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.

What Seems Good and Right--March 21, 2013


 God, he was in their hands.
Anger had hardened their hearts,

and they could not understand his works
or that you were in him, and he was in you;

in rage they did what seemed good and right--
they broke him in midcourse, shortened his life.

It is heartbreaking to think what people can do,
people angered at someone who speaks

your words and does your works.
Could we be guilty like them

when in anger we do what
seems good and right?

Lectionary Readings

Ps. 27; 147:12-20; 126; 102
Jer. 26:1-24
Rom. 11:1-12
John 10:19-42

Selected Verses

Ps. 102:23
He has broken my strength in midcourse;
          he has shortened my days.

Jer. 26:14
"…But as for me, here I am in your hands.  Do with me as seems good and right to you.  …"  [Jeremiah to the officials and the people]

Rom. 11:7
What then?  Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking.  The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened…

John 10:38
"…But if I do [the works of my Father], even though you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.”  [Jesus to those who wanted to stone him]

Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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