August 10, 2025 – Ninth Sunday after Pentecost / Proper 14

Lectionary Readings

Semicontinuous
Isaiah 1:1, 10–20
Wash yourselves clean; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice.

Psalm 50:1–8, 22–23
God speaks and summons the earth: Gather to me my faithful ones! 

Complementary
Genesis 15:1–6
God promises Abram many descendants; Abram believes the Lord.

Psalm 33:12–22
Happy are those whose God is the Lord; God is our help and hope. 

Hebrews 11:1–3, 8–16
Faith is the assurance of things hoped for; Abraham is an example.

Luke 12:32–40
Where your treasure is, there is your heart also; be alert and ready.

— Gathering —

Opening Sentences

The Mighty One
has delivered our souls from death.
In God our hearts are glad!
The Mighty One has fashioned all our hearts.
In God our hearts are glad!
The Mighty One is our help and shield.
In God our hearts are glad!
Let us worship the one in whom we trust.
Let us worship the one in whom we hope!

Prayer of the Day

Steadfast God,
we come with faith, 
with conviction of things not seen,
yet we worry we may be getting it all wrong.
And you whisper in our ear,
“Do not be afraid, little flock.”
You ask us to cease doing evil, 
to stop our meaningless rituals
and turn toward your ways.
And you whisper in our ear,
“Do not be afraid, little flock.”
We want to do good and seek justice,
but we are afraid of failing.
And you whisper in our ear,
“Do not be afraid, little flock.”
We want to trust that you will bring forth life
from the desert places in our lives,
but we are scared of being brokenhearted.
And you whisper in our ear,
“Do not be afraid, little flock.”
Center our hearts in you,  
that we may find our treasure
and the courage to live into it. Amen.

Hymn, Psalm, or Spiritual Song

Thanksgiving for Baptism

At the baptismal font:
The Lord be with you. And also with you.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
O Lord our God, we give you thanks
for the grace that is at work in us
through the gift of our baptism—
the sign of your threefold name,
the communion of your faithful people,
the promise of your glorious realm.
By the power of your Holy Spirit,
poured out upon us in baptism,
let your grace and peace grow in us,
until we gather at your heavenly throne
to give you thanks and praise forever;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Confession and Pardon

At the baptismal font:
God calls us to walk in faith,
but we do not always follow.
Trusting in God’s mercy,
let us confess our sin.

God of the ages,
God of the old, old story,
we hear of our ancestors
and are astounded by their faith.
They trusted you,
but we waver.
They believed your promise,
but we cling to our own ideas.
Forgive us and free us from our fear,
that we may follow with joy
wherever you may lead;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Lifting water from the font:
From age to age, from generation to generation,
God’s mercy never fails.
Hear the good news!
In Jesus Christ we are forgiven!

— Word —

Prayer for Illumination

At the lectern or pulpit:
Faithful God, how blessed are those
who hunger and thirst for righteousness.
Sanctify us by your Word and Spirit
so that we may glorify you
in the company of the faithful;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Scripture

Before the readings: 
The Word of God is near. 
Deuteronomy 30:14

After the readings: 
The Word of God is with us, 
on our lips and in our hearts 
for us to observe. 
Thanks be to God. 
Deuteronomy 30:14  

Sermon

Ascription of Praise

After the sermon:
In the name of Christ, our all in all. Amen.
Colossians 3:11

Hymn, Psalm, or Spiritual Song

Affirmation of Faith

The life, death, resurrection,
and promised coming of Jesus Christ
has set the pattern for the church’s mission.
His human life involves the church
in the common life of all people.
His service to men and women
commits the church
to work for every form of human well-being.
His suffering makes the church sensitive
to all human suffering
so that it sees the face of Christ
in the faces of persons in every kind of need.
His crucifixion discloses to the church
God’s judgment on the inhumanity
that marks human relations,
and the awful consequences
of the church’s own complicity in injustice.
In the power of the risen Christ
and the hope of his coming,
the church sees the promise
of God’s renewal of human life in society
and of God’s victory over all wrong.
The church follows this pattern
in the form of its life
and in the method of its action.
So to live and serve
is to confess Christ as Lord.
Adapted from the Confession of 1967, 9.32–33