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.

July 23, 2006

I. Readings
Psalms 19, 81, 113
Joshua 6:15-27
Acts 22:30-23:11
Mark 2:1-12

II. Selections
Psalm 81:12
So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts,
to follow their own counsels.

Joshua 6:17
" ...[ Jericho] and all that is in it shall be devoted to the LORD for destruction. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall live because she hid the messengers we sent. ... " [ Joshua]

Acts 23:10
When the dissension [ between the Pharisees and Sadducees] became violent, the tribune, fearing that they would tear Paul to pieces, ordered the soldiers to go down, take him by force, and bring him into the barracks.

Mark 2:4
And when [ the people carrying the paralyzed man] could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and after having dug through it, they let down the mat on which the paralytic lay.

III. Meditation: Stubbornness or determination

When with stubborn hearts
we follow our own counsels,
the outcome is never good.

The Pharisees and Sadducees rioted,
each sure of the rightness of their own positions;
and Paul had to be rescued by soldiers.

Joshua was certain that he knew your will-
near total destruction of Jericho, he demanded-
a command difficult to square with your compassion.

Still, when coupled with a seeking after you,
determination has its place, as shown by those
who put the paralytic through the roof.

Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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