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.

Short in Spiritual Stature--Nov. 23, 2016

[From Nov. 28, 2012 archive]

Lord Jesus, how good it is to sing
your praises, for you are gracious
and our song of praise is fitting.

We are short in spiritual stature,
and the crowd of life around us
prevents us from seeing you.

Therefore pour out upon us a
spirit of compassion and of
supplication, that we may

bless God, who blesses
us in you with every
spiritual blessing.

Lectionary Readings
Ps. 96; 147:1-11; 132; 134
Zech. 12:1-10
Eph. 1:3-14
Luke 19:1-10

Selected Verses
Ps. 147:1
Praise the Lord!
          How good it is to sing praises to our God;
          for he is gracious, and a song of praise is fitting.

Zech. 12:10
And I will pour out a spirit of compassion and supplication on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem…

Eph. 1:3
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places…

Luke 19:3
[Zacchaeus] was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature.

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