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.

November 28, 2007

I. Readings
Psalms 96, 132, 134
Obadiah 15-21
1 Peter 2:1-10
Matthew 19:23-30

II. Selections
Psalm 96:2
Sing to the LORD, bless his name;
tell of his salvation from day to day.

Obadiah 15
For the day of the LORD is near against all the nations,
As you [ Edom] have done, it shall be done to you;
your deeds shall return on your own head.

1 Peter 2:10
Once you were not a people,
but now you are God's people;
once you had not received mercy,
but now you have received mercy.

Matthew 19:27
" ...And out of pity for [ his slave], the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt. ... " [ Jesus, telling his disciples the parable of the unforgiving servant]

III. Meditation: What we deserve

What we deserve is what we have done to others;
we deserve to have our deeds return on our own head.

But now we our your people; we have received your mercy;
out of pity you have released us and forgiven us our debt.

We sing to you, we bless your name,
we tell of your salvation from day to day.

Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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