Looking into the lectionary - Prayer and the problem of evil

Genesis 12:1-9; Romans 4:13-25; Matthew 9:9-13,18-26 Second Sunday after Pentecost June 7, 2026 By faith, by faith, by faith … From the story of Abram’s faith in God’s promises in Genesis 12, to Paul’s reflection on Abraham’s faith in Romans 4, to Matthew’s accounts of healing that arise from faith, our passages in today’s lectionary are all about faith. This kind of faith believes in the impossible, like an elderly man becoming a father to many or a young girl being raised from the dead. Faith in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles? In these difficult days, that’ll preach. Genesis 12:1-9 and Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26 show us faith in action, so the preacher may look to contemporary examples of the same to offer encouragement. Or maybe the need is to mine the depths of despair, to find glimmers of faith and hope even in those times and places where they are utterly imperceivable. Paul’s letter to the church in Rome wrestles with faith on a more theological level. He looks at the relationship between grace and the law, an apparent dichotomy often used interchangeably with faith and works. At the heart of that tension is the question of righteousness. What is righteousness, and how do we attain it? .... Thank you to this week's writer, Stephanie Sorge. Read the rest of the commentary at pres-outlook.org. Want the worship resources for May 31, 2026? You can find them here.

Order of worship — June 7, 2026 by Stephanie Sorge   Presbyterian Outlook board honors Jimmie R. Hawkins with E.T. Thompson Award by Teri McDowell Ott Overture requiring PC(USA) ministers to be monogamous generates debate, confusion by Gregg Brekke Prayer and the problem of evil by Tara W. Bulger

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT... Horizon — United through Christ, Bound to Each Other Rosalind Banbury previews the 2026-27 Presbyterian Women/Horizons Bible Study, "United through Christ, Bound to Each Other." — Rosalind Banbury  Braving the Truth: Essential Essays for Reckoning With and Reimagining Faith In "Braving the Truth," Rachel Held Evans’ essays continue to guide doubters, seekers and exvangelicals toward hope-filled faith. — Amy Pagliarella Prayer and poetry: Proclamation and pause Poetry is not proclaimed in a vacuum. Neither is prayer. Both teach us to construct our words with care and intention. — Kathryn Lester-Bacon Choosing between the banquets of the empire and the kingdom Quincy Worthington recounts witnessing protest and brutality outside an ICE detention center in Broadview, Illinois — and how that moment reshaped his understanding of faith, power and public discipleship. Overtures seek Israel embargo, genocide declaration Proposals would be the denomination's most forceful statement in more than 75 years of engagement with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. — Eric Ledermann Why this Presbyterian pastor still knows the Hail Mary by heart Brittany Porch reflects on her Catholic roots, the comfort of inherited prayer and the words that return to us in moments of grief. What counts as a disruption in worship? Katrina Pekich-Bundy reflects on neurodiversity, children in worship and the assumptions congregations make about who belongs in the sanctuary.   Help your congregation understand what matters at the 227th General Assembly — and why it matters for your church.

Copyright © 2026 Presbyterian Outlook, All rights reserved.

Revised Common Lectionary Readings for May 24, 2026

Revised Common Lectionary Readings (Three-Year Cycle)

