Liturgy for the Eighth Sunday after Pentecost, Year A (Matthew)
Introduction
This Sunday’s collection of texts is potent. Jacob, fleeing home, dreams of a ladder reaching to heaven and wakes to find God already there. Paul writes of creation groaning, waiting with patience for what is not yet seen. Jesus tells a parable of wheat and weeds growing together until the harvest. The readings hold present struggle and future hope together, without rushing to resolve the tension.
This liturgy follows the Revised Common Lectionary for the Eighth Sunday after Pentecost (Year A) and has themes of God's presence, patient waiting, and the hope that sustains us now.
For those preaching, I wove the Genesis text about Jacob into a sermon about what a church can mean to people. Feel free to use it as a springboard or in substance. If you do, I’d love to hear from you! You can email me by clicking the button below.
For those researching Jacob, I provide a free resource here that recaps his entire life as described in Genesis.
The lectionary readings at a glance
Genesis 28:10-19a: Jacob, alone and fleeing, dreams of a ladder between heaven and earth, with angels ascending and descending. God renews the promise made to Abraham. Jacob wakes and names the place Bethel, the house of God, surprised that God was there all along.
Psalm 139:1-12, 23-24: O Lord, you have searched me and known me. There is nowhere we can go where God is not already present, in the heights or the depths, in light or in darkness.
Romans 8:12-25: We are children of God and heirs with Christ, though we suffer with him now. Creation itself groans, waiting with eager longing. We hope for what we do not yet see, and we wait for it with patience.
Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43: Jesus tells the parable of the wheat and the weeds. An enemy sows weeds among the good seed, but the farmer lets them grow together until the harvest, when they will finally be separated. Patience holds space for what God alone will sort out.
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Call to Worship - Option 1
One: O Lord, you have searched us and known us.
All: There is nowhere we can go where you are not present.
One: Even in the wilderness, even in our fleeing, you are here.
All: Surely the Lord is in this place.
One: Come, let us worship the God who meets us where we are.
All: We gather, surprised again by your presence.
Call to Worship - Option 2
One: Creation waits with eager longing.
All: We wait with patience for what we do not yet see.
One: We are children of God and heirs with Christ.
All: Our hope is sure, even while we wait.
One: Come, let us worship the God who holds our present and our future.
All: We gather in hope, trusting the harvest to come.
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Opening prayer
God of Jacob's dream, you meet us in unfamiliar places and renew your promise when we least expect it. As we gather, open our eyes to your presence among us. Teach us to wait with patience for what is not yet seen, trusting that you are sorting out what we cannot. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
Prayer of confession
Merciful God, we confess that we grow impatient with what is unresolved. We want the weeds pulled now, the waiting to end, the answers to come quickly. Forgive us. Teach us to trust your timing and to see your presence even in the in-between. Amen.
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Assurance of Pardon
Hear the good news: "We are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ." (Romans 8:16-17)
In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven and welcomed as children of God.
Thanks be to God!
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Prayer of Illumination
God who meets us in the wilderness, open our hearts as your word is read and proclaimed. Let us recognize your presence, even here. Through Christ our Lord, Amen.
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Benediction
Go in the presence of the God who is already there. Wherever you go, in the heights or the depths, the Lord has gone before you. Wait with patience, hope with confidence, and trust your lives to our great God.
For a full collection of benedictions and blessings, visit Benedictions and Blessings.
