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.

Words to Make Us Turn--Oct. 11, 2015


You have something to say to us, God--
pray prepare our ears to receive it,
for day to day pours forth speech,
and night to night declares knowledge.

Help us attend to this, your good news:
that if we listen and turn to you,
the living God, you will forgive
our iniquity, you will forgive us our sin.

Lectionary Readings
Ps. 19; 150; 81; 113
Jer. 36:1-10
Acts 14:8-18
Luke 7:36-50

Selected Verses
Ps. 19:2
Day to day pours forth speech,
          and night to night declares knowledge. 

Jer. 36:3
It may be that when the house of Judah hears of all the disasters that I intend to do to them, all of them may turn from their evil ways, so that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin.  [The LORD to Jeremiah]

Acts 14:15
When the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting, "Friends, why are you doing this?  We are mortals just like you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them.  …"

Luke 7:47
Jesus spoke up and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.”  “Teacher,” he replied, "Speak."
Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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