On July 12, we will celebrate the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost in 2026, with Deacon Nate Irvine presiding. This Sunday’s readings highlight the power of God’s word and the state of our hearts. Isaiah proclaims that God’s word will not return void but will achieve its purpose and transform the landscape of our lives. The psalmist invites us to witness the abundance that flows from God’s generosity. Paul declares that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, and that the Spirit of God, dwelling within us, gives us life. Finally, Jesus teaches the parable of the sower, inviting us to reflect on what kind of soil we are and what kind of soil we have the potential to become.
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If You Cannot Join Us In Person for the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost 2026!
We recognize that attending in person may not always be possible, so we offer various virtual options.
Livestream/Playback
Join us live at 8:50 AM for the organ prelude, followed by the service starting at 9:00 AM. After the livestream concludes, you can watch the video replay anytime.
Note: There may be a glitch or two in this video.
Podcast
Did you know that we are available on all major platforms? Our podcast covers everything from the opening hymn to the sharing of the peace.
The Collect for the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost 2026
O Lord, mercifully receive the prayers of your people who call upon you, and grant that they may know and understand what things they ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to accomplish them; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
The Readings for the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost 2026
Old Testament: Isaiah 55:10–13
For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it. For you shall go out in joy, and be led back in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall burst into song, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall be to the Lord for a memorial, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.
Psalm 65:(1–8), 9–14
1 [You are to be praised, O God, in Zion; * to you shall vows be performed in Jerusalem.
2 To you that hear prayer shall all flesh come, * because of their transgressions.
3 Our sins are stronger than we are, * but you will blot them out.
4 Happy are they whom you choose and draw to your courts to dwell there! * they will be satisfied by the beauty of your house, by the holiness of your temple.
5 Awesome things will you show us in your righteousness, O God of our salvation, * O Hope of all the ends of the earth and of the seas that are far away.
6 You make fast the mountains by your power; * they are girded about with might.
7 You still the roaring of the seas, * the roaring of their waves, and the clamor of the peoples.
8 Those who dwell at the ends of the earth will tremble at your marvelous signs; * you make the dawn and the dusk to sing for joy.]
9 You visit the earth and water it abundantly; you make it very plenteous; * the river of God is full of water.
10 You prepare the grain, * for so you provide for the earth.
11 You drench the furrows and smooth out the ridges; * with heavy rain you soften the ground and bless its increase.
12 You crown the year with your goodness, * and your paths overflow with plenty.
13 May the fields of the wilderness be rich for grazing, * and the hills be clothed with joy.
14 May the meadows cover themselves with flocks, and the valleys cloak themselves with grain; * let them shout for joy and sing.
Epistle: Romans 8:1–11
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do: by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and to deal with sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, so that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law—indeed it cannot, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.
Gospel: Matthew 13:1–9, 18–23
That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: “Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Let anyone with ears listen!”
“Hear then the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”
Reflection on the Readings for the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost 2026
The Word That Does Not Return Empty – Isaiah 55:10–13
Isaiah addresses a people distant from God, weary in exile. Into their weariness, he brings a message of hope rooted in the very nature of God’s actions.
“As the rain and snow fall from the heavens and do not return until they have watered the earth, causing it to produce and sprout, providing seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so it will be with the word that comes from my mouth.”
Isaiah is not describing rain and snow simply as weather phenomena; he is referring to them as promises. Rain falls and does not evaporate without making an impact. It nourishes the earth, promotes growth, and provides seeds for the sower and bread for the eater. It fulfills its intended purpose. Similarly, Isaiah asserts, God’s word will also accomplish its purpose.
This is a remarkable assertion. God’s word differs from human words, which often fade into silence and have little impact. Instead, God’s word is like rain: it fulfills God’s intentions. It will succeed in the purpose for which God sent it. This will transform the landscape. “For you shall go out in joy and be led back in peace; the mountains and the hills before you will burst into song, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.”
Even creation itself will respond to the transformation brought by God’s word. Thorns will turn into cypress trees, and briars will transform into myrtle. The barren areas will become fertile, serving as a memorial to the Lord—an everlasting sign that will never be cut off.
On a Sunday when Jesus is about to teach the parable of the sower and the seed, Isaiah reminds us of a foundational truth: God’s word is not powerless; it will accomplish what God intends.
The Abundance of God’s Generosity – Psalm 65:(1–8), 9–14
The psalm begins by inviting praise and acknowledging sin: “To you who hear prayer shall all flesh come because of their transgressions. Our sins are greater than we can bear, but you will erase them.”
