, with those who waited on sheep-strewn hillsides,
and those who endured the pains of labor,
with all our sisters and brothers in every time and place,
we sing of your great joy forever:

P: Holy, Holy, Holy, God of Advent Joy.
     Heaven and earth sing your praises as you reach down
         to heal and comfort your creation.
     Hosanna in the highest!

     Blessed is the One who welcomes all people into your grace.
     Hosanna in the highest!

Your name is Holy, God of Grace,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, Your Child, our Savior.
when we were chilled
to the bone by despair,
he came to warm us with your hope;
when we huddled against
the cold winds of fear,
he wrapped us in the shawl
woven from your hopes and dreams;
when we could find no life,
he walked to a cross-strewn hillside,
scattering sin's power with your grace,
sending the grave away empty-handed
as he greeted us with the promise
of the resurrection for all your children.

As we prepare to celebrate his birth once again,
as we await the songs of the angels on that holy night,
we would proclaim that mystery revealed as faith:

P:   Christ came, to humble the proud
          and to raise up the lowly;
      Christ is in our midst,
          feeding the hungry
          and filling the emptiness of all;
      Christ will come again,
          to bring us home into the kingdom of heaven.

Send your Spirit to move over your people,
and to fill the bread and the cup
with your presence and power.
May the bread we break and share
become the healing we need
and the hope we carry to a world
shattered by fears and doubts.
May the cup we bless
and pass to one another
be the grace for which we have yearned,
and the joy we can offer
to everyone we meet.

And, when the Spirit gathers us up
and brings us to the Table in the kingdom,
we will join our hearts and songs
with your family from all time and places,
who forever sing your praises,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.

(c) 2011 Thom M. Shuman

Third Sunday of Advent

2011-12-11T08:57:00.000-05:00

The LORD says to my lord,
    "Sit at my right hand,
until I make your enemies your
          footstool."

The LORD is at your right hand;
    he will shatter kings on the day of
          his wrath.
He will execute judgment among the
          nations,
    filling them with corpses;
he will shatter heads
    over the wide earth.
He will drink from the stream by the
         path;
therefore he will lift up his head.
       Psalm 110:1, 5-7

Even David, that great exemplar of Hebrew expectations, believed that God would send someone who would be even greater than he (and hopefully without the frailties and failings). That seems clear in this psalm which is attributed to him. Early Christians accepted this tradition, which may account for it being quoted several times in the New Testament. While many folks may still hope that God will knock the heads of leaders together to get their attention or rain down fire upon all those nations we don't like, there are those believers who have trouble with this language of judgment, retribution, violence. No wonder this psalm is not quoted on Christmas cards, or is the scriptural basis for carols of the season!

Yet, it is a pretty accurate description of what Jesus did, it seems to me.

Didn't he shatter all the expectations of who the Messiah would be, and what the Messiah would do?

Didn't he put to death all those assumptions of how God acts in the world, telling us of the God who longs to love us, forgive us, save us?

Didn't he fill the world with people who were, and are today, willing to let their old lives die (becoming 'corpses' in a sense) so that the new life in Christ might emerge in them?

Didn't he continually invite us to drink from the living waters which are all around us?

The writer of Ephesians (2:11-22), perhaps with this psalm in mind, speaks about Christ as the One who shattered the barriers which we put up between us and otehrs; as the One who breaks down the hostility between human beings; as the One who takes those considered to be dead by the world (all the outsiders, the aliens, the strangers) and makes us all members of God's household.

May God continue to shatter our frozen hearts with that love and hope which came down at Bethlehem.

(c) 2011 Thom M. Shuman

Second Saturday of Advent

2011-12-10T08:59:00.000-05:00

Praise the LORD!
Sing to the LORD a new song,
    his praise in the assembly of the
          faithful.
Let Israel be glad in its Maker;
    let the children of Zion rejoice in
          their King.
Let them praise his name with
          dancing,
    making melody to him with
          tambourine and lyre.
                   Psalm 149:1-3

So what is on your list for today?

