Looking into the lectionary - The story behind GA volunteers

Matthew 14:13-21 Tenth Sunday after Pentecost 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time August 2, 2026 When I was 12, I embarked upon a Presbyterian rite of passage: I joined the confirmation class. Known for “loving God with our minds,” confirmands in my church were assigned “term papers” on biblical stories. My story was about the miracle of the loaves and fishes. This was way before the internet, so I went to the church library and pulled down all the commentaries on this story in each of the Gospels. If I close my eyes, I can still smell the pages of those ancient, neglected books. Soon armed with the accumulated wisdom of exegetes who had gone before me, I confidently set out to dispel the mystery of this miracle. After considering a few different scenarios, I proposed that when Jesus took a loaf of bread, broke it and distributed it, he opened the floodgates of generosity hiding in the gathered crowd. Everyone quit hoarding their lunchboxes, and, miracle of miracles, there was more than enough food because they pooled their resources. I have always been something of a pragmatist, so even as a 12-year-old, I knew there had to be a logical explanation. My faith was not seeking understanding. Rather, my mind was determined to find a plausible explanation for the supposedly miraculous multiplication of food. What better solution than sharing? When I got my term paper back, our pastor had written in the margins that this was a perfectly plausible possibility, but he hoped I would at least consider the possibility of a miracle. For any of us with a scientific bent to our ways of knowing, miracles strain at the bounds of credulity. We are trained to look at facts empirically and arrive at the kind of truth that can be tested. The word “miraculous” enters our vocabulary only when a conclusion appears to be in opposition to the facts at hand. That would not have been the case for our pre-scientific forebears. For the ancients, all of life was a miracle. If it rained, it was because God sent the rain in answer to prayer. We instead put our trust in meteorologists who analyze atmospheric conditions and offer educated guesses about impending storm systems. Likewise, with illness and healing, we know certain medical protocols can be used to combat life-threatening diseases and, under the right circumstances, they work. The ancients would have seen the entire art of healing as God’s activity.... Thank you to this week's writer, Baron Mullis. Read the rest of the commentary at pres-outlook.org. Want the worship resources for July 26, 2026? You can find them here.

Order of worship — August 2, 2026 by Baron Mullis   Presbyterian patriotism: Honestly honoring our history by Matthew Warren Why Christians should care about science denialism by Elizabeth Haswell One hundred volunteers, one presbytery: The people of Milwaukee Presbytery and COLA by Caroline Garcia

Help your congregation understand what mattered at the 227th General Assembly — and why it matters for your church. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT... New website will enable churches and mid councils to easily prove their federal tax-exempt status Obtaining a group inclusion letter now requires just a few keystrokes. — by Presbyterian News Service Summer fiction about memory, healing and second chances In new novels by Jessica Brilliant Keener and Ann Patchett, characters wrestle with fractured relationships, buried truths and the long work of making peace with the past. Amy Pagliarella offers a review. Amid ICE killings, more than 100 clergy from across the US stage protest at Delaney Hall 'I am sick and tired of waking up every morning to see another loved one is dead,' said Charlene Walker, head of Faith in New Jersey. — Religion News Service God’s Homecoming: The Forgotten Promise of Future Renewal Rocky Supinger reviews N.T. Wright’s "God’s Homecoming," exploring the provocative claim that Christianity’s ultimate hope is not escaping to heaven, but God’s promised renewal of creation and coming kingdom. Books for Christians rethinking theology, Scripture and grace These new releases explore biblical interpretation, process theology, suffering, forgiveness and the enduring mystery of God through conversation, scholarship and lived faith. Amy Pagliarella offers a review.

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Revised Common Lectionary Readings for July 19, 2026

Revised Common Lectionary Readings (Three-Year Cycle)

Lectionary Readings for Sunday, July 19, 2026

First Reading Genesis 28:10-19a 10Jacob left Beer-sheba and went toward Haran. 11He came to a certain place and stayed there for the night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place. 12And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13 And the LORD stood beside him and said, “I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring; 14and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring. 15Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” 16Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, “Surely the LORD is in this place — and I did not know it!” 17And he was afraid, and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” 18So Jacob rose early in the morning, and he took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. 19aHe called that place Bethel; Psalm Psalm 139:1-12, 23-24 1   O LORD, you have searched me and known me. 2   You know when I sit down and when I rise up;           you discern my thoughts from far away. 3   You search out my path and my lying down,           and are acquainted with all my ways. 4   Even before a word is on my tongue,           O LORD, you know it completely. 5   You hem me in, behind and before,           and lay your hand upon me. 6   Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;           it is so high that I cannot attain it. 7   Where can I go from your spirit?           Or where can I flee from your presence? 8   If I ascend to heaven, you are there;           if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there. 9   If I take the wings of the morning           and settle at the farthest limits of the sea, 10  even there your hand shall lead me,           and your right hand shall hold me fast. 11  If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,           and the light around me become night,” 12  even the darkness is not dark to you;           the night is as bright as the day,           for darkness is as light to you. 23  Search me, O God, and know my heart;           test me and know my thoughts. 24  See if there is any wicked way in me,           and lead me in the way everlasting. Second Reading Romans 8:12-25 12So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh — 13for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. 15For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ — if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him. 18I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. 19For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; 20for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; 23and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. 24For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? 25But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Gospel Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 24He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; 25but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. 26So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. 27And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?’ 28He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The slaves said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ 29But he replied, ‘No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. 30Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’” 36Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” 37He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; 38the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, 39and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. 41The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, 42and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen!”

