I am on a particular journey in my study/meditation of Scriptures over a three year period. Beginning last Church Year, I make my habit to study the readings for the next Sunday. They are also my meditation. It has been a wonderful journey and I have generally stayed on track.

Just last week, though, I found myself “ahead” of the journey for the week. I was going out of town, so I had done my “homework” already. I came to a quiet Sunday morning and thought, “Uh oh… what do I read?”

Sometimes it’s the Psalms.

This time was a pleasant reminder: the ancient wells.

Years ago I began a list of familiar Scriptures. I based it off a list Dallas Willard had offered somewhere in his writing and early on I added some familiar passages to it. It is a list of Scriptures I keep so if I ever get “stuck” in my reading or study, I go to this list and work my way through.

The exercise is helpful because it puts me in very familiar territory, yet I am refreshed each time by the journey through these passages! It is like taking up pure oxygen and breathing deep. My mind clears out. My heart clears out. The noise tends to go down several notches.

I am drawn back to the affections of Christ. I see his path more clearly and then I can move on to the next thing.

Here is my list (and please use it or make your own or add to it for your own use):

Romans 12:1-21
I Cor. 13
2 Cor. 3:12-7:1
Gal. 5:22-6:10
Eph. 4:20-6:20
Phil. 2:3-16
Phil. 4:4-9
Col. 3:1-4:6
I Pet. 2:1-3:16
2 Pet. 1:2-11
I Jn. 4:7-21
Micah 6:8
Deut. 10:12-21
Matt. 5-7
Rom. 8
Psalm 23
Heb. 11-12