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 17, 2005

I. Readings
Psalms 47, 57, 85
Jeremiah 44:1-14
1 Corinthians 15:30-41
Matthew 11:16-24

II. Selections
Psalm 47:2
For the LORD, the Most High, is awesome,
a great king over all the earth.

Jeremiah 44:7
And now thus says the LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel: Why are you doing such great harm to yourselves, to cut off man and woman, child and infant, from the midst of Judah, leaving yourselves without a remnant?

1 Corinthians 15:30-31a
And why are we putting ourselves in danger every hour? I die every day!

Matthew 11:17
'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn.' [ children in the market place]

III. Meditation: Why are we doing such harm to ourselves?
O, awesome God, most High Lord-have we no regard for your commands? How dare we risk disobedience to one so powerful? We dare to do great harm to ourselves and to those we love by cutting ourselves off from you. Instead of risking our lives in loyalty to you, we risk them by ignoring you. How foolish we are. We think we can manipulate you as one child manipulates another, and when you do not respond, we pout. How very foolish!

Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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