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.

May 03, 2006

I. Readings
Psalms 9, 99, 118, 147:1-11
Exodus 19:16-25
Colossians 1:15-23
Matthew 3:13-17

II. Selections
Psalm 9:18
For the needy shall not always be forgotten,
nor the hope of the poor perish forever.

Exodus 19:19
As the blast of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses would speak and God would answer him in thunder.

Colossians 1:19-20
For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.

Matthew 3:14
John would have prevented him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?"

III. Meditation: Do you come to us?
Do you come to us, Jesus?
Do you come to us, as you came to John?
All the fullness of God is pleased to dwell in you,
why should you come to us?

God came to Moses
in trumpet blast and thunder.
Your approach is soft and quiet,
but still you come to us?

Is it because in you we are reconciled,
reconciled to God and to all things,
even to the needy, who shall not be forgotten,
and to the poor, whose hope shall not perish?

Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)