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.

Groaning All Day Long--July 23, 2010


I. Readings
Psalms 130, 148, 32, 139
Joshua 9:22-10:15
Romans 15:14-24
Matthew 27:1-10

II. Selections
Psalm 32:3
While I kept silence, my body wasted away
      through my groaning all day long.

Joshua 9:10:13b
Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stopped in mid-heaven, and did not hurry to set for about a whole day.

Romans 15:14-15a
I myself feel confident about you, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to instruct one another. Nevertheless on some points I have written to you rather boldly by way of reminder…

Matthew 27:3
When Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he repented and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders.

III. Meditation

Some sins may be regretted without repenting of them.
Then the body wastes away through groaning all day long.

Even when we repent, we usually cannot undo the harm.
Thirty pieces of silver were returned, but Christ was killed.

The clock does not turn back; the sun traverses the sky as before.
We may need reminders; nevertheless, the past must be left behind.
Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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