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.

January 25, 2006

I. Readings
Psalms 65, 91, 125
Genesis 16:1-14
Hebrews 9:15-28
John 5:19-29

II. Selections
Psalm 65:3
When deeds of iniquity overwhelm us,
you forgive our transgressions.

Genesis 16:8
And [ the angel of the LORD] said, "Hagar, slave-girl of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?" She said, "I am running away from my mistress Sarai."

Hebrews 9:26b
But as it is, [ Christ] has appeared once for all at the end of the age to remove sin by the sacrifice of himself.

John 5:19
Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise. ..."

III. Meditation: When deeds of iniquity overwhelm us
Deeds of iniquity overwhelm us.
We try to run away, but the problem persists.
Where have we come from,
and where are we going?

You provide a different way.
You have given us Christ,
who did what he saw you doing,
and who sacrificed himself.

Through him we experience
the depth of your mercy.
Deeds of iniquity overwhelm us,
but you forgive our transgressions.

Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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