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.

Over All You Have Made--Feb. 14, 2011


O God, you are good to all, and your
compassion is over all you have made.

I choose not to believe that you have trampled
down peoples in anger, crushed them in wrath,
and poured out their lifeblood on the earth.

You teach love that comes from a pure heart,
a good conscience, and sincere faith.

Such a love sent two disciples for a colt Jesus
would ride to enter the city of his execution—
his own lifeblood to be poured out over the earth.


Lectionary Readings
Ps. 135; 145; 97; 112
Isa. 63:1-6
1 Tim. 1:1-17
Mark 11:1-11

Selected Verses
Ps. 145:9
The Lord is good to all,
&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp and his compassion is over all he has made.

Isa. 63:6
“…I trampled down peoples in my anger,
&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp I crushed them in my wrath,
&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp and I poured out their lifeblood on the earth.”

1 Tim. 1:5
But the aim of such instruction is love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith.

Mark 11:1-3
When [Jesus and his disciples] were approaching Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden; untie it and bring it. If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here immediately.’ ”
Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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