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.


The Day of Sacrifice--June 21, 2011


It is an ancient scenario—
scornfully the proud harden their hearts;
contemptuously those who are at ease issue orders,
strict orders, to put down the poor and oppressed—
so how many lambs must be sacrificed?
Ancient…and contemporary.


Lectionary Readings
Ps. 123; 146; 30; 86
1 Sam. 6:1-16
Acts 5:27-42
Luke 21:37-22:13

Selected Verses
Ps. 123:4
Our soul has had more than its fill
      of the scorn of those who are at ease,
      of the contempt of the proud.

1 Sam. 6:6a
“…Why should you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? …” [The Philistine priests and diviners to the Philistines]

Acts 5:27b-28
The high priest questioned [the apostles], saying, “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you are determined to bring this man’s blood on us.”

Luke 22:7
Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed.
Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)