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.

Our Power and Yours--September 14, 2010


I. Readings
Psalms 123, 146, 30, 86
Job 40:1; 41:1-11
Acts 16:6-15
John 12:9-19

II. Selections
Psalm 86:16
Turn to me and be gracious to me;
      give your strength to your servant;
      save the child of your serving girl.

Job 41:5
“…Will you play with [Leviathan] as with a bird,
      or will you put it on leash for your girls? … ”
[The LORD to Job]

Acts 16:14b
The Lord opened [Lydia’s] heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul.

John 12:19
The Pharisees then said to one another, “You see, you can do nothing. Look, the world has gone after him!”

III. Meditation

Our power is nothing compared to your power;
we cannot toy with the Leviathans of our world;
turn to us, be gracious, and save us.

We always fail when we attempt to thwart you.
Open our hearts to listen eagerly for your word;
give strength to your servants and save us.
Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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