August 24, 2025
11th Sunday after Pentecost
Introduction
Remember the sabbath day. Call the sabbath a delight. This is the Lord’s day, and the Lord will do for us what the Lord does: feed us, forgive us, help and heal us. Rejoice at all the wonderful things God is doing.
Scripture Readings
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Isaiah 58:9b-14
Do not trample the sabbath, but feed the hungry
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Psalm 103:1-8
The Lord crowns you with mercy and steadfast love. (Ps. 103:4)
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Hebrews 12:18-29
You have come to the city of the living God and to Jesus
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Luke 13:10-17
Jesus heals a crippled woman on the sabbath and is condemned
Hymns:
556 Morning Has Broken
858 Praise to the Lord, the almighty
866 O for a thousand tongues to sing
Communion Hymns:
471 Let Us break bread together
607 Come Ye Disconsolate
Commentary
God’s Verbs
Through the lens of the gospel, today’s texts offer a clear identification of God’s work. What is God doing? God is reaching out to the bound-up to proclaim release from captivity. God is lifting up the oppressed. God is satisfying the needs of the afflicted. God raises up foundations. God restores and rebuilds, reconciles and sets free. God, whose word can shake the very foundations of the earth, speaks a better word than we’ve ever heard, or that we could ever speak. Like yeast that’s included in bread dough or the seed of a particularly stubborn weed sown in the garden (Luke 13:18-21), when God speaks, there’s no going back. The bread will be leavened; the garden will have a mustard bush; and precious daughters and sons of Abraham will be set free. It is God’s work and God’s activity that Isaiah calls us to be about. Why is the prophet so confident that light will conquer darkness and needs will be satisfied? Because this is already God’s work, or as the prophet says, because “the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
These texts focus us on the verbs, the actions, of God. When we’re attuned to the verbs of God within passages like these, it might make it easier to see and give witness to God’s work and the verbs around us right now.
Prayer of Lament and Hope
Lord Jesus Christ, by your patience in suffering you make Holy our earthly pain. You gave us the example of obedience to your Father’ s will even to death on the cross for our Salvation. Be near us in our times of weakness, fear and pain; sustain us by your grace, that our strength and courage may not fail; heal us according to you will; and help us always to believe that what happens to us here matters little because you hold us in eternal life. We especially pray for Maureen Face who suffered a fall and broke her femur. She is recuperating at Oak Park Health & Rehab. We pray also for Pastor Joy, for the Mehl family, especially for Christopher and Angela, Alicia Keiler and anyone else known or unknown to us in need of your healing, comfort and peace.
We pray for the Ukrainian people and the Palestinians who continue to suffer under the burdens of war and deadly hunger. Make us responsive to their suffering and needs. Teach us compassion and mercy.
We thank you for sending the rains to soothe the parched places where we live but pray that areas enduring heavy and consistent rain and violent weather are saved from flooding and devastating destruction.
We are sad O Lord. We are disappointed, fearful and angry. Like the psalmists before us we lament many things:
Let us lament the world's thirst for war over peace
Let us lament leaders and people who have turned their backs to truth and historical fact
Let us lament the loss of values that embrace enlightened education and the institutions that support it
Let us lament leaders and lawmakers who no longer follow the rule of law
Let us lament lost values and principles that recognize the importance of medical, and scientific research
Let us lament governments that choose to turn on their own people
Let us lament all those touched by gun violence
Let us lament laws that allow easy access to guns
Let us lament the the loss of free unbiased journalism and news
Let us lament an attitude that no longer welcomes but demonizes all immigrants
Let us lament hearts broken by loss
Let us lament lives cut short from violence of all types
Let us lament, O God, and then let us rise up to earnestly work for change
When evil darkens our world, give us light. When despair numbs our souls, give us hope. When we stumble and fall, lift us up. When doubts assail us, give us faith. When nothing seems sure, give us trust. When ideals fade, give us vision. When we lose our way, be our guide. Help us to find calm and serenity in Your presence, and joyful purpose in doing Your will.
In the beginning you beamed light that shines in the darkest hour, Light that no darkness could overcome: We pray for that light-your light
Pierce the soul of this nation with your light, And enlighten everyone with your divine wisdom.
Pierce the soul of this nation with your light,
And blind the demons of violence and hate.
Pierce the soul of this nation with your light,
That our every breath draws in hope
May our hands grasp with strength to hold on to truth and justice
May our innards gird us with all might
And our hearts pump the lifeblood of an unlikely, luminous new beginning being born.
Be with all nations of the world for we all struggle with the same issues and problems and we are all inextricably linked through a global economy and shared living space here on earth. We are all your people called to live in love and relationship with one another. Help us to treasure our friends and allies and to seek to understand foes and enemies and reconcile ourselves one to another. Our strength is in you and in one another- in community. Continue to forgive our sinfulness and brokenness. Teach and guide us in your ways- the ways of love, truth, justice, and peace.
Amen