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.

January 05, 2006

I. Readings
Psalms 96, 99, 147
Jonah 2:2-9
Ephesians 6:10-20
John 11:17-27, 38-44

II. Selections
Psalm 99:9
Extol the LORD our God,
and worship at his holy mountain;
for the LORD our God is holy.

Jonah 2:2
...saying, "I called to the LORD out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice.

Ephesians 6:10-11
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

John 11:17
When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days.

III. Meditation: Out of the belly
We extol you and worship you
at your holy place
for you are holy.

You rescued Jonah
out of his deep distress,
out of the belly of Sheol.

You raised Lazarus,
already four days
wrapped up in the tomb.

Will you answer us,
who call out in our distress,
entombed as we are in evil?

Make us strong in your power;
array us with your armor
to withstand the wiles of the devil.

Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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