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.

September 11, 2008

I. Readings
Psalms 16, 62, 97
Job 29:1, 31:1-23
Acts 15:1-11
John 11:17-29

II. Selections
Psalm 16:8
I keep the LORD always before me;
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

Job 31:17
" ...or [ if I] have eaten my morsel alone,
and the orphan has not eaten from it ... "
[ Job]

Acts 15:8-9
" ...And God, who knows the human heart, testified to [ the Gentiles] by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us; and in cleansing their hearts by faith he has made no distinction between them and us. ... " [ Peter to the apostles and elders in Jerusalem]

John 11:28
When [ Martha] had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary, and told her privately, "The Teacher is here and is calling for you."

III. Meditation: You are here, and you know

O God, you know the human heart,
and you make no distinctions among us.

You know that we never eat a morsel alone-
the hungry, whom you also love, watch us eat.

Lord Jesus, you are here; you are calling for us.
Stay on our right hand, and we shall not be moved.

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