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 31, 2008

I. Readings
Psalms 81, 116, 143
Genesis 16:15-17:14
Hebrews 10:1-10
John 5:30-47

II. Selections
Psalm 81:10
" ...I am the LORD your God,
who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.
Open your mouth wide and I will fill it. ... "

Genesis 17:7
I will establish my covenant between me and you, and your offspring after you throughout their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. [ God Almighty to Abram]

Hebrews 10:10
And it is by God's will that we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

John 5:40
" ...Yet you refuse to come to me to have life. ... " [ Jesus to the crowd]

III. Meditation: Inexplicable

You brought us up out of slavery in Egypt,
covenant to be God to us and our offspring,
sanctify us through the offering of Jesus,
promise that if we will open our mouth wide
you will fill it, yet we refuse to come to you.

Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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