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.

Truth that Makes Us Free--Aug. 29, 2016


Lord God of grace, we rejoice in you.
Pray give us strength to remain faithful to you,
with steadfast devotion, and to continue in your word.
Without you we become embittered and pricked in heart,
with unstable feet, unready to deal with misfortune.
Misfortune comes to all, and will to us; but
with you, if we become your disciples,
we will know the truth, and the
truth will make us free 
to cope with it.

Lectionary Readings
Ps. 62; 145; 73; 9
Job 12:1-6, 13-25
Acts 11:19-30
John 8:21-32
           
Selected Verses
Ps. 73:21-22
When my soul was embittered,
          when I was pricked in heart,
I was stupid and ignorant;
          I was like a brute beast toward you.

Job 12:5
"…Those at ease have contempt for misfortune, but it is ready for those whose feet are unstable.  …"  [Job to his friends]

Acts 11:23
When [Barnabas] came [to Antioch] and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast devotion…

John 8:31-32
Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."

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