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.

Clay Questions the Potter--July 9, 2020


Structures we proudly erect
some time will tumble.

Goals we long to achieve
eventually elude us.

Our physique and our health
 one day will fail us.

We want to ask you, O God,
what can we depend on?

You reply: My power to redeem
and my steadfast love.

Lectionary Readings
Ps. 116; 147:12-20; 26; 130
Deut. 3:18-28
Rom. 9:19-33
Matt. 24:1-14

Selected Verses
Ps. 130:7
O Israel, hope in the LORD!
          For with the LORD there is steadfast love,
          and with him is great power to redeem.

Deut. 3:27b-28
“…Look well, for you shall not cross over this Jordan.  But charge Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him, because it is he who shall cross over at the head of this people and who shall secure their possession of the land that you will see.”  [The LORD, to Moses]

Rom. 9:19-20
But who indeed are you, a human being, to argue with God?  Will what is molded say to the one who molds it, “Why have you made me like this?” 

Matt. 24:1-2
As Jesus came out of the temple and was going away, his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple.  Then he asked them, “You see all these, do you not?  Truly I tell you, not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.”

Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)