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.

Deal Gently, O God--Aug. 19, 2019


You are gracious and merciful, O God,
with compassion over all that you have made.
So fill us with your steadfast love that
we can give others the benefit of the doubt,
deal gently with those who offend us,
and most of all, forgive those who wrong us.
Then we may ask you, to deal gently
with us.

Lectionary Readings
Ps. 135; 145; 97; 112
2 Sam. 17:24-18:8
Acts 22:30-23:11
Mark 11:12-26

Selected Verses
Ps. 145:8-9
The LORD is gracious and merciful,
          slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
The LORD is good to all,
          and his compassion is over all that he has made.


2 Sam. 18:5
The king ordered Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, “Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom.”  And all the people heard when the king gave orders to all the commanders concerning Absalom.

Acts 23:9
Then a great clamor arose, and certain scribes of the Pharisees’ group stood up and contended, “We find nothing wrong with this man.  What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?”

Mark 11:25
“Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.”  [Jesus, to his disciples]

Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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