Sermon Helper Lectionary Resources
Ordinary · Year A · American Baptist Churches USA

Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost (also: All Saints Sunday) · American Baptist Churches USA

American Baptist Churches USA edition — hymn suggestions lead with Glory to God. See the general version.

November 1, 2026 — liturgical color: green

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Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) American Baptist Churches USA Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Non-denominational / Free Church (Generic) The Episcopal Church United Church of Christ United Methodist Church

Readings for Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost (also: All Saints Sunday)

Sermon angles to start your study

Starting points for your OWN study — not finished sermons.

Stepping Into the Water

Joshua 3:7-17 shows God promising to be with Joshua as with Moses, then calling priests to carry the ark into the Jordan. The water does not part until their feet touch it. Preach on the courage of first steps: leaders and congregations often must act before seeing the outcome. God's presence is not a guarantee of dry paths in advance, but a promise that faithful movement opens the way. Invite hearers to name one 'Jordan' they are called to enter, trusting God to make crossing possible.

From Wandering to Wonder

Psalm 107:1-7, 33-37 moves between two landscapes: a wilderness of hunger and thirst, and a watered land of harvest. God gathers the scattered, answers cries for help, and transforms deserts into springs. This reversal is not one isolated miracle but a pattern of redemption. Preach thanksgiving as attentive seeing: naming where God has turned scarcity into abundance in ordinary days. In a season where creation itself winds down, the psalm invites worship that recognizes God's ongoing power to make fruitful what was barren.

The Servant's True Honor

Matthew 23:1-12 exposes the gap between religious talk and faithful action. Jesus does not reject teaching authority, but he warns against being called rabbi, father, or instructor when those titles serve ego rather than God. The greatest among you will be a servant, and the humble will be exalted. Preach on the All Saints theme: holiness is not celebrity or status but hidden faithfulness. Contrast the craving for public prestige with the quiet work of those who practice what they preach and lighten burdens rather than add to them.

Illustrations from the tradition

Teasers from Sermon Helper's illustration archive, matched to this week's texts.

Humility

“All their deeds they do to make a shew before men... He that is great among you shall be unto you a minister.”

— Ante-Nicene Fathers, Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 9

Hypocrisy

“We sometimes find this, a vine planted over sedge, how it has there a thorny hedge, and throws out its branches, and entangles them in the thorny hedge, and the grape hangs among the thorns; and he that sees it plucks the grape, yet not…”

— Augustine of Hippo, Nicene & Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 6

Christ our shepherd

“The Lord's fold has pastors, some faithful, some hirelings. Those who are faithful are true shepherds; yet hear how the hirelings also are necessary.”

— John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, Vol. 2

Hymn suggestions by hymnal

Cross-referenced to this week's texts via the Hymnary.org scripture index.

Call to worship

One responsive reading for each of the day's lessons — original compositions grounded in the passage. Free to adapt.

Based on Joshua 3:7-17

Leader:As the priests carried the ark to the Jordan's edge, they stepped into the water in faith.
People:We come to worship the God who makes a way where no way appears.
Leader:The river stood still, and all Israel crossed on dry ground.
People:The same God goes before us today, and we follow with courage.
Leader:In this place, God is exalted as the one who keeps every promise.
People:We worship the Lord, who turns our obstacles into pathways of grace.

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Frequently asked

What are the lectionary readings for November 1, 2026?
The Revised Common Lectionary readings for November 1, 2026 (Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost (also: All Saints Sunday), Year A) are: Joshua 3:7-17; Psalm 107:1-7, 33-37; 1 Thessalonians 2:9-13; Matthew 23:1-12.
What season of the church year is November 1, 2026?
November 1, 2026 falls in the season of Ordinary. The liturgical color for the day is green.
What hymns fit the readings for Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost (also: All Saints Sunday)?
Hymns keyed to these texts — cross-referenced against Glory to God, The United Methodist Hymnal, Evangelical Lutheran Worship, and The Hymnal 1982 — include O Holy City, Seen of John, The Church of Christ in Every Age, He Leadeth Me, God of the Sparrow, Lord, Speak to Me That I May Speak, among others.
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