Liturgy for the Second Sunday after Pentecost (Year A, Matthew)
Introduction
This Sunday the lectionary places two kinds of calling side by side. Abram leaves everything on the strength of a promise. Matthew gets up from his tax table at a single word. In both cases, God moves first. The readings also press on the question of what God actually wants - not sacrifice, but mercy. Not the righteous, but sinners. Jesus goes to the ones everyone else has written off.
This liturgy follows the Revised Common Lectionary for Proper 5 (Year A) and is shaped by themes of call, faith, mercy, and the grace that seeks us out.
The lectionary readings at a glance
Genesis 12:1-9: God calls Abram to leave his country, his kindred, and his father's house for a land he has not yet seen. Abram goes. Through him, all the families of the earth will be blessed. Faith begins with a departure.
Psalm 33:1-12: A song of praise for the God whose word is upright and whose works are faithful. He spoke and the world came to be. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.
Hosea 5:15-6:6: An alternate track. God withdraws until the people acknowledge their guilt and seek his face. He desires steadfast love, not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.
Psalm 50:7-15: An alternate track. God does not want more offerings - the cattle on a thousand hills are already his. He wants a sacrifice of thanksgiving and the honor of calling on his name in times of trouble.
Romans 4:13-25: The promise to Abraham came through faith, not law. Abraham believed against all hope, and his faith was reckoned to him as righteousness. The same is true for all who trust in the God who raises the dead.
Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26: Jesus calls Matthew from his tax booth and sits down with sinners. He quotes Hosea: I desire mercy, not sacrifice. Then he raises a girl from the dead and heals a woman who touched the hem of his cloak in secret. He came for the sick, the lost, and the desperate.
Want resources like this in your inbox?
Sign up for the Pastor Jason Elder newsletter and receive worship liturgy, sermon helps, and biblical resources delivered straight to you.
Call to worship - Option 1
One: God calls us out of what is familiar and into what he promises.
All: Like Abram, we go, trusting the one who calls.
One: Jesus calls the sinner, sits with the outcast, and heals the desperate.
All: He came not for the righteous, but for us.
One: Come, let us worship the God of mercy who seeks us out.
All: We come, for he has called us and we are his.
Call to worship - Option 2
One: Sing joyfully to the Lord, all you righteous.
All: His word is upright and his works are faithful.
One: He spoke, and the world came to be. He calls, and we follow.
All: Blessed are those who trust in his name.
One: Let us worship the God whose steadfast love fills the earth.
All: We gather in that love, grateful and glad.
Want more options for Calls to Worship? Click here
Opening prayer
God of mercy, you called Abram into the unknown and Matthew away from his table, and you have called us too. As we gather, remind us what you desire and open us to your word and send us out shaped by your grace. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
Prayer of confession
Merciful God, we confess that we have often offered you everything except what you ask for. We have been religious without being merciful, and busy without being faithful. We have kept our distance from the people Jesus sought out. Forgive us, and teach us to go where he goes. Amen.
Want more options for Prayers of Confession? Click here
Assurance of pardon
Hear the good news: "I desire mercy, not sacrifice. I have come to call not the righteous but sinners." (Matthew 9:13)
In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven and welcomed to his table.
Thanks be to God!
Need more options for Assurances? Click here
Prayer for Illumination
Lord, your word called the world into being and calls us still. As Scripture is read and proclaimed, give us ears to hear and faith to follow. Through Christ our Lord, Amen.
Need more options for Prayers of Illumination? Click here
Benediction
Go in the mercy of the God who called you. He sought you out, sat down with you, and sent you. Now go and do likewise - showing mercy, following Christ, and trusting the promise.
For a full collection of benedictions and blessings, visit Benedictions and Blessings.
