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.

March 22, 2008

I. Readings
Psalms 31, 43, 143, 149
Lamentations 3:37-58
Hebrews 4:1-16
Romans 8:1-11

II. Selections
Psalm 149:2
Let Israel be glad in its Maker;
let the children of Zion rejoice in their King.

Lamentations 3:41
Let us lift up our hearts as well as our hands
to God in heaven.

Hebrews 4:16
Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Romans 8:11
If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.

III. Meditation: We rejoice in our Maker

We are glad in you, our Maker; we rejoice in you;
we lift up our hearts as well as our hands to you;
we approach your throne of grace with boldness,
that we may receive mercy to help in time of need.

Dwell in us, O Spirit of him
who raised Jesus from the dead,
and give life to our mortal bodies.

Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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