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.

Loving Words, Loving Deeds--May 20, 2019


Lord of Hosts
not only are you faithful
in all your words,
you are gracious in all
your actions.

Season our speech
with loving salt
and make it gracious
like yours.

And when words fail us,
teach us to speak
graciously through our
loving actions.

Lectionary Readings
Ps. 97; 145; 124; 115
Jer. 32:1-15
Col. 3:18-4:18
Luke 7:36-50

Selected Verses
Ps. 145:13b
The LORD is faithful in all his words,
          and gracious in all his deeds. 

Jer. 32:15
For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Houses and fields and vineyards shall again be bought in this land.

Col. 4:5
Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer everyone.

Luke 7:37-38
And a woman in the city, who was a sinner, having learned that [Jesus] was eating in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster jar of ointment.  She stood behind him at his feet, weeping, and began to bathe his feet with her tears and to dry them with her hair.  Then she continued kissing his feet and anointing them with the ointment. 

Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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