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.

October 14, 2005

I. Readings
Psalms 32, 130, 139
Jeremiah 38:14-28
1 Corinthians 15:1-11
Matthew 11:1-6

II. Selections
Psalm 139:8
If I ascend to heaven, you are there;
if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.

Jeremiah 38:17
Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, "Thus says the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel, If you will only surrender to the officials of the king of Babylon, then your life shall be spared, and this city shall not be burned with fire, and you and your house shall live.

1 Corinthians 15:1-2
Now I would remind you, brothers and sisters, of the good news that I proclaimed to you, which you in turn received, in which also you stand, through which also you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message that I proclaimed to you-unless you have come to believe in vain.

Matthew 11:2-3
When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, "Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?"

III. Meditation: Not in vain
We know that you are with us when we ascend to heaven; it is not so easy to believe you are with us when we make our beds in Sheol. If we are faced with surrender to the officials of the king of Babylon, will you be with us? And if we send word from Herod's prison asking whether Jesus is the one we have been waiting for, can we believe your answer? Remind us of the good news that was proclaimed to us, which we received, in which we stand, and through which we are being saved. Help us hold fast to it-for when you are with us, our belief is not in vain.

Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)