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.

April 02, 2008

I. Readings
Psalms 9, 99, 118
Exodus 15:22-16:10
1 Peter 2:1-10
John 15:1-11

II. Selections
Psalm 99:4
Mighty King, lover of justice,
you have established equity;
you have executed justice
and righteousness in Jacob.

Exodus 15:25b
There [ at Marah] the LORD made for them a statute and an ordinance and there he put them to the test.

1 Peter 2:10
Once you were not a people,
but now you are God's people;
once you had not received mercy,
but now you have received mercy.

John 15:2
He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit.

III. Meditation: Extend your mercy

You love justice and establish equity;
you execute justice and righteousness.

You remove branches that bear no fruit;
you prune branches that do bear fruit.

You have made statutes and ordinances;
you have put us to the test-we failed.

Yet extend your mercy to us, we pray,
O God, make us part of your people.

Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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