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.


Beset as a City under Siege--March 10, 2012



O Faithful Lord, we were beset as a city under siege;
wondrously you showed your steadfast love to us.

Unknown to us, you wrenched our chains apart,
broke our shackles, put treasure in our sacks.

Called to be free from what made us slaves,
you made us free to be slaves like you.

Lectionary Readings
Ps. 43; 149; 31; 143
Gen. 43:16-34
1 Cor. 7:10-24
Mark 5:1-20

Selected Verses
Ps. 31:21
Blessed be the LORD,
      for he has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me
      when I was beset as a city under siege.

Gen. 43:23a
[Joseph's steward] replied [to the brothers], "Rest assured, do not be afraid; your God and the God of your father must have put treasure in your sacks for you; I received your money."

1 Cor. 7:22
For whoever was called in the Lord as a slave is a freed person belonging to the Lord, just as whoever was free when called is a slave of Christ.

Mark 5:4
…for [the man with the unclean spirit] had often been restrained with shackles and chains, but the chains he wrenched apart, and the shackles he broke in pieces; and no one had the strength to subdue him.
Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)