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.

When to Be Concerned--May 14, 2020


Jesus, you said not to worry about life,
what we eat or drink, what we wear,
because life is more than food,
the body more than clothing.

But you never said be unconcerned
about others who are starving,
naked, homeless, or alien.
These we must care for,
these we must love.

Lord Jesus, make us worthy of your call
to take care of the poor and needy;
by your power fulfill our every
good resolve and work
of faith to do so.

Lectionary Readings
Ps. 47; 147:12-20; 68; 113
Lev. 19:26-37
2 Thess. 1:1-12
Matt. 6:25-34

Selected Verses
Ps. 113:7-8
[God] raises the poor from the dust,
          and lifts the needy from the ash heap,
to make them sit with princes,
          with the princes of his people.

Lev. 19:34
The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God. 

2 Thess. 1:11
To this end we always pray for you, asking that our God will make you worthy of his call and will fulfill by his power every good resolve and work of faith…

Matt. 6:25
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear.  Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?  …”  [Jesus, to the crowds on the mountain]

No comments:

Post a Comment