October 26, 2025 – Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost / Proper 25

Lectionary Readings

Semicontinuous
Joel 2:23–32
I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; I will save those who call on me.

Psalm 65
Praise God, who answers prayer, sends rain, and blesses the earth.  

Complementary
Jeremiah 14:7–10, 19–22
We acknowledge our wickedness, O Lord; we set our hope on you.

Psalm 84:1–7
How lovely is your dwelling place; my heart and flesh sing for joy. 

2 Timothy 4:6–8, 16–18
I have fought the good fight and kept the faith; God stands by me.

Luke 18:9–14
Jesus tells a parable: the prayers of a Pharisee and a tax collector.

— Gathering —

Opening Sentences

You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied,
and praise the name of the Lord your God, 
who has dealt wondrously with you. 
God’s people shall never again
be put to shame.
O you who answers prayer! 
To you all flesh shall come. 
When deeds of iniquity overwhelm us,
you forgive our transgressions. 
God’s people shall never again
be put to shame. 
You water the furrows of the fields abundantly, 
the pastures of the wilderness overflow, 
the hills gird themselves with joy. 
God’s people shall never again
be put to shame.
The Lord stood by me and gave me strength, 
so that through me
the message might be fully proclaimed
and all might hear it. 
God’s people shall never again
be put to shame. 
All who exalt themselves will be humbled,
but all who humble themselves will be exalted.
God’s people shall never again
be put to shame.  

Prayer of the Day

Holy God, 
you look with blessing on humble hearts
and with mercy on those who serve 
your heavenly kingdom. 
Grant us visions of your kingdom
and the fortitude to work for it 
today and every day. 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:
The God of mercy waits in compassion
to show mercy.
Together, let us seek God’s forgiveness.

Loving God,
too often we hide beneath the veil of religion
or trust too much in the good things we do.
Smug and safe in our pews,
we look down on those not here,
thankful we are not like them.
Shatter us with the truth
that all have sinned,
even us.
We have failed to live
as the people you call us to be.
Cleanse us and restore us,
for the sake of Jesus, our Savior.

Lifting water from the font:
Whether we are close
or whether we are standing far off,
God’s love in Jesus Christ seeks us out
and gathers us in.
This is 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:
Sacred writings, our instruction in salvation 
through faith in Jesus Christ. 
2 Timothy 3:15

After the readings: 
The words of Scripture, inspired by God. 
Thanks be to God.
2 Timothy 3:16

Sermon

Ascription of Praise

After the sermon:
Blessed be the Lord our God. Amen.
Luke 1:68

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