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.

To You or to the World?--Apr. 15, 2016


Too often we live as if we still belonged to the world,
O God, instead of to you.
Moses alone was allowed to come near you,
but if we die with Christ
to the elemental spirits of the universe,
then we come near you—
or near to the kingdom of heaven.
We call you, answer us;
increase our strength of soul.

Lectionary Readings
Ps. 96; 148; 49; 138
Exod. 24:1-18
Col. 2:8-23
Matt. 4:12-17

Selected Verses
Ps. 138:3
On the day I called, you answered me,
          you increased my strength of soul.

Exod. 24:2
“…Moses alone shall come near the LORD; but the others shall not come near, and the people shall not come up with him."  [The LORD to Moses]

Col. 2:20a
If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the universe, why do you live as if you still belonged to the world? 

Matt. 4:17
From that time Jesus began to proclaim, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near."
Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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