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.

February 01, 2008

I. Readings
Psalms 6, 20, 88
Genesis 17:15-27
Hebrews 10:11-25
John 6:1-15

II. Selections
Psalms 88:1-2
O LORD, God of my salvation,
when, at night, I cry out in your presence,
let my prayer come before you;
incline your ear to my cry.

Genesis 17:22
And when he had finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham.

Hebrews 10:23
Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful.

John 6:5-6
When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, "Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?" He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do.

III. Meditation: Where will we find bread?

O God of our salvation, at night we cry out in despair;
where will we find bread for all these people to eat?
Incline your ear to our prayer. Have you finished
talking with us, and left us? You know what you are
going to do. Help us hold fast to the confession of our
hope without wavering; you have promised to be faithful.

Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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