Daily Lectionary Readings for May 19, 2026

Daily Lectionary Readings (Two-Year Cycle)

Lectionary Readings for Tuesday, May 19, 2026

Morning Psalm 98 1   O sing to the LORD a new song,           for he has done marvelous things.      His right hand and his holy arm           have gained him victory. 2   The LORD has made known his victory;           he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations. 3   He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness           to the house of Israel.      All the ends of the earth have seen           the victory of our God. 4   Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth;           break forth into joyous song and sing praises. 5   Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre,           with the lyre and the sound of melody. 6   With trumpets and the sound of the horn           make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD. 7   Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;           the world and those who live in it. 8   Let the floods clap their hands;           let the hills sing together for joy 9   at the presence of the LORD, for he is coming           to judge the earth.      He will judge the world with righteousness,           and the peoples with equity. Morning Psalm 146 1   Praise the LORD!      Praise the LORD, O my soul! 2   I will praise the LORD as long as I live;           I will sing praises to my God all my life long. 3   Do not put your trust in princes,           in mortals, in whom there is no help. 4   When their breath departs, they return to the earth;           on that very day their plans perish. 5   Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob,           whose hope is in the LORD their God, 6   who made heaven and earth,           the sea, and all that is in them;      who keeps faith forever; 7        who executes justice for the oppressed;           who gives food to the hungry.      The LORD sets the prisoners free; 8        the LORD opens the eyes of the blind.      The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down;           the LORD loves the righteous. 9   The LORD watches over the strangers;           he upholds the orphan and the widow,           but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin. 10  The LORD will reign forever,           your God, O Zion, for all generations.      Praise the LORD! First Reading 1 Samuel 16:1-13a 1The LORD said to Samuel, "How long will you grieve over Saul? I have rejected him from being king over Israel. Fill your horn with oil and set out; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons." 2Samuel said, "How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill me." And the LORD said, "Take a heifer with you, and say, 'I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.' 3Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for me the one whom I name to you." 4Samuel did what the LORD commanded, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, "Do you come peaceably?" 5He said, "Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD; sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice." And he sanctified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. 6When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, "Surely the Lord's anointed is now before the LORD." 7But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the LORD does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart." 8Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, "Neither has the LORD chosen this one." 9Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, "Neither has the LORD chosen this one." 10Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, and Samuel said to Jesse, "The LORD has not chosen any of these." 11Samuel said to Jesse, "Are all your sons here?" And he said, "There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep." And Samuel said to Jesse, "Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here." 12He sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. The LORD said, "Rise and anoint him; for this is the one." 13Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the spirit of the LORD came mightily upon David from that day forward. Second Reading Ephesians 3:14-21 14For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. 16I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, 17and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. 18I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Gospel Reading Matthew 8:18-27 18Now when Jesus saw great crowds around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. 19A scribe then approached and said, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go." 20And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head." 21Another of his disciples said to him, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." 22But Jesus said to him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead." 23And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. 24A windstorm arose on the sea, so great that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. 25And they went and woke him up, saying, "Lord, save us! We are perishing!" 26And he said to them, "Why are you afraid, you of little faith?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a dead calm. 27They were amazed, saying, "What sort of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?" Evening Psalm 66 1   Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth; 2        sing the glory of his name;           give to him glorious praise. 3   Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!           Because of your great power, your enemies cringe before you. 4   All the earth worships you;           they sing praises to you,           sing praises to your name. Selah 5   Come and see what God has done:           he is awesome in his deeds among mortals. 6   He turned the sea into dry land;           they passed through the river on foot.      There we rejoiced in him, 7        who rules by his might forever,      whose eyes keep watch on the nations —           let the rebellious not exalt themselves. Selah 8   Bless our God, O peoples,           let the sound of his praise be heard, 9   who has kept us among the living,           and has not let our feet slip. 10  For you, O God, have tested us;           you have tried us as silver is tried. 11  You brought us into the net;           you laid burdens on our backs; 12  you let people ride over our heads;           we went through fire and through water;      yet you have brought us out to a spacious place. 13  I will come into your house with burnt offerings;           I will pay you my vows, 14  those that my lips uttered           and my mouth promised when I was in trouble. 15  I will offer to you burnt offerings of fatlings,           with the smoke of the sacrifice of rams;      I will make an offering of bulls and goats. Selah 16  Come and hear, all you who fear God,           and I will tell what he has done for me. 17  I cried aloud to him,           and he was extolled with my tongue. 18  If I had cherished iniquity in my heart,           the Lord would not have listened. 19  But truly God has listened;           he has given heed to the words of my prayer. 20  Blessed be God,           because he has not rejected my prayer           or removed his steadfast love from me. Evening Psalm 116 1   I love the LORD, because he has heard           my voice and my supplications. 2   Because he inclined his ear to me,           therefore I will call on him as long as I live. 3   The snares of death encompassed me;           the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;           I suffered distress and anguish. 4   Then I called on the name of the LORD:           “O LORD, I pray, save my life!” 5   Gracious is the LORD, and righteous;           our God is merciful. 6   The LORD protects the simple;           when I was brought low, he saved me. 7   Return, O my soul, to your rest,           for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you. 8   For you have delivered my soul from death,           my eyes from tears,           my feet from stumbling. 9   I walk before the LORD           in the land of the living. 10  I kept my faith, even when I said,           “I am greatly afflicted”; 11  I said in my consternation,           “Everyone is a liar.” 12  What shall I return to the LORD           for all his bounty to me? 13   I will lift up the cup of salvation           and call on the name of the LORD, 14  I will pay my vows to the LORD           in the presence of all his people. 15  Precious in the sight of the LORD           is the death of his faithful ones. 16  O LORD, I am your servant;           I am your servant, the child of your serving girl.           You have loosed my bonds. 17  I will offer to you a thanksgiving sacrifice           and call on the name of the LORD. 18  I will pay my vows to the LORD           in the presence of all his people, 19  in the courts of the house of the LORD,           in your midst, O Jerusalem.      Praise the LORD!

