10/25/2026
The Zoom link for our worship service for Reformation Sunday, Year A, Sunday, October 25, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. PDT is right here.
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82432073616?pwd=TWk5dmlaMnBRU2J4bno2emdkSFBEdz09
St. Paul Lutheran Church
Reformation Sunday, Year A
Sunday, October 25, 2026
Know God, Know Ourselves
This is Reformation Sunday: beautiful images, deep ideas, and a rich history.
But Reformation Sunday is not “Lutheran Pride Day.” It is a day focused on knowing God and, in the light of God’s unlimited grace, understanding who we are as people of faith and children of God. Rooted in the past and growing into the future, the church must always be reforming, in order to live out the love of Christ in an ever-changing world. We celebrate the good news of God’s grace, that Jesus Christ sets us free every day to do this life-transforming work.
Sunday, October 25, 2026 - Reformation Sunday, Year A
Prelude
(During Prelude, light candles and return to seat)
--------------------------GATHERING--------------------------
The Holy Spirit calls us together as the people of God
Presentation of Grant to Outsiders Inn
Pat Irland
Confession and Forgiveness
All may make the sign of the cross, the sign that is marked at baptism, as the presiding minister begins.
[PL] Blessed be the holy Trinity, ☩ one God, who pours love into our hearts and healing upon the earth. Amen.
Confident that God justifies us by grace through faith, let us confess our sin.
Silence is kept for reflection.
Compassionate God,
we confess that we struggle to embody your goodness in the world and in our own hearts. Creation groans from overuse. Jealousy and bitterness strain our relationships. Indifference keeps us from seeking justice. Divisions disrupt your call to show genuine love to others. Turn our hearts back to you. Restore our world and reconcile us to one another. Renew us to live as your holy people, following the way of Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Hear this good news: We have peace with God through ☩ Jesus Christ, in whom there is no condemnation, but only forgiveness and the promise of eternal life. Receive freely this healing gift of grace.
Amen.
Gathering Song
A Mighty Fortress – ELW 504 vv 1, 2, 3
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Greeting
[PL] The grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. And also with you.
Prayer of the Day
[AM]Let us pray… Almighty God, gracious Lord,
we thank you that your Holy Spirit renews the church in every age. Pour out your Holy Spirit on your faithful people. Keep us steadfast in your word, protect and comfort us in times of trial, defend us against all enemies of the gospel, and bestow on the church your saving peace, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.
[PL] Dismiss children for Sunday School.
--------------------------------WORD------------------------------
God speaks to us in scripture reading, preaching, and song.
First Reading: Jeremiah 31:31-34
Reader: A reading from the prophet Jeremiah:
31 The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 32 It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the Lord. 33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 No longer shall they teach one another or say to each other, “Know the Lord,” for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord, for I will forgive their iniquity and remember their sin no more.
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Psalm: Psalm 46
Reader: Let us read the Psalm responsively.
1 God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth be moved,
and though the mountains shake in the depths of the sea;
3 though its waters rage and foam,
and though the mountains tremble with its tumult.
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be shaken;
God shall help it at the break of day.
6 The nations rage, and the kingdoms shake;
God speaks, and the earth melts away.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
8 Come now, regard the works of the Lord,
what desolations God has brought upon the earth;
9 behold the one who makes war to cease in all the world;
who breaks the bow, and shatters the spear, and burns the shields with fire.
10 “Be still, then, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth.”
11 The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
Second Reading: Romans 3:19-28
Reader: A reading from the book of Romans:
19 Now we know that, whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20 For no human will be justified before him by deeds prescribed by the law, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin.
21 But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been disclosed and is attested by the Law and the Prophets, 22 the righteousness of God through the faith of Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction, 23 since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; 24 they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over the sins previously committed; 26 it was to demonstrate at the present time his own righteousness, so that he is righteous and he justifies the one who has the faith of Jesus.
27 Then what becomes of boasting? It is excluded. Through what kind of law? That of works? No, rather through the law of faith. 28 For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION - Setting 4, Pg 151
Alleluia. Lord, to whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life. Alleluia.
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Gospel: John 8:31-36
[PL] The holy gospel according to John.
Glory to you, O Lord.
31 Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” 33 They answered him, “We are descendants of Abraham and have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean by saying, ‘You will be made free’?”
34 Jesus answered them, “Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. 35 The slave does not have a permanent place in the household; the son has a place there forever. 36 So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.”
