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.


In Time of Sorrow--Feb. 18, 2012



We must love in truth and action,
but sometimes no action seems to serve.

Instead of jumping to the aid of Lazarus,
Jesus stayed away two whole days.

Rachel died birthing her son--all she
could do was to name him for her sorrow.

God, you have kept track of our sorrows,
counted all the tears in our bottles.

In our own mourning, console us;
and make us present to others who mourn.

Lectionary Readings
Ps. 56; 149; 118; 111
Gen. 35:1-20
1 John 3:11-18
John 11:1-16

Selected Verses
Ps. 56:8
You have kept count of my tossings;
      put my tears in your bottle.
      Are they not in your record?

Gen. 35:18a
As [Rachel's] soul was departing (for she died), she named him Ben-oni [Son of my sorrow]…

1 John 3:18
Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.

John 11:5
Accordingly, though Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, after having heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.
Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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