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.

Refuge from the Storms--Oct. 19, 2020

 

God, destructive storms are attacking

the poor and vulnerable of the world—

hurricanes and fire storms, hot dry winds,  

droughts, and crop-destroying insects—

all together with a raging pandemic.

 

Is your patience exhausted? 

Are these your doings?

 

As Jesus held back his disciples 

from unleashing destruction, 

as your angels held back

winds of the earth,

we pray for

refuge.

 

Lectionary Readings

Ps. 57; 145; 85; 47

Micah 2:1-13

Rev. 7:1-8

Luke 9:51-62 

 

Selected Verses 

Ps. 57:1

Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me,
          for in you my soul takes refuge;
in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge,
          until the destroying storms pass by.

 

Micah 2:7a

Should this be said, O house of Jacob?
          Is the LORD’s patience exhausted?
          Are these his doings?

 

Rev. 7:1

After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth so that no wind could blow on earth or sea or against any tree. 

 

Luke 9:53-55

…but [the Samaritan village’ did not receive [Jesus], because his face was set toward Jerusalem. When [Jesus’] disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?”  But he turned and rebuked them.  


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