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.

If We Loved You, O God--April 17, 2013


 O God, you heal the broken hearted,
and you bind up their wounds.

We drink and praise our gods
of gold and silver, bronze,
iron, wood, and stone.

If we loved you instead of them,
we would obey your commandments;
for your commandments are not burdensome.

And should we not love and obey you?
You who gave us Jesus, to proclaim
the good news of your love?

Lectionary Readings

Ps. 99; 147:1-11; 9; 118
Dan. 5:1-12
1 John 5:1-12
Luke 4:38-44

Selected Verses

Ps. 147:3
[The LORD] heals the brokenhearted,
          and binds up their wounds.

Dan. 5:4
[King Belshazzar and his company] drank the wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.

1 John 5:3
For the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments.  And his commandments are not burdensome…

Luke 4:43
But [Jesus] said to [to the crowds who wanted to prevent him from leaving], “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other cities also; for I was sent for this purpose.”

Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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