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.

Far Be it from Us to Forsake God?--July 28, 2014


Far be it from us to forsake you, O God,
for you are faithful in all your words
and gracious in all your deeds.

But would we be like Prisca and Aquila,
who risked their necks for Paul's life,
or like Jesus, who was crucified?

Lectionary Readings
Ps. 145:13b
Josh. 24:16-33
Rom. 16:1-16
Matt. 27:24-31

Selected Verses
Ps. 145:13b
The Lord is faithful in all his words,
          and gracious in all his deeds. 

Josh. 24:16
…Then the people answered [Joshua], "Far be it from us that we should forsake the LORD to serve other gods…"

Rom. 16:3-4a
Greet Prisca and Aquila, who work with me in Christ Jesus, and who risked their necks for my life…

Matt. 27:31
After mocking [Jesus], [the Roman soldiers] stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him.  Then they led him away to crucify him.
Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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