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.

January 03, 2008

I. Readings
Psalms 15, 107, 111
1 Kings 19:9-18
Ephesians 4:17-32
John 6:15-27

II. Selections
Psalm 15:1
O LORD, who may abide in your tent?
Who may dwell on your holy hill? ;

1 Kings 19:9
At that place [ Horeb] [ Elijah] came to a cave, and spent the night there. Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

Ephesians 4:32
...and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.

John 6:25
When [ the crowd] found [ Jesus] on the other side of the sea, they said to him, "Rabbi, when did you come here?"

III. Meditation: To find you

Who can find you, God, and how, and where?
Must we visit a cave by some sacred mountain,
or chase after you to the other side of the sea? ;
And if we find you, who is worthy to enter in?

We find you-or you find us-and you ask what
we are doing here, and send us back into the world
to be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving
one another, even as you in Christ have forgiven us.

Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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