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.

Water, Wine, Blood, Evil—Dec. 29, 2015

[From Dec. 29, 2005 archive]

You love those who hate evil;
make us aware of the evil
in our hearts and in our lives,
not that we may hate evil people,
but that we may hate evil deeds—
especially our own—
and that you may rescue us.

David thought it evil to drink water
for which his adherents
had risked their blood;
you changed water into wine
and taught us to drink wine,
remembering your blood,
to rescue us from evil.

Readings
Psalms 96, 146, 132, 97
2 Samuel 23:13-17b
2 John 1-13
John 2:1-11

Selections
Psalms 97:10
The LORD loves those who hate evil;
he guards the lives of his faithful;
he rescues them from the hand of the wicked.

2 Samuel 23:16b-17b
But [David] would not drink of [the water his men had brought him]; he poured it out to the LORD, "The LORD forbid that I should do this. Can I drink the blood of the men who went at the risk of their lives?"  Therefore he would not drink it.

2 John 10-11
Do not receive into the house or welcome anyone who comes to you and does not bring this teaching; for to welcome is to participate in the evil deeds of such a person.

John 2:2-3
Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding.  When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, "They have no wine."

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