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.

August 23, 2007

I. Readings
Psalms 27, 36, 80
2 Samuel 19:1-23
Acts 24:1-23
Mark 12:28-34

II. Selections
Psalm 27:1
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?

2 Samuel 19:2
So the victory that day was turned into mourning for all the troops; for the troops heard that day, "The king is grieving for his son."

Acts 24:22
But Felix, who was rather well informed about the Way, adjourned the hearing with the comment, "When Lysias the tribune comes down, I will decide your case."

Mark 12:34
When Jesus saw that [ the scribe] answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." After that no one dared to ask him any question.

III. Meditation: Of whom shall we be afraid?

Just when his troops were celebrating victory,
the grief of King David turned victory to mourning.

Just when we become accustomed to scribes
as participants in testing Jesus, we meet one
who is not far from the kingdom of God.

Just when Paul hoped to be set free by a hearing,
Felix procrastinated (and not for the last time).

Life with you is full of surprises, some good,
some bad; but with you as our stronghold, our
light and our salvation, we have nothing to fear.

Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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