September 6th, Sermon & Ministry Resources

"Getting Dressed for the Day" (Romans 13:8-14)

Aug 31, 2026

∙ Paid

Lectionary Readings — Proper 18 — September 6, 2026

Exodus 12:1-14; Psalm 149 ; Romans 13:8-14; Matthew 18:15-20

Call to Worship (based on Romans 13:8-14)

Leader: What do we owe to one another, in this hour and every hour?

People: Only love — a debt that is never fully paid.

Leader: Love does no wrong to a neighbor;

People: love is the whole law, gathered into a single word.

Leader: The night is far spent, and the day is at hand;

People: it is time to wake, for salvation is nearer than we know.

Leader: Let us lay aside the deeds done in secret,

People: and put on the armor of light.

Leader: Let us walk as those who belong to the daylight,

People: not to the darkness we have already left behind.

Leader: Come, let us put on the Lord Jesus Christ,

People: and make no provision for what he has already put to death.

Leader: Come, let us worship the God to whom we owe everything;

People: to him be glory, for love is the debt that never runs dry. Amen.

Opening Prayer (based on Psalm 149)

Let us pray:

Praise the Lord! Almighty God, we come into this house this morning to sing to you a new song, for your mercies toward us are new every morning, and no praise we bring you is ever stale or repeated in your ears. We lift our voice this day in the assembly of the faithful — not perfect people, Lord, but faithful ones, gathered again because you have gathered us.

Let your people be glad in you, our Maker. You formed us, you know us, and you have not abandoned the work of your hands. Let the children of your church rejoice in you, our King — for you alone are worthy to reign over every heart in this room.

We praise your name this morning, Lord, some of us with quiet hearts and some with hands lifted, some with voices that carry the tune and some who only mouth the words — but all of us praising you, however we are able, with whatever instrument of body and breath you have given us to use.

For you, O Lord, take pleasure in your people. You do not tolerate us — you delight in us. You adorn the humble with victory, and so we come to you humbly, Lord, laying aside our pride, our self-sufficiency, and our pretending. We are not strong enough to save ourselves, and we do not need to be. Let your faithful ones exult in glory this morning. Let us sing for joy — even those of us who came in weary, who came in grieving, who came in unsure whether we had any praise left in us.

Lord, the psalmist speaks of swords in the hands of your faithful and of victory over every enemy that would bind your people. We ask this morning that you would put the sword of your Spirit — your living Word — in our hands and in our mouths, for our fight is not against flesh and blood, but against every power of darkness that seeks to bind our hearts, our homes, and our witness. Break every chain that the enemy has forged for your people. Loose what needs loosing. Bind what needs binding. And let the outcome, whatever you ordain it to be, be glory for all your faithful ones.

In the strong name of Jesus Christ our Lord.