September 28, 2025 – Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost / Proper 21

Lectionary Readings

Semicontinuous
Jeremiah 32:1–3a, 6–15
Buy the field at Anathoth; houses and vineyards will one day return. 

Psalm 91:1–6, 14–16
The Lord says: Do not fear; I will deliver those who call on my name. 

Complementary
Amos 6:1a, 4–7
Those with idle and comfortable lives will be first to go into exile. 

Psalm 146
Do not put your trust in princes; God does justice for the oppressed.

1 Timothy 6:6–19
The love of money is the root of evil; be rich in good works instead.  

Luke 16:19–31
Jesus tells the parable of Lazarus and the rich man in Hades.

— Gathering —

Opening Sentences

You who live in the shelter of the Most High, 
who abide in the shadow of the Almighty, 
say to the Lord:
My refuge and my fortress; my God, 
in whom I trust. 
The Lord executes justice for the oppressed,
gives food to the hungry, 
sets the prisoners free,
opens the eyes of the blind,
lifts up those who are bowed down,
watches over those who are estranged,
and upholds the orphan and the widow. 
The Lord loves the righteous, 
but the way of the wicked
God brings to ruin.
Come, people of God,
let us pursue righteousness, godliness,
faith, love, endurance, and gentleness. 
Let all generations praise the Lord! 

Prayer of the Day

Almighty God, Lord Most High, 
Giver of life, Maker of all,
we brought nothing into the world, 
and we can take nothing out of it. 
So, knowing that alone we have nothing,
let us regard those with nothing as our own. 
Make us instruments
of your providence and justice
and partners in your process of salvation, 
which you work for the glory of your name,
and that of our Lord Jesus Christ. 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:
Looking at Jesus,
we see that we have fallen short
of the glory of God.
Yet Jesus looks at us with mercy and grace.
Therefore, let us offer our confession in faith.

God of justice and righteousness,
you lift up the lowly and fill the empty;
yet we adore the high and the mighty.
You reach out to the poor;
yet we ceaselessly pursue wealth.
You talk about treasure in heaven;
yet we want dollars
in our accounts right now.
Correct our misguided ways.
Forgive our lack of generosity.
Free us from striving for more and more.
Change our hearts so that we can tend
to things that matter
and find our life in Jesus Christ.

Lifting water from the font:
Without regard for the cost,
the precious love of God
is poured out in Jesus Christ.
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