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.

Your Message of Reconciliation--June 1, 2015


You are good to all, O God, and your
compassion is over all that you have made.
In Christ you reconcile the world to yourself,
not counting our trespasses against us,
and entrusting to us the message
of reconciliation.

As part of this message,
words to be fixed in our heart
and soul, there is no limit to the number
of times we are to forgive one who
sins against us.

Lectionary Readings
Ps. 57; 145; 85; 47
Deut. 11:13-19
2 Cor. 5:11-6:2
Luke 17:1-10

Selected Verses
Ps. 145:9
The LORD is good to all,
          and his compassion is over all that he has made.

Deut. 11:18
You shall put these words of mine in your heart and soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and fix them as an emblem on your forehead. 

2 Cor. 5:19
…that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. 

Luke 17:4
"…And if the same person sins against you seven times a day, and turns back to you seven times and says, 'I repent,' you must forgive."  [Jesus to his apostles]

Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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