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.


Free To Carry Home Our Sheaves--March 29, 2012



Lord, in you is the Spirit, and where the Spirit is,
there is freedom; Lord, make us free.

Set us free us from our hard hearts, free to listen
to other people and especially to you.

Free us from subjugation to our possessions,
free to follow where you lead.

Then with shouts of joy we will come home,
carrying our sheaves to you.

Lectionary Readings
Ps. 27; 147:12-20; 126; 102
Exod. 7:25-8:19
2 Cor. 3:7-18
Mark 10:17-31

Selected Verses
Ps. 126:6
Those who go out weeping,
      bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
      carrying their sheaves.

Exod. 8:15
But when Pharaoh saw that there was a respite, he hardened his heart, and would not listen to [Moses and Aaron], just as the LORD had said.

2 Cor. 3:17
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

Mark 10:22
When [the man who asked Jesus what he needed to do] heard [Jesus' answer], he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.
Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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