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.

November 22, 2008

I. Readings
Psalms 63, 100, 122
Malachi 3:13-4:6
James 5:13-20
Luke 18:9-14

II. Selections
Psalm 122:2
Our feet are standing
within your gates, O Jerusalem.

Malachi 3:14
You have said, "It is vain to serve God. What do we profit by keeping his command or by going about as mourners before the LORD of hosts? ... "

James 5:16
Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.

Luke 18:11-12
" ...The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, 'God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.' ... " [ Jesus to his disciples]

III. Meditation: Rebellion and arrogance

Tonight we have two quotations that are displeasing to you. The one is by deliberately evil men, men who openly reject you and flaunt the fact that they have done so. The second saying is by one who sees himself as righteous rather than rebellious. His arrogance about his perceived righteous acts damns him as surely as does the rebellion of the deliberately evil. We need to confess our sins to one another, and pray for one another, that we may be healed. We need to keep our feet standing within your gates.

Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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