We are worshiping at 11 am.

February 8, 2026

Introduction & Welcome

Pastor -SHARING OF THE PEACE

The presiding minister and the assembly greet each other in the peace of the risen Christ.

The peace of Christ be with you today and always.

And also with you.

Congregation members greet each other by saying:

Peace be with you.

Confession and Forgiveness

All may make the sign of the cross, the sign that is marked at baptism, as the presiding minister begins.

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.

Amen.

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

Silence is kept for reflection.

Mighty God, lover of justice,

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.

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.

Amen.

HYMN “Gather Us In”

1 Here in this place the new light is streaming,

now is the darkness vanished away;

see in this space our fears and our dreamings

brought here to you in the light of this day.

Gather us in, the lost and forsaken,

gather us in, the blind and the lame;

call to us now, and we shall awaken,

we shall arise at the sound of our name.

2 We are the young, our lives are a myst'ry,

we are the old who yearn for your face;

we have been sung throughout all of hist'ry,

called to be light to the whole human race.

Gather us in, the rich and the haughty,

gather us in, the proud and the strong;

give us a heart, so meek and so lowly,

give us the courage to enter the song.

3 Here we will take the wine and the water,

here we will take the bread of new birth,

here you shall call your sons and your daughters,

call us anew to be salt for the earth.

Give us to drink the wine of compassion,

give us to eat the bread that is you;

nourish us well, and teach us to fashion

lives that are holy and hearts that are true.

4 Not in the dark of buildings confining,

not in some heaven, light years away—

here in this place the new light is shining,

now is the kingdom, and now is the day.

Gather us in and hold us forever,

gather us in and make us your own;

gather us in, all peoples together,

fire of love in our flesh and our bone.

Text: Marty Haugen, b. 1950

Duplication in any form prohibited without permission or valid license from copyright administrator.

Pastor - Greeting

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.

Canticle of Praise

Glory to God in the highest,

and peace to God’s people on earth.

Lord God, heavenly King,

almighty God and Father,

we worship you,

we give you thanks,

we praise you for your glory.

Lord Jesus Christ,

only Son of the Father,

Lord God, Lamb of God,

you take away the sin of the world:

have mercy on us;

you are seated at the right hand of the Father:

receive our prayer.

For you alone are the Holy One,

you alone are the Lord,

you alone are the Most High,

Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit,

in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

Pastor - 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.

Congregation is seated

Assistant-First Reading Isaiah 58:1-12

A reading from the 58th chapter of Isaiah.

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 loose 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.

Word of God, word of life. Thanks be to God.

Psalm 112:1-10 Read Responsively

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.

Assistant-2nd Reading 1 Corinthians 2:1-16

A reading from 1 Corinthians beginning with chapter 2

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.

Word of God, word of life. Thanks be to God.

Gospel Acclamation

Alleluia. Lord, to whom shall we go?

You have the words of eternal life.

Alleluia.

Pastor - Gospel Matthew 5:13-20

The holy gospel according to Matthew the 5th chapter.

Glory to you, O Lord.

[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.”

The gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.

Sermon

Congregation stands for Hymn of the Day

Hymn of the Day “Christ, Be Our Light”

1 Longing for light, we wait in darkness.

Longing for truth, we turn to you.

Make us your own, your holy people,

light for the world to see.

Refrain

Christ, be our light!

Shine in our hearts.

Shine through the darkness.

Christ, be our light!

Shine in your church gathered today.

2 Longing for peace, our world is troubled.

Longing for hope, many despair.

Your word alone has pow'r to save us.

Make us your living voice. Refrain

3 Longing for food, many are hungry.

Longing for water, many still thirst.

Make us your bread, broken for others,

shared until all are fed. Refrain

4 Longing for shelter, many are homeless.

Longing for warmth, many are cold.

Make us your building, sheltering others,

walls made of living stone. Refrain

5 Many the gifts, many the people,

many the hearts that yearn to belong.

Let us be servants to one another,

signs of your kingdom come. Refrain

Text: Bernadette Farrell, b. 1957

Duplication in any form prohibited without permission or valid license from copyright administrator.

Apostles’ Creed

With the whole church, let us confess our faith using the words of the Apostles’ Creed.

I believe in God, the Father almighty,

creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s 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 to the dead.*

On the third day he rose again;

he ascended into heaven,

he is seated at the right hand of the Father,

and he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the holy catholic church,

the communion of saints,

the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body,

and the life everlasting. Amen.

Assistant-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 Bernard, Bob & Elaine, Lucas, Sue, Ed, Candy, Lynne, Margaret, Cheryl, Rillys, Mike, Michael and for those who we name aloud or silently in our hearts (pause for people in the congregation to add their prayers here). 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.

Offertory

One Bread, One Body

Refrain

One bread, one body, one Lord of all;

one cup of blessing which we bless,

and we, though many throughout the earth,

we are one body in this one Lord.

1 Gentile or Jew, servant or free,

woman or man, no more. Refrain

2 Many the gifts, many the works,

one in the Lord of all. Refrain

3 Grain for the fields, scattered and grown,

gathered to one for all. Refrain

Text: John Foley, SJ, b. 1939

Text © 1978 John B. Foley, SJ and OCP Publications, 5536 NE Hassalo, Portland, OR 97213. All rights reserved. Used with permission.

Duplication in any form prohibited without permission or valid license from copyright administrator.

Offertory Prayer

Together we pray.

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.

Amen.

Holy Communion

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.

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 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.

Eucharistic Prayer

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.

Gathered into one by the Holy Spirit, let us pray as Jesus taught us. (Sung)

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 debts,

as we forgive our debtors;

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

Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

Come to the table; taste and see.

Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;

have mercy on us.

Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;

have mercy on us.

Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;

grant us peace, grant us peace.

Communion

The Body of Christ, given for you. Amen

The Blood of Christ, shed for you. Amen

Post Communion Blessing

The Body and Blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ, strengthen you and forever keep you in his grace. Amen.

Prayer after Communion

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.

Amen.

Benediction

May the triune God,

who has put a new song in your mouth

and tuned your heart for praise

☩ bless you now and forever.

Amen.

HYMN “This Little Light of Mine”

1 This little light of mine, I'm goin'-a let it shine;

this little light of mine, I'm goin'-a let it shine;

this little light of mine, I'm goin'-a let it shine,

let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

2 Ev'rywhere I go, I'm goin'-a let it shine;

ev'rywhere I go, I'm goin'-a let it shine;

ev'rywhere I go, I'm goin'-a let it shine,

let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

3 Jesus gave it to me, I'm goin'-a let it shine;

Jesus gave it to me, I'm goin'-a let it shine;

Jesus gave it to me, I'm goin'-a let it shine,

let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

Text: African American spiritual

Dismissal

Go in peace. Do justice. Love mercy. Walk humbly with God.

Thanks be to God.

Permission for liturgies by Augsburg Fortress Liturgies License #SAS004206

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