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.

How Far to Capernaum?--March 12, 2013


 You have called us, O God, to hear your word:
Depart from evil; do good; seek, pursue peace.

I have not listened to you, or inclined my ear;
instead, I have stiffened my neck, not to hear.

So Lord, I do not do the good I want;
but the evil I do not want is what I do.

It is dark, and I wait, and you have not come.
How far across the sea is it to Capernaum?


Lectionary Readings

Ps. 34; 146; 25; 91
Jer. 17:19-27
Rom. 7:13-25
John 6:16-27

Selected Verses

Ps. 34:14
Depart from evil, and do good;
          seek peace, and pursue it.

Jer. 17:23
Yet [the kings and all people] did not listen or incline their ear [to the LORD]; they stiffened their necks and would not hear or receive instruction.

Rom. 7:19
For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do.

John 6:16-17
When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum.  It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them.

Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)