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 11, 2007

I. Readings
Psalms 49, 96, 138
Deuteronomy 31:30-32:14
Romans 14:13-23
Luke 8:40-56

II. Selections
Psalm 49:3
My mouth shall speak wisdom;
the meditation of my heart shall be understanding.

Deuteronomy 32:2
May my teaching drop like the rain,
my speech condense like the dew;
like gentle rain on grass,
like showers on new growth.

Romans 14:19
Let us then pursue what makes for peace and mutual understanding.

Luke 8:53
And [ the mourners] all laughed at [ Jesus], knowing that [ Jairus' daughter] was dead.

III. Meditation: What makes for understanding

Let our mouths speak wisdom
and the meditation of our hearts
be understanding.

May our teaching drop like the rain
and our speech condense like the dew;
like gentle rain on grass,
like showers on new growth.

Let us pursue what makes for peace
and mutual understanding,
and may we hear one another better
than those who spurned the words of Jesus.

Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)