[PL] The gospel of our Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.
Message 10/25/26 - Reformation Sunday, Year A
Grace to you and peace from God the Father, and from Jesus our Risen Lord, and from the Holy Spirit, now come to us, my dear sisters and brothers.
So today, if you hadn’t noticed, we are all wearing red. That is because it is Reformation Sunday, which we Lutherans celebrate on the last Sunday in October. And the scripture readings for Reformation Sunday are always the same: they are the readings that we just heard. So you would think that a preacher who was less than ambitious could go back a year or two or three, and just use the same sermon again. But when I looked back as far as 2021 at my sermons on Reformation Sunday, I did not find what I feel called to say today. So you are getting a new sermon, this Reformation Sunday.
I have been a Lutheran for just over 20 years. Before I was a Lutheran, I did not know that Martin Luther had based much of his thinking about the meaning of our Christian faith on John 8:32: “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” But it was still one of my favorite verses, from the time I was a new Christian at age 17. You might remember, we were all hippies in those days, and believed in personal freedom: doing anything we wanted to! But over the years, thanks to lived experience and thanks to Martin Luther, I have come to think some other things about the meaning of this verse.
This passage lays out the fundamental convictions of the Reformation: That the normal human condition is bo***ge to sin; that in Christ, through faith, we are freed, and Christ abides in us. That word “abide” is the Greek word μενω, meno, and it is all through the Gospel of John: our freedom is not Jesus declaring us to be “righteous,” as if we had been found “not guilty” in a courtroom. Instead, it is the beginning of a new creation the new creation: Jesus abiding in us.
But those who were hearing Jesus that day did NOT want to hear it. They/said, “We are Abraham’s descendants. We have never been slaves of anyone.”
And you and I today will also not want to hear it. We protest that we've never been slaves to anyone, either. Yet we find ourselves addicted all the time to so many things: our phones, our money, our status, our jobs, our kids' and grandkids’ soccer teams. I think we can easily see that our "liberty" is far less than we thought.
We have thought that freedom is the same thing as personal liberty. We need to hear the hard truths of John's Gospel: our natural freedom is to serve our own selfish interests: in Christian theological terms, to serve sin. But true freedom is not about doing our own will, but about serving Christ. We would be wrong if we believed that freedom is about our individual choices. If we believe that this is what freedom is, its power is to eventually isolate ourselves from both God, and from other human beings. So we need see what real freedom looks like: Christ abiding in us, giving us the strength, courage and faith to overcome.
Jesus’ words in the gospel begin, “If you continue in my word.” This calls us to look to the future here on the earth, to its coming days, and to our continuing as Jesus’ disciples in this land. What would it mean for us to be free to continue to follow Jesus on this earth?
How do we understand the true nature of freedom? This passage suggests what the Gospel of John and the New Testament show us: freedom is serving -- being a slave to -- Christ. How is service freedom? How does the truth about Jesus -- sins are forgiven, the dead are raised, the new creation is dawning -- accomplish this freedom?
Luther’s first take on this was not very hopeful on the possibilities of any new creation dawning. In Luther’s Notes on the New Testament, he read John 8:36, which says, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.” And what he wrote was this:
Christ will not change the worldly kingdoms, nor abolish the bodily servitude. Christian freedom can be enjoyed by the master and also by the servant. We speak of the freedom before God, when God declares us free from sin, which freedom is granted to all.
In other words, Luther was saying, kings and kingdoms will continue; slavery will continue; but both masters and slaves will be free before God. But not in the real world…!
But on Reformation Sunday, we celebrate that the church is always reforming. Luther learned some stuff, and so can we…
Lutherans eventually began to develop important principles of the movement. Two of these were: “Justification by grace through faith” (I know you’ve heard that before!) and “the theology of the cross.” Together, these principles lead to both freedom and servanthood of Christians: a calling to the work of serving God by serving our neighbors. Luther describes the servant life of a Christian in his writing on “The Freedom of a Christian”:
A Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none. A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all.
The idea is that as I receive from God, I am called to serve. Luther describes it in his “Sermon on Two Kinds of Righteousness”:
For you are powerful, not that you may make the weak weaker by oppression, but that you may make them powerful by raising them up and defending them. You are wise, not in order to laugh at the foolish and thereby make them more foolish, but that you may undertake to teach them as you yourself would wish to be taught. You are righteous that you may vindicate and pardon the unrighteous, not that you may only condemn, disparage, judge, and punish. For this is Christ’s example for us.
