Sunday, August 30, 2026
Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost | Year A
Exodus 3:1-15 | "Beyond the Wilderness"

Call to Worship (inspired by Psalm 105)
One: O give thanks to the Holy One, the I Am Who I Am, who calls us together and makes their name known.
Many: We glory in God's holy name! Let the hearts that seek the Holy One rejoice and testify!
One: O give thanks to the Holy One, God of our ancestors, who lives and reigns with all generations.
Many: Sing praises to our God. Remember their wonderful works, saving acts, and redemptive deeds.
One: O give thanks to the Holy One, Mighty and Just God, who lends strength in the struggle and leads in righteousness. 
Many: Seek the presence of the Holy One. Praise God!

Invocation
Sovereign God, we delight in your presence. Your words bring joy, peace, and strength. You fill us with your Spirit and shape us in truth. Take us beyond the wilderness of our current condition. Remind us of who you are and who we are in you. Receive our praise, our curiosity, our doubts, our fears. With thanksgiving,we come to you just as we are. In hope, we bring our dreams for a better world and better lives. In awe, we recount what you have already done. In faith, we invite you to equip us as your partners in your kindom. Set a fire for your way and your will within us as we minister in your name. Amen.

Prayer for Transformation and New Life (Inspired by Romans 12)
Redeemer and Guide, we  travel with you because you never leave us. Yet, sometimes we drift from the path of life you give us. Rather than holding fast to what is good, we compromise with evil. Rather than persevering in prayer, we dwell in anger, rage, and conspiracies. Rather than sharing our blessings and pursuing hospitality, we hoard the resources you have given us to share. Help us to live in love and harmony with one another. Empower us to pursue peace for all. Let us overcome and overwhelm evil with good, compassion, and hope in your name. Amen.

Words of Grace
Beloved, wherever we go becomes holy ground because the Holy One goes with us. Be firm in hope that the God who met Moses through a burning bush will meet us wherever we may seek strength, encouragement, and the will to live in righteousness, justice, and peace. By the grace of the Holy One, all these things are possible in us and through us.

Invitation to Generosity
As a spiritual discipline, generosity demonstrates our commitment to the kindom of God in a tangible way. When we share our resources, we proclaim our trust in God's abundant provision, our concern for the condition of our neighbors, and our responsibility for the maintenance and care of our community. Let us give generously to the good work of God's church.

Prayer of Dedication and Thanksgiving
Holy One, we present these offerings to you in hope and love. May they be a gift in our community and the world. May they spread hope and love. And, may they witness to your abundant and generous creation. Amen. 

Benediction 
Trust in God in the wilderness.
Hope in God through the wilderness.
Follow God beyond the wilderness.
With the assurance that God makes the ground holy,
Hears the cries of the people,
And comes near to the suffering,
Join the work of deliverance,
Believe in the possibility of a just world
And work toward its realization.
Go, in peace and determination,
To serve and love God and all creation. 

Beyond the Wilderness: Service Prayers for the Fourteenth 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.