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.


Have Pity--Aug. 5, 2011

[from August 10, 2007 archive]

You had pity on the sparrow and the swallow
that tried to make their homes in your altars;

Jesus had pity on the boy with seizures;
David was tricked into pity for his victims;

but those in danger of losing their livelihood
showed only rage against Paul, the source of danger.

Lectionary Readings
Ps. 84; 148; 25; 40
2 Sam. 12:1-14
Acts 19:21-41
Mark 9:14-29

Selected Verses
Ps. 84:3
Even the sparrow finds a home,
     and the swallow a nest for herself,
     where she may lay her young,
at your altars, O LORD of hosts,
     my King and my God.

2 Sam. 12:5-6
Then David's anger was greatly kindled against the [rich man who had taken the poor man's only lamb]. He said to Nathan, "As the LORD lives, the man who has done this deserves to die; he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity."

Acts 19:26
"…You also see and hear that not only in Ephesus but in almost the whole of Asia this Paul has persuaded and drawn away a considerable number of people by saying that gods made with hands are not gods. …" [Demetrius the silversmith to artisans and silver workers in Ephesus]

Mark 9:22
[The spirit] has often cast him into the fire and into the water, to destroy him; but if you are able to do anything, have pity on us and help us." [The father of the boy who suffered convulsions, asking help from Jesus]
Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)