Revised Common Lectionary Readings for July 05, 2026

Revised Common Lectionary Readings (Three-Year Cycle)

Lectionary Readings for Sunday, July 5, 2026

First Reading Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67 34So he said, “I am Abraham’s servant. 35The LORD has greatly blessed my master, and he has become wealthy; he has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male and female slaves, camels and donkeys. 36And Sarah my master’s wife bore a son to my master when she was old; and he has given him all that he has. 37My master made me swear, saying, ‘You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live; 38but you shall go to my father’s house, to my kindred, and get a wife for my son.’ 42“I came today to the spring, and said, ‘O LORD, the God of my master Abraham, if now you will only make successful the way I am going! 43I am standing here by the spring of water; let the young woman who comes out to draw, to whom I shall say, “Please give me a little water from your jar to drink,” 44and who will say to me, “Drink, and I will draw for your camels also” — let her be the woman whom the LORD has appointed for my master’s son.’ 45“Before I had finished speaking in my heart, there was Rebekah coming out with her water jar on her shoulder; and she went down to the spring, and drew. I said to her, ‘Please let me drink.’ 46She quickly let down her jar from her shoulder, and said, ‘Drink, and I will also water your camels.’ So I drank, and she also watered the camels. 47Then I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bore to him.’ So I put the ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her arms. 48Then I bowed my head and worshiped the LORD, and blessed the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me by the right way to obtain the daughter of my master’s kinsman for his son. 49Now then, if you will deal loyally and truly with my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, so that I may turn either to the right hand or to the left.” 58And they called Rebekah, and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” She said, “I will.” 59So they sent away their sister Rebekah and her nurse along with Abraham’s servant and his men. 60And they blessed Rebekah and said to her,      “May you, our sister, become           thousands of myriads;      may your offspring gain possession           of the gates of their foes.” 61Then Rebekah and her maids rose up, mounted the camels, and followed the man; thus the servant took Rebekah, and went his way. 62Now Isaac had come from Beer-lahai-roi, and was settled in the Negeb. 63Isaac went out in the evening to walk in the field; and looking up, he saw camels coming. 64And Rebekah looked up, and when she saw Isaac, she slipped quickly from the camel, 65and said to the servant, “Who is the man over there, walking in the field to meet us?” The servant said, “It is my master.” So she took her veil and covered herself. 66And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. 67Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent. He took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death. Psalm Psalm 45:10-17 10  Hear, O daughter, consider and incline your ear;           forget your people and your father’s house, 11       and the king will desire your beauty.      Since he is your lord, bow to him; 12       the people of Tyre will seek your favor with gifts,           the richest of the people 13with all kinds of wealth.      The princess is decked in her chamber with gold-woven robes; 14       in many-colored robes she is led to the king;           behind her the virgins, her companions, follow. 15  With joy and gladness they are led along           as they enter the palace of the king. 16  In the place of ancestors you, O king, shall have sons;           you will make them princes in all the earth. 17  I will cause your name to be celebrated in all generations;           therefore the peoples will praise you forever and ever. Alternate Song of Solomon 2:8-13 8   The voice of my beloved!           Look, he comes,      leaping upon the mountains,           bounding over the hills. 9   My beloved is like a gazelle           or a young stag.      Look, there he stands           behind our wall,      gazing in at the windows,           looking through the lattice. 10  My beloved speaks and says to me:           “Arise, my love, my fair one,           and come away; 11  for now the winter is past,           the rain is over and gone. 12  The flowers appear on the earth;           the time of singing has come,           and the voice of the turtledove           is heard in our land. 13  The fig tree puts forth its figs,           and the vines are in blossom;           they give forth fragrance.      Arise, my love, my fair one,           and come away.” Second Reading Romans 7:15-25a 15I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16Now if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good. 17But in fact it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. 19For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. 20Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. 21So I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand. 22For I delight in the law of God in my inmost self, 23but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind, making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! Gospel Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30 16“But to what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to one another, 17  ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;           we wailed, and you did not mourn.’ 18For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon’; 19the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.” 25At that time Jesus said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; 26yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 27All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), 100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, KY 40202

Prayers for Our Community, Our Nation and Our World

We can offer specific daily prayers for our community, nation and world. Between Monday, July 6 and Sunday, July 12, we'll lay before God the needs listed below.

• Monday, July 6, 2026 - That all human trafficking would end.
• Tuesday, July 7, 2026 - That we celebrate Holy Week by rededicating ourselves to follow the example of Jesus Christ.
• Wednesday, July 8, 2026 - That we strengthen our global unity rather than casting blame and sowing divisions.
• Thursday, July 9, 2026 - That we decide to sacrifice some of our comforts for the sake of others.
• Friday, July 10, 2026 - That there'll be peace between Russia and Ukraine.
• Saturday, July 11, 2026 - That we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ by renewing our commitment to life.
• Sunday, July 12, 2026 - That God protect all civilians impacted by the conflict in Gaza.

The Sligo Presbyterian Church Celebration Service - Sunday, June 28, 2026

Sligo Presbyterian Church: Our Congregation and Community: The Sligo Presbyterian Church Celebration Service ...: On July 4, we'll celebrate our 250th anniversary as a country. And even though we haven’t been perfect, we’ve served as an example of fr...

Sunday's Message (Freedom in Christ: Freedom That’s Challenging)

Sligo Presbyterian Church: Our Congregation and Community: Sunday's Message (Freedom in Christ: Freedom That’...: On July 4, we'll celebrate our 250th anniversary as a country. And even though we haven’t been perfect, we’ve served as an example of fr...

