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 31, 2007

I. Readings
Psalms 6, 20, 88
1 Kings 5:1-6:1,7
Acts 28:1-16
Mark 14:27-42

II. Selections
Psalm 20:4
May he grant you your heart's desire,
and fulfill all your plans.

1 Kings 5:8
Hiram sent word to Solomon, "I have heard the message that you have sent to me; I will fulfill all your needs in the matter of cedar and cypress timber. ... "

Acts 28:16
When we came into Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with the soldier who was guarding him.

Mark 14:36
[ Jesus] said, "Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what you want."

III. Meditation: Our heart's desire

It is all very well to ask that you fulfill
all the plans and heart's desire of a king;
but that's not the way we experience life.

Perhaps King Hiram fulfilled all the
cedar and cypress Solomon needed;
Paul's Roman friends cared for him;

But although Jesus pleaded with you,
you did not remove the cup from him;
thus our needs were fulfilled instead.

Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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