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.

Because You Seek Us, We Hope--Jan. 24, 2014


 Sovereign God, you seek true worshipers,
those who worship in spirit and truth.
You seek us not just to make our name great,
but so we will be a blessing to others.
You seek us because of your steadfast love,
and with your great power to redeem.
Because you seek us, O God, we hope in you
and the power of your indestructible life.

Lectionary Readings

Ps. 130; 148; 32; 139
Gen. 11:27-12:8
Heb. 7:1-17
John 4:16-26

Selected Verses

Ps. 130:7
O Israel, hope in the LORD!
          For with the LORD there is steadfast love,
          and with him is great power to redeem.

Gen. 12:2
"…I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.  …"  [The LORD to Abram]

Heb. 7:16
…one who has become a priest, not through a legal requirement concerning physical descent, but through the power of an indestructible life.

John 4:23
"…But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him.  …"  [Jesus to the Samaritan woman]

Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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