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.

Because of Your Righteousness, Jesus--April 19, 2014


Lord Jesus, the enemy pursued you,
crushing your life to the ground,
making you sit in darkness
like those long dead.

Our high priest,
so severely tested,
far beyond our testing,
yet you were without sin.

For you our eyes flow with tears.
Let your Spirit be in us, that we may
have life because of your righteousness.

Lectionary Readings
Ps. 43; 149; 31; 143
Lam. 3:37-58
Heb. 4:1-16
Rom. 8:1-11

Selected Verses
Ps. 143:3
 For the enemy has pursued me,
          crushing my life to the ground,
          making me sit in darkness like those long dead. 

Lam. 3:49
My eyes will flow without ceasing, without respite…

Heb. 4:15
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. 

Rom. 8:10
But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 

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