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.

To Celebrate Your Victory--Sept. 29, 2012


 O God, you take pleasure in your people;
you adorn the humble with victory.

Widely Mordecai and Esther celebrated victory--
sent out letters to wish peace and security.

Good news of a far greater victory Jesus proclaimed;
then Paul spread abroad the encouraging word.

All your children praise your name with dancing,
with tambourine and lyre make melody.

Lectionary Readings

Ps. 122; 149; 100; 63
Esth. 9:1-32
Acts 20:1-16
Luke 4:38-44

 

Selected Verses

Ps. 149:3-4
Let [the children of Zion] praise [the LORD's] name with dancing,
          making melody to him with tambourine and lyre.
For the LORD takes pleasure in his people;
          he adorns the humble with victory.

Esth. 9:30
Letters were sent wishing peace and security to all the Jews, to the one hundred twenty-seven provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus…

Acts 20:1-2
After the uproar had ceased, Paul sent for the disciples; and after encouraging them and saying farewell, he left for Macedonia.  When he had gone through those regions and had given the believers much encouragement, he came to Greece…

Luke 4:43
But [Jesus] said to [the crowds], "I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other cities also; for I was sent for this purpose."


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