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.

July 07, 2008

I. Readings
Psalms 9, 62, 73
Numbers 32:1-6, 16-27
Romans 8:26-30
Matthew 23:1-12

II. Selections
Psalms 62:1
For God alone my soul waits in silence;
from him comes my salvation.

Numbers 32:6
But Moses said to the Gadites and to the Reubenites, "Shall your brothers go to war while you sit here? ... "

Romans 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.

Matthew 23:4
" ... [ The scribes and the Pharisees] tie up heavy burdens hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others; but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them. ... " [ Jesus to the crowds and to his disciples]

III. Meditation: Sighs too deep for words

Is it better to go to war,
or to sit out the war-
leave the fighting to others?
Moses posed the question
to the Gadites and Reubenites.

In his mind the answer was clear,
but many of your people
still wrestle with the issue.
Do you in your steadfast love
want anyone to engage in war?

Yet, if we opt out of the fighting,
are we to profit from the sacrifices
made at great cost by our defenders?
Are we tying heavy burdens on them
while we are unwilling to lift a finger?

O God of our hope and salvation,
Our soul waits in silence before you.
Words fail us; we know not how to pray.
Help us in our weakness; by your Spirit
intercede with sighs too deep for words.

Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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