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.

Do not Drag Me Away with the Wicked--Sept. 24, 2013


 Dear God, it is not complicated to tell the truth--
the simple truth, the unembroidered truth--
"yes, yes" or "no, no" will often suffice.
Why, then, are sincerity and truth
at times so difficult for me?

O do not drag me away with
the wicked, Lord, with workers of  
evil who speak peace with their neighbors
even while their hearts are filled with mischief.

Lectionary Readings

Ps. 54; 146; 28; 99
2 Kings 5:19-27
1 Cor. 5:1-8
Matt. 5:27-37

Selected Verses

Ps. 28:3
Do not drag me away with the wicked,
          with those who are workers of evil,
who speak peace with their neighbors,
          while mischief is in their hearts.

2 Kings 5:25
[Gehazi] went in and stood before his master; and Elisha said to him, "Where have you been, Gehazi?"  He answered, "Your servant has not gone anywhere at all."

1 Cor. 5:8
Therefore, let us celebrate the festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Matt. 5:37
"…Let your word be ‘Yes, Yes’ or ‘No, No’; anything more than this comes from the evil one.  …"  [Jesus to the crowds on the mountain]

Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)