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 Gates of Righteousness--Oct. 20, 2012


 Open to your people the gates of righteousness,
that we may enter in and give you thanks.
There we shall live beneath your shadow,
flourish as a garden, and blossom like a vine.

In your name we shall welcome in the child--
the least among all will be the greatest--
in your name welcome in all who come;
Jesus, as we do, we will be welcoming you.

Lectionary Readings

Ps. 65; 149; 118; 111
Hosea 14:1-9
Acts 28:17-31
Luke 9:37-50

 

Selected Verses

Ps. 118:19
Open to me the gates of righteousness,
          that I may enter through them
          and give thanks to the LORD.

Hosea 14:7
[Israel] shall again live beneath my shadow, they shall flourish as a garden; they shall blossom like the vine, their fragrance shall be like the wine of Lebanon.

Acts 28:29, 30
[Paul] lived [in Rome] two whole years at his own expense and welcomed all who came to him…

Luke 9:48
…and [Jesus] said to them, "Whoever welcomes this child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me; for the least among all of you is the greatest."

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