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.

Great and Amazing God--Nov. 3, 2020

 

King of the nations, just and true, 

and God of our lives, we pray to you.

By day command your steadfast love, 

and at night may your song be with us.

 

The suffering we endure does not depend

on how much sin we’ve committed,

nor do silver and gold prevent it;

by your grace we’re forgiven.

 

Great and amazing are your deeds;

great and amazing is your mercy; 

you are great and amazing,

O God of our lives.

 

Lectionary Readings

Ps. 42; 146; 102; 133

Zeph. 1:14-18

Rev. 14:14-15:8

Luke 13:1-9

 

Selected Verses 

Ps. 42:8

By day the LORD commands his steadfast love,
          and at night his song is with me,
          a prayer to the God of my life.

 

Zeph. 1:18a

Neither their silver nor their gold
     will be able to save them
     on the day of the Lord’s wrath…

 

Rev. 15:3

And [those who had conquered the beast] sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb: “Great and amazing are your deeds, Lord God the Almighty!  Just and true are your ways, King of the nations!  …”

 

Luke 13:1-2

At that very time there were some present who told [Jesus] about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.  He asked them, “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans?  …”


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