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.

Truths to Hold Fast--May 15, 2020


O Lord our God,
the truths you have taught us
are very old, very familiar:

when we die, we will leave
all our wealth behind us;

we must share our rich harvest
with the poor and the alien;

and above all, we must do to others
as we would have them do to us.

Lord, these are solid traditions to live by;
help us stand firm and hold them fast.

Lectionary Readings
Ps. 96; 148; 49; 138
Lev. 23:1-22
2 Thess. 2:1-17
Matt. 7:1-12

Selected Verses
Ps. 49:17
For when [the rich] die they will carry nothing away;
          their wealth will not go down after them.

Lev. 23:22
When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very edges of your field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest; you shall leave them for the poor and for the alien: I am the LORD your God.

2 Thess. 2:15
So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by our letter.

Matt. 7:12
“In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets.  …”  [Jesus, to the crowds on the mountain]

No comments:

Post a Comment