February 8, 2026

February 8, 2026    11 A.M.

Welcome!

Introduction

Light shines in the darkness for the upright, the psalmist sings. Isaiah declares that when we loose the bonds of injustice and share our bread with the hungry, the light breaks forth like the dawn. In another passage from the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus, the light of the world, calls his followers to let the light of their good works shine before others. Through baptism we are sent into the world to shine with the light of Christ.

(please stand for our opening song)

We Sing: Drawn to the Light    ELW 593

Confession and Forgiveness

P:  Blessed be the holy Trinity, ☩ one God, the Creator of heaven and earth, the Word who spoke life into being, the Wind stirring the waters.

C: Amen.

P: Let us turn in confession to the one who knows us completely.

Silence is kept for reflection.

P:  Mighty God, lover of justice,

C: You call us to life in community, but we have served our own interests

at the expense of our neighbors. We have sown deceit where honesty was needed. We say the right words, but our hearts are far from you. Turn us to seek your face. Knit us together and give us the mind of Christ, that we may do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with you, our God. Amen.

P:  The former things have passed away, and new things God now declares:

Like a spring of water that never fails, God covers you in the righteousness of Christ and forgives your sin in ☩ Jesus’ name. May the Spirit give you strength to live for others and bless you with the gift of peace.  C: Amen.

Prayer of the Day

Lord God, with endless mercy you receive the prayers of all who call upon you. By your Spirit show us the things we ought to do, and give us the grace and power to do them, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

Amen.

(Please be seated for the readings)

First Reading: Isaiah 58:1-9a [9b-12]

Shortly after the return of Israel from exile in Babylon, the people were troubled by the ineffectiveness of their fasts. God reminds them that outward observance is no substitute for genuine fasting that results in acts of justice, such as feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, and clothing the naked.

R:  ¹ Shout out; do not hold back! Lift up your voice like a trumpet! Announce to my people their rebellion, to the house of Jacob their sins. ² Yet day after day they seek me and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that practiced righteousness and did not forsake the ordinance of their God; they ask of me righteous judgments; they want God on their side. ³ “Why do we fast, but you do not see? Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?” Look, you serve your own interest on your fast day and oppress all your workers. ⁴ You fast only to quarrel and to fight and to strike with a wicked fist. Such fasting as you do today will not make your voice heard on high. ⁵ Is such the fast that I choose, a day to humble oneself? Is it to bow down the head like a bulrush
and to lie in sackcloth and ashes? Will you call this a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord?
 ⁶ Is not this the fast that I choose: to lose the bonds of injustice, to undo the straps of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? ⁷ Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them
and not to hide yourself from your own kin? ⁸ Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your healing shall spring up quickly; your vindicator shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. ^9a Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry for help, and he will say, “Here I am.”
   [^9b If you remove the yoke from among you, the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil, ¹⁰ if you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday. ¹¹ The Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your needs in parched places and make your bones strong, and you shall be like a watered garden,
like a spring of water whose waters never fail. ¹² Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to live in. ]

…This is the Word of the Lord

C: Thanks be to God

Psalmody: 112:1-9 [10]

Light shines in the darkness for the upright. (Ps. 112:4)

 ¹ Hallelujah! Happy are they who fear the Lord and have great delight in God’s commandments!
 ² Their descendants will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.
 ³ Wealth and riches will be in their house, and their righteousness will last forever.
 ⁴ Light shines in the darkness for the upright; the righteous are merciful and full of compassion. 
 ⁵ It is good for them to be generous in lending and to manage their affairs with justice.
 ⁶ For they will never be shaken; the righteous will be kept in everlasting remembrance.
 ⁷ They will not be afraid of any evil rumors; their heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.
 ⁸ Their heart is established and will not shrink, until they see their desire upon their enemies.
 ⁹ They have given freely to the poor, and their righteousness stands fast forever; they will hold up their head with honor.
  [¹⁰ The wicked will see it and be angry; they will gnash their teeth and pine away; the desires of the wicked will perish.]

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 2:1-12 [13-16]

Though people such as the Corinthians are enamored with human philosophy and wisdom, Paul continuously presents God’s hidden wisdom which is Jesus Christ crucified. True spiritual maturity involves judging ourselves and others in light of God’s revelation in the cross.

R:  ¹ When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the testimony of God to you with superior speech or wisdom. ² For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. ³ And I came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. ⁴ My speech and my proclamation were made not with persuasive words of wisdom but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, ⁵ so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.
  ⁶ Yet among the mature we do speak wisdom, though it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are being destroyed. ⁷ But we speak God’s wisdom, a hidden mystery, which God decreed before the ages for our glory ⁸ and which none of the rulers of this age understood, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. ⁹ But, as it is written,
 “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him”—
¹⁰ God has revealed to us through the Spirit, for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. ¹¹ For what human knows what is truly human except the human spirit that is within? So also no one comprehends what is truly God’s except the Spirit of God. ¹² Now we have received not the spirit of the world but the Spirit that is from God, so that we may understand the gifts bestowed on us by God. [¹³ And we speak of these things in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual things to those who are spiritual.
  ¹⁴ Those who are unspiritual do not receive the gifts of God’s Spirit, for they are foolishness to them, and they are unable to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. ¹⁵ Those who are spiritual discern all things, and they are themselves subject to no one else’s scrutiny.
 ¹⁶ “For who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.]

