Christmas Day

i was frantic!

i climbed into the attic,
rummaging through
all the empty boxes
saved for next Christmas;

i waded through all the
shredded wrapping paper
in the garbage:

i was frantic -
i couldn't find you anywhere!

but there you are:

out riding sleds
or new bikes
with the younger ones;

letting teenagers
beat you
at video games;

doing the dishes
with Uncle Jim;

reading a story
to Gran
as she dozes off;

and laughing
at my foolishness,
because you came searching
for me so long ago
and have never lost me!
Amen.

(c) 2005 Thom M. Shuman

O come,
Wonderful Counselor:
to listen to my loneliness,
to comfort my grief,
to cradle my brokenness,
to touch me
and make me whole.

O come . . .

O come,
Prince of Peace:
to reconcile
the warring sides
of my self,
that I might
be made complete
in the divine image
once and for all.

O come . . .

(c) 2005 Thom M. Shuman

O come,
Spring of Hope:
to melt the bitterness
of our frozen hearts,
so we may flow
in ceaseless service
to a world in pain.

O come . . .

(c) 2005 Thom M. Shuman

O come,
Host of the world:
to welcome us at your feast,
to pull out the seat of honor
for the least among us,
to feed us
until we burst
with joy.

O come . . .

(c) 2005 Thom M. Shuman

i don't have time:

bone-weary
from errands,
i don't have time to listen:

to my children singing in the tub,
to my spouse quietly fixing dinner,
to that angel whispering for attention;

exhausted from
my latest expedition
to the mall,
i don't have time to wait:

to find hope sitting in my mailbox,
to see you walking with me in the snow,
for you to fill my emptiness;

spending the whole weekend
getting the house decorated,
i don't have time

to greet my neighbor with a smile not a mumble,
to scrape the ice off my heart,
to be rocked gently in the cradle of your love.

but
hear i am, Lord,
hoping you have time
for me . . .

(c) 2005 Thom M. Shuman

O come,
Grain of Gentleness:
to feed us,
so we might
laugh in delight
as we gorge ourselves
on your joy.

O come . . .

(c) 2005 Thom M. Shuman

O come,
Vessel of Grace:
to fill our hollow souls
with your giving spirit,
so we might offer ourselves
in service, and in hope,
to everyone we meet.

O come . . .

(c) 2005 Thom M. Shuman

O come,
Bright Morning Star:
to light our way
through the shadows
of our fears,
and lead us
to the stable
where Grace gently sleeps
in peace.

O come . . .

(c) 2005 Thom M. Shuman

O come,
Water Walker:
to splash through
the puddles of our sin,
to dry us off
with your tears,
and enfold us
in the warmth
of your grace.

O come . . .

(c) 2005 Thom M. Shuman

O come,
Key of Hope:
unlock our shuttered hearts,
that the doors to our soul
may be flung open wide
to welcome you
with joy and laughter.

O come . . .

(c) 2005 Thom M. Shuman

O come,
Dancer of the Universe:
to gather us up
in your arms
and to twirl us
around and around
in your joy.

O come . . .

(c) 2005 Thom M. Shuman

O come,
Sentinel of the stars:
keep us safe from our fears,
that we may set them
to the side of the path,
as we journey to Bethlehem
and to your heart.

O come . . .

Amen.

O come,
Winter Wind:
to cool
our fevered focus
on ourselves,
that we might bring
the warmth of your love
to those for whom winter
is every season of their lives.

O come . . .

Amen.

(c) 2005 Thom M. Shuman

O come,
Snowfall of serenity:
to calm our harried lives,
that we might hear
your angels
whispering to us,
as the Spirit
drifts gently
through the air.

O come.

Amen.

(c) 2005 Thom M. Shuman

O come,
Mist upon the lake:
move over us
and cover us
with your peace,
that we might
walk gently
through this day.

O come.

Amen.

(c) 2005 Thom M. Shuman

It's Not Rocket Science

it's not rocket science,
is it, Lord?

making others feel welcome,
i mean.

if they show up
(like John)
barefoot,
we can just slip off our shoes
and get more comfortable;

if they come
(like John)
speaking in a way
we don't understand,
all we have to do is listen;

if they invite us
(like John)
to try a different way
of doing things,
we can jump into the water
and see what it's like.

it's not rocket science,
is it, Lord?

after all,
you welcome us
to your heart
just as we are.

(c) 2005 Thom M. Shuman

so come . . .

when no one
seems to pay attention,
we hesitantly reach out
and tug at your sleeve,
pleading,
"please, listen."

so, come . . .

you are willing
to stand on the street corner,
dressed in dirt and rags,
holding a sign
that reads:
"will work
for those
who wait."

so, come . . .

ignoring our imperfections,
overlooking our hardened hearts,
you keep reworking us
on your wheel of grace,
smiling to yourself
as we gradually take on
the divine shape.

so come, Lord Jesus,
come . . .
(c) 2005 Thom M. Shuman

when you sit
with the homeless
at the local shelter,
you are enthroned in glory,
surrounded by the angels
we have forgotten;

when you pass
the bread
at the downtown soup kitchen,
you bless it
with your grace,
that your neighbor
might be filled with hope;

when you take off
your winter coat
and drape it around
a shivering child,
she is warmed
by your heart
aflame with compassion;

we wonder why we cannot find you,
when we search for you
among the powerful and wealthy,
while all along you have been with
the citizens of your Kingdom:
the hungry, the naked, the sick,
the imprisoned, the lost, the lonely.

help us to meet you there,
Lord Jesus,
help us to meet you there.
Amen.

(c) 2005 Thom M. Shuman

ACTS Prayer

i am not sure
what adoration sounds like,
unless it is the geese singing
on a crisp fall morning
as they glide over my head;

i feel absolutely
no need to confess -
until i see
the disappointment
on my child's face
because i thought
another meeting
was more important
than her concert;

thanksgiving
is not only the grace
a child offers at a meal,
it is the relief
in the voice of his grandfather
sharing the results
of his recent medical tests;

i find it difficult to beg,
but when i see people
digging out
from the rubble of an earthquake,
or struggle to feed abandoned kids,
i find myself on my knees
in supplication for them.

O Lord, hear my prayers.
Amen.

(c) 2005 Thom M. Shuman