So no, freedom is not about personal liberty. Freedom is not about doing our own will. If this is the freedom we are pursuing, it will eventually isolate us from God and from others. But true freedom looks like Christ abiding in us, giving us strength, courage, and faith to serve others.
Each generation has a choice – to live into the promises. I think this the Reformation theme. The church that feels it has already arrived in the Promised Land is the corrupted church; the one outside looking in, pledging fresh commitment and passion, is the living church.
Reformation won’t happen in a weekend. But as Reinhold Niebuhr said:
Nothing that is worth doing can be achieved in our lifetime; therefore we must be saved by hope. Nothing which is true or beautiful or good makes complete sense in any immediate context of history; therefore we must be saved by faith. Nothing we do, however virtuous, can be accomplished alone; therefore we are saved by love.
The good news of John 8:32 is that we have a choice. As individuals, as the church, and as a nation, we have a choice. We can acknowledge our wounds, our enslavements, our sins, and offer them up to the freeing power of the gospel. Or we can stand in our woundedness, waiting for the worst to come. The question is, “What will we choose?”
We are called to the work of freedom. Let us continue to do the work that God calls us to.
Amen.
Silence for reflection follows the sermon.
To hear an audio recording of this sermon, click here after the service:
https://stpaulvancouver.com/sermons/
Hymn of the Day
Lord Keep Us Steadfast in Your Word – ELW 517
Last Verse: O Comforter of priceless worth, send peace and unity on earth;
support us in our final strife and lead us out of death to life.
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NICENE CREED
[PL] – With the whole church, let us confess our faith:
We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary
and became truly human.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father
who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
[AM] Seeking the Spirit of God who makes all things new, we pray for the church and the world.
A brief silence.
As we celebrate Reformation Sunday, we remember the witness of Martin Luther and the reformers of the church in every generation. Empower us to continue the work of reform and renewal in our own day.
Hear us, O God.
Your mercy is great.
We pray for the healing of natural places despoiled by pollution and human greed. Show us how we can help heal God's creation through our own actions and through our support of environmental regulation. Give all living creatures access to safe land, water, and air.
Hear us, O God.
Your mercy is great.
We pray for our criminal justice systems and all those whose lives are affected by them. Give wisdom, discernment and mercy to police, probation officers, judges, and attorneys; give courage and peace to prisoners and the formerly incarcerated. Encourage all of us to welcome back into society those who are released from prison, recognizing your presence in each of them.
Hear us, O God.
Your mercy is great.
We ask your blessing upon all people who have been harmed by the church and its leaders, that the truth may make them free. We pray for the relief of all those who are sick or suffering.
Hear us, O God.
Your mercy is great.
We give thanks for those exploring or returning to a life of faith. Encourage and guide them, that they may find their hope in you.
Hear us, O God.
Your mercy is great.
With gratitude, we remember those disciples who paved the way for us and all of our beloved dead.
Hear us, O God.
Your mercy is great.
[PL] Trusting in your boundless grace, O God, we lift up these spoken prayers and those in our hearts; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
WE SHARE GOD’S PEACE
[PL] The peace of Christ be with you all. And also with you.
Choir Anthem
Grace Alone
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
Mick – Welcome
· Welcome visitors. Please fill out a visitor card found in the pew pockets. We’d love to hear from you.
· Communion is at the rail! All are welcome to participate.
· Offerings will be received at the back of the church as you exit. One slot is for St. Paul; the other slot is for Community. Today’s community offering goes to our Hunger Fund if you’d like to contribute.
· Susan recently did a Temple Talk and a newsletter article about our new, secure online giving portal - Tithe.ly - replacing Vanco. You can use the QR code, (shown here & on the community board) or go to our website and click on the “giving” tab. Call the office if you have questions.
· Poetry Group meets every second and fourth Sunday afternoon at 3:00. The next meeting is today, Sunday, October 25. All budding poets or poetry lovers are welcome.
· Quilters meet at 1:30 PM on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday each month. The next meeting is Wednesday, October 28th. No quilting experience needed. There are sewing as well as non-sewing tasks that you could help with. They’d love to have you join in.
· Remember daylight savings ends October 31st. Set your clocks back on the Night of October 31st so you aren’t early for church on the Nov 1st.
