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.

July 03, 2007

I. Readings
Psalms 28, 54, 99
1 Samuel 11:1-15
Acts 8:1b-13
Luke 22:63-71

II. Selections
Psalm 28:9
O save your people, and bless your heritage;
be their shepherd, and carry them forever.

1 Samuel 11:12-13
The people said to Samuel, "Who is it that said, 'Shall Saul reign over us?' Give them to us so that we may put them to death." But Saul said, "No one shall be put to death this day, for today the LORD has brought deliverance to Israel."

Acts 8:3
But Saul was ravaging the church by entering house after house; dragging off both men and women, he committed them to prison.

Luke 22:63
Now the men who were holding Jesus began to mock him and beat him ...

III. Meditation: Death and deliverance

On the day King Saul perceived
you had brought deliverance to Israel,
he permitted no one to be put to death-
no more death to mark this deliverance.

The psalmist called you to save your people,
to be their shepherd and carry them forever;
but the one you sent to be their Shepherd
was mocked and beaten, scourged and killed.

Even his first followers, both men and women,
were dragged from their houses to prisons;
because they believed you had delivered them
through this one who was beaten and killed.

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