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.


Stubborn Refusal--Aug. 3, 2011

[from August 8, 2007 archive]

You call us to bless your name,
to show your kindness to others,

to deny ourselves and take up
our cross and follow you;

and we stubbornly refuse.

Lectionary Readings
Ps. 96; 147:1-11; 132; 134
2 Sam. 9:1-13
Acts 19:1-10
Mark 8:34-9:1

Selected Verses
Ps. 134:1
Come, bless the LORD, all you servants of the LORD,
      who stand by night in the house of the LORD!

2 Sam. 9:3a
The king [David] said, "Is there anyone remaining of the house of Saul to whom I may show the kindness of God?"

Acts 19:9
When some stubbornly refused to believe and spoke evil of the Way before the congregation, [Paul] left them, taking the disciples with him, and argued daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus.

Mark 8:34
[Jesus] called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. …"
Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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