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.

Strength to Break What Binds Us--March 3, 2013


 The strength of the man with an unclean spirit
was so great that he could break chains;
but by no means was he free.

We may be freer than that man,
yet greed for unjust gain
and false dealing
may bind us.

Even lawful things may bind us,
things not beneficial that
still dominate us.

God, may our strength be in you
to free us from bondage;
may the road to your
kingdom be in
our heart.

Lectionary Readings

Ps. 84; 150; 42; 32
Jer. 6:9-15
1 Cor. 6:12-20
Mark 5:1-20

Selected Verses

Ps. 84:5
Happy are those whose strength is in you,
            in whose heart are the highways to Zion.

Jer. 6:13
 For from the least to the greatest of them,
            everyone is greedy for unjust gain;
            and from prophet to priest,
            everyone deals falsely.

1 Cor. 6:12
“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are beneficial.  “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything.

Mark 5:2-3
And when [Jesus] had stepped out of the boat, immediately a man out of the tombs with an unclean spirit met him.  He lived among the tombs; and no one could restrain him any more, even with a chain…

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