Revised Common Lectionary Readings for June 21, 2026

Revised Common Lectionary Readings (Three-Year Cycle)

Lectionary Readings for Sunday, June 21, 2026

First Reading Genesis 21:8-21 8The child grew, and was weaned; and Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned.9But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, playing with her son Isaac.10So she said to Abraham, "Cast out this slave woman with her son; for the son of this slave woman shall not inherit along with my son Isaac."11The matter was very distressing to Abraham on account of his son.12But God said to Abraham, "Do not be distressed because of the boy and because of your slave woman; whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for it is through Isaac that offspring shall be named for you.13As for the son of the slave woman, I will make a nation of him also, because he is your offspring."14So Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water, and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away. And she departed, and wandered about in the wilderness of Beer-sheba. 15When the water in the skin was gone, she cast the child under one of the bushes.16Then she went and sat down opposite him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot; for she said, "Do not let me look on the death of the child." And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and wept.17And God heard the voice of the boy; and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, and said to her, "What troubles you, Hagar? Do not be afraid; for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is.18Come, lift up the boy and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make a great nation of him."19Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. She went, and filled the skin with water, and gave the boy a drink. 20God was with the boy, and he grew up; he lived in the wilderness, and became an expert with the bow.21He lived in the wilderness of Paran; and his mother got a wife for him from the land of Egypt. Psalm Psalm 86:1-10, 16-17 1Incline your ear, O LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. 2Preserve my life, for I am devoted to you; save your servant who trusts in you. You are my God;3be gracious to me, O Lord, for to you do I cry all day long. 4Gladden the soul of your servant, for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. 5For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call on you. 6Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer; listen to my cry of supplication. 7In the day of my trouble I call on you, for you will answer me. 8There is none like you among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works like yours. 9All the nations you have made shall come and bow down before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name. 10For you are great and do wondrous things; you alone are God. 16Turn to me and be gracious to me; give your strength to your servant; save the child of your serving girl. 17Show me a sign of your favor, so that those who hate me may see it and be put to shame, because you, LORD, have helped me and comforted me. Second Reading Romans 6:1b-11 1bShould we continue in sin in order that grace may abound?2By no means! How can we who died to sin go on living in it?3Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?4Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. 5For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.6We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin.7For whoever has died is freed from sin.8But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.9We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.10The death he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.11So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Gospel Matthew 10:24-39 24"A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a slave above the master;25it is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher, and the slave like the master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household! 26"So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known.27What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops.28Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.29Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.30And even the hairs of your head are all counted.31So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows. 32"Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven;33but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven. 34"Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.35For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;36and one's foes will be members of one's own household.37Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;38and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me.39Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.

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

WCC NEWS: Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2027 resources available worldwide

Churches and Christian communities worldwide are invited to use the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2027 resources to prepare for joint prayers for Christian unity in January and throughout the year. Flock of sheep in County Donegal, Ireland. Photo: Albin Hillert/Life on Earth 18 June 2026 The theme for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2027 is: “Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32). Resources are now available online in English, German, French, and Italian, with additional language versions coming soon. The prayers and reflections for 2027 were prepared by the Irish Council of Churches and the Council for Ecumenism and Dialogue of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference. The resources are jointly published by the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity and the World Council of Churches (WCC). Drawing on Luke 12:22-34 and the image of Christ as the Good Shepherd, the materials invite Christians to move beyond fear towards radical trust, vigilant hope, and responsible service. They encourage churches to consider how letting go of fear and keeping watchful hearts can become catalysts for reconciliation, cooperation, and shared Christian witness. The theme speaks to Christians as a “little flock” called to live, pray, and work together. It also reflects the contemporary experience of the churches in Ireland, where changing social circumstances offer new opportunities for reflection, renewal, and reconciliation. The materials emphasize that Christian unity is not uniformity, but a shared journey marked by deep listening, humble witness, and mutual care. They invite churches to demonstrate the values of God’s kingdom through hospitality, forgiveness, diakonia, and common service to people and communities in need. The resources include an ecumenical worship service, biblical reflections, and prayers for the eight days, suggestions for hymns and songs, and an overview of the ecumenical situation in Ireland today. The worship service incorporates elements of Ireland’s Christian heritage, including the Celtic Cross and texts associated with Saint Patrick and other Irish saints. The traditional period for observing the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in the northern hemisphere is 18-25 January. In the southern hemisphere churches frequently choose time around Pentecost, which is also symbolic of the unity of the church. Churches are also invited to translate the materials into additional languages and contextualize or adapt them for local use. Mindful of the need for flexibility, organizers invite churches and Christian communities to adapt the resources to their local contexts and use them throughout the year, expressing the communion already shared among Christians and praying for the full visible unity of the church. Resources for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2027 Learn more about the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 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, June 22 and Sunday, June 28, we'll lay before God the needs listed below.

• Monday, June 22, 2026 - That fathers and mothers in every American household would exercise godliness.
• Tuesday, June 23, 2026 - That students would have a passion for God.
• Wednesday, June 24, 2026 - That nations work to secure and enhance international peace.
• Thursday, June 25, 2026 - That we choose to show generosity and compassion to the poor and the needy.
• Friday, June 26, 2026 - That we work together to protect the natural environment entrusted to our care.
• Saturday, June 27, 2026 - That we are thankful for the opportunities and responsibilities we've been given.
• Sunday, June 28, 2026 - That those in business, government and media would cherish honesty, integrity and humility.

The Sligo Presbyterian Church Celebration Service - Sunday, June 14, 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...

The Sligo Presbyterian Church Celebration Service - Sunday, June 14, 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 Limited)

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...

Uniting in Prayer - you are invited to the National Online Prayer Gathering next Monday at 7pm AEST

17 June 2026 National Online Prayer Gathering next Monday

Since Pentecost Sunday, we as a Church have been gathering in prayer – creating space to listen to God, pray with and for one another, and be renewed together as the body of Christ. As this season concludes, Rev Charissa Suli warmly invites church members and friends to gather online on Monday 22 June at 7pm AEST for an evening of prayer and celebration as we give thanks for God’s faithfulness and mark the 49th Anniversary of the Uniting Church in Australia. In a time when many are carrying uncertainty, weariness, sadness and change, this shared journey of prayer has reminded us who we are: a people held together in Jesus Christ, living in the hope of his resurrection, and continually renewed by the Holy Spirit. Throughout this season, voices from across the Church have led us in prayer, including President Rev Charissa Suli, the leaders of National Congress, Synod Moderators and representatives, younger and emerging voices, multicultural communities and ecumenical partners. Together, we have lifted before God our hopes, challenges and calling, praying for First Peoples and covenant relationships, young people and families, remote ministries, schools and agencies, justice and reconciliation, creation and climate justice, Church leaders and communities experiencing hardship or grief. Register today

Facebook Bluesky Instagram Website Email Copyright © 2026 Uniting Church in Australia, All rights reserved.