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 27, 2006

I. Readings
Psalms 27, 36, 80
Joshua 9:3-21
Romans 15:1-13
Matthew 26:69-75

II. Selections
Psalm 36:2
For [ the wicked] flatter themselves in their own eyes
that their iniquity cannot be found out and hated.

Joshua 9:14
So the leaders partook of [ the Gibeonites'] provisions, and did not ask direction from the LORD.

Romans 15:1-2
We who are strong ought to put up with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Each of us must please our neighbor for the good purpose of building up the neighbor.

Matthew 26:74
Then [ Peter] began to curse, and he swore an oath, "I do not know the man!" At that moment the cock crowed.

III. Meditation: Failings or wickedness?

For the sake of our neighbors who are weak,
and for building them up,
you expect us to put up with their failings.

You forgave the failings of Peter,
his curse and denial
that he knew the man Jesus.

But what if the failings grow to be wickedness,
and our neighbors flatter themselves
that their iniquity cannot be found out and hated?

Teach us to ask direction from you,
to understand the difference between failings and wickedness.
Teach us to hate wickedness, but not the wicked.

Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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