…This is the Word of the Lord

C: Thanks be to God

Gospel: Matthew 5:13-20

C:     <sung>              

🎵  Sing:   Alleluia  🎶

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus encourages his followers to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world, doing good works and keeping God’s commandments.

D: [Jesus said:] ¹³ “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything but is thrown out and trampled under foot.
  ¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. ¹⁵ People do not light a lamp and put it under the bushel basket; rather, they put it on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
  ¹⁷ “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. ¹⁸ For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. ¹⁹ Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. ²⁰ For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

…This is the Gospel of the Lord

C: Praise to you, oh Christ

We Sing: Christ Be Our Light  ELW 715

with Mike Miles

Apostles’ Creed

C:  I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. On the third day, he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen

(please be seated)

Prayers of Intercession

As God’s beloved children united in Christ, let us pray for the church, the whole human community, and the well-being of the earth, our home.

A brief silence.

Your church does ministry in many and various ways. Keep the baptized true to the mind of Christ, that our works and witness bring hope to a troubled world. Merciful God,

receive our prayer.

Your marvelous creation cries out to you. Restore polluted air, soil, and water sources to wholeness. Guard honeybees, elephants, great whales and songbirds from harm, and renew the face of the earth. Merciful God,

receive our prayer.

Your people in every nation suffer injustice, poverty, and the threat of violence. Guide those in authority to govern with compassion and bring peace to war zones.  We pray for our enemies. Merciful God,

receive our prayer.

Your blessings are poured out for all in need. Help and heal any who experience trauma, discrimination, disease, hunger, abuse, or persecution. Comfort those who are sick or grieving (especially). Merciful God,

receive our prayer.

Your wisdom guides this congregation and its ministries. Sustain our ordained leaders, staff, lay leaders, and volunteers. Form us to be salt and light for the neighbors we serve, following the example of Christ. Merciful God,

receive our prayer.

Your saints rejoice at your heavenly banquet. We give thanks for their lives of faith, trusting that we also will be embraced by your eternal love. Merciful God,

receive our prayer.

Confident that the Holy Spirit receives our prayers and answers us, we commend all for whom we pray to God’s loving-kindness made known to us in Christ Jesus our Savior.

Amen.

 (stand)

The Sharing of the Peace:

P: The peace of the Lord be with you always.  

C:  And also with you.

P:  We Greet one another with the Peace of Christ

We Sing: Lord of Light   ELW 688

Offering Prayer

P:  God of majesty, no eye has seen, no ear has heard what you have prepared for those who love you, yet in this meal you reveal the wideness of your mercy. Use what we have gathered to feed us with the reign of God come near, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

C: Amen.

 

Communion

P:  Good and loving God, we rejoice in the birth of Jesus, who came among the poor to bring the riches of your grace. As you have blessed us with your gifts, let them be blessings for others. With the trees of the field, with all earth and heaven, we shout for joy at the coming of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

C: Amen.

P: The Lord be with you.                 C: And also with you.

P: Rejoice before your Lord.            C: We lift them to the Lord.

P: Let us give thanks to our God.     C: It is right to give our thanks and praise.

P:   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. In the wonder and mystery of the Word made flesh

you have opened the eyes of faith to a new and radiant vision of your glory,

that, beholding the God made visible, we may be drawn to love the God whom we cannot see. 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 Lord, God of Power and might.

Heaven and earth are full of your glory.

Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.

P:  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.

P: 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.

P:  For as often as we eat of this bread and drink from this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

C: Christ has died:  Christ is risen:  Christ will come again.

P:  We pray as Jesus taught us: 

C: 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

P: Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! Come to the table; taste and see.

(sit)

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Prayer after Communion

P: Radiant God, we have seen your glory in the face of Jesus Christ. In the sacrament of his body and blood you have drawn us to your heart. Send us from this table with delight, that our lives may reflect the beauty of your love, and bear witness to all we have seen and heard, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

C: Amen.

Blessing

P: May the triune God, who has put a new song in your mouth and tuned your heart for praise ☩ bless you now and forever.

C: Amen.

 

Announcements

Birthdays                                                                  Anniversary

February 8 – Olivia McConnell

    9 – Carolynn Fillgrove

    13 – Joan Hill

Weekly Calendar

Wednesday – 10 am – Bible Study at Immanuel

                    6 pm – Prayer Group

Thursday –    9 am – Quilting

We Sing: This Little Light of Mine ELW 677

Dismissal

P: Go in peace. Do justice. Love mercy.

C: Thanks be to God.