After Pentecost 22A – October 25
Sunday, October 25, 2026
Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost | Year A
Matthew 22:34-46 | “Love God and Neighbor”
Call to Worship (inspired by Psalm 90)
One: Holy One, you are our dwelling place! From everlasting to everlasting, you are God!
Many: Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, so that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
One: Holy One, you are our dwelling place! From everlasting to everlasting, you are Sovereign!
Many: Let your work be manifest to your servants and your glorious power to their children.
One: Holy One, you are our dwelling place! From everlasting to everlasting, you are God!
Many: Let your favor be upon us and prosper for us the work of our hands — O prosper the work of our hands!
Invocation
Loving God, we gather before you in praise and thanksgiving, wonder and awe, doubt and uncertainty, joy and pain. We seek your guidance and direction, assurance and challenge, correction, and encouragement. Make your presence known among us this day. Let your Spirit reign in our worship, in our hearts, and in our lives. Just your presence among us gives us comfort, strength, and joy. Be glorified in our love, O God. Amen.
Prayer for Transformation and New Life
Gracious God, we hear the direction in biblical law, and we can reduce our faith into all the things we cannot do. We can begin to perceive following you to a way of life that restricts our choices and binds us to certain behaviors. Help us to recognize that life with you transcends the rules and invites us to loving you, our neighbor, and ourselves. Through the Law, the Prophets, and the Messiah, you have helped us know how to love better and more. Help us again today.. Amen.
Words of Grace
Beloved, God loves you and your journey. With the help of God, continue on this journey with faith, hope, trust, and love.
Invitation to Generosity
Generosity is a spiritual discipline rooted in love. When we give of ourselves in time, treasure, and talent, we make our love for God and neighbor tangible in the lives of our community. So, let our love show through the gifts we bring to the glory of God and love of all.
Prayer of Dedication and Thanksgiving
Holy Love, we dedicate these gifts to you in hope and trust that, through you, our generosity makes a difference in the world. We give you thanks in advance for the fruit nurtured by this offering. As you bless these gifts, also bless the giver and those entrusted with the stewardship of these resources in your name and for your church and world. Amen.
Benediction
Let love be your law. Let love be your compass. Let love abound and abide.
And, know that the God of love is with you and for you, now and forever.
Love God and Neighbor: Service Prayers for the Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost Year A was written by the Rev. Dr. Cheryl A. Lindsay, Minister for Worship and Theology for the United Church of Christ.
