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.

For Food that Endures--March 16, 2021

 

God, you have set your seal on Jesus,

who gives us the food that endures for eternal life.

 

Your eyes are on us, your ears are open to our cries,

but we do not listen to you. Our ears are not

inclined, our necks are stiffened. 

 

God, we want to do good,

but evil lies close at hand.

 

Jesus, do not forsake us.

 

Lectionary Readings

Ps. 34; 146; 25; 91

Jer. 17:19-27

Rom. 7:13-25

John 6:16-27

 

Selected Verses 

Ps. 34:15

The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous,
          and his ears are open to their cry.

 

Jer. 17:23

Yet [my people] did not listen or incline their ear; they stiffened their necks and would not hear or receive instruction.

 

Rom. 7:21

So I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand. 

 

John 6:27

“…Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal.”  [Jesus, to the crowd]

<center>

</center>
Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)