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.

Do I Want to Be Made Well?--Jan. 22, 2017


God, our refuge and strength,
when in my heart I say:
I am, and besides me
there is no one who matters,
you ask if I want to be made well. 
Provoke me, and help me provoke others,
to love and good deeds--especially when we have
been led astray by our supposed wisdom and knowledge,
and we are feeling secure in our wickedness.
Remind us of your presence even
when we are in trouble.

Lectionary Readings
Ps. 67; 150; 46; 93
Isa. 47:1-15
Heb. 10:19-31
John 5:2-18

Selected Verses
Ps. 46:1
God is our refuge and strength,
          a very present help in trouble. 

Isa. 47:10
You felt secure in your wickedness;
          you said, “No one sees me.”
Your wisdom and your knowledge
          led you astray,
and you said in your heart,
          “I am, and there is no one besides me.” 

Heb. 10:24
And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds…

John 5:6
When Jesus saw [the invalid] lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” 

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