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Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), 100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, KY 40202

WCC news: Patmos Bible Summit closes with shared commitment to global engagement

The historic Patmos Bible Summit closed on 15 May in Jakarta, Indonesia, with 250 participants from all over the world, representing various denominations and church traditions, agencies, and Bible Societies in a wide spectrum of people whose hearts, minds, and prayers centered on Bible engagement.  Photo: Alex Baker/BFBS 19 may 2026 The three-day summit, united by the Bible at the centre, was organized by the British and Foreign Bible Society and United Bible Societies in collaboration with Alpha International, Community Bible Study, Coptic Orthodox Church, Generosity Path, Our Daily Bread Ministries, SIL Global, World Council of Churches (WCC), and World Evangelical Alliance. Marianne Ejdersten, WCC director of communication, and part of the summit’s Visionary Steering Group since November 2025, represented WCC general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay at the summit. Rev. Dr Seoyoung Kim, Ph.D., research associate at the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies, served in the Visionary Steering Group from March to November 2025 as the representative of the WCC general secretary.  “This was indeed a historic summit bringing together people from all over the world, with a truly diverse representation of the world’s regions, cultures, confessions, and ministries,” said Ejdersten, who closed the summit. “We have worked and prayed together to discern what God is impressing on our hearts concerning Bible engagement.” The participants worked particularly in seven small cluster groups to identify regional and global missional opportunities informed by people’s attitudes about the Bible. “The final statement at the end of the summit tries to conclude the joint work and to shape a vision for Bible engagement that can be sustained by a shared imagination and framework for collaboration,” explained Ejdersten. “The Patmos Survey is a gift to the churches and agencies to shape up the mission strategies and gives an important indication on the role of the Bible in everyday life across the globe.” Ejdersten added that the regional reflections will be the most important part to study the outcome of the survey in detail and to pray and  reflect together. “It will be especially interesting to continue to reflect with young people on the chapter for the next generation—the digital generation using the Bible,” said Ejdersten. “What does that mean for the future of the churches? How do we shape digital discipleship?” Photo: Alex Baker/BFB Patmos Commitment  In a “Patmos Commitment,” participants affirmed the life-giving role of the sacred Scripture in their faith, churches, and ministries. “For people to encounter and engage Scripture, it must first be available and accessible in a language and format they can understand,” reads the commitment. “While the task of translating the Bible into languages and new formats will continue in every generation, we acknowledge the unique moment in history where soon almost the entire world will have the possibility to access the Bible for the first time.” The Patmos commitment affirms that Bible engagement is a lifelong journey in which people – personally, communally, and contextually – interact with, reflect on and understand Scripture, through which they encounter the risen Christ. “Through this journey with the Bible we grow in the knowledge of God, are transformed into the likeness of Christ, and by the Spirit are drawn to participate in and witness to the renewal of all things,” notes the commitment. “We commit to taking active steps towards clearly articulating the Bible engagement framework and mission tasks that have been developed through the Patmos Global Summit for Bible engagement.” About the WCC delegation The WCC delegation present at the Patmos Bible Society included Rev. Dr Henriette Hutabarat-Lebang, (Toraja Church), WCC president from Asia, and president of the Indonesian Bible Society; Rev. Dr Mery Kolimon, former head of the Protestant Evangelical Church in Timor