Is it filled with all those home improvement jobs you've been putting off for weeks, but now that the weather is blustery, it seems like a good day for them? Are you going to be getting into the car, going from place to place, dashing from store to store marking off each gift as you purchase them? Will you simply be the driver for the kids, as they first get to dance class, then off to athletic practices, and then to their friends' houses for a sleepover? Our lists are endless this time of year, and even with a Saturday open before us, the hours are filled before we even pull ourselves out of bed.

Will you be doing any singing today?

I know you will hear lots of singing - in every store and each mall walkway, the sounds of the season will be blaring. In the car, every radio station seems to be playing the same song no matter which one you turn to. The runners, the walkers, the exercisers are all plugged into their mp3 players, letting Bono, Beyonce, Justin serenade them along their way. But, will you be adding your voice to the chorus?

Probably not, is my guess. We're too busy, we're too overwhelmed, we're too stressed, we're too embarassed to sing out loud these days. Even in our own homes, we rarely sing, do we? Oh, maybe in the shower, but even there, we have a list going on in our minds, and we are in a rush to get going.

But in that tradition which predates our own, today is Sabbath. Today is that one chance to rest, to relax, to set aside time for God, for family, for worship, for self. Sabbath is the gift that the busy God gives to us in the midst of all our business. Psalm 149 reminds us that this is the moment to sing, to praise God for this opportunity for renewal of spirits, of praise for the glory of creation, to worship God not just with our mouths, but with our hearts and souls. It is the opportunity as one young Jewish writer said, to distinguish 'between minutes and hours not to regiment them but to set aside moments of holiness.

And in that tradition, on this day of Sabbath rest and joy, there is to be singing. So, sing today:
   sing to your children of how they delight you;
   gather up all your love and sing to your partner;
   sing to God, not just those old familiar songs you love,
       but ones which you think God might enjoy!

Sing, sing, sing of the gift of Sabbath.

Who knows, maybe it will become a daily habit.

(c) 2011 Thom M. Shuman

Second Friday of Advent

2011-12-09T18:28:00.000-05:00

Praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD from the heavens;
    praise him in the heights!
Praise him, all his angels;
    praise him, all his host!

Praise him, sun and moon;
    praise him, all you shining stars!
Praise him, you highest heavens,
    and you waters above the heavens!
              Psaklm 148:1-4

Can you hear it?

All creation is praising God!

From angelic host preparing for opening night

to geese honking their way south;

from a grandmother singing as she puts sprinkles on sugar cookies,

to a newborn gurgling in joy at the lights onthe tree:

all creation is praise God!

From kittens sleeping in the winter sun

to lions and tigers growling at the zoo's festive lights;

from rivers groaning as ice forms on their skin,

to pine trees cracking in the frozen dawn:

all creation is praising God!

From the singing stars in distant galaxies,

to carolers huddling around wind-whipped candles;

from wooly-woolies crawling in silence

to the powerless crying for hope:

all creation is praising God!

Can you hear it?

Second Thursday of Advent

2011-12-08T13:59:00.000-05:00

I love you, O LORD, my
          strength.
The LORD is my rock, my
          fortress, and my
          deliverer,
    my God, my rock in whom
          I take refuge,
    my shield, and the horn of
          my salvation, my
          stronghold.
I will call upon the LORD, who is
          worthy to be praised,
    so I shall be saved from
          my enemies.
                 Psalm 18:1-3

When you pray, when you 'call upon the Lord,' what do names, titles, honorifics do you use to address God? One of the early phrases I can remember hearing is 'omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient God.' Or how about 'Ground of All Being'? How about 'Ineffable Majesty'? Pretty theological, aren't they (and I mean that in the heaviest sense)!

But the psalmists don't usually by into that sort of language. A lot of times it is simply Lord, or God, or O God. But then they go on with a pretty rich and diverse vocabulary to speak of God. In this psalm alone, God is praised for being one's rock, a fortress, deliverer. Words from everyday language, words which describe things we see (or don't see because we are not paying attention) every day. Words which spoke of God being as close as that rock you sat on while resting, so strong that the greatest force cannot tear it down.

