Looking Into the Lectionary — Worship resources for 6/26

June 26, 2022 Third Sunday of Pentecost Galatians 5:1, 13-25 COMMENTARY When an indoor shooting range and gun club opened in my rural Illinois town, I didn’t give it much thought. Guns have never been a part of my life. I grew up in the suburbs of Detroit, have never been hunting, and wouldn’t trust my clumsy and anxious self anywhere near a lethal weapon. The new “Tac Shack” in town wasn’t my scene. But for others, it was. I grew curious about the Tac Shack as I noticed a trend on social media — young local moms posing for profile pics with handguns or long guns. It startled me to see moms I knew from the baseball field and basketball bleachers. Logging on to the Tac Shack’s slick website, I discovered what I suspected was the source of this new local trend — Good Shepherd Defense & Training classes for women only. “Your life may depend on it,” they advertised. The need for stricter gun laws feels more urgent than ever after the terrorizing tragedies in Buffalo, New York, Laguna Woods, California, and Uvalde, Texas. Yet, the seduction of guns, their ability to make us feel empowered, and an industry whose profits depend on us believing we have no other choice but to protect and defend ourselves with guns has an idolatrous hold on us Americans. In our lectionary text from Galatians, Paul writes about the nature of Christian liberty. In Christ, we are not freed from responsibility, not freed to do whatever we want, or freed to indulge in self-centered desires of the flesh. Rather, in Christ, we are freed for love, freed to care for, respect and cherish all lives. The cross is the symbol of this Christian freedom. Jesus did not pick up a weapon to defend himself from the violent Romans. He went to the cross. In his life, death and resurrection, the transformative power of God’s love for humankind is made known. Nothing can separate us from this love. You can find the rest of the commentary on our website. An order of worship for June 26, 2022. This liturgy is free to use. The Uniform Lesson for June 26, 2022, by Letarshia C. Robinson. Crying aloud to God — Weekly Christian ed lesson by Joelle Brummit-Yale Third Sunday after Pentecost — Family faith formation for June 26, 2022, by Rebecca Davis IN CASE YOU MISSED IT... The votes are in … The 225th General Assembly has selected its co-moderators. Disability awareness and advocacy Who have we unintentionally excluded? What barriers keep the full body of Christ from gathering and participating? Whose voices are we talking over? Whose gifts and leadership remain untapped? Juneteenth Worship Service offers reflection, inspiration and a challenge The Juneteenth worship service wove together prayers, liturgies and songs in multiple languages to reflect on racial justice and reconciliation. Stated Clerk J. Herbert Nelson preached on Isaiah 6. Food and faith How food can help restore our relationship with the earth and with each other. Who is our neighbor? US churches’ role regarding Israel and Palestine Peter Makari writes about the role U.S. churches play in Israel/Palestine and the difficulty of balancing interfaith relationships with advocacy. The 225th General Assembly opens with worship Gregory Bentley, co-moderator of GA 2020, preaches on “From religiosity to righteousness” to open this year's GA. Did you hear? The Rev. Dr. James Reese, a beloved Presbyterian pastor and leader, dies at age 98 — Add your own professional or personal update on our new online bulletin.