and a WCC central committee member; Rev. Karen Erina Puimera (Protestant Church in Western Indonesia), moderator of the commission Young People in the Ecumenical Movement and a youth member of the WCC executive committee; and Marianne Ejdersten, WCC director of communication. The WCC delegation led prayers, workshops, participated as panelists, and also served on the Visionary Steering Committee for the conference. About the Patmos Survey The Patmos survey, in partnership with Gallup, is the largest Bible engagement research project ever. It provides data to establish a new understanding of how people relate to the Bible. The survey analyzed 150 countries, was produced in 89 languages, and encountered 91,000 people. The cluster groups covered by the Patmos Bible Summit included The Sahel, Pakistan, Afghanistan; Central and Eastern Europe, Portugal; Middle East and North Africa and Central Asia; Latin America, Philippines; Western Europe, North America, Australia, New Zealand; Asia; and sub-Saharan Africa, Haiti. The roots of this vision date back 2,000 years to the island of Patmos. It was here, the Bible tells us, that seven short letters were written to churches in seven distinct contexts, revealing a deeper insight into their spiritual condition. The encouragement and challenges of those insights continue to agitate the imagination of many communities to this day. It is hoped that the missiological and audience insights from the Patmos survey will shape a shared imagination and framework for mission, and that shared framework will enable collaboration and innovation for generations to come, so that the whole world can encounter the Bible. Local host the Indonesian Bible Society under the leadership of General Secretary Rev. Dr Sigit Triyono, who is also the incoming chairperson for the United Bible Societies. Photo: Alex Baker/BFBS Opening with a source of hope Hutabarat-Lebang offered an opening reflection on 13 May . Words of welcome were shard by secretary general of the United Bible Societies Rev. Dirk Gevers; CEO for the British and Foreign Bible Society Paul Williams; and the general secretary of the Indonesian Bible Society, Rev. Dr Sigit Triyono, who is also the incoming chairperson for the United Bible Societies. In her homily, Hutabarat-Lebang offered the premise that the Bible tells us Christ remains in control of history, and Christ remains at work. “This is a source of hope for us amid various problems and challenges we face even today, as individuals, as families, as churches, and amidst global challenges: be it communal conflicts, wars, poverty, or ecological destruction,” she said. “There is a blessing for everyone who faithfully reads God’s Word, for everyone who hears it, and for everyone who follow its message.” Hutabarat-Lebang added that many people do not have access to the Bible for a variety of reasons. “One of the important roles of the Bible institutions is to collaborate with the churches and all Christians to invite people to read, meditate on, and apply God’s Word in their lives,” she said. “The question is how to do it, especially to people with different cultures and different generations.” Closing devotion During a closing morning devotion, H.E. Archbishop Angeloes from the Coptic Orthodox Church, who is also president of the British and Foreign Bible Society, spoke of the ways in which the Bible offers us reassurance. “The message of God is holistic,” he said. “It is true It is undeniable. But that word is not meant to be sealed up. To hide it away would be a disservice to the world. Christ is there to be shared because there is an urgency. There is a necessity This is not an optional extra.” The roots of the Patmos vision date back 2,000 years to the island of Patmos. It was here, the Bible tells us, that seven short letters were written to churches in seven distinct contexts, revealing a deeper insight into their spiritual condition. Patmos Bible Summit opens with reflections on global spiritual realities “Scripture Reveals Reality”, sermon by Rev. Dr Henriette Hutabarat-Lebang, (Toraja Church), WCC president from Asia WCC will celebrate 80 years of United Bible Societies The Patmos Survey Photo gallery 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

