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.

Like Bees, Like a Fire of Thorns--Aug. 25, 2012



Like bees our troubles surround us;
O God, they blaze up like a fire of thorns.

Blinded by the blaze, we cannot see you, God;
for scales cover our eyes; we are fenced in.

Restore our sight, that we may see the way,
may see the one who is your Way,
the one who has seen you.

Lectionary Readings
Ps. 56; 149; 118; 111
Job 3:1-26
Acts 9:10-19a
John 6:41-51

Selected Verses
Ps. 118:12
[The nations] surrounded me like bees;
      they blazed like a fire of thorns;
      in the name of the LORD I cut them off!

Job 3:23
"…Why is light given to one who cannot see the way, whom God has fenced in? …" [Job curses the day he was born]

Acts 9:18a
And immediately something like scales fell from [Saul's] eyes, and his sight was restored.

John 6:46
"…Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father. …" [Jesus to those who crossed the Sea of Galilee to find him]
Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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