Lectionary Readings for Sunday, May 24, 2026

First Reading Acts 2:1-21 1When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. 4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. 5Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. 6And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. 7Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? 9Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes 11Cretans and Arabs — in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.” 12All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.” 14But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, “Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. 15Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. 16No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: 17  ‘In the last days it will be,God declares,      that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,           and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,      and your young men shall see visions,           and your old men shall dream dreams. 18  Even upon my slaves, both men and women,           in those days I will pour out my Spirit;                and they shall prophesy. 19  And I will show portents in the heaven above           and signs on the earth below,                blood, and fire, and smoky mist. 20  The sun shall be turned to darkness           and the moon to blood,                before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day. 21  Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’” Or alternate First Reading Numbers 11:24-30 24So Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord; and he gathered seventy elders of the people, and placed them all around the tent. 25Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took some of the spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders; and when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied. But they did not do so again. 26Two men remained in the camp, one named Eldad, and the other named Medad, and the spirit rested on them; they were among those registered, but they had not gone out to the tent, and so they prophesied in the camp. 27And a young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” 28And Joshua son of Nun, the assistant of Moses, one of his chosen men, said, “My lord Moses, stop them!” 29But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit on them!” 30And Moses and the elders of Israel returned to the camp. Psalm Psalm 104:24-34, 35b 24  O LORD, how manifold are your works!           In wisdom you have made them all;           the earth is full of your creatures. 25  Yonder is the sea, great and wide,           creeping things innumerable are there,           living things both small and great. 26  There go the ships,           and Leviathan that you formed to sport in it. 27  These all look to you           to give them their food in due season; 28  when you give to them, they gather it up;           when you open your hand, they are filled with good things. 29  When you hide your face, they are dismayed;           when you take away their breath, they die           and return to their dust. 30  When you send forth your spirit, they are created;           and you renew the face of the ground. 31  May the glory of the LORD endure forever;           may the LORD rejoice in his works — 32  who looks on the earth and it trembles,           who touches the mountains and they smoke. 33  I will sing to the LORD as long as I live;           I will sing praise to my God while I have being. 34  May my meditation be pleasing to him,           for I rejoice in the LORD. 35b Bless the LORD, O my soul.      Praise the LORD! Second Reading 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13 3bNo one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit. 4Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord;6and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. 7To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses. 12For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body — Jews or Greeks, slaves or free — and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. Or alternate Second Reading Acts 2:1-21 1When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. 4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. 5Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. 6And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. 7Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? 9Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes 11Cretans and Arabs — in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.” 12All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.” 14But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, “Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. 15Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. 16No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: 17  ‘In the last days it will be,God declares,      that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,           and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,      and your young men shall see visions,           and your old men shall dream dreams. 18  Even upon my slaves, both men and women,           in those days I will pour out my Spirit;                and they shall prophesy. 19  And I will show portents in the heaven above           and signs on the earth below,                blood, and fire, and smoky mist. 20  The sun shall be turned to darkness           and the moon to blood,                before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day. 21  Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’” Gospel John 20:19-23 19When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 20After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” 22When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” Or alternate Gospel John 7:37-39 37On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, 38and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’” 39Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

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 18 and Sunday, May 24, we'll lay before God the needs listed below.

• Monday, May 25, 2026 - That we remember those who died in service to their country.
• Tuesday, May 26, 2026 - That we are thankful for the blessings we've received.
• Wednesday, May 27, 2026 - That college students develop the gifts and talents given to them by God.
• Thursday, May 28, 2026 - That companies and unions in America would flourish with new creativity and practice honorable work ethics.
• Friday, May 29, 2026 - That we celebrate the values on which our nation was founded.
• Saturday, May 30, 2026 - That workers be provided a safe workplace and paid a living wage.
• Sunday, May 31, 2026 - That textbooks honor and reflect the godly heritage of our country and the contributions made by all the different groups.

The Sligo Presbyterian Church Celebration Service - Sunday, May 17, 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 this...

Sunday's Message - Victory and Application (15:50-58)

Sligo Presbyterian Church: Our Congregation and Community: Sunday's Message - Victory and Application (15:50-58): On Sunday, April 19, we started a new sermon series entitled The Good News of Resurrection: An Exploration of 1 Corinthians 15 . During this...

WCC News: WCC invites global fellowship to pray for peace in Ukraine

In a series of global prayers for peace, the World Council of Churches (WCC) invites people and churches around the world to join in the Global Prayer for Peace in Ukraine on 11 June at 13.00 CET. Thousands of Ukrainian flags have been placed at the Maidan Nezalezhnosti/Independence Square - the central square of Kyiv, capital city of Ukraine, in front of the Independence Monument, in memory of those whose lives have been lost since the Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine started in February 2022. Photo: Albin Hillert/Life on Earth 20 May 2026 The WCC series of global prayers for peace, which began with a prayer for the Middle East, is intended to bring the worldwide ecumenical community into a shared rhythm of solidarity, intercession, and hope.  Rooted in faith and grounded in the conviction that prayer is both witness and action, the initiative reflects the vocation of the churches to accompany those who suffer and to uphold the dignity of all people. The Global Prayer for Peace in Ukraine is prepared and organized in cooperation with the Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations, which represents more than 90% of all religious organizations and communities in Ukraine.  More about the Global Prayer for Peace in Ukraine Register and join the prayer 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 - Prep for Presbyterian Heritage Sunday

