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.

We Make You Sigh--Feb. 2, 2011

Lord Jesus, how deeply we make you sigh, and how often!
Always wanting to test you, we argue for a sign from heaven.

Though you bear our iniquities and set us free, we opt for slavery.
In your righteousness, make us righteous, that we may sing a new song.

Lectionary Readings
Ps. 96; 147:1-11; 132; 134
Isa. 52:13-53:12
Gal. 4:21-31
Mark 8:11-26

Selected Verses
Ps. 96:1
Sing to the LORD a new song;
      sing to the LORD all the earth.

Isa. 53:11b
      The righteous one, my servant, shall make many righteous,
      and he shall bear their iniquities.

Gal. 4:31
So then, friends, we are children, not of the slave but of the free woman.

Mark 8:11
The Pharisees came and began to argue with [Jesus], asking him for a sign from heaven, to test him. And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, “Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation.”
Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)