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.

May 21, 2008

I. Readings
Psalms 1, 33, 89:1-18
Proverbs 6:1-19
1 John 5:1-12
Matthew 11:16-24

II. Selections
Psalms 1:4
The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

Proverbs 6:16
There are six things that the LORD hates,
seven that are an abomination to him ...

1 John 5:3
For the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome ...

Matthew 11:20
Then [ Jesus] began to reproach the cities in which most of his deeds of power had been done, because they did not repent.

III. Meditation: Chaff

If we love you we obey your commandments,
which are not burdensome-not if we love you.

If we do not love you we do the things you hate,
unloving things that are an abomination to you.

This happens to us often; then we are like chaff
the wind drives away. Show us how to repent.

Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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