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.

Even the Silence Speaks--Nov. 5, 2018


I am not sure I want to plead my case to you, dear God.
My deeds follow me; I would not like to judge them
myself, and I certainly would not be comfortable
asking you to do so.  I would rather be silent
before you--but until I confess my sin,
even the silence is hard going.

Lectionary Readings
Ps. 5; 145; 82; 29
Zeph. 1:7-13
Rev. 14:1-13
Luke 12:49-59

Selected Verses
Ps. 5:3
O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice;
          in the morning I plead my case to you, and watch.

Zeph. 1:7
Be silent before the Lord GOD!
     For the day of the LORD is at hand…

Rev. 14:13
And I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Write this: Blessed are the dead who from now on die in the Lord."  "Yes," says the Spirit, "they will rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them."

Luke 12:57
"And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right?  …"  [Jesus, to the crowds]

Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

1 comment:

  1. Mea SententiaNovember 5, 2018 at 8:34 PM

    I've said those words from Rev 14:13 at probably hundreds of gravesides. "Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord; they rest from their labors, and their deeds follow them." It's part of the committal liturgy.

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