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.


Reversals--Sept. 25, 2011

You are a God of steadfast love,
but at times a God of reversals.

The dead
return to life;

peoples receive liberty,
but are again subjugated;

in fear we draw away from you,
and in love you draw us back;

our souls are distressed
and you restore them.

We can endure the reversals
because we have your love.

Lectionary Readings
Ps. 108; 150; 66; 23
2 Kings 17:1-18
Acts 9:36-43
Luke5:1-11

Selected Verses
Ps. 23:1-3a
The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.
      He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters;
      he restores my soul.

2 Kings 17:5-7a
Then the king of Assyria invaded all the land and came to Samaria; for three years he besieged it. In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria captured Samaria; he carried the Israelites away to Assyria. He placed them in Halah, on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes. This occurred because the people of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

Acts 9:41
[Peter] gave [Tabitha] his hand and helped her up. Then calling the saints and widows, he showed her to be alive.

Luke 5:10b-11
Then Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people." When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.
Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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