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.

Though I Am No Prophet--Nov. 4, 2019


O Son of Man, you know that I am no prophet,
nor do I have insights about other peoples,
but it seems to me that the foundations
of our country are being shaken,
 that we walk in darkness.

Sow among us good seed,
and grant us courage
to stay the course.

Lectionary Readings
Ps. 5; 145; 82; 29
Neh. 6:1-19
Rev. 10:1-11
Matt. 13:36-43

Selected Verses
Ps. 82:5
 They have neither knowledge nor understanding,
          they walk around in darkness;
          all the foundations of the earth are shaken.

Neh. 6:11
But I said, “Should a man like me run away?  Would a man like me go into the temple to save his life?  I will not go in!”

Rev. 10:11
Then they said to me, “You must prophesy again about many peoples and nations and languages and kings.”

Matt. 13:37
[Jesus] answered [his disciples], “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man…”

Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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