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.

Stick or Carrot?--Oct. 14, 2021

[From Oct. 18, 2007 archive]

 

Transgression has a way of speaking to us all, deep in our hearts.

Must it be fear of your stick that restrains us?  Are we Zedekiah,

powerless to protect against those who would harm others?

 

O God of peace, give us control of the spirit of disorder within us.

We know that you reward acts of kindness, even small ones; yet

make our motivation neither stick nor carrot, but love of you.

 

Lectionary Readings

Ps. 36; 147:12-20; 80; 27

Jer. 38:1-13

1 Cor. 14:26-40

Matt. 10:34-42

 

Selected Verses 

Ps. 36:1

Transgression speaks to the wicked

          deep in their hearts;

there is no fear of God

          before their eyes.

 

Jer. 38:5

King Zedekiah said, “Here he is; he is in your hands; for the king is powerless against you.”  [speaking to his officials, who wanted to kill Jeremiah for advocating surrender to the Chaldean army]

 

1 Cor. 14:32-33a

And the spirits of prophets are subject to the prophets, for God is a God not of disorder but of peace.

 

Matt. 10:42

“…and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.”  [Jesus, instructing his twelve before he sends them out on a mission]


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