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.

What and Whom You Claim--Oct. 24, 2010


I. Readings
Psalms 108, 150, 66, 23
Jonah 1:1-17a
1 Corinthians 10:15-24
Matthew 18:15-20

II. Selections
Psalm 108:8-9
“…Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine;
      Ephraim is my helmet;
      Judah is my sceptre.
Moab is my wash-basin;
      on Edom I hurl my shoe;
      over Philistia I shout in triumph.”
[God’s promise in his sanctuary]

Jonah 1:3b
[Jonah] went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid his fare and went on board, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord.

1 Corinthians 10:20b
I do not want you to be partners with demons.

Matthew 18:19
“…Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. … ” [Jesus to his disciples]

III. Meditation

You know what is yours,
and you lay claim to it.

You know whose are yours, too.
Jonah was yours, but he resisted.

We also resist, sometimes to the point
where we would rather partner with
demons than be your followers.

Even when we do follow you
we often disagree with other followers.
What blessings we are missing!
Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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