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.


Lest I Be Torn Apart--Jan. 31, 2012



Be my refuge, O Lord my God.

I am pursued by doubts and fears,
greed and selfishness, hubris and guilt.
Deliver me, O Lord, lest I be torn apart.

God of promises, I see your promises
from far away and I fear to trust them;
help me hear you and learn from you,

that I may come to Jesus,
who is your greatest promise,
and in whose promise we find life.

Lectionary Readings
Ps. 12; 146; 36; 7
Gen. 21:1-21
Heb. 11:13-22
John 6:41-51

Selected Verses
Ps. 7:1-2a
O LORD my God, in you I take refuge;
      save me from all my pursuers, and deliver me,
or like a lion they will tear me apart…

Gen. 21:1
The LORD dealt with Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did for Sarah as he had promised.

Heb. 11:13a
All of these died in faith without having received the promises, but from a distance they saw and greeted them.

John 6:45
"…It is written in the prophets, 'And they shall all be taught by God.' Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me. …" [Jesus to those who were complaining about him]
Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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