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.

Out of the Abundance of Our Hearts--Oct. 8, 2018



Gracious God, give strength to your people!
Our deeds surround us, they are before your face.
Out of the treasure of our hearts, we have produced good,
but our hearts are not free from sin, which also comes out.
Stand by us, Jesus, that from the abundance of our hearts
your good may prevail.  Bless your people with peace.

Lectionary Readings
Ps. 5; 145; 82; 29
Hosea 6:7-7:7
Acts 22:30-23:11
Luke 6:39-49

Selected Verses
Ps. 29:11
May the LORD give strength to his people!
          May the LORD bless his people with peace!

Hosea 7:2
But they do not consider that I remember all their wickedness.  Now their deeds surround them, they are before my face.

Acts 23:11
That night the Lord stood near [Paul] and said, "Keep up your courage!  For just as you have testified for me in Jerusalem, so you must bear witness also in Rome."
Luke 6:45
"…The good person out of the good treasure of the heart produces good, and the evil person out of evil treasure produces evil; for it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks.  …"  [Jesus to his disciples in the crowd]

Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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