Revised Common Lectionary Readings for May 10, 2026

Revised Common Lectionary Readings (Three-Year Cycle)

Lectionary Readings for Sunday, May 10, 2026

First Reading Acts 17:22-31 22Then Paul stood in front of the Areopagus and said, “Athenians, I see how extremely religious you are in every way. 23For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, ‘To an unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. 24The God who made the world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands, 25nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mortals life and breath and all things. 26From one ancestor he made all nations to inhabit the whole earth, and he allotted the times of their existence and the boundaries of the places where they would live, 27so that they would search for God and perhaps grope for him and find him — though indeed he is not far from each one of us. 28For ‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said,      ‘For we too are his offspring.’ 29Since we are God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the deity is like gold, or silver, or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of mortals. 30While God has overlooked the times of human ignorance, now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31because he has fixed a day on which he will have the world judged in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” Psalm Psalm 66:8-20 8   Bless our God, O peoples,           let the sound of his praise be heard, 9   who has kept us among the living,           and has not let our feet slip. 10  For you, O God, have tested us;           you have tried us as silver is tried. 11  You brought us into the net;           you laid burdens on our backs; 12  you let people ride over our heads;           we went through fire and through water;      yet you have brought us out to a spacious place. 13  I will come into your house with burnt offerings;           I will pay you my vows, 14  those that my lips uttered           and my mouth promised when I was in trouble. 15  I will offer to you burnt offerings of fatlings,           with the smoke of the sacrifice of rams;      I will make an offering of bulls and goats.                    Selah 16  Come and hear, all you who fear God,           and I will tell what he has done for me. 17  I cried aloud to him,           and he was extolled with my tongue. 18  If I had cherished iniquity in my heart,           the Lord would not have listened. 19  But truly God has listened;           he has given heed to the words of my prayer. 20  Blessed be God,           because he has not rejected my prayer           or removed his steadfast love from me. Second Reading 1 Peter 3:13-22 13Now who will harm you if you are eager to do what is good? 14But even if you do suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear, and do not be intimidated, 15but in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you; 16yet do it with gentleness and reverence. Keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who abuse you for your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame. 17For it is better to suffer for doing good, if suffering should be God’s will, than to suffer for doing evil. 18For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, 19in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison, 20who in former times did not obey, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water. 21And baptism, which this prefigured, now saves you — not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to him. Gospel John 14:15-21 15“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you for ever. 17This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you. 18“I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. 19In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. 20On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.”

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, May 11 and Sunday, May 17, we'll lay before God the needs listed below.

• Monday, May 11, 2026 - That we respect and honor their parents and raise their children with compassion.
• Tuesday, May 12, 2026 - That we all recognize that our actions impact others.
• Wednesday, May 13, 2026 - That the world unites in care for those affected by the conflict in Ukraine.
• Thursday, May 14, 2026 - That workers be paid a living wage.
• Friday, May 15, 2026 - That youth value honesty and respect in all their relationships.
• Saturday, May 16, 2026 - That those who have power address that humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
• Sunday, May 17, 2026 - That leaders put aside their pride and ambition for the good of their country.

The Sligo Presbyterian Church Celebration Service - Sunday, May 3, 2026

Sligo Presbyterian Church: Our Congregation and Community: The Sligo Presbyterian Church Celebration Service ...: On Sunday, April 19, we started a new sermon series entitled  The Good News of Resurrection: An Exploration of 1 Corinthians 15 . During thi...

Sunday's Message - The Order of the Resurrection - 15:20-34)

Sligo Presbyterian Church: Our Congregation and Community: Sunday's Message - The Order of the Resurrection -...: On Sunday, April 19, we started a new sermon series entitled  The Good News of Resurrection: An Exploration of 1 Corinthians 15 . During thi...

Minute for Mission: National Day of Prayer

Witness, Share and Evangelize: Minute for Mission: National Day of Prayer: Image Office of Public Witness (OPW) “You shall have no other gods before me” — Exodus 20:3  This is the first command in The Ten Commandmen...

