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 Be Children of our Father in Heaven--May 17, 2014


Forgiving God, you make your sun rise
on the evil and on the good; you send your
rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.
We declare your steadfast love in the morning,
your faithfulness by night.  Lift the cloud

that surrounds us as we set out
on the next stage of our journey:
to love more and more our brothers
and sisters, and even to love our enemies,
so we may be children of our Father in heaven.

Lectionary Readings
Ps. 92; 149; 23; 114
Exod. 40:18-38
1 Thess. 4:1-12
Matt. 5:38-48

Selected Verses
Ps. 92:2
…to declare your steadfast love in the morning,
          and your faithfulness by night…

Exod. 40:36
Whenever the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle, the Israelites would set out on each stage of their journey…

1 Thess. 4:10
…and indeed you do love all the brothers and sisters throughout Macedonia.  But we urge you, beloved, to do so more and more…

Matt. 5:44-45
"…But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.  …"  [Jesus to the crowd on the mountain]

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