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.

God, Give Me an Undivided Heart--Feb. 19, 2019

[From Feb. 15, 2011 archive]

God, give me an undivided heart to revere you.
With an undivided heart, I will walk in your truth;

I will remember how you have saved and redeemed,
lifted up and carried; how you have given us Jesus.

With an undivided heart I can fight the good fight,
and I can forgive all who have trespassed against me.

Lectionary Readings 
Ps. 123; 146; 30; 86
Isa. 63:7-14
1 Tim. 1:18-2:15
Mark 11:12-26

Selected Verses 
Ps. 86:11
Teach me your way, O LORD, 
            that I may walk in your truth;
            give me an undivided heart to revere your name.

Isa. 63:9b-d
 It was no messenger or angel
            but his presence that saved them;
in his love and in his pity he redeemed them;
            he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.

1 Tim. 1:18-19a.
I am giving you these instructions, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies made earlier about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, having faith and a good conscience.

Mark 11:25
“…Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.”  [Jesus to his disciples]

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