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.

November 11, 2008

I. Readings
Psalms 30, 86, 123
Joel 2:3-11
Revelation 19:1-10
Luke 14:25-35

II. Selections
Psalm 30:5
For his anger is but for a moment;
his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may linger for the night,
but joy comes with the morning.

Joel 2:6
Before [ the locusts] peoples are in anguish,
all faces grow pale.

Revelation 19:8
" ...to [ the bride of the Lamb] it has been granted to be clothed
with fine linen, bright and pure"-
for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.

Luke 14:28
For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? ;

III. Meditation: A cost-benefit ratio?

Dare we estimate the cost of discipleship?
The prospects fill us with anguish, all
faces grow pale. Oh, maybe the bad
times will last only for a moment;
your favor lasts for a lifetime.
Weeping will end with the night,
and joy will come with the morning.
If you will help us accumulate righteous
deeds, our pale faces will glow like fine linen.

Is this a pious waste of time?
Do you not call us to follow
regardless of cost or reward?

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