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

WCC news: WCC delegation makes solidarity visit to Ukraine

A delegation from the World Council of Churches (WCC) made a solidarity visit to Ukraine on 14-17 July, walking in hope and praying with churches and communities for an end to the war.  WCC delegation and representatives of the Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations (UCCRO). Photo: Deacon Andrii Sydor/Orthodox Church of Ukraine 17 July 2026 The visit occurred in conjunction with the 30th anniversary of the Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations, which represents more than 90% of all religious organizations and communities in Ukraine.  The delegation visited church leaders, including Metropolitan Epiphaniy, the chair of the Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations (UCCRO). Throughout the visit, the delegation emphasized its deep commitment to ending the war; supporting humanitarian efforts; encouraging dialogue wherever possibilities emerge; and accompanying the churches of Ukraine in their ministry of healing and hope.  The delegation included: Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay, WCC general secretary; Bishop Prof. Dr Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, moderator of the WCC central committee; Rev. Karin van den Broeke, WCC central and executive committee member; H.E. Metropolitan Gabriel of Nea Ionias and Philadelphia, Church of Greece, WCC central committee member and WCC Commission of the Churches on International Affairs commissioner; Rev. Frank-Dieter Fischbach, Conference of European Churches general secretary; and Marianne Ejdersten, WCC director of communication. “It was a deeply moving experience to visit Ukraine again,” said Pillay. “We are greatly encouraged by the resilience, tenacity, and hope expressed in the people.” Pillay noted that, even though there is a sense of fatigue and frustration, yet there is a strong affirmation of the necessity of resistance and victory. “We met with church leaders, the Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations (UCCRO), very senior government officials Ms Olena Kovalska, Deputy Head of the President's office, and Mr. Viktor Yelenskyi, Head of the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience; and local people,” said Pillay. “We received updates on the current situation with some new and deeply insightful information as we listened to the stories, thoughts, and feelings of the people.” From left: Rev. Frank-Dieter Fischbach, Conference of European Churches general secretary; Mr. Viktor Yelenskyi, Head of the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience; Ms Olena Kovalska, Deputy Head of the President's office; Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay, WCC general secretary; Bishop Dr Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, moderator of the WCC central committee; H.E. Metropolitan Gabriel of Nea Ionias and Philadelphia, Church of Greece, WCC central committee member and WCC Commission of the Churches on International Affairs commissioner; Rev. Karin van den Broeke, WCC central and executive committee member; Ms Marianne Ejdersten, WCC director of communication. Photo: Oleg Gavrysh Pillay reflected that, as the delegation celebrated with UCCRO on its 30th anniversary, he appreciated the unity and witness of religious leaders from different faiths as they provide ministry and service to the people of Ukraine, especially during this time of war. “We had focused conversations with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the Orthodox Church of Ukraine addressing issues of concern, state relationships, and implications of the new amendments relating to state and religions issued by government,” he said. “We heard the government's response to our concerns and UCCRO's confirmation that the new amendment does not threaten religious freedom in Ukraine.” Pillay added: “Many people commented on how brave the WCC delegation was in conducting a solidarity visit during a time of war. We responded that we will soon leave but they have to live with this experience every day.” Pillay summarized the experience as very meaningful and engaging.  "The WCC remains committed to journeying with the faith communities and people of Ukraine in their struggle against an illegal and immoral war unnecessarily brought on them,” he said. “We lament the deaths, destruction, trauma and tragedy of war and pray, hope, and work for just peace in Ukraine and in the world.” Bedford-Strohm said the delegation was moved and impressed by the resilience and confidence with which the Ukrainian people react to the difficult situation they have to deal with.  “Despite constant air alerts and the threat of being targeted by Russian missiles or drones, they try to live a normal life,” he said. “Yet we felt the trauma from four years of war in many of our talks.” Bedford-Strohm added that the close collaboration between the churches and religious organizations in giving comfort and strength to the people of Ukraine is all the more important.  “We take this ‘existential ecumenism’ home as an inspiring impulse for the ecumenical movement as a whole,” he said. “The great gratitude with which our visit was received was a humbling sign for the deep necessity of all signs of solidarity with Ukraine by the global community." Photo gallery In Ukraine, churches “sustain hope when hope has been tested” (WCC news release, 17 July 2026) Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv, Ukraine. Photo: Marianne Ejdersten/WCC See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 356 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches Chemin du Pommier 42 Kyoto Building Le Grand-Saconnex CH-1218 Switzerland

Prayers for Our Community, Our Nation and Our World

We can offer specific daily prayers for our community, nation and world. Between Monday, July 29 and Sunday, July 26, we'll lay before God the needs listed below.

• Monday, July 20, 2026 - That people stop expressing their frustration through violence.
• Tuesday, July 21, 2026 - That we put aside partisan differences so that we can address the problem of gun-violence.
• Wednesday, July 22, 2026 - That doctors and nurses claim and use the skills given to them by God.
• Thursday, July 23, 2026 - That Americans celebrate the values on which our nation was founded.
• Friday, July 24, 2026 - That God would protect our servicemen and women both home and abroad.
• Saturday, July 25, 2026 - That international tensions decrease and all nations learn to live in peace with one another.
• Sunday, July 26, 2026 - That we put aside our self-interest for the sake of our neighbors.

The PC(USA) Store - Save 20% on the Glory to God Hymnal!

Pew editions of the Glory to God hymnal are now available* at 20% off for a limited time, bringing each pew edition to only $20. This price will never be lower, so adopt the hymnal today for your church and find renewal and unity through worshiping together with both new songs and old favorites.   For more information or to place an order, please visit our website or call our customer service team at 800-533-4371. * Promotional price applies to red and purple pew editions of the Presbyterian edition (with the PC(USA) seal on the spine) and the ecumenical edition (without the seal), while supplies last. Actual shipping costs will be charged for hymnal orders and shipping is only available in the contiguous US. Promotion ends December 31, 2026.

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