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.


What Matters--July 11, 2011

Records of thousands or ten thousands mean nothing to you;
what matters is whether we have acted according to our ability.

What matters is whether we have rescued the weak and the needy;
what matters is whether when moved by pity, we have acted.

Lectionary Readings
Ps. 5; 145; 82; 29
1 Sam. 18:5-30
Acts 11:19-30
Mark 1:29-45

Selected Verses
Ps. 82:4
“…Rescue the weak and the needy;
      deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”
[God speaks in the divine council]

1 Sam. 18:7
And the women sang to one another as they made merry,
      “Saul has killed his thousands,
           and David his tens of thousands.”

Acts 11:29-30
The disciples determined that according to their ability, each would send relief to the believers living in Judea; this they did, sending it to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.

Mark 1:41
Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched [the leper], and said to him, “I do choose. Be made clean!”
Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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