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.

King Josiah—Too Much Zeal?--Oct. 10, 2019


Josiah was praised for turning to you
O God, with all his heart, soul, and might.
He destroyed idols, defiled idol worship sites,
deposed and even slaughtered idolatrous priests.
By modern standards Josiah was a religious zealot .

How much zeal should I show opposing other faiths?
As I know you, triune God, from Scripture and church,
you are my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.
That said, I do not feel comfortable drawing a boundary
around my faith, declaring all who differ from me are
outside the reaches of your steadfast love and care.

Your Spirit allots to each one individually,
just as your Spirit chooses.  I do not
feel compelled to intervene.
Jesus was accepting.

Lectionary Readings
Ps. 97; 147:12-20; 16; 62
2 Kings 23:25
1 Cor. 12:1-11
Matt. 9:18-26

Selected Verses
Ps. 16:5
The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup;
          you hold my lot.  …

2 Kings 23:25
Before [Josiah] there was no king like him, who turned to the LORD with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; nor did any like him arise after him.

1 Cor. 12:11
All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.

Matt. 9:22a
Jesus turned, and seeing [the woman who had touched his cloak] he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” 

Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

1 comment:

  1. Mea SententiaOctober 10, 2019 at 5:27 PM

    This is a hard issue. Yes, Josiah makes me uncomfortable; I don't want to tear down anyone's altar. Yet, Jesus also makes me uncomfortable in the Gospels when he portrays himself as the unique path to God. If this wasn't an invention of his early disciples, and I don't believe it was their invention, then it is hard to know what to do with the other paths to God. I follow Jesus, yet this matter is unsettled in my mind.

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