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.

Courage, Insight, Love--Sept. 6, 2021

[From Sept. 5, 2011 archive]

 

God, you are near to all who call on you, 

near to all who call on you in truth.

 

You gave the prophet courage and insight 

to reject a king's dinner invitation.

 

You gave the women who followed Jesus courage

and love to stay and watch his crucifixion.

 

Give us courage and also give us love, love that 

overflows with knowledge and insight.

 

Lectionary Readings

Ps. 5; 145; 82; 29

1 Kings 13:1-10

Phil. 1:1-11

Mark 15:40-47

 

Selected Verses 

Ps. 145:18

The Lord is near to all who call on him, 
          to all who call on him in truth.

 

1 Kings 13:8

But the man of God said to the king, “If you give me half your kingdom, I will not go in with you; nor will I eat food or drink water in this place.  …”

 

Phil. 1:9-10a

And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight to help you to determine what is best…

 

Mark 15:40-41

There were also women looking on from a distance; among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome.  These used to follow him and provided for him when he was in Galilee; and there were many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem.

 

Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)