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 26, 2008

I. Readings
Psalms 56, 111, 118, 149
Genesis 12:9-13:1
Hebrews 7:18-28
John 4:27-42

II. Selections
Psalm 111:1
Praise the LORD!
I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart,
in the company of the upright, in the congregation.

Genesis 12:10
Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to reside there as an alien, for the famine was severe in the land.

Hebrews 7:22
...accordingly Jesus has also become the guarantee of a better covenant.

John 4:38
" ...I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor." [ Jesus to the disciples]

III. Meditation: Our guarantee

In your grace, O God, you have
given us a better covenant; and you
have given us Jesus to guarantee it.

With our whole heart we give you thanks,
for there was a severe famine in the land;
others have labored, and we have benefited.

Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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