We have a real poverty of God-language these days, it seems to me. Much of the way we talk about God, or use to pray to God, is tasteless, anemic, saltless. We could use new words, new images, new metaphors to speak of God, just as the psalmists did so long ago.

What about God as Breadmaker, taking those simple items found in creation (and in our pantries) to shape the bread of hope, of life? What about God as Dog Walker, noticing all we notice, listening to our conversation with a neighbor, laughing as we chase after things blown in the wind, gently correcting us and showing us the paths that are safest for us? Ever think of God as Creation's Witness, Jesus as Wave Walker, the Spirit as Dancing Flames?

Why not spend some time thinking about what imaginative, new words you might use as you pray to God and call upon the Lord?

(c) 2011 Thom M. Shuman

Second Wednesday of Advent

2011-12-07T14:22:00.000-05:00

Hear this, you that trample
         on the needy,
    and bring to ruin the poor
         of the land,
saying, "When will the new
         moon be over
    so that we may sell grain;
and the sabbath,
    so that we may offer wheat
         for sale?
We will make the ephah
         small and the shekel
         great,
    and practice deceit with
         false balances,
buying the poor for silver
    and the needy for a pair of
         sandals,
    and selling the sweepings
         of the wheat."
The LORD has sworn by the
         pride of Jacob;
Surely I will neve forget
         any of their deeds.
           Amos 8:4-7

Pretty harsh words, aren't they? They are harsh, because they are true. They are harsh, because when the prophet speaks of 'their deeds,' he's talking about us. We see the ads on TV for the diamond encrusted gift, and don't think about at what human cost they are mined. We look at the gold jewelry in the slick flyers, and never wonder about the little children who go into dangerous, unregulated places to get the gold out of the ground. We want the newest, fastest, fanciest technologies and don't want to be told of the depleted resources which are used to make our lives so fast, so fancy. They are harsh words directed at people who are not so much evil, as we are uncaring. We are more concerned about our wants, our needs, our desire for the latest thing, without taking notice as to who we may trample, or bring to ruin, or simply ignore.

But if it is clear in scripture that God has a long memory when it comes to the foolish choices we make (because we think it is all about us), it is equally clear that God has a longer memory when it comes to those wise practices we can learn, when it comes to those willful decisions we can make, when it comes to reaching down and picking someone up rather than trampling them when they are down. Yes, we are told over and over, Advent is the season of anticipation and expectation, but it is also a season of action as well, especially as God anticipates that we will finally catch on to what is expected of us.

And it's really so simple, these decisions, these wise practices which can cause God such joy, and bring others such hope. What would it be like
if for every dollar we spent on gifts, we gave another dollar away;
if we gave children, simple long-lasting gifts and made donations in the names of adults;
if we paid for a meal for a family through a social service agency,
   while we are planning our big family feast;
if we gave away all those warm coats/scarves/gloves just hanging in the back of our closets.
if . . .

(c) 2011 Thom M. Shuman

Second Tuesday of Advent

2011-12-06T17:05:00.000-05:00

Rejoice in the LORD, O you
         righteous.
   Praise befits the upright.
Praise the LORD with the
         lyre;
   make melody to him with
         the harp of ten strings.
Sing to him a new song;
   play skillfully on the
         strings, with loud
         shouts.
For the word of the LORD is
         upright,
   and all his work is done in
         faithfulness.
He loves righteousness and
         justice;
   the earth is full of the
         steadfast love of the
         LORD.
By the word of the LORD the
         heavens were made,
   and all their host by the
         the breath of his mouth.
He gathered the waters of
         the sea as in a bottle;
   he put the deeps in
         storehouses.
           Psalm 33:1-7

Here, the leaves have stopped dancing across the lawns and are curling up trying to keep warm against the first bite of winter's wind. In another part of the world, plants are spring up, birds are singing people awake, stars shoot across summer skies, breezes tease through the trees. Some of us prepare ourselves for the bleak midwinter blahs (physical and emotional), while others are looking forward to all the blues concerts they can attend in their shorts and sandals. What a gift God has given to us in this marvelous creation in which we are blessed to live!

