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.

April 26, 2010

Righteous Speaking

I. Readings
Psalms 97, 145, 124, 115
Exodus 32:1-20
Colossians 3:18-4:18
Matthew 5:1-10

II. Selections
Psalm 97:1
The LORD is king! Let the earth rejoice;
let the coastlands be glad!

Exodus 32:18
But [Moses] said [to Joshua], “It is not the sound made by victors, or the sound made by losers; it is the sound of revelers that I hear.”

Colossians 3:6
Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer everyone.

Matthew 5:6
“…Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. … ” [Jesus to the crowds on the mountain]

III. Meditation

You have given us ability to make
all manner of sounds and to speak
with a great variety of expressions:
the victorious cheers of winners,
the dejected groans of losers,
the raucous clamor of revelers.

We can sing glad praise to you,
rejoicing in all you have done.
And we can speak graciously,
our words seasoned with salt.
Help us hunger and thirst for
righteousness in our speaking.
Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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