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.

A Lonely Bird on the Housetop--March 30, 2017


Holy God,
You spoke to us in our prosperity,
but we refused to listen.
Now we are like a lonely bird on
the housetop, not knowing
how to pray as we ought.

Help us in our weakness;
with sighs too deep for words,
may your Spirit intercede for us.
Taught by you, we shall hear
and learn to go to Jesus.

Lectionary Readings
Ps. 27; 147:12-20; 126; 102
Jer. 22:13-23
Rom. 8:12-27
John 6:41-51

Selected Verses
Ps. 102:7
 I lie awake;
          I am like a lonely bird on the housetop. 

Jer. 22:21
 I spoke to you in your prosperity,
          but you said, “I will not listen.” 
[The LORD, speaking through Jeremiah to King Jehoiakim]

Rom. 8:26
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.
John 6:45
"…It is written in the prophets, 'And they shall all be taught by God.'  Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me. …"  [Jesus to his critics]

Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)