This is where true worship begins: with the recognition that we are sinners and cannot fix ourselves. It is understood that God hears our prayers and forgives our sins. From this place of acknowledged need and received forgiveness, everything else flows.
The second part of the psalm shifts to a contemplation of creation itself — a creation that is overflowing with abundance. “You visit the earth and water it abundantly; You make it very fruitful; the river of God is full of water.” God does not give sparingly; instead, God gives with generosity. The grain is prepared, the furrows are saturated, and the ground is softened and blessed. The year is crowned with goodness, and the paths are filled with plenty.
The fields, hills, meadows, and valleys are all invited to this abundance. The creation itself responds: “Let them shout for joy and sing.” The whole creation, nourished by God’s generosity, responds with joy.
This psalm complements Isaiah beautifully. Both highlight a God whose actions in the world are generative, abundant, and irresistible. The psalmist encourages us to recognize in the created world a reflection of God’s character—a God who gives abundantly, who waters and nourishes, and who invites us to share in the joy of creation itself.
No Condemnation – Romans 8:1–11
Following the internal conflict described in Romans 7—where Paul expresses the struggle of wanting to do good but encountering evil—he makes one of the most liberating statements in all of scripture: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
This is not an endorsement of sin; rather, it is a declaration of a new reality. The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has freed you from the law of sin and death. God has accomplished what the law, weakened by human nature, could not achieve: He has condemned sin in the flesh, once and for all, through the sending and sacrifice of Christ.
Paul discusses two ways of living: one can live according to the flesh or according to the Spirit. Focusing on the flesh leads to death, while focusing on the Spirit brings life and peace. A mind set on the flesh is hostile to God and cannot follow His law. However, there is an important turning point: “You are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you.”
This is Paul’s affirmation of the baptized life. The Spirit of God lives within you, and because He dwells in you, you are not condemned. Furthermore, if Christ is in you—if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead resides in you—then He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit that lives in you.
The promise is not just spiritual or internal; it is also physical, tangible, and ultimate. Resurrection is not only an event that occurs at the end of time; it is an ongoing work of the Spirit happening right now in those who are in Christ.
The Parable of the Sower – Matthew 13:1–9, 18–23
Jesus is sitting in a boat by the sea, teaching a parable. A farmer goes out to sow seeds. Some seeds fall on the path and are eaten by birds. Some fall on rocky ground, where they sprout quickly but wither when the sun rises because they have no roots. Some seeds fall among thorns and are choked. However, some seeds fall on good soil and produce grain—some yield a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.
Then Jesus provides an interpretation: the seed represents the word of the kingdom. The various soils symbolize different human responses to that word.
The path represents a person who hears the word but does not understand it, allowing the evil one to take it away. The rocky ground symbolizes someone who receives the word with joy but lacks roots, so when trouble or persecution arises, they quickly fall away. The thorns depict a person who hears the word but is overwhelmed by the cares of the world and the allure of wealth, so the word proves unfruitful. The good soil stands for a person who hears the word and understands it, bearing fruit and yielding, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.
What is remarkable about this parable is that it focuses on the soil, not the sower or the seed. The sower is faithful, and the seed is good, but what varies is the soil — the condition of the human heart.
Every engagement with scripture, every experience of the Gospel, and every interaction with God’s word presents us with a fundamental question: What kind of soil are you? Are you like the path, hard and unreceptive? Are you rocky ground, enthusiastic but lacking depth? Are you thorny ground, distracted by the cares and wealth of the world? Or are you good soil, open to hearing, understanding, and allowing the word to take root and bear fruit?
The parable provides a sense of hope: the soil has the potential to change. The path can be redirected. The rocky ground can be cultivated. The thorns can be removed. Our hearts are not set in stone; they are flexible and capable of transformation.
The Seventh Sunday after Pentecost Wrap-Up
These four readings revolve around a single truth: the power and persistence of God’s word, and the various ways human hearts receive it.
Isaiah assures us that God’s word will not return void; it will fulfill its purpose and transform our lives and the world around us. The psalmist invites us to see evidence of God’s generous and abundant care within creation itself. Paul declares that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, and that the Spirit of God dwelling within us is already beginning the work of resurrection and transformation. Jesus teaches us that the same word is sown in many different hearts, yielding various results — but the difference lies not in the word or the sower, but in the soil.
As we move through the green season of Pentecost, the readings prompt each of us to reflect on a vital question: What kind of soil are we? They also invite us to allow our hearts to be cultivated and prepared so that the word of God can take root within us, bear fruit, and transform both our lives and the world around us.
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The Old Testament, New Testament, and Gospels readings are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Collect and Psalm are from the Book of Common Prayer, 1979.
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