Friday, January 25, 2013

Your Body, LLC (1 Corinthians 12:12-31a)

we stick our tongue
         out of the corner
         of our mouths
      as we try to make
              the chart
           flow
         properly (if
   the vote is 'yes'
      then we go
           in that direction,
        if 'no' then
    we take a different
              route)
      but you simply whisper
         'follow me (even
        if it seems we
        are going in circles)';

the time line is posted
            all over the
      facility, from the
         boardroom to the
              bathroom, so
   everyone will know the
   exact sequence of when
      our transformation
      efforts will take
                  place,
          and you persist
        in showing up when
        we least expect, asking
   'is this a bad time?'

we pull up
         the template on
         our computer, ready
      to fill in the names
      of the organization's leadership,
   so it is clear as to who has
   what authority, who reports to
                      whom,
           who the links in the
           chain of command are,
       and
              you place a gift
              in the heart of each
         person (even the ones
                not listed on the
                    chart) and
   invite us to join hands as
      we dance in a circle
         around you.

(c) 2013 Thom M. Shuman

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Cana (John 2:1-11)

when you might prefer
to do nothing,
you are reminded of
what you should do,
so

prodded,
you take our
tears
pooled on the
floors of our
hearts
and, with a word,
they flow together
into the sweet wine
of joy;

nudged,
you gather up
our shattered
words of despair,
and rearrange them
into songs
of hope;

pushed,
you step into our
comfort zones,
pulling us up
out of our lazy
concerns,
dancing with us
until the dawn breaks.

© 2013 Thom M. Shuman