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.

Permanence or Transformation--July 15, 2010

 
I. Readings
Psalms 97, 147:12-20, 16, 62
Joshua 3:14-4:7
Romans 12:1-8
Matthew 26:1-16

II. Selections
Psalm 16:9
Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices;
      my body also rests secure.

Joshua 4:7c
“…So these stones shall be to the Israelites a memorial forever.” [Joshua to the twelve men he had appointed, one from each tribe of the Israelites]

Romans 12:2
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Matthew 26:3-4
Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, and they conspired to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him.

III. Meditation

What is permanent, and what will be transformed?

The schemes of the religious authorities did not persist.
Even memorial stones are not remembered forever.

Nothing in the world can be trusted to endure, so why
should we be conformed to the things of this world?

Let our hearts be glad and let our souls rejoice;
let our bodies rest secure that in you we can
be transformed into what will endure.
Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)