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.

May 02, 2010


The Peaceful Fruit of Righteousness

I. Readings
Psalms 93, 150, 136, 117
Leviticus 8:1-13, 30-36
Hebrews 12:1-14
Luke 4:16-30

II. Selections
Psalm 136:23
It is he who remembered us in our low estate,
for his steadfast love endures forever…

Leviticus 8:10
Then Moses took the anointing oil and anointed the tabernacle and all that was in it, and consecrated them.

Hebrews 12:11
Now, discipline always seems painful rather than pleasant at the time, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Luke 4:18a
“…The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. … ” [Jesus, reading from the scroll of Isaiah]

III. Meditation

Faithful God, your steadfast love endures forever.
You have remembered us in our low estate; you have
sent your Anointed One to bring good news to the poor.

Consecrate us to do his work and accept his discipline
(though the work be hard and the discipline painful),
so the peaceful fruit of righteousness may ensue.
Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)