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 07, 2007

I. Readings
Psalms 97, 115, 124
Jeremiah 32:1-15
Colossians 3:18-4:18
Luke 7:36-50

II. Selections
Psalm 124:6
Blessed be the LORD,
who has not given us
as prey to [ our enemies'] teeth.

Jeremiah 32:2-3a
At that time the army of the king of Babylon was besieging Jerusalem, and the prophet Jeremiah was confined in the court of the guard that was in the palace of the king of Judah, where King Zedekiah of Judah had confined him.

Colossians 4:3
At the same time pray for us as well that God will open to us a door for the word, that we may declare the mystery of Christ, for which I am in prison ...

Luke 7:47
" ...Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little." [ Jesus to Simon the Pharisee, speaking of the woman who had anointed Jesus' feet with ointment]

III. Meditation: Tooth-prey

Jeremiah and Paul were prey to their enemies' teeth-
at least both were in prison for what they believed-
yet they blessed your name.

The woman who had many sins forgiven could not stop
washing, drying, kissing, and anointing the feet of Jesus;
her gratitude overwhelmed her.

Forgive our lukewarm love when all goes well for us.
If our lives were more like those of Jeremiah and Paul,
perhaps we too would be tooth-prey.

Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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