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.

Out of Fear or Love--August 15, 2010


I. Readings
Psalms 19, 150, 81, 113
Judges 16:15-31
2 Corinthians 13:1-11
Mark 5:25-34

II. Selections
Psalm 81:13
O that my people would listen to me,
      that Israel would walk in my ways!

Judges 16:23-24
Now the lords of the Philistines gathered to offer a great sacrifice to their god Dagon, and to rejoice; for they said, “Our god has given Samson our enemy into our hand.” When the people saw him, they praised their god; for they said, “Our god has given our enemy into our hand, the ravager of our country, who has killed many of us.”

2 Corinthians 13:5
Examine yourselves to see whether you are living in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not realize that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless, indeed, you fail to meet the test!

Mark 5:33-34
But the woman [who had been healed], knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before [Jesus], and told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”

III. Meditation

The Philistines believed in their god, Dagon.
They must have feared him, even if they did not love him.

The woman healed from a hemorrhage trusted Jesus
enough to let him heal her. She must have loved him,
even if she was afraid when he called out after the healing.

Paul admonishes us to test and examine ourselves
to see whether you are living within us. The motivation
could be fear, but surely love can call us to self-examination.

If we feared you more, would we listen to you more?
Is our problem lack of fear, or lack of love—or both?
Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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