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.

Life and Peace--June 30, 2022

[From July 2, 2020 archive]

 

In distress I called, and you answered me; 

you relieved my shoulder from the burden,

O God; you freed my hands from the basket.

 

You invited me to your banquet, not me only—

everyone is invited.  Put a word in my mouth

that I may pass the invitation on to others.

 

Let this be the word: to set the mind 

on the Spirit is life and peace.

 

Lectionary Readings

Ps. 143; 147:12-20; 81; 116

Numb. 23:11-26

Rom. 8:1-11

Matt. 22:1-14

 

Selected Verses 

Ps. 81:5b-7a

I hear a voice I had not known:
“I relieved your shoulder of the burden;
          your hands were freed from the basket.
In distress you called, and I rescued you…”

 

Num. 23:16

The LORD met Balaam, put a word into his mouth, and said, “Return to Balak, and this is what you shall say.”

 

Rom. 8:6

To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.

 

Matt. 22:9

“‘…Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.’  …”  [The king, in Jesus’ parable of the wedding banquet, to his slaves]


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