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.

February 13, 2008

I. Readings
Psalms 5, 27, 51
Genesis 37:25-36
1 Corinthians 2:1-13
Mark 1:29-45

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.

Genesis 37:30
[ Reuben] returned to his brothers, and said, "The boy is gone, and I, where can I turn?"

1 Corinthians 2:5
...so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.

Mark 1:37
When [ Simon and his companions] found [ Jesus], they said to him, "Everyone is searching for you."

III. Meditation: We watch

Calamity strikes; we do not know where to turn.
And then we search for you. Everyone does.
Human wisdom is insufficient for our faith;
we need your power. So, early in the
morning we plead our case to you,
plead that you will hear us; and
we watch ...wait and watch.

Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)