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.

The War in Our Hearts--Dec. 18, 2017

The war breaks out not only in heaven,
but also, dear God, in our hearts.
You send light into the world,
but we love darkness.
You are near to all
who call on you in truth,
but we hide from you in fear.
Forgive our sinful ways.

Lectionary Readings
Ps. 122; 145; 40; 67
Gen. 3:8-15
Rev. 12:1-10
John 3:16-21

Selected Verses
Ps. 145:18
The LORD is near to all who call on him,
          to all who call on him in truth. 

Gen. 3:8
They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 

Rev. 12:7
And war broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels fought against the dragon. The dragon and his angels fought back…

John 3:19
"…And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil.  …"  [Jesus to Nicodemus]  

Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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