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.

When We Are Besieged, Where Are You?--April 8, 2013


 The time comes when we are besieged,
and we ask, "Where is our God?"

Remind us what was from the beginning,
what we have heard, what we have seen,
concerning the word of life.

Remind us, Holy Father, that in your name,
and in the name of Jesus, we are
under your protection, so that we
may be one, as you are one.

Lectionary Readings

Ps. 97; 145; 124; 115
Dan. 1:1-21
1 John 1:1-10
John 17:1-11

Selected Verses

Ps. 115:2
Why should the nations say,
          “Where is their God?”

Dan. 1:1
In the third year of the reign of King Jehoiakim of Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.

1 John 1:1
We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life…

John 17:11b
"…Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.”  [Jesus praying, with his disciples]

Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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