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.


Does a Clear Conscience Suffice?--Nov. 6, 2011



Paul acted with a clear conscience toward you
and all people, and we believe he acted rightly.

Ezra fasted, prayed, and spoke with clear conscience--
proud of his power to cast foreign wives out of Israel.
The four men who dared oppose Ezra are recorded
to shame them; we might regard them as heroes.

The leader of the Pharisees may well have felt proud
for condescending to invite the upstart Jesus to dinner;
Jesus said all the guests should be too poor to pay back.

Help us realize that when proud thoughts have dominion
over us, our consciences are not always trustworthy;
but when we support the poor and oppressed
we probably lean in the right direction.


Lectionary Readings
Ps. 19; 150; 81; 113
Ezra 10:1-17
Acts 24:10-21
Luke 14:12-24

Selected Verses
Ps. 19:13a [see footnote a]
Keep back your servant also from proud thoughts;
      do not let them have dominion over me.

Ezra 10:15
Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah opposed [Ezra's demand to send away all foreign wives], and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levites supported them.

Acts 24:16
"…Therefore I do my best always to have a clear conscience toward God and all people. …" [Paul, making his defense before Felix, the governor]

Luke 14:13-14
"…But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous." [Jesus to his dinner host, a leader of the Pharisees]
Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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