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.

We Pour out Our Hearts Before You--Sept. 14, 2017


Merciful and loving God, you are our refuge.
Before you we pour out our hearts; we trust in you.
We know there will be times of sorrow and loss for us;
that even if we had always served and revered you,
there would still be mourning and weeping--
perhaps a very long chain of  sorrows.
Nevertheless, we trust in you,
for when we do grieve,
you grieve too.

Lectionary Readings
Ps. 97; 147:12-20; 16; 62
1 Kings 18:1-19
Phil. 2:12-30
Matt. 2:13-23

Selected Verses
Ps. 62:8
Trust in [God] at all times, O people;
          pour out your heart before him;
          God is a refuge for us. Selah

1 Kings 18:12
"…As soon as I have gone from you, the spirit of the LORD will carry you I know not where; so, when I come and tell Ahab and he cannot find you, he will kill me, although I your servant have revered the LORD from my youth.  …"  [Obadiah to Elijah]

Phil. 2:27
[Epaphroditus] was indeed so ill that he nearly died.  But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, so that I would not have one sorrow after another.

Matt. 2:18
 "A voice was heard in Ramah, 
          wailing and loud lamentation, 
Rachel weeping for her children;
          she refused to be consoled, because they are no more."

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