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.

March 14, 2006

I. Readings
Psalms 25, 34, 91
Genesis 42:1-17
1 Corinthians 5:1-8
Mark 3:19b-35

II. Selections
Psalm 34:18
The LORD is near to the brokenhearted,
and saves the crushed in spirit.

Genesis 42:13
[ Joseph's brothers] said, "We, your servants, are twelve brothers, the sons of a certain man in the land of Canaan; the youngest, however, is now with our father, and one is no more."

1 Corinthians 5:8
Therefore, let us celebrate the festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Mark 3:27
" ...But no one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his property without first tying up the strong man; then indeed the house can be plundered. ..."

III. Meditation: The old yeast of malice and evil
Joseph's brothers had lived by the old yeast,
the yeast of malice and evil.
Joseph lived by the unleavened bread
of sincerity and truth.

When Joseph was brokenhearted,
you were near to him;
when his spirit was crushed,
you saved him.

Only with your help
are we able to tie up
the strong man, the evil one,
and plunder his house.

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