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.

June 06, 2008

I. Readings
Psalms 6, 20, 88
Ecclesiastes 5:1-7
Galatians 3:15-22
Matthew 14:22-36

II. Selections
Psalm 6:1
O LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger,
or discipline me in your wrath.

Ecclesiastes 5:1
Guard your steps when you go to the house of God; to draw near to listen is better than the sacrifice offered by fools; for they do not know how to keep from doing evil.

Galatians 3:21
Is the law then opposed to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could make alive, then righteousness would indeed come through the law.

Matthew 14:27
But immediately Jesus spoke to [ the disciples in the boat] and said, "Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid."

III. Meditation: Draw near to listen

We are afraid of your angry rebuke
and fear your wrathful discipline;
well we know we deserve both.

We attend too much to protecting
ourselves by following your rules,
too little to our relationship with you.

We spend too much of our worship time
trying to appease you in foolish ritual;
teach us instead to draw near and listen:
"Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid."

Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)