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.

Though We Would Not Stone You, Jesus--Sept. 11, 2018


-->

Lord Jesus, we would not take up stones to throw at you,
but often we turn away from you to worthless things.
You are eyes to the blind, feet to the lame, father
to the needy, and you champion the cause
of the stranger.  You hear the groans
of the prisoners; you set free
those doomed to die.
Jesus, turn us
to you to do
your good works.

Lectionary Readings
Ps. 42; 146; 102; 133
Job 29:1-20
Acts 14:1-18
John 10:31-42

Selected Verses
Ps. 102:19-20
…that he looked down from his holy height,
          from heaven the LORD looked at the earth,
to hear the groans of the prisoners,
          to set free those who were doomed to die…

Job 29:15-16
"…I was eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame.  I was a father to the needy, and I championed the cause of the stranger.  …"  [Job to the four who came to "comfort" him]

Acts 14:15
"Friends, why are you doing this?  We are mortals just like you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them.  …"  [Barnabas and Paul, shouting to the crowd that wanted to worship them] 

John 10:32
Jesus replied [to those who had taken up stones], "I have shown you many good works from the Father.  For which of these are you going to stone me?" 

Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)