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 Treasure of the Heart--Oct. 5, 2020

 

Out of the abundance of our hearts 

our mouths speak, said Jesus.

 

When hot anger smolders in our hearts,

eventually words of fire blaze out.

 

Lord, fill our hearts with good treasure, 

so our mouths may speak your praise

in words that bear witness to you.

 

Lectionary Readings

Ps. 5; 145; 82; 29

Hosea 6:7-7:7

Acts 22:30-23:11

Luke 6:39-49

 

Selected Verses 

Ps. 145:21

My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
          and all flesh will bless his holy name forever and ever.

 

Hosea 7:6

For [my people] are kindled like an oven, their heart burns within them; all night their anger smolders; in the morning it blazes like a flaming fire.

 

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, in the hearing of the people]


Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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