JULY 5, 2026
TIME AFTER PENTECOST
ZECHARIAH 9:9-12; PSALM 145:8-14; PSALM 145:8-14; ROMANS 7:15-25a; MATTHEW 11:16-19, 25-30; GENESIS 24:24-38, 42-49, 58-67; PSALM 45:10-17; SONG OF SONGS 2:8-13
The mystery of God’s way is sometimes hidden from the wise and intelligent. Jesus associates with those often excluded from the religious community. Like Paul, we struggle with our own selfish desire and seek God’s mercy and forgiveness. We gather to be refreshed by Christ’s invitation: “Come to me, all you that are weary.” Gathered around word, water, and meal, we find rest for our souls.
JULY 12, 2026
TIME AFTER PENTECOST
ISAIAH 55:10-13; PSALM 65 [1-8] 9-13; ROMANS 8:1-11; MATTHEW 13:1-9, 18-23; GENESIS 25:19-34; PSALM 119:105-112
God’s word is like the rain that waters the earth and brings forth vegetation. It is also like the sower who scatters seeds indiscriminately. Our lives are like seeds sown in the earth. Even from what appears to be little, dormant, or dead, God promises a harvest. At the Lord’s table we are fed with the bread of life, that we may bear fruit in the world.
JULY 19, 2026
TIME AFTER PENTECOST
ISAIAH 44:6-8; WISDOM 12:13, 16-19; PSALM 86:11-17; ROMANS 8:12-25; MATTHEW 13-24-30, 36-43, GENESIS 28:10-19a; PSALM 139:1-12, 23-24
It is an age old question: why is there evil in the world? In the parable of the wheat and the weeds Jesus suggests that both grow together until the harvest. With Paul, we long for the day when all creation will be set free from bondage and suffering. Having both weeds and wheat within us, we humbly place our hope in the promises of God, and from the Lord’s table we go forth to bear the fruit of justice and mercy.
JULY 26, 2026
TIME AFTER PENTECOST
1 KINGS 3:5-12; PSALM 119:129-136; ROMANS 8:26-39; MATTHEW 13:31-33, 44-52; GENESIS 29:15-28; PSALM 105:1-11, 45b, PSALM 128
As Solomon prays for wisdom, we seek to more deeply know the treasures of faith. In today’s gospel Jesus offers everyday images that reveal to us the region of God: a tree that becomes a sheltering home, yeast that penetrates and expands, a treasured pearl, a net that gains a great catch. Even as we seek the riches of God’s reign, the great surprise is that God’s grace finds us first!
