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.

When the Son Sets Us Free--Sept. 4, 2012




God of Jacob, our help and our hope,
you search us out; we cannot deceive you.
As you rescued Peter from the hand of Herod,
rescue us from the sin that enslaves us;
and make us come to ourselves--
when the Son sets us free,
we are free indeed.

Lectionary Readings
Ps. 12; 146; 36; 7
Job 12:1, 13:3-17; 21-27
Acts 12:1-17
John 8:33-47

Selected Verses
Ps. 146:5
Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
      whose hope is in the LORD their God…

Job 12:9
"…Will it be well with you when [God] searches you out? Or can you deceive him, as one person deceives another? …" [Job to his accusers]

Acts 12:11
Then Peter came to himself and said, "Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hands of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting."

John 8:34, 36
Jesus answered [the Pharisees], "Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. …So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. …"
Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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