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.

Calling God, and Listening--June 3, 2016


Faithful God, you keep your promises,
and you have promised to listen when we call.
Grant that we may learn to listen, too, attentively,
not only to other people, but to you in prayer.
Help us each day to find a quiet place to
pray as Jesus prayed, not calling,
simply listening for you.

Lectionary Readings
Ps. 88; 148; 6; 20
Eccl. 5:1-7
Gal. 3:15-22
Matt. 14:22-36
       
Selected Verses
Ps. 20:9
Give victory to the king, O LORD;
          answer us when we call.

Eccl. 5:1
Guard your steps when you go to the house of God; to draw near to listen is better than the sacrifice offered by fools; for they do not know how to keep from doing evil.

Gal. 3:18
For if the inheritance comes from the law, it no longer comes from the promise; but God granted it to Abraham through the promise.

Matt. 14:23
And after [Jesus] had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray.  When evening came, he was there alone…
Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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