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.

With Winnowing Fork in Hand--Sept. 21, 2010


I. Readings
Psalms 54, 146, 28, 99
Esther 5:1-14
Acts 18:12-28
Luke 3:15-22

II. Selections
Psalm 28:5
Because [the workers of evil] do not regard the works of the LORD,
      or the work of his hands,
he will break them down and build them up no more.

Esther 5:13
“…Yet all this does me no good so long as I see the Jew Mordecai sitting at the king’s gate.” [Haman to his wife and friends]

Acts 18:17
Then all of them [who had lodged an unsuccessful complaint to Gallio against Paul] seized Sosthenes, the official of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal. But Gallio paid no attention to any of these things.

Luke 3:17
“…His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” [John the Baptist to the people]

III. Meditation

What happens to us—we who do not regard your works,
the work of your hands? How do you deal with us,
so hungry for ever more power and glory that we cannot
enjoy the numerous blessings already bestowed upon us?

With us when we ignore the plight of those around us
whom we are responsible to protect? Have mercy
upon us, for we are spread on the threshing floor—
and the winnowing fork is in your hand.
Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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