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.

March 17, 2006

I. Readings
Psalms 22, 105, 130
Genesis 43:1-15
1 Corinthians 7:1-9
Mark 4:35-41

II. Selections
Psalm 130:4
But there is forgiveness with you,
so that you may be revered.

Genesis 43:4-5
" ...If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food; but if you will not send him, we will not go down, for the man said to us, 'You shall not see my face, unless your brother is with you.'" [ Judah to Jacob]

1 Corinthians 7:7b
But each has a particular gift from God, one having one kind and another a different kind.

Mark 4:40
[ Jesus] said to them, "Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?"

III. Meditation: The gift we need
Each of us has a particular gift from you,
one having one kind
and another a different kind.
Sometimes we need a gift we have not received.

Jacob was confronted with a bitter choice:
lose Benjamin to Egypt,
or himself and his family to famine.
Jacob was afraid; he needed the gift of faith.

There is forgiveness with you,
so that you may be revered.
The gift we all need from you
is your forgiving, accepting love.

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