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.

August 27, 2007

I. Readings
Psalms 47, 57, 85
1 Kings 1:1-31
Acts 26:1-23
Mark 13:14-27

II. Selections
Psalm 57:2
I cry to God Most High,
to God who fulfills his purpose for me.

1 Kings 1:5
Now Adonijah son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, "I will be king"; he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him.

Acts 26:15b-16
" ...The Lord answered, 'I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But get up and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you to serve and testify to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you. ... '" [ From Paul's testimony before King Agrippa]

Mark 13:23
" ...But be alert; I have already told you everything. ... " [ Jesus, warning Peter, James, John, and Andrew about the coming of the Son of Man]

III. Meditation: Your purpose for us

The sons of David exalted themselves;
and that was their failing, as it is ours.

It is not exalting ourselves, though,
to know that you have a purpose
for our lives that you will fulfill.

For Paul your purpose was to serve and testify-
perhaps not so different from your purpose for us.
You have already told us everything we need to know.

Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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