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 15, 2008

I. Readings
Psalms 40, 67, 122, 145
Isaiah 8:16-9:1
2 Peter 1:1-11
Luke 22:39-53

II. Selections
Psalm 145:3
Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised;
his greatness is unsearchable.

Isaiah 8:17
I will wait for the LORD, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope in him.

2 Peter 1:5-7
For this reason, you must make every effort to support your faith with goodness, and goodness with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with endurance, and endurance with godliness, and godliness with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love.

Luke 22:53
" ...When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness!" [ Jesus to the chief priests, officers of the temple police, and the elders who had come for him]

III. Meditation: Hope even during the power of darkness

Great is your power, O God, and unsearchable your greatness.
Grant us goodness to support our faith, knowledge to support
our goodness, self-control to support our knowledge, endurance
to support our self-control, godliness to support our endurance,
mutual affection to support our godliness, and love to support
our mutual affection. Then even in the power of darkness we
will wait for you, and hope in you, though you hide your face.

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