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.

Pluck Us from the Fire--Dec. 15, 2021

[From Dec. 16, 2015 archive]

 

Holy, holy, holy, the Lord God the Almighty--

Savior of those who at your right hand seek refuge--

you who come at an hour when we least expect you, 

wondrously show your steadfast love 

and pluck us from the fire. 

 

Lectionary Readings

Ps. 50; 147:1-11; 53; 17

Zech. 3:1-10

Rev. 4:1-8

Matt. 24:45-51

 

Selected Verses 

Ps. 17:7 

Wondrously show your steadfast love,

            O savior of those who seek refuge

            from their adversaries at your right hand. 

 

Zech. 3:2 

And the LORD said to Satan, “The LORD rebuke you, O Satan!  The LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you!  Is not this man a brand plucked from the fire?”

 

Rev. 4:8b 

Day and night without ceasing [the four living creatures around the throne] sing,

“Holy, holy, holy,

the Lord God the Almighty,

who was and is and is to come.” 

 

Matt. 24:50 

“…the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour that he does not know. …”  [Jesus, to his disciples]


Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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