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.

May 22, 2010


Our Struggle

I. Readings
Psalms 92, 149, 23, 114
Ezekiel 36:22-27
Ephesians 6:1-24
Matthew 9:18-26

II. Selections
Psalm 23:4
Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
I fear no evil;
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff—
they comfort me.

Ezekiel 36:26
A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

Ephesians 6:12
For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Matthew 9:18-26
While [Jesus] was saying these things to [his disciples], suddenly a leader of the synagogue came in and knelt before him, saying, “My daughter has just died; but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.”

III. Meditation

Our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh,
but against the rulers, against the authorities, against
the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against
the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Yet we will fear no evil, for you are with us. Your
rod and staff, they comfort us. Come lay your healing
hand on us, and give us a new heart, and put a new spirit
within us. Remove our heart of stone; give us a heart of flesh.
Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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