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.

Living Bread, Bread of Life--Aug. 22, 2020

 

O Living Bread,

that came down from heaven,

I pray for those fenced in by distress,

whose sighing is their bread,

whose groanings

pour out like water.

 

Especially I pray for ones

who suffer for your name.

Set them in a broad place;

with your bread of life

satisfy their hunger.

 

Lectionary Readings

Ps. 56; 149; 118; 111

Job 3:1-26

Acts 9:10-19a

John 6:41-51

 

Selected Verses

Ps. 118:5

Out of my distress I called on the LORD;
          the LORD answered me and set me in a broad place.

 

Job 3:23-24

“…Why is light given to one who cannot see the way, whom God has fenced in?  For my sighing comes like my bread, and my groanings are poured out like water.  …”  [Job, cursing the day he was born]

 

Acts 9:16

“…I myself will show [Saul] how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”  [The Lord, to Ananias in a vision]

 

John 6:51

“…I am the living bread that came down from heaven.  Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”  [Jesus, to those who were complaining about him]


Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)