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.

Holy God, You Conquer the World--Apr. 22, 2015


Holy God, we worship at your footstool;
we worship in the name of Jesus,
whose purpose was to proclaim
the good news of your kingdom.

Your purpose for us is that we
obey your commandments,
even when we find ourselves
fearful or perplexed.

But your commandments
are not burdensome, for they
are born of you, and you
conquer the world.

Lectionary Readings
Ps. 99; 147:1-11; 9; 118
Dan. 5:1-12
1 John 5:1-12
Luke 4:38-44

Selected Verses
Ps. 99:5
Extol the LORD our God;
          worship at his footstool.
          Holy is he!

Dan. 5:9
Then King Belshazzar became greatly terrified and his face turned pale, and his lords were perplexed.

1 John 5:3-4a
For the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments.  And his commandments are not burdensome, for whatever is born of God conquers the world.

Luke 4:42-43
At daybreak [Jesus] departed and went into a deserted place.  And the crowds were looking for him; and when they reached him, they wanted to prevent him from leaving them.  But he said to them, “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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