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.


If We Open Wide--Aug. 25, 2011

Our God, you have liberated us from Egypt.
If we open our mouth wide, you promise to fill it.
Fill us with your wisdom, that we may execute justice.

Fill us with gratitude, and make us thankful
that the bread we eat will give us
strength to do your work.

Fill us with hunger for the bread
Christ broke for us, and with thirst
for the cup he gave us to drink.

Lectionary Readings
Ps. 143; 147:12-20; 81; 116
1 Kings 3:16-28
Acts 27:27-44
Mark 14:12-26

Selected Verses
Ps. 81:10
I am the LORD your God,
      who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.
      Open your mouth wide and I will fill it.

1 Kings 3:28
All Israel heard of the judgment that the king had rendered; and they stood in awe of the king, because they perceived that the wisdom of God was in him, to execute justice.

Acts 27:34-36
Therefore I urge you to take some food, for it will help you survive; for none of you will lose a hair from your heads.” After [Paul] had said this, he took bread; and giving thanks to God in the presence of all, he broke it and began to eat. Then all of them were encouraged and took food for themselves.

Mark 14:12-26
While they were eating, [Jesus] took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to [his disciples], and said, “Take; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, and all of them drank from it.



Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)