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.

October 06, 2007

I. Readings
Psalms 63, 90, 125
2 Kings 19:21-36
1 Corinthians 10:1-13
Matthew 8:18-27

II. Selections
Psalm 90:1
Lord, you have been our dwelling place
in all generations.

2 Kings 19:30
" ...The surviving remnant of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward ... " [ Isaiah's message to Hezekiah, conveying the word of the LORD about Sennacherib, King of Assyria]

1 Corinthians 10:13
No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.

Matthew 8:26a
And [ Jesus] said to [ his disciples], "Why are you afraid, you of little faith?"

III. Meditation: Take root downward, bear fruit upward

Why should we be afraid? Have we so little faith?
You, who have been our dwelling place in all generations,
are faithful, and will not let us be tested beyond our strength,
but will provide a way out so that we may be able to endure it.
Then we shall again take root downward and bear fruit upward.

Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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