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.

When Your Spirit Comes upon Us--July 1, 2016


When your Spirit comes upon us 
it bears witness that we are your children 
and that you are pleased to bless us; 
but we collapse and fall if--even though 
amazed by you--we turn away. 

Lectionary Readings 
Ps. 88; 148; 6; 20 
Num. 24:1-13
Rom. 8:12-17
Matt. 22:15-22
       
Selected Verses
Ps. 20:8
They [who take pride in chariots] will collapse and fall,
          but we shall rise and stand upright.

Num. 24:1-2
Now Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, so he did not go, as at other times, to look for omens, but set his face toward the wilderness.  Balaam looked up and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe.  Then the spirit of God came upon him…

Rom. 8:15b-16
When we cry, "Abba! Father!" it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God…

Matt. 22:22
When [those sent to entrap Jesus] heard [his response], they were amazed; and they left him and went away.

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