In Distress
I. Readings
Psalms 43, 149, 31, 143
Ezekiel 39:21-29
Philippians 4:10-20
John 17:20-26
II. Selections
Psalm 31:2
Incline your ear to me;
rescue me speedily.
Be a rock of refuge for me,
a strong fortress to save me.
Ezekiel 39:21
I will display my glory among the nations; and all the nations shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid on them.
Philippians 4:14
In any case, it was kind of you to share my distress.
John 17:26
“…I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them. … ” [Jesus’ prayer for his disciples]
III. Meditation
When your hand lies heavy upon us—
even when we deserve the judgment you
have executed—we call upon you in distress:
“Incline your ear to us and rescue us speedily;
be our rock of refuge; a strong fortress to save us.”
As your love was in Jesus, may it be in us.
Incline our ears to the call of others in distress,
and give us kind hearts, that we may share his love.
Meditations inspired by readings from the Daily Lectionary as found in the Mission Yearbook of the Presbyterian Church (USA)
- Elmer E. Ewing
- 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.
"Elijah" - A bronze sculpture by a friend, the late Reverend Gurdon Brewster. Click on the image to see more of his sculptures.
Archives
Samples from the archives
- 3/19/18 Remedy for Hubris--A Child Could Do It
- 2/25/14 Unbind me, Jesus
- 10/26/13 Refreshing hearts, in Christ
- 8/9/13 When things I do displease you, God
- 2/7/13 Freed, saved, gathered in
- 1/1/13 For a joy that is complete
- 11/20/12 Though the fig tree does not blossom
- 11/19/12 Alas, my house is set on high
- 10/14/12 Held in your arms
- 9/14/12 The land cries out against us
- 8/29/12 The snare of false accusation
- 8/5/12 Tie up the strong man
- 4/5/12 We who dip bread
- 9/23/10 The right to be joyful
- 9/18/10 Chief cornerstone
- 7/27/10 Triumph over enemies
- 10/9/08 Our iniquity is great
- 5/14/08 When at night
- 2/17/08 The thin and ugly
- 1/17/07 We do not know you
- 1/3/07 Promises
- 1/2/07 For things not seen
- 10/3/06 Fear of you
- 10/2/06 Little we know
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