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.

September 21, 2005

2005 September 21

I. Readings
Psalms 65, 91, 125
2 Kings 6:1-23
1 Corinthians 5:9-6:11
Matthew 5:38-48

II. Selections
Ps. 9:1-2
You who live in the shelter of the Most High,
who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,
will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress;
my God, in whom I trust."

2 Kings 6:21
When the king of Israel saw [ the Aramean soldiers] he said to Elisha, "Father, shall I kill them? Shall I kill them?"

1 Cor. 6:7
In fact, to have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded?

Matt. 5:44-45
But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.

III. Meditation: In your shadow
You shelter us; we abide in your shadow. You are our refuge and our fortress, O God, in whom we trust. Trusting in you, shall we kill our enemies when the opportunity presents itself? Or shall we love them and pray for those who persecute us, even as you make your sun rise on the evil and on the good, and send rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous? Trusting in you, shall we sue those who have maltreated us? Or is it is better to be wronged or defrauded?

Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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