WCC News: Churches in southern hemisphere will celebrate Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

Churches and Christians in the southern hemisphere are invited to observe the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity from 17-24 May, following the tradition to center this special time around Ascension and Pentecost. Ecumenical prayer service at the Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Geneva, Switzerland during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, 21 January 2026. Photo: Ivars Kupcis/WCC 06 May 2026 The theme for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity for 2026 comes from Apostle Paul’s letter to the Ephesians: “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling” (Eph. 4:4). In a world with diverse and often divided traditions and expressions of Christian faith, Ephesians 4:4 reminds us that all believers are part of the “one body” of Christ. “Let us embrace this divine calling to unity, not as an abstract ideal but as a vital expression of our faith,” invites the theme of this year. “By living in unity, we not only witness to the love and power of our Lord Jesus Christ, but also embody the essence of His teachings.” For the year 2026, the prayers and reflections for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity were prepared by the Armenian Apostolic Church, along with the Armenian Catholic and Evangelical Churches. The resources are jointly published by the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity and the World Council of Churches (WCC).  The 2026 resources are available online in English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, and Arabic. Enabling millions of Christians around the world to join the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, the resources are available also on the Bible App by YouVersion, offering a daily Bible reading plan, prayers, and questions for reflection. Mindful of the need for flexibility, organizers of the Week of Prayer invite everyone to use this material to pray together for the unity among churches throughout the year. Learn more about the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2026 Reading plan on the Youversion Bible app Social media cards and photos 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

Looking into the lectionary - Digital ministry isn’t optional — it’s inclusion

John 17:1-11 Seventh Sunday of Easter May 17, 2026 When I was in my late 20s and feeling invincible, I made an ill-advised decision to load myself up like a pack mule with luggage. As I recall, I decided not so much to carry my bags as to wear them slung across my body. That is when I felt and heard the crunch. Within a few days, I learned I had compromised my C-5 vertebra. While it was a painful and protracted recovery, I was confident that I had managed to maintain the illusion of my invincibility until congregation members started asking after my well-being. Eventually, one member totally blew my cover and let me know, in no uncertain terms, “You didn’t cover up anything. You’ve smelled like Icy-Hot since November.” I was chastened but unbowed! Unbowed, that is, until the words of another member let me know, in no uncertain terms, that God’s tender mercies are even for me. She was a woman with whom I had spirited theological disagreements and happened to be at the church’s reception desk one day when I hobbled into the office. She inquired about my injury and then added, “I have been praying for you.” I replied that I was deeply moved to hear that, to which she answered, “I always pray for you because you are my pastor, but now I pray specifically for your healing as well.” People of faith have varying viewpoints on prayer. Some believe that praying for others causes our own attitudes to change. Some believe that we change the world with our prayers. As Pope Francis famously said, “You pray for the hungry. Then you feed them. That is how prayer works.” However disciplined or undisciplined our prayer lives may be, we know that prayer is part of being a Christian. .... Thank you to this week's writer, Baron Mullis. Read the rest of the commentary at pres-outlook.org. Want the worship resources for May 10, 2026? You can find them here.

Order of worship — May 17, 2026 by Baron Mullis   Clarity and oversight sought after passage of ‘Olympia Overture’ by Blake Brinegar Responding to mental health crises: A guide for pastors by Camile Cook Howe, Joseph Feldman and Theresa Nguyen Why digital ministry is inclusion by Brittany Harrold Porch

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT... PC(USA) to consider policy rejecting White Christian nationalism A proposed General Assembly policy would formally repudiate White Christian nationalism, urging congregations and leaders to confront its theology, examine its influence and respond through teaching, public witness and practice. — John Bolt Discussion guide for April 2026 issue In each issue of the Outlook, we include a discussion guide to further reflect on the issue. We recommend using this guide in your Bible study, small group or book club. It's our invitation into a faithful conversation. — Donald Griggs More Light Presbyterians retreat centers rest, belonging and resistance At Ferncliff, queer Presbyterians named harm, shared stories and reclaimed rest as essential to the church’s ongoing work for justice, writes Bethany Peerbolte. General Assembly committee leaders gather at the Presbyterian Center for training and for fun Seventy-three leaders from 11 committees learn from national staff and from one another. — Mike Ferguson Why one Presbyterian group is advocating for Palestinian women prisoners Paul Seebeck shares how a multi-denominational campaign is drawing attention to reported abuses — and why it matters as the General Assembly takes up Israel/Palestine issues.

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