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.

Like a City Under Siege--March 13, 2021


Lord Jesus, we are beset like a city under siege;

wondrously show your steadfast love to us.

 

We cling to you, that we may be your people;

you have brought us from death to life.

 

May our bodies be instruments of your love;

may we listen for and keep your word.

 

Lectionary Readings

Ps. 43; 149; 31; 143

Jer. 13:1-11

Rom. 6:12-23

John 8:47-59

 

Selected Verses 

Ps. 31:21

Blessed be the LORD,
          for he has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me
          when I was beset as a city under siege.

 

Jer. 13:11

For as the loincloth clings to one’s loins, so I made the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah cling to me, says the LORD, in order that they might be for me a people, a name, a praise, and a glory.  But they would not listen.

 

Rom. 6:12-23

No longer present your members to sin as instruments of wickedness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and present your members to God as instruments of righteousness.

 

John 8:51

“…Very truly, I tell you, whoever keeps my word will never see death.”  [Jesus, to those who wanted to kill him]


Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)