Looking into the lectionary - The PC(USA)'s future: Trends you should watch

Luke 16:19-31 Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost September 28, 2025 I love a good parable. It’s like a puzzle where you get to try to figure out where everything fits. And it can shift and change over time as you change. Parables are fun to play with. Well, most of the time. Occasionally, Jesus gives us one that doesn’t leave much room for interpretation. He says exactly what he means and leaves you alone in your discomfort. Such is the case in this week’s gospel reading. The differences between the rich man and Lazarus could not be more stark. The rich man wears fine purple linens, the most expensive designer clothes available, and his table, likely in a dining room meant to command respect in its opulence, is filled with the finest foods. Lazarus had none of those things. He was the kind of person people crossed the street to avoid, with his tattered clothes, his body covered with sores, malnourished and weak from hunger. These men know each other. And perhaps you know them too. Lazarus sees the way the rich man eats and longs for even a crumb that falls carelessly from the table. How much food do you suppose was swept from that table at the end of each day to be replaced by fresher foods the next day? How much of that food would go to waste, rotting in a bin while people went hungry? It is estimated that 30-40% of the American food supply is wasted, leaving food that could have fed families rotting in a landfill. Food is discarded because of aesthetic standards that deem all but the most perfect food as disposable. Consumers over-buy and over-prepare with leftovers often simply thrown away, cleared from tables in restaurants, homes, and churches. When you have more than enough, the value of the food doesn’t seem so high. The rich man knows Lazarus.  ... Thank you to this week's writer, Rae Watson. Read the rest of the commentary at pres-outlook.org. Order of worship — September 28, 2025, by Rae Watson A prayer against violence by Teri McDowell Ott One year after Helene: A prayer for healing, hope and remembrance by Esta Jarrett The future of the PC(USA): What you need to know by Gregg Brekke A small church in Maine finds unexpected help by Shirley and Richard Reese What churches can do to help college students flourish by Eliza Smith DeBevoise, David Coffman & Tim Drum Want the worship resources for September 14, 2025? You can find them here. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT... Chicago Presbyterians push back on Trump’s troop plan Churches and other nonprofits prepare for unrest, model faithful ways to support immigrants and city residents. — Harriet Riley Most Americans don’t believe God played a role in the presidential election Most Americans say God plays no role in presidential elections, Pew survey finds, with views consistent across 2008–2024 results. — Clemente Lisi Dr. Chris Burton of Union Presbyterian Seminary announced as 2025-2026 Obama Foundation leader  Chris Burton will join more than 200 global changemakers to build their skills and scale their work across public, private, and nonprofit sectors. As nation mourns rash of recent shootings, Office of Public Witness condemns lax gun control measures The PC(USA) Office of Public Witness calls for action against gun violence, urging prayer, advocacy, and policies that honor Christ’s call to peace. Our fork in the road: On the end of the Presbyterian Mission Agency The PC(USA)'s mission theology and management methods stand in urgent need of critical analysis, writes scholar and former mission co-worker Stanley Skreslet. Gen Z’s complicated return to faith — and what Presbyterians are seeing Recent research points to younger adults’ increased interest in faith as they seek community and meaning. — Gregg Brekke