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.

March 27, 2010

Lest We Lose Heart

I. Readings
Psalms 43, 149, 31, 143
Exodus 10:21-11:8
2 Corinthians 4:13-18
Mark 10:46-52

II. Selections
Psalm 31:15
My times are in your hand;
deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors.

Exodus 11:8b
And in hot anger [Moses] left Pharaoh.

2 Corinthians 4:16
So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day.

Mark 10:49b-50
And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart; get up, [Jesus] is calling you.” So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus.

III. Meditation

O Holy One, our times are in your hand.
You call us away from our blindness;
we throw off our coats, spring up,
and come running to you.

Deliver us from the hot anger that divides us.
Our outer nature wastes away; day-by-day
renew our inner nature, lest we lose heart,
for our times are in your hand.
Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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