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.

Stop the Plague--June 24, 2020


Lord God of Abraham,
giver of life to the dead:

You call into existence
things that do not exist.

You heal the brokenhearted
and bind up their wounds.

You are full of generosity;
stop the plague, we pray.

Lectionary Readings
Ps. 15; 147:1-11; 48; 4
Num. 16:36-50
Rom. 4:13-25
Matt. 20:1-16

Selected Verses
Ps. 147:3
[The LORD] heals the brokenhearted,
          and binds up their wounds.

Num. 16:50
When the plague was stopped, Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance of the tent of meeting.

Rom. 4:17b
…in the presence of the God in whom [Abraham] believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. 

Matt. 20:15
“‘…Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me?  Or are you envious because I am generous?’  …”  [the landowner, to one of the first vineyard laborers hired, from Jesus’ parable] 

Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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