Looking into the lectionary - An update from General Assembly

Genesis 25:19-34; Romans 8:1-11 Seventh Sunday after Pentecost July 12, 2026 In professional wrestling, matches are typically fought between a “heel” and a “face.” A “heel” is the bad guy, the villain of the match, who may or may not be defeated by the good guy, the innocent “babyface” (or “face,” for short). The black-and-white morality play is an essential part of this sport/performance; yet there is also significant fluidity to the roles for specific wrestlers. For instance, Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson, arguably the most famous professional wrestler alive, has been both a face and a heel at various times over his nearly three-decade wrestling career. “Do you smell what the Rock is cooking” – his famous catchphrase – was debuted during his first heel phrase in 1998. He continued to use it when he turned face in 1999 — and when he turned heel again in 2004. The story of God’s chosen family is a lot like the world of professional wrestling: there are a lot of characters, who seem constantly to turn face to heel or heel to face. Abraham, the “father of the faith,” repeatedly cuts shady deals to pimp out his beautiful wife Sarah. Isaac and Rebekah pray together for her barrenness to be overcome – and it is! – only to have Rebekah cry out in complaint that God has “blessed her” with a painful pregnancy. Then there are the two main characters of this Sunday’s text: Esau and Jacob. Esau is born feral and strong, and Jacob is, well, a heel-grabber. It seems pretty clear who ought to be the face and the heel; yet the prophetic word of God calls for a role reversal! It is Jacob who comes out on top in the end, according to God’s promised plan (turns out the fight was fixed all along). Yet it seems to me that Jacob, though the victor, remains the heel in this story. What are we to make of the fact that God chooses the heel to win? .... Thank you to this week's writer, Aaron Pratt Shepherd. Read the rest of the commentary at pres-outlook.org. Want the worship resources for July 5, 2026? You can find them here.

Order of worship — July 12, 2026 by Aaron Pratt Shepherd GA227 clears 64 items by consent, confirms four entity leaders on opening night in Milwaukee by Eric Ledermann   Town Square brings exhibits and connections back to General Assembly by Greg Allen-Pickett Spread of White Christian nationalism scuttles idea for Presbyterian celebration of July Fourth by John Bolt Beyond thoughts and prayers: A walk against gun violence by Caroline Garcia Theologians and religious leaders say the Reformed tradition speaks against transactional concepts of covenant by multiple authors A look into the Presbyterian churches of Milwaukee by Outlook staff   Documents contradict PL&W testimony on covenant given to terminated mission co-workers by Eric Ledermann

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT... Coalition celebrates PC(USA)’s approval of fossil fuel divestment overture Press release: Supporters of CLJ-02 call the General Assembly's approval of a plan to divest most fossil fuel investments by 2030 a historic milestone after 12 years of advocacy. Krysten Carter Holloway confirmed as President and CEO of the Board of Pensions Press release: The 227th General Assembly confirmed Krysten Carter Holloway as president and CEO of the Board of Pensions, making her its first African American woman and first person of color in the role. PC(USA) agency urged to quickly fill immigration attorney vacancy The “matter requires immediate institutional attention,” writes the General Assembly Operations Committee. — John Bolt Committee approves call for U.S. embargo and sanctions on Cuba to be lifted Commissioners voted to express solidarity with the PC(USA)'s long-time Cuban partner church and urged U.S. advocacy staff to push for diplomatic relief. — Eric Ledermann Committee approves naming Israel’s actions in Gaza a genocide, calls for arms embargo After nearly four hours of discussion, commissioners approved a measure that PC(USA) staff said would free them to advocate ‘in a much stronger way.’ — Eric Ledermann

Copyright © 2026 Presbyterian Outlook, All rights reserved.

World Evangelical Alliance - Lifting Up Venezuela

In solidarity with Venezuela. On June 26 2026, twin major earthquakes struck northern Venezuela causing devastating damage. Communities have been severely disrupted with many deaths reported and more missing. The president of the Evangelical Council of Venezuela, Pastor César Mermejo traveled today to the area of greatest destruction to assess the situation on the ground, connect with the pastors on the ground and to plan a coordinated response. Below are some of the photos he just sent. As part of our global family, the World Evangelical Alliance and Alianza Evangélica Latina stands in solidarity with Evangelical Council of Venezuela and lend our support as they organise themselves to provide relief. We invite the global Church to stand together in prayer and generosity. Give Now Please pray for: Families who have lost loved ones, homes, and livelihoods. The safety and strength of rescue workers, volunteers, and local church leaders. The churches responding tirelessly to meet urgent needs. God's comfort, healing, and hope to reach every affected community. If possible, please donate to help the church be salt and light in this precious hour. Your gift will go a long way to support the alliance as they provide practical assistance to those who are suffering. You can donate at the link below—simply select OTHER and note “Venezuela.” https://worldea.org/donate/ Support the Reponse Together, we can be the hands and feet of Jesus, bringing hope where it is needed most. "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." — Galatians 6:2 Grace and peace, World Evangelical Alliance Over two billion Christians in the world today are represented by three world church bodies. The World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) is one of those, serving more than 600 million evangelicals belonging to churches that are part of 143 national Evangelical Alliances in 9 regions. Launched in London in 1846, the WEA unites evangelicals across denominations for prayer, evangelism, mission, theological education, religious freedom, human rights advocacy, relief, and engagement in a wide range of social issues. It speaks with one voice to United Nations, governments, and media in public or through behind-the-scenes diplomacy on issues of common concern to the Church. For more information, visit worldea.org WEA has been a charter member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability since 1980. WEA is audited annually by an independent public accounting firm. WEA is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. In the United States, your contribution is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

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