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.

The Power of Your Anger--Aug. 11, 2012



It is not our habit to consider the power of your anger;
for we know you as a God of love, not wrath,
a God to serve out of love, not fear.

The Old Testament has many stories of you in a fury--
Abimilech's punishment is relatively mild--
we discount all: "primitive" concepts.

In the New Testament Jesus is in righteous indignation,
whip in hand, driving animals from the temple,
pouring out coins, overturning tables.

The merchants and moneychangers had it coming, though,
and only their pride seems to have been injured;
we find this no strain to accommodate.

But double capital punishment for misreporting income,
Peter in the judgment seat, no hint of mercy?
O God, do you get as angry as that?

Lectionary Readings
Ps. 63; 149; 125; 90
Judg. 9:22-25, 50-57
Acts 4:32-5:11
John 2:13-25

Selected Verses
Ps. 90:11
Who considers the power of your anger?
      Your wrath is as great as the fear that is due you.

Judg. 9:56-57
Thus God repaid Abimelech for the crime he committed against his father in killing his seventy brothers; and God also made all the wickedness of the people of Shechem fall back on their heads, and on them came the curse of Jotham son of Jerubbaal.

Acts 5:9
Then Peter said to [Sapphira], "How is it that you have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out."

John 2:15
Making a whip of cords, [Jesus] drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables.
Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

1 comment:

  1. Robert CornwallAugust 11, 2012 at 6:12 PM

    Elmer -- interesting [coincidence] that we would both choose anger as topic! And more interesting is the question of power of anger is present!!

    ReplyDelete

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