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 24, 2006

I. Readings
Psalms 9, 99, 118
Leviticus 26:27-42
Ephesians 1:1-10
Matthew 22:41-46

II. Selections
Psalm 9:20
Put them in fear, O LORD;
let the nations know that they are only human.

Leviticus 26:36
And as for those of you who survive, I will send faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies; the sound of a driven leaf shall put them in flight, and they shall flee as one flees from the sword, and they shall fall though no one pursues.

Ephesians 1:5
He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will ...

Matthew 22:46
No one was able to give [ Jesus] an answer, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.

III. Meditation: Only human
Only human, God, only human.
The nations need reminding
that they are only human.
They think they sit in your seat,
think they can supplant your law,
suppose you will not notice.

Not notice torture,
ignore terror,
overlook oppression,
pay no heed to greed,
be oblivious to hubris-
all in the name of security?

But as we yearn to be secure,
in our hearts a faintness grows;
the sound of a driven leaf brings panic;
we flee invisible swords,
fall though no one pursues;
security has vanished.

We ask why this should be,
but you are more inclined
to question than to answer-
except this question-answer:
as your adopted children,
what more security do we need?

No comments:

Post a Comment