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.

August 06, 2006

I. Readings
Psalms 23, 66, 108
Judges 6:1-24
2 Corinthians 9:6-15
Mark 3:20-30

II. Selections
Psalm 66:20
Blessed be God,
because he has not rejected my prayer
or removed his steadfast love from me.

Judges 6:13a
Gideon answered [ the angel of the LORD], "But sir, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? ..."

2 Corinthians 9:8
And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work.

Mark 3:21
When [ Jesus'] family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, "He has gone out of his mind."

III. Meditation: In abundance

We bless you, because you have not rejected our prayer
or removed your steadfast love from us.

You are able to provide us with every blessing in abundance,
so that having enough, we are able to share abundantly.

Some would say that we are out of our mind,
for if you are with us, why then so much misfortune?

We have no answer, except to affirm that you are with us.
Show us, we pray, how to share in every good work.

Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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