Sunday, October 26, 2025
Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost
Luke 18:9-14 | “Humbled or Exalted”

Call to Worship (Inspired by Psalm 65)
One: God moves with us throughout this earth and nurtures the soil,
Many: Our neighbors are awed by God’s works.
One: God’s river flows with water, and the fields are blessed by the Spirit,
Many: Our neighbors are awed by God’s gifts.
One: God’s wilderness fields overflow with joy.
Many: Our neighbors are awed by God’s grace.

Invocation
God of Love, Divine Friend,
Our hearts are open to you.  If a thought crosses our minds, you are present and are ready to hold it for us.  There is no emotion radiating from our souls that is too heavy or painful for you. Your Spirit encourages our dreams as we seek to find ways to build your Realm here on earth.  May we work side-by-side, co-creating a world of possibilities where all experience your love and joy.  Amen.

Prayer for Transformation and New Life
God of the Mountains and Canyons,
The range of emotions that wash through us are often triggers for the ways we hold ourselves.  At times, we seek humility, but often find ourselves believing we do not deserve your love.  Other times, as we search for confidence, we believe we are your favorites and find ourselves in moments of comparison, contrast, and judgment.  Are we better than our neighbors?  How can we relate to siblings in Christ when their lives are not like ours and they stand out when visiting our spaces?  We are misguided as we give thanks that our lives are not as chaotic and unkempt as theirs.  Yet you ask us to seek humility and know that each of your children are loved equally.  Help us to extend mercy to our neighbors, and fill their minds with words of encouragement.  May each of us know our value in your Realm and experience your love in its fullness.  Amen.

Words of Grace
God fully shares mercy and grace no matter where we sit in our churches or what our power is in this world.  May we know your radical love when we rarely experience it.  May your light and kindness seep from our souls so that our neighbors will understand your grace even when the harsh winds surround them. No matter how chaotic or serene our lives may be, may we all know your steadfast love.  Amen.

Invitation to Generosity
We are given holy opportunities to share our gifts no matter who we are or where we are on life’s journey.  May we embrace joy instead of judgment as we discern where God is calling us to utilize our gifts.

Prayer of Thanksgiving and Dedication
Holy God, Source of Goodness and Grace,
We thank you today for all you have given to us.  When we bear more power and privilege, we are called to share more of our talents, time, and treasures.  In our efforts to seek humility and balance, may we soberly evaluate our gifts and understand the healthiest ways to apportion them to strengthen your Realm and love your children.  Amen.

Benediction
God of love moves us to seek holy balance in our lives.
The Christ of faith moves us to share our gifts to create God’s Realm on earth.
The Spirit of Joy moves us to dream in new ways and co-create with the Divine.
Whether we are on mountaintops or in canyons, may we envision meeting your children on the plains with Jesus the Christ at the center and the Spirit emboldening us in our journeys.  Amen.

Humbled or Exalted: Service Prayers for the Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost was written by Rev. Michelle L. Torigian , an ordained UCC minister in Belleville, Illinois.