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.

October 03, 2008

I. Readings
Psalms 25, 40, 84
Hosea 4:11-19
Acts 21:37-22:16
Luke 6:12-26

II. Selections
Psalm 40:5
You have multiplied, O LORD my God,
your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us;
none can compare with you.
Were I to proclaim and tell of them,
they would be more than can be counted.

Hosea 4:16
Like a stubborn heifer,
Israel is stubborn;
can the LORD now feed them
like a lamb in a broad pasture?

Acts 22:14
" ...Then Ananias said, 'The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will, to see the Righteous One and to hear his own voice; for you will be his witness to all the world of what you have seen and heard. ...' " [ Paul, from the steps of the barracks, defending himself to the mob in Jerusalem]

Luke 6:26
" ...Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets. ... " [ Jesus preaching from the plain to a crowd of his disciples]

III. Meditation: More than can be counted

O Lord our God, we are a stubborn people; but you have multiplied your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us more than can be counted. Make us witnesses to all the world of what we have seen and heard; and free us not only from our stubbornness, but also from the desire to be praised by those who hear us. Only then will we be fit to feed your lambs. We pray in the name of the Shepherd of your sheep.

Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)