February 8, 2026

THE SERVICE

FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY—JESUS CALLS YOU SALT AND LIGHT

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches us that form and function are closely connected. That means that who we are influences what we do. When God called us to faith, he declared that we were something new: light, salt, his children. Jesus encourages us to be what God says we are as a way of blessing the world through us.

OPENING HYMN 633 Speak, O Lord

1 Speak, O Lord, as we come to you
to receive the food of your holy Word;
    take your truth, plant it deep in us,
    shape and fashion us in your likeness,
that the light of Christ might be seen today
in our acts of love and our deeds of faith.
    Speak, O Lord, and fulfill in us
    all your purposes for your glory.

2 Teach us, Lord, full obedience,
holy reverence, true humility;
    test our thoughts and our attitudes
    in the radiance of your purity.
Cause our faith to rise, cause our eyes to see
your majestic love and authority.
    Words of pow’r that can never fail,
    let their truth prevail over unbelief.

3 Speak, O Lord, and renew our minds,
help us grasp the heights of your plans for us,
    truths unchanged from the dawn of time,
    that will echo down through eternity.
And by grace we’ll stand on your promises,
and by faith we’ll walk as you walk with us.
    Speak, O Lord, till your Church is built,
    and the earth is filled with your glory.

Text: Keith Getty, b. 1974; Stuart Townend, b. 1963
Text: © 2006 Thankyou Music, admin. CapitolCMGPublishing,com. Used by permission: OneLicense no. 717826

Please Stand

INVOCATION 154 Setting One

In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

CONFESSION

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just
and will forgive us our sins
and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Let us confess our sins to the Lord.
Holy God, gracious Father,
    I am sinful by nature
        and have sinned against you in my thoughts, words, and actions.
    I have not loved you with my whole heart;
    I have not loved others as I should.
        I deserve your punishment both now and forever.
    But Jesus, my Savior, paid for my sins
        with his innocent suffering and death.
    Trusting in him, I pray: God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

Silence for meditation and reflection

Our gracious Father in heaven has been merciful to us. He sent his only Son, Jesus Christ, who gave his life as the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. Therefore, as a called servant of Christ and by his authority, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

KYRIE 156 Lord, Have Mercy

In peace let us pray to the Lord.
♫ Lord, have mercy.

For the peace from above and for our salvation, let us pray to the Lord.
♫ Lord, have mercy.

For the peace of the whole world, for the well-being of the Church of God, and for the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord.
♫ Lord, have mercy.

For this holy house and for all who offer here their worship and praise, let us pray to the Lord.
♫ Lord, have mercy.

Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord.
♫ Amen.

GLORIA IN EXCELSIS 157 Glory Be to God

♫ Glory be to God on high, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
We praise you, we bless you, we worship you,
we glorify you, we give thanks to you, for your great glory,
O Lord God, heav’nly King, God the Father Almighty.
O Lord, the only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ;
O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,
you take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us.
You take away the sin of the world; receive our prayer.
You sit at the right hand of God the Father; have mercy on us.
For you only are holy; you only are the Lord.
You only, O Christ, with the Holy Spirit,
are most high in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

THE WORD

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.

PRAYER OF THE DAY

Let us pray.

Almighty God, you sent your one and only Son as the Word of life for our eyes to see and our ears to hear. Help us believe what the Scriptures proclaim about him and do the things that are pleasing in your sight; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Amen.

Be seated

FIRST READING Isaiah 43:8–13

God uses witnesses to share his light into this dark world.

8Lead out those who have eyes but are blind,
who have ears but are deaf.
9All the nations gather together
and the peoples assemble.
Which of their gods foretold this
and proclaimed to us the former things?
Let them bring in their witnesses to prove they were right,
so that others may hear and say, “It is true.”
10“You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord,
“and my servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may know and believe me
and understand that I am he.
Before me no god was formed,
nor will there be one after me.
11I, even I, am the Lord,
and apart from me there is no savior.
12I have revealed and saved and proclaimed—
I, and not some foreign god among you.
You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “that I am God.
13Yes, and from ancient days I am he.
No one can deliver out of my hand.
When I act, who can reverse it?”

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

PSALM OF THE DAY Psalm 112

1Praise the Lord. Blessed are those who fear the Lord,
who find great delight in his commands.

2Their children will be mighty in the land;
the generation of the upright will be blessed.
3Wealth and riches are in their houses,
and their righteousness endures forever.
4Even in darkness light dawns for the upright,
for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous.
5Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely,
who conduct their affairs with justice.

6Surely the righteous will never be shaken;
they will be remembered forever.
7They will have no fear of bad news;
their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.
8Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear;
in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.
9They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor,
their righteousness endures forever;
their horn will be lifted high in honor.

10The wicked will see and be vexed,
they will gnash their teeth and waste away;
the longings of the wicked will come to nothing.

SECOND READING 1 Peter 2:9–12

St. Peter encourages us to be what God has declared us to be.

9But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

11Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. 12Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Please Stand

GOSPEL (in English and Karen) Matthew 5:13–20

Jesus explains that his disciples are blessings to this dark, decaying world.

13“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

14“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

17“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise be to you, O Christ!

Be seated

CHILDREN'S MESSAGE

HYMN OF THE DAY 515 Christ Is the World’s Light

1 Christ is the world’s light, Christ and none other;
born in our darkness, he became our brother.
If we have seen him, we have seen the Father:
Glory to God on high!

2 Christ is the world’s peace, Christ and none other;
no one can serve him and despise another.
Who else unites us, one with God the Father?
Glory to God on high!

3 Christ is the world’s life, Christ and none other;
sold once for silver, murdered here, our brother.
He who redeemed us reigns with God the Father:
Glory to God on high!

4 Give God the glory, God and none other;
give God the glory, Spirit, Son, and Father;
give God the glory, God with us, our brother:
Glory to God on high!

Text: Fred Pratt Green, 1903–2000, alt.
Text: © 1969 Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: OneLicense no. 717826

SERMON

Please Stand

CONFESSION OF FAITH Nicene Creed 325 & 381 AD

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 and the Son, who in unity with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. We believe in one holy Christian 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.

Be seated

OFFERING PRESENTED BEFORE THE ALTAR

OFFERING HYMN 942 Create in Me a Clean Heart

♫ Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore unto me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with your free Spirit. Amen.

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH

Lord, you bless those who fear you. Send your Holy Spirit to open our hearts to your Word, that we fear, love and trust you above all things.