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 02, 2007

I. Readings
Psalms 9, 99, 118
Jeremiah 30:18-22
Colossians 1:24-2:7
Luke 6:27-38

II. Selections
Psalm 118:5
Out of my distress I called on the LORD;
the LORD answered me and set me in a broad place.

Jeremiah 30:22
And you shall be my people,
and I will be your God.

Colossians 1:27
To [ his saints] God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Luke 6:35
But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.

III. Meditation: The hope of glory

Out of our distress we have called on you;
you have answered and set us in a broad place.

You have chosen to make known to us how great
are the riches of this glorious mystery, Christ in us.

And we shall be your people, and you will be our God.
We will love our enemies, do good, lend expecting no return.

For you are kind to the ungrateful and the wicked, and you call us
to be your children, children of the mystery, mystery of Christ in us.

Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)