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.

Equity and Justice, Regardless of Appearance--April 4, 2018


We go our way, and suddenly you meet us, Jesus,
and you remind us how God loves justice
and how God establishes equity.

In your eyes the native and the alien are equal;
in our eyes the glory of some bodies
may exceed that of others, but when
we die the glory of our heavenly bodies
will be the same.

Therefore, teach us to treat all people
equitably and with justice,
without regard to
appearance.

Lectionary Readings
Ps. 99; 147:1-11; 9; 118
Exod. 12:40-51
1 Cor. 15:29-41
Matt. 28:1-16

Selected Verses
Ps. 99:4
Mighty King, lover of justice,
          you have established equity;
you have executed justice
          and righteousness in Jacob. 

Exod. 12:49
…there shall be one law for the native and for the alien who resides among you.

1 Cor. 15:38, 40
But God gives [the sown seed] a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. …There are both heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one thing, and that of the earthly is another. 

Matt. 28:9
Suddenly Jesus met [Mary Magdalen and the other Mary] and said, "Greetings!"  And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. 

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