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.

September 06, 2006

I. Readings
Psalms 96, 132, 134
Job 12:1; 14:1-22
Acts 12:18-25
John 8:47-59

II. Selections
Psalm 132:1
O LORD, remember in David's favor,
all the hardships he endured ...

Job14:4
Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean?
No one can.

Acts 12:20
Now Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon. So they came to him in a body; and after winning over Blastus, the king's chamberlain, they asked for a reconciliation, because their country depended on the king's country for food.

John 8:53
" ...Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets also died. Who do you claim to be?" [ The crowd to Jesus]

III. Meditation: Who do you claim to be?

Who do you claim to be?

If you are King, and you are angry with us,
and our lives depend upon your good will,
then we must ask for reconciliation.

But is reconciliation possible?
We have endured many hardships;
this, it seems, does not suffice.

No one can bring a clean thing
out of an unclean ...
can you?

Who do you claim to be?
Are you greater than Abraham,
greater than the prophets, who died?

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