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.

April 14, 2007

I. Readings
Psalms 23, 92, 114
Isaiah 25:1-9
Acts 4:13-31
John 16:16-33

II. Selections
Psalm 114:7
Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the LORD,
at the presence of the God of Jacob ...

Isaiah 25:7
And he will destroy on this mountain
the shroud that is cast over all peoples,
the sheet that is spread over all nations;
he will swallow up death forever.

Acts 4:13
Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were amazed and recognized them as companions of Jesus.

John 16:22
So you have pain now; but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.

III. Meditation: Before whom to tremble?

Peter and John were ordinary, uneducated;
yet they did not tremble before authority,
because they were companions of Jesus.

In whose presence then should we tremble?
Only in your presence; but even in our pain
you make our hearts rejoice, and no one can
take our joy from us when you are present.

We wait for the time when you will destroy
the shroud cast over all peoples and nations,
the time when you swallow up death forever.

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