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.

Parting of the Ways--July 21, 2017


At times we must separate ourselves from others.
The crush of the crowd made Jesus use a boat;
 David escaped from Saul to save his life;
John left Paul and returned home.
But do not cast us away from
your presence, O God,
and do not take
your Spirit
from us.

Lectionary Readings
Ps. 51; 148; 142; 65
1 Sam. 21:1-15
Acts 13:13-25
Mark 3:7-19a

Selected Verses
Ps. 51:11
Do not cast me away from your presence,
          and do not take your holy spirit from me. 

1 Sam. 21:10
David rose and fled that day from Saul; he went to King Achish of Gath. 

Acts 13:13
Then Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia.  John, however, left them and returned to Jerusalem…

Mark 3:9
[Jesus] told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, so that they would not crush him…

Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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