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.

December 21, 2007

I. Readings
Psalms 16, 102, 130
2 Samuel 7:1-17
Titus 2:11-3:8a
Luke 1:39-56

II. Selections
Psalm 16:11
You show me the path of life.
In your presence there is fullness of joy;
in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

2 Samuel 7:2
...the king [ David] said to the prophet Nathan, "See now, I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of God stays in a tent."

Titus 3:4-5
But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy, through the water of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.

Luke 1:52-53
" ...He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty. ... " [ Mary]

III. Meditation: Neither riches nor works of righteousness

Even if they dwell in cedar houses,
you do not seem much impressed
by the powerful upon their thrones;
you lift up the lowly and fill
the hungry with good things,
sending the rich away empty.

Rich or poor, we are not saved by the
works of righteousness we have done,
but according to your mercy, through the
water of rebirth and renewal by the Spirit.

Show us the path of life-in your presence
there is fullness of joy, and in your right
hand there are pleasures forevermore.

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