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.

With You, All the Days of Our Lives--March 16, 2017


One thing we seek after, O God--
to live with you, and to be with you,
all the days of our lives.
You have astonished us with Jesus
and the works you have done through him.
Without you, without him, we are skilled
in doing evil, but do not know how to do good.
Without you we cannot teach others
and know not  how to teach ourselves.

Lectionary Readings
Ps. 27; 147:12-20; 126; 102
Jer. 4:9-10, 19-28
Rom. 2:12-24
John 5:19-29

Selected Verses
Ps. 27:4
One thing I asked of the LORD,
          that will I seek after:
to live in the house of the LORD
          all the days of my life,
to behold the beauty of the LORD,
          and to inquire in his temple.

Jer. 4:22c
"…[My people] are skilled in doing evil,
          but do not know how to do good."
[The LORD to Jeremiah]

Rom. 2:21a
…you, then, that teach others, will you not teach yourself? 

John 5:20
"…The Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing; and he will show him greater works than these, so that you will be astonished.  …"  [Jesus to his critics] 

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