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.

Life and Death, All with God--Aug. 12, 2017

[From Aug. 6, 2011 archive]

You turn us back to dust, and say,
"Turn back, you mortals."

For a week King David fasted and prayed,
but his baby son died.

Eutychus fell three stories and died,
but in Paul's arms he revived.

Jesus taught his disciples he would be killed
and that he would rise again.

You give us life, death, rising again--
all with you, all mysteries.

Lectionary Readings
Ps. 63; 149; 125; 90
2 Sam. 12:15-31
Acts 20:1-16
Mark 9:30-41

Selected Verses
Psalm 90:3
You turn us back to dust,
and say, "Turn back, you mortals."

2 Samuel 12:23
" ...But now [my child] is dead; why should I fast?  Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me." [David, explaining to his servants after Bathsheba's child died]

Acts 20:9b-10
Overcome by sleep, [Eutychus] fell to the ground three floors below and was picked up dead.  But Paul went down, and bending over him took him in his arms, and said, "Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him."

Mark 9:31
...for [ Jesus] was teaching his disciples, saying to them, "The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again."

No comments:

Post a Comment