· Women’s Outreach Circle meets Wednesday, November 4th at 1:30 PM here at St Paul. All women are welcome.
· St Paul is hosting a Fellowship gathering on the 2nd Monday of each month at 5:30 here at St Paul. The next get together will be Monday, November 9th. Contact Kari Jackson for more information if you are interested.
· “Jesus and Friends” acoustic Christian music gathers here each month on the 2nd Friday. The next concert is November 13th, at 6:30 pm here at St. Paul. Invite your friends to this fun evening of music.
· St Paul continues to provide shelter meals for “Geri’s guys” next door. We applaud our current volunteers but can always use more - we are serving a meal today, and have future assignments for Nov. 8th and 22nd – both also Sundays. Sign-up at the Ushers' Table.
· St Joseph Catholic Church has invited us to an Interfaith Thanksgiving Eve Service, Wednesday. November 25th at 7:00 PM. See the Community board for details.
· We are trying something new this year for Advent, so mark your calendars. We will meet at Noon on Saturdays, December 5, 12 and 19. Bring something to share for Lunch.
· Also, some of you have expressed interest in a late-night Christmas Eve Service. We will still have our usual 4:00 PM service, but raise your hand if you would like a quiet, 11:00 PM service.
-------------------------------MEAL----------------------------
God feeds us with the presence of Jesus Christ.
OFFERING PRAYER
God of creation,
you send rain and the earth springs forth abundantly. All blessings are from you; make us generous with what we have. Use our gifts, our abilities, and our hearts in service to you and in love to our neighbors, today and always. Amen.
GREAT THANKSGIVING DIALOGUE
[PL] The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
PREFACE
[[PL] It is indeed right, our duty and our joy, that we should at all times and in all places give thanks and praise to you, almighty and merciful God, through our Savior Jesus Christ; who on this day overcame death and the grave, and by his glorious resurrection opened to us the way of everlasting life. And so, with all the choirs of angels, with the church on earth and the hosts of heaven, we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
HOLY, HOLY, HOLY
Setting 4, Pg 153
Holy, holy, holy Lord,
Lord God of pow’r and might,
heav’n and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
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THANKSGIVING AT THE TABLE
PL] Holy, mighty, and merciful Lord, heaven and earth are full of your glory. In great love you sent to us Jesus, your Son, who reached out to heal the sick and suffering, who preached good news to the poor, and who, on the cross, opened his arms to all.
In the night in which he was betrayed, our Lord Jesus took bread, and gave thanks; broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take and eat; this is my body, given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.
Again, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it for all to drink, saying: This cup is the new covenant in my blood, shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin. Do this for the remembrance of me.
Remembering, therefore, his death, resurrection, and ascension, we await his coming in glory.
Pour out upon us the Spirit of your love, O Lord, and unite the wills of all who share this heavenly food, the body and blood of Jesus Christ, our Lord; to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be all honor and glory, now and forever. Amen.
LORD’S PRAYER
[AM] Gathered into one by the Holy Spirit, let us pray as Jesus taught us.
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.
INVITATION TO COMMUNION
[PL] Christ invites you to this table. All who are thirsty, all who are hungry, come!
COMMUNION AT THE RAIL
Communion Hymn
Let Us Break Bread Together- ELW 471
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BLESSING AFTER COMMUNION
[PL] The body and blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ strengthen and keep you in his grace. Amen.
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
[AM] Let us pray... Sustaining God,
with this bread and cup, you nourish us with mercy and abundant life. By your Spirit, send us from this table to serve a needy world. Make us living signs of your liberation, healing, and love, following the way of Jesus, in whose name we pray. Amen.
------------------------------SENDING----------------------------
God blesses us and sends us in mission to the world.
BLESSING
[PL] The God of love draw you into full accord and one mind, in the body of Christ Jesus. Amen.
The God of hope grant you strength and joy in all circumstances through the interceding of the Spirit. Amen.
The God of grace ☩ bless you now and forever. Amen.
SENDING SONG
(During hymn, extinguish candles and recess.)
A Mighty Fortress - ELW 505 vv 2,3,4
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DISMISSAL
[AM] Go out in joy. Be led forth in peace.
Thanks be to God.
Sermon for Sunday, October 18, 2026 October 18, 2026 stpauladmindesk Sermon for Sunday, October 18, 2026 / Pastor: Linda Marousek We continue our regular recorded messages … – If you… Continue Reading → Posted in: Service, Uncategorized
