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 Anger Burns Within--Oct. 3, 2016


We bow before you, gracious God,
in awe of the abundance of your steadfast love.
But when a clamor arises around us
and anger burns within, smoldering in our heart
all night, then blazes up in flaming fire
when at last the morning comes, how can we from
the evil treasure in our heart speak good?
We cannot, unless you replace with steadfast love
the flame that blazes there.

Lectionary Readings
Ps. 5; 145; 82; 29
Hosea 6:7-7:7
Acts 22:30-23:11
Luke 6:39-49
           
Selected Verses
Ps. 5:7
But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love,
          will enter your house,
I will bow down toward your holy temple
          in awe of you. 

Hosea 7:6
For [the king's officials] are kindled like an oven, their heart burns within them; all night their anger smolders; in the morning it blazes like a flaming fire. 

Acts 23:9
Then a great clamor arose, and certain scribes of the Pharisees' group stood up and contended, "We find nothing wrong with this man [Paul].  What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?"

Luke 6:45
The good person out of the good treasure of the heart produces good, and the evil person out of evil treasure produces evil; for it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks.

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