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.

On Whom Should We Lean?--Dec. 17, 2016


O God, you have been our dwelling place
in all generations;
yet do not permit us to lean on the record
of our ancestors--
you care about how we live our own lives;
we must lean on you.
Build up our faith, praying in your Spirit;
keep us in your love,
looking forward to the mercy of our Lord
Jesus Christ,
that leads to eternal life.

Lectionary Readings
Ps. 90; 149; 80; 72
Isa. 10:20-27
Jude 17-25
Luke 3:1-9
           
Selected Verses
Ps. 90:1
 LORD, you have been our dwelling place
          in all generations. 

Isa. 10:20
On that day the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no more lean on the one who struck them, but will lean on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. 

Jude 20-21
But you, beloved, build yourselves up on your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit; keep yourselves in the love of God; look forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.

Luke 3:8b
"…Do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our ancestor'; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham.  …"  [John the Baptist to the crowds that came to be baptized]

No comments:

Post a Comment