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.

The Temple of Our Hearts--July 2, 2012



God, enter the temple of our hearts,
by your good grace drive out
sin's dominion over our lives.

Overturn our lust for silver and gold;
may we never go beyond your
command, to do less or more.

Turn our hearts to you, give us faith,
speak peace to all your people,
let us hear what you will speak.

Lectionary Readings
Ps. 57; 145; 85; 47
Numb. 22:1-21
Rom. 6:12-23
Matt. 21:12-22

Selected Verses
Ps. 85:8
Let me hear what God the LORD will speak,
      for he will speak peace to his people,
      to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts.

Numb. 22:18
But Balaam replied to the servants of Balak, "Although Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the command of the LORD my God, to do less or more. …"

Rom. 6:14
For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

Matt. 21:12
Then Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who were selling and buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.
Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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