Looking into the lectionary - YAADs struggle to reconcile differences

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 and Genesis 28:10-19a Eighth Sunday after Pentecost 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time July 19, 2026 Sometimes, I delude myself into thinking I know the difference between the wheat and the weeds. This can happen in my own backyard. Some weeds are obvious, like the ever-present tumbleweeds and those horrible goatheads. When I see them pop up, I pull them out faster than you can say “An enemy has done this!” Other times, I’m not so sure. Are the volunteer bushes that spring up next to my door every year decorative bits of green offering relief from the desert brown, or are they opportunist pests leeching precious water that might otherwise nourish my few brave trees? Or how about the musk thistle? Those pink blossoms are beautiful and great for pollinators, but a sign at the local land trust identifies them as a highly invasive noxious weed. Jesus’ parable of the wheat and the tares asks a similar question: Who and what in the church are good, intentionally cultivated plants, and who and what are weeds? Perhaps more importantly, the parable also asks who gets to decide the difference. First things first: If you are teaching or preaching this passage, I encourage you to take some time to distinguish between the parable itself (vv. 24-30) and the allegorical explanation (vv. 36-43). Many scholars argue that this second part was likely concocted by Matthew as he tried to apply Jesus’ parable to the troublingly mixed state of the church in his day. While it may offer a satisfying apocalyptic ending (with a furnace of fire and gnashing of teeth!), it can also obscure the sense of what Jesus is trying to convey in the original parable. Because the problem is this: Everyone thinks they can tell the difference between the wheat and the weeds. .... Thank you to this week's writer, Ginna Bairby. Read the rest of the commentary at pres-outlook.org. Want the worship resources for July 12, 2026? You can find them here.

Order of worship — July 19, 2026 by Ginna Bairby   At Milwaukee’s Big Red Church, the elders are the ministers by Greg Allen-Pickett     World Mission closure will be investigated by Eric Ledermann Changes coming to ministry preparation and ordination by Gregg Brekke Young Adult Advisory Delegates struggle to reconcile differences by Gregg Brekke and Mary Mabry Assembly declares Israel’s war in Gaza a genocide by Eric Ledermann

Help your congregation understand what matters at the 227th General Assembly — and why it matters for your church. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT... Columbia Seminary addresses restructuring at GA227 luncheon President acknowledges 'profound human cost' of cuts; board chair denies race was a factor. Enrollment data shows incoming class is 60 percent people of color. — Eric Ledermann GA votes to hold its next assembly in Puerto Rico The 227th General Assembly approved plans to hold the denomination's first assembly outside the continental United States, adding cultural competency training ahead of the 2028 gathering in Puerto Rico. — Gregg Brekke A full house honors Diane Moffett for a life of ministry and service At GA227, Moffett said she is not retiring after the elimination of the agency she led for six years — and that she knows 'restructuring is hard.' — Eric Ledermann Three honored with Women of Faith Awards The Rev. Adele Langworthy and the Rev. Blanca Estrella Otaño-Rivera and Ruling Elder Selma Jackson are celebrated at biennial breakfast. — Emily Enders Odom GA elects Pumroy-Cordero, Schondelmeyer as co-moderators Commissioners elected the pair on the first ballot after participating in a lengthy question-and-answer session with the full slate of candidates. — Eric Ledermann Spielberg’s Disclosure Day offers wonder — and questions for faith The acclaimed director pairs suspense with reflections on God, empathy and humanity's place in a universe that may be more populated than we imagined, writes Alfred Walker.  Approved PC(USA) budget for ’27-’28 increased $5.8 million Commissioners approved a $188.4 million budget for 2027–28, raised General Assembly per capita rates, and extended work on a new denominational funding model. — John Bolt PC(USA) labels White Christian nationalism “Theological Error” Calling White Christian nationalism incompatible with the teachings of Jesus, commissioners approved a proposed constitutional amendment and a new policy statement opposing the ideology. — John Bolt

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