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.

October 08, 2007

I. Readings
Psalms 5, 29, 82
2 Kings 21:1-18
1 Corinthians 10:14-11:1
Matthew 8:28-34

II. Selections
Psalm 5:3
O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice;
in the morning I plead my case to you, and watch.

2 Kings 21:13
" ...I will stretch over Jerusalem the measuring line for Samaria, and the plummet for the house of Ahab; I will wipe Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down. ... " [ The LORD, speaking through the prophets]

1 Corinthians 10:31
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.

Matthew 8:32
And [ Jesus] said to [ the demons], "Go!" So they came out and entered the swine; and suddenly, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and perished in the water.

III. Meditation: A rush downhill

Sometimes humans act like the demon-
possessed swine; rushing down a steep
bank into the sea, perishing in the water.

Your measuring line stretches over us,
your plummet marks our crookedness.

In the morning we plead our case to you
and watch. Teach us to wait for you, that
everything we do may be done for your glory.

Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)