I am an emeritus professor from Cornell University and was a Commissioned Lay Preacher in the Presbyterian Church (USA). For many years I have followed the Daily Lectionary as printed in the Mission Yearbook of my church. For each day of a two-year cycle, the lectionary lists four psalms and three other scriptural passages--usually one from the Old Testament and two from the New Testament. My practice is to copy down a verse or two from one of the psalms and from each of the other three passages. After I have written out all four selections, I reflect upon them, rearrange their order, and incorporate them into a meditation. Sometimes I retain much of the original wording; sometimes all that remains of a selection is an idea that was stimulated when I read the original words. All selections are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible. For the Daily Lectionary, see the link below.

When in Distress We Return to God--May 27, 2015


Merciful God, you heal the brokenhearted
and bind up their wounds.
When in distress we return to you, confessing
we are no longer worthy to be
called your children, you neither abandon nor
destroy us; you forgive and console
and reaffirm your love for us.
Make us forgiving too.

Lectionary Readings
Ps. 15; 147:1-11; 48; 4
Deut. 4:25-31
2 Cor. 1:23-2:11
Luke 15:1-2, 11-32

Selected Verses
Ps. 147:3
[The LORD] heals the brokenhearted,
          and binds up their wounds. 

Deut. 4:30-31
In your distress, when all these things have happened to you in time to come, you will return to the LORD your God and heed him.  Because the LORD your God is a merciful God, he will neither abandon you nor destroy you; he will not forget the covenant with your ancestors that he swore to them.

2 Cor. 2:6-8
This punishment by the majority is enough for such a person; so now instead you should forgive and console him, so that he may not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.  So I urge you to reaffirm your love for him. 

Luke 15:21
"…Then the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'  …"  [Jesus to those who grumbled that he welcomed sinners]
Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)