A message from Leadership Development Group

Reconstructing Faith: 365 Days to Reconsider Jesus by Dr. Dick Daniels

Invest a minute or two every day for an entire year in brief daily readings to gain an understanding of the structure, contents, and personalities of the entire Bible. A helpful companion for some willing to consider Jesus for the first time. For others, an insightful review in your spiritual journey of reconstructing your faith. The Bible is a collection of writings by 40 authors over 1,500 years, on three continents, in three languages, with one consistent invitation: follow Jesus. Simple but profound when you consider the teaching and life that Jesus modeled, inviting us into a radically other-centered way of living. For those struggling with their faith, deconstruction is not the enemy of faith. As a matter of fact, it can be the uncomfortable hallway between spiritual rooms. It is the honesty of saying, “Something needs to change if I am going to start or continue following Jesus.” If you are in a season of questioning, you are not alone, and you are not a disappointment even in God’s eyes. Maybe a disappointment in your church, your family, or your circle of friends. But Jesus isn’t afraid of your questions or struggles. He meets you in them. Be encouraged. There is a long and sacred history of people wrestling their way in a deeper, more personally genuine faith. Reconstructing Faith will provide information, inspiration, and invitation. The Stages of Reconstruction model from Dr. Daniels will guide you through three phases of reconsidering Jesus — from disbelief to transformation. It’s a developmental journey of faith: Stage #1 - Rejection of Faith: The Certainty of Disbelief. Stage #2 - Reevaluation of Faith: Asking Hard but Honest Questions. Stage #3 - Renewal of Faith: Learning to Follow Jesus. Welcome to this year-long adventure. You are not alone but in good company with a “cloud of witnesses” as the New Testament reminds us in Hebrews 12:1. Get your copy today!

Dr. Dick Daniels was a church planting pastor in Phoenix and Minneapolis. He served as the Dean of Student Development on a graduate seminary faculty and founded the Association for Student Development in Theological Education, hosting three national conferences under his leadership.

For the past 20 years, he has served as a Certified Master Leadership Development Coach for corporate executives. In addition, he facilitates team building and team strategy offsites along with organizational succession planning using his Gameplan for C-Suite Succession Planning. Daniels volunteers with Young Life’s Capernaum Club for special needs students in Naples, Florida, and he serves on Young Life’s Work Crew at high school camps in Norway and Sweden.

On the Road from Jerusalem: A Study of Acts (Different Singer, Same Song - Acts 25:1-27)

Sligo Presbyterian Church: Our Congregation and Community: On the Road from Jerusalem: A Study of Acts (Diffe...: In our Wednesday morning Bible study, we're using the Acts of the Apostles to discuss the growth of the earlier church from its birth in...