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.

May 04, 2007

I. Readings
Psalms 49, 96, 138
Jeremiah 31:15-22
Colossians 3:1-11
Luke 7:1-17

II. Selections
Psalm 96:12b-13a
Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy
before the LORD; for he is coming,
for he is coming to judge the earth.

Jeremiah 31:20
Is Ephraim my dear son?
Is he the child I delight in?
As often as I speak against him,
I still remember him,
Therefore I am deeply moved for him;
I will surely have mercy on him,
says the LORD.

Colossians 3:9-10
Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have stripped off the old self with its practices and have clothed yourselves with the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its creator.

Luke 7:16
Fear seized all of [ the people who saw the dead man sit up]; and they glorified God, saying, "A great prophet has risen among us!" and "God has looked favorably on his people!"

III. Meditation: The child in whom you delight

Shall we fear you?

The trees of the forest sing for joy
because you are coming to judge the earth.
Why should they rejoice before you, and not we? ;

Strip away our old self with its practices
and clothe us with the new self
renewed in your knowledge.

You have looked favorably on your people;
surely you will remember us
and will have mercy on us.

Shall we fear you?

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