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 29, 2008

I. Readings
Psalms 27, 36, 80
Proverbs 21:30-22:6
1 Timothy 4:1-16
Matthew 13:24-30

II. Selections
Psalm 36:6
Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,
your judgments are like the great deep,
you save humans and animals alike, O LORD.

Proverbs 22:2
The rich and the poor have this in common:
the LORD is the maker of them all.

1 Timothy 4:4
For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, provided it is received with thanksgiving ...

Matthew 13:25
" ...but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. ... " [ Jesus to his disciples]

III. Meditation: Rich and poor, humans and animals

In righteousness and justice you save humans and animals alike;
everything you created is good, if received with thanksgiving.
O God, you are the maker of the rich and the poor; but while
everyone was asleep, an enemy came, sowed weeds in the field-
selfishness, greed, oppression, exploitation of your good creation.

Forgive, restore, make whole again.

Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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