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.

Put Your Spirit within Me--May 30, 2020


Merciful God, you know how I am,
you know what I am doing.

You take pleasure in your people
when they are humble—
I am not humble.

Lord, put your Spirit within me;
replace my heart of stone
with a heart of flesh,
and give me faith
to make me well.

Lectionary Readings
Ps. 92; 149; 23; 114
Ezek. 36:22-27
Eph. 6:1-24
Matt. 9:18-26

Selected Verses
Ps. 149:4
For the LORD takes pleasure in his people;
          he adorns the humble with victory.

Ezek. 36:26
A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.  [The Lord GOD to the house of Israel]

Eph. 6:21a, 22a
So that you also may know how I am and what I am doing, …I am sending [Tychicus] to you for this very purpose, to let you know how we are, and to encourage your hearts.

Matt. 9:22a
Jesus turned, and seeing [the woman with hemorrhages] he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” 

Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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