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.

March 01, 2007

I. Readings
Psalms 27, 102, 126
Deuteronomy 9:23-10:5
Hebrews 4:1-10
John 3:16-21

II. Selections
Psalm 102:6
I am like an owl of the wilderness,
like a little owl of the waste places.

Deuteronomy 9:26
...I prayed to the LORD and said, "Lord GOD, do not destroy the people who are your very own possession, whom you redeemed in your greatness, whom you brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand. ... " [ Moses to the people of Israel]

Hebrews 4:9-10
So then, a sabbath rest still remains for the people of God; for those who enter God's rest also cease from their labors as God did from his.

John 3:17
"Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. ... " [ Jesus to Nicodemus]

III. Meditation: There still remains a Sabbath rest

A little owl of the wilderness,
forlorn, pitiful, pathetic,
a little bird that no one knows,
no one wants to know,
a bird of the waste places-
sometimes we are that little owl.

But then you remind us:
we are your people, the ones
whom you redeemed
and, with a mighty hand,
brought out of Egypt
to be your own possession.

You did not send the Son
into the world to condemn it,
but through him to save it.
We don't pretend to comprehend,
but one thing at least we know-
he shows us how to rest in you.

Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)