Matthew 28:16-20 Trinity Sunday May 31, 2026 There is a story in Robert Caro’s book The Passage of Power: The Years of Lyndon Johnson, where Caro recounts that when a friend warned Lyndon Johnson not to trade in the Senate majority leader's power for the vice presidency because he'd have no power there, Johnson replied, "Power is where power goes.” I like to imagine LBJ saying that with his deep Texas accent and swagger. Johnson believed that, as he held power as the Senate majority leader, he would carry that power into the vice presidency. The office would become powerful because he was. On this Trinity Sunday, Matthew 28:16-20 has something to say about the power by which the church will do its work of making disciples of all nations. Matthew’s Gospel was written after the chaos of the Jewish Revolt and the destruction of the Temple had passed. For the author of Matthew’s Gospel, the concern of his narrative now lies in the future of the church and what it will need for its mission and ministry. The gospel, compared to Mark’s gospel, is expanded with more of Jesus’ teachings, his birth narrative, and a longer discourse in Galilee after the resurrection. It is this discourse in Galilee from which our passage today comes. We are told in the passage that the 11 disciples meet with Jesus on the mountain and worship him there. But some doubted. Who can blame them? It seems deeply human and understandable to have doubts after all that has occurred. But perhaps the more interesting thing to note is that, despite their doubts, Jesus commissions them. He tells them that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him; surely the resurrection is proof of that! As he has all authority, he commissions them to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them everything he has commanded. ... Thank you to this week's writer, Tara W. Bulger Read the rest of the commentary at pres-outlook.org. Want the worship resources for May 24, 2026? You can find them here.

Order of worship — May 31, 2026 by Tara W. Bulger   What counts as a disruption in worship? by Katrina Pekich-Bundy A prayer for Presbyterian Heritage Sunday by Rachel Sutfin A fourth set of General Assembly Co-Moderator candidates announces they will stand by Presbyterian News Service

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT... What is the E.T. Thompson Award? On May 20, the Outlook will announce the 2026 recipient of the E.T. Thompson Award, a biennial honor recognizing leaders whose scholarship, ministry and public witness have shaped the church. The Gospel of Salome In "The Gospel of Salome," Kaethe Schwehn gives voice to an overlooked female disciple to craft a vivid, humanizing portrait of the historical Jesus. Ross Fogg offers a review. Little birds of prayer Andrew Taylor-Troutman invites readers into a gentle practice of prayer shaped by rhythm, imagination and praise. Krysten Carter Holloway is president-elect of Board of Pensions Holloway will be presented to the 227th General Assembly (2026) and will formally assume the role upon confirmation by the General Assembly on or about July 1. — Board of Pensions Overtures seek Israel embargo, genocide declaration Proposals would be the denomination's most forceful statement in more than 75 years of engagement with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. —Eric Ledermann A pair of prodigious scholars to receive Excellence in Theological Education awards The Rev. Dr. Frances Taylor Gench and Dr. James Hudnut-Beumler will be honored during the 227th General Assembly. — Presbyterian News Service GA227’s Financial Stewardship and Witness Committee will consider the 2027-28 unified budget and the Funding Model Development Team report The committee will also mull an agency pay equity proposal as part of its 11-item docket. — Mike Ferguson MRTI defends engagement over categorical fossil fuel divestment Compared with broad fossil fuel divestment, MRTI’s long-standing approach to shareholder advocacy better supports frontline communities and a just energy transition, write Kerri Allen and Mark Douglas.

Copyright © 2026 Presbyterian Outlook, All rights reserved.