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.

To Reconcile the World--Dec. 31, 2020


In steadfast love and faithfulness,

O God, you have given us Christ

to reconcile the world to you. 

 

The more we know of him 

the more we know of you.

 

We trust in him; he is

our everlasting rock.

 

Reconcile us to

one another.

 

Lectionary Readings

Ps. 98; 147:12-20; 45; 96

Isa. 26:1-6

2 Cor. 5:16-6:2

John 8:12-19

 

Selected Verses 

Ps. 98:3a

He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness
          to the house of Israel.

 

Isa. 26:4

Trust in the LORD forever,
          for in the LORD GOD
          you have an everlasting rock.

 

2 Cor. 5:18-19

All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us.

 

John 8:19b

Jesus answered [his accusers], “You know neither me nor my Father.  If you knew me, you would know my Father also.”


Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

2 comments:

  1. JoMaeJanuary 2, 2021 at 9:08 PM

    Thank you for another year of faithfully bringing your daily meditations to our mailboxes. Happy New Year and may blessings attend your way in 2021. -JoMae Spoelhof

    ReplyDelete
  2. Elmer E. EwingJanuary 2, 2021 at 11:47 PM

    Oh, thank you so much, JoMae. That is very kind of you. And certainly I wish you blessings in this new year. Elmer

    ReplyDelete

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