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 19, 2007

I. Readings
Psalms 47, 68, 113
Daniel 2:31-49
1 John 2:18-29
Luke 3:1-14

II. Selections
Psalm 47:1
Clap your hands, all you peoples;
shout to God with loud songs of joy.

Daniel 2:44a
" ...And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall this kingdom be left to another people. ... " [ Daniel interprets the dream of Nebuchadnezzar]

1 John 2:21
I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and you know that no lie comes from the truth.

Luke 3:7
John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ... "

III. Meditation: Wrath ahead, or kingdom?

We receive conflicting advice
concerning what lies ahead.

We are a brood of vipers-
flee from wrath to come.

Or ones who know the truth,
who should clap our hands
and shout to you with joy.

And we receive a promise:
you will set a kingdom up
that shall never be destroyed.

Perhaps we know the truth
about what the future holds
even if we don't understand it.

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