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.

Why Does God Care if We Sin?--Aug. 26, 2020

 

We are complainers, O God--

nothing is so clean and perfect

that we do not call it profane.

 

(Job had reason to complain;

I for one have no excuse.)

 

Even your steadfast love for us

 elicits our criticism. We ask you,

“Why should you care if we sin?”

 

I believe you care because

sin estranges us from you;

in fact, you care so deeply

that to heal the separation

you gave us Jesus.

 

Lectionary Readings

Ps. 65; 147:1-11; 125; 91

Job 6:1, 7:1-21

Acts 10:1-16

John 7:1-13

 

Selected Verses

Ps. 65:5a

By awesome deeds you answer us with deliverance,
          O God of our salvation…

 

Ps. 147:11

…but the LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him,
          in those who hope in his steadfast love.

 

Job 7:20

“…If I sin, what do I do to you, you watcher of humanity?  Why have you made me your target?  Why have I become a burden to you?  …”

 

Acts 10:15

The voice said to [Peter] again, a second time, “What God has made clean, you must not call profane.”

 

John 7:12

And there was considerable complaining about [Jesus] among the crowds.  While some were saying, “He is a good man,” others were saying, “No, he is deceiving the crowd.”


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