The psalmist reminds us that in whatever season we find ourselves, God watches over all of us. And in every season, God's steadfast love, God's steadfast justice, God's steadfast watchfullness are with us, because God is such a lover of righteousness and justice. It's not a mater of whether or not God is in our midst, according to the psalmist, it's a matter of whether or not we pay attention to this Presence!

So, take a moment from worrying about when the first snow/ice storm of the year will come, and watch the child, with tongue placed firmly into the cheek of her mouth, patiently making a gift for her little brother. Stop packing the car for the trip to the beach, and notice the family across the street who, as they do every Saturday, is heading down to volunteer at the soup kitchen. Pull over to the side of the road on your race to the mall, and watch the pierced and tattooed young man helping an elderly driver change the flat on their car.

It's not just for a moment, of a day, or a season, but it is in all our moments, all our days, all the seasons we have been given that we see God's love shown in creation and through the created.

(c) 2011 Thom M. Shuman

Second Monday of Advent

2011-12-06T16:44:00.000-05:00

Jesus answered them, "You are wrong, because you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is God not of the dead, but of the living."
Matthew 22:29-32

On most days, I believe that in that time we call resurrection, that Teddy will be whole and normal, and we will be (finally) the family we always have longed to be. But I might be disappointed. If folks ask me what I think heaven will be like, I usually tell them I don't know, but I hope that it is a library with lots of chocolate allowed in the reading room. But I might be disappointed. And the folks that think that heaven (or resurrected life or whatever you want to call it) is paved with gold, and we will all have houses beyond compare, and that all the folks we don't like or at least believe aren't as good as us won't be there to bother us anymore? I think they might be disappointed as well.

We can imagine, or believe, or hope, or pray a lot of different things when it comes to whatever lies on the other side of death. But the truth is, we just don't know for certain. I am convinced that in this life, not even Jesus knew for certain whether, if, what would await him after death. I think that's why he told the religious leaders that they were asking the wrong questions and worrying about the wrong things.

But what Jesus was absolutely convinced of was God. The God of Abraham will also be the God of Alan, Annie, and Alex; the God of Isaac will also be the God of Irene, of Ivan, of Iain; the God of Jacob will also be the God of Jesus, of Jose, of Jane. The God of the living will welcome all children into the time beyond this moment, the God of the living will provide a place beyond our imagination (and based on all the wonders
and surprises in creation, God has a pretty good imagination), the God of the living will continue to be our God even when the world says good-bye to us and relegates us to the ranks of the dead.

And the God of the living will never, ever disappoint us.

(c) 2011 Thom M. Shuman

Second Sunday of Advent

2011-12-06T16:28:00.000-05:00

   But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. The Lord is not slow about his promise as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and everything that is done on it will be disclosed.
   Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, what sort of persons ought you to be in leading lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God...?
            2nd Peter 3:8-12a

      eusebia*

it's tempting to think
that morality
   is about pointing one's
               finger at others,
      showing them the
         errors they have made,
                  but it's really about
    crooking your finger
    to invite the least
          into your home,
              tracing words in a
                    book, so a little
                one can learn,
        testing the wind
           so you know where
                Spirit wants you to
                          go;

it's simple to act as if
           piety
    allows you to walk around
    with your nose up in the air,
                but you need to stick
                   your nose in other
                people's problems,
      so you can help solve them,
          you need to smell the
                    ordure of injustice
             so you can help clean it
                      up,
                you want to lean down
         and rub noses with a little
                          kid
           and be filled with laughter;

it's easy to develop
the attitude that
   it is all about my journey,
      of my personal relationship
                                 with the divine,
         of what has been done for
                                           me . . .
but faith
        is God-ward,
             and them-ward
   before it's ever
       me-ward.

© 2011 Thom M. Shuman

*eusebia is the Greek word translated 'godliness' in 2nd Peter 3:11