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.

Dominion Belongs to You--April 15, 2011


Paul points out your kindness and severity.
We are well aware of your severity—
or of severity we attribute to you.

Can your kindness balance, even overcome, the severity?
Forgive our asking, for dominion belongs to you;
O Lord God, you rule over the nations.

You have plans for us, plans for our welfare,
not our harm, to give us a future of hope.
You are the resurrection and the life.


Lectionary Readings
Ps. 22; 148; 105; 130
Jer. 29:1-14
Rom. 11:13-24
John 11:1-27

Selected Verses
Ps. 22:28
For dominion belongs to the LORD,
      and he rules over the nations.

Jer. 29:11
For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.

Rom. 11:22
Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness toward you, provided you continue in his kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off.

John 11:25
Jesus said to [Martha], “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live … ”
Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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