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.

Marvelous Things--May 3, 2017


 To eyes of faith, you do marvelous things,
but others reject what you have done,
and some are perplexed by them,
and some are even terrified.
The crowds thought they knew
what Jesus should do--they would  
have forced him, but were not able to.
Jesus taught how we should live, and his
commandments are not burdensome
to those who have faith, and who
lean on him to help them--
that, too, is marvelous.

Lectionary Readings
Ps. 99; 147:1-11; 9; 118
Dan. 5:1-12
1 John 5:1-12
Luke 4:38-44  

Selected Verses
Ps. 118:22-23
The stone that the builders rejected
          has become the chief cornerstone.
This is the LORD’s doing;
          it is marvelous in our eyes. 

Dan. 5:9
Then King Belshazzar became greatly terrified and his face turned pale, and his lords were perplexed.

1 John 5:3-4
For the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments.  And his commandments are not burdensome, for whatever is born of God conquers the world.  And this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith.

Luke 4:42-43
At daybreak [Jesus] departed and went into a deserted place.  And the crowds were looking for him; and when they reached him, they wanted to prevent him from leaving them.  But he said to them, "I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other cities also; for I was sent for this purpose."

Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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