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.

More than Enough of Contempt--Feb. 14, 2017


There has been more than enough of contempt,
dear God, far more than enough.
Have mercy on us.

After all you had done for the house of Israel,
they held you in contempt,
and rebelled.

People were spellbound by Jesus' preaching,
but contemptuous leaders
plotted to kill.

When even we who profess to follow Jesus
have contempt for conscience,
faith is shipwrecked.

Yes, more than enough
of contempt.

Lectionary Readings
Ps. 123; 146; 30; 86
Isa. 63:7-14
1 Tim. 1:18-2:15
Mark 11:12-26

Selected Verses
Ps. 123:3
 Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us,
          for we have had more than enough of contempt. 

Isa. 63:10a
But [the house of Israel] rebelled
          and grieved [the LORD's] holy spirit…

1 Tim. 1:19b
By rejecting conscience, certain persons have suffered shipwreck in the faith…

Mark 11:18
And when the chief priests and the scribes heard it, they kept looking for a way to kill [Jesus]; for they were afraid of him, because the whole crowd was spellbound by his teaching. 

Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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