FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY
The Noblest Work
February 8, 2026
AS WE GATHER
Although the work of composers of church music and writers of hymn texts are often observed and even celebrated, the faithful and thoughtful work of text translators is rarely noted. One of the most gifted translators, whose work brought into English many historical and doctrinally powerful German hymns, was an Englishwoman named Catherine Winkworth. The contributors’ index in Lutheran Service Book (p. 1002) lists forty-six hymns included in the hymnal that she translated from the original German. Her chosen words have both beauty and depth of meaning. In the second stanza of Johann Mentzer’s hymn “Oh, That I Had a Thousand Voices” (LSB 811), she phrases the call to all powers to praise God with these simple words: “Your noblest work is to adore.” As we gather for worship and bring our praises in adoration to our gracious God, we are fulfilling our purpose as the crown of His creation. We are called in our worship to be joyfully carrying out the “noblest work.” It doesn’t get any better than that!
+ PREPARATION +
HYMN How Firm A Foundation TLH 427 vs 1-3
How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said
Who unto the Savior for refuge have fled?
In every condition, -- in sickness, in health,
In poverty's vale, or abounding in wealth,
At home and abroad, on the land, on the sea, --
The Lord, the Almighty, thy strength e'er shall be.
"Fear not, I am with thee, oh, be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid;
I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.
INVOCATION
Pastor: In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
People: Amen.
OPENING SENTENCES Psalm 66:1–3a, 4, 8; 40:5a; 111:3
Pastor: Shout for joy to God, all the earth;
People: sing the glory of His name; give to Him glorious praise!
Pastor: Say to God, “How awesome are Your deeds!
People: All the earth worships You and sings praises to You; they sing praises to Your name.”
Pastor: Bless our God, O peoples; let the sound of His praise be heard.
People: You have multiplied, O Lord my God, Your wondrous deeds and Your thoughts toward us; none can compare with You!
Pastor: Full of splendor and majesty is His work,
People: and His righteousness endures forever.
CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION
Pastor: As penitent people, we ask God for His grace and mercy.
Humble yourselves, then, before God; confess your sins to Him and implore His forgiveness.
People: O almighty God, most merciful Father, I, a repentant sinner, confess to You all my sins and iniquities with which I have offended You. By nature, I am a sinful creature. In thought, word, and deed, I have continually transgressed Your Law. Too often I have sought the easy road of ignoring the needs of others and considered only myself and my wants. For this I justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of the sufferings and death of Your Son, Jesus Christ, be gracious and merciful to me, a penitent and contrite being. Forgive me all my sins and grant me the power of Your Holy Spirit that I may amend my sinful life and bear fruit in keeping with true repentance.
Pastor: God be gracious to you and strengthen your faith.
People: Amen.
Pastor: As you believe, so let it be. As a called and ordained servant of Christ and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
People: Amen.
+ WORD +
HYMN OF PRAISE Blessed Jesus, at Thy Word TLH 16
Blessed Jesus, at Thy word
We are gathered all to hear Thee;
Let our hearts and souls be stirred
Now to seek and love and fear Thee,
By Thy teachings, sweet and holy,
Drawn from earth to love Thee solely.
All our knowledge, sense, and sight
Lie in deepest darkness shrouded
Till Thy Spirit breaks our night
With the beams of truth unclouded.
Thou alone to God canst win us;
Thou must work all good within us.
Glorious Lord, Thyself impart,
Light of Light, from God proceeding;
Open Thou our ears and heart,
Help us by Thy Spirit's pleading;
Hear the cry Thy people raises,
Hear and bless our prayers and praises.
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
Praise to Thee and adoration!
Grant that we Thy Word may trust
And obtain true consolation
While we here below must wander,
Till we sing Thy praises yonder.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Pastor: Let us pray. O Lord, keep Your family the church continually in the true faith that, relying on the hope of Your heavenly grace, we may ever be defended by Your mighty power; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
People: Amen.
OLD TESTAMENT READING Isaiah 58:3–9a (The brightness of the Lord’s light breaking forth.)
3 ‘Why have we fasted, and you see it not? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it?’ Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure, and oppress all your workers. 4 Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to hit with a wicked fist. Fasting like yours this day will not make your voice to be heard on high. 5 Is such the fast that I choose, a day for a person to humble himself? Is it to bow down his head like a reed, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will you call this a fast, and a day acceptable to the Lord? 6 “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, 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 him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? 8 Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. 9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’
EPISTLE 1 Corinthians 2:1–12 (Paul speaks and writes in and with the Spirit’s power.)
And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, 4 and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men[c] but in the power of God. 6 Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. 7 But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood this, 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 heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”—10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11 For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.
HOLY GOSPEL Matthew 5:13–20 (Jesus calls His followers to be salt and light in the world.)
13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, 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 who is 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. 18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore whoever relaxes 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.
CHILDREN’S MESSAGE
HYMN Thy Strong Word LSB 578
Thy strong word did cleave the darkness; At Thy speaking it was done.
For created light we thank thee While Thine ordered seasons run.
Alleluia! Alleluia! Praise to thee who light dost send! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia without end!
Lo, on those who dwelt in darkness, Dark as night and deep as death,
Broke the light of Thy salvation, Breathed thine own life-giving breath.
Alleluia! Alleluia! Praise to thee who light dost send! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia without end!
Thy strong Word bespeaks us righteous; Bright with Thine own holiness,
Glorious now, we press toward glory, And our lives our hope confess.
Alleluia! Alleluia! Praise to thee who light dost send! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia without end!
From the cross thy wisdom shining Breaketh forth in conqu'ring might;
From the cross forever beameth All thy bright redeeming light.
Alleluia! Alleluia! Praise to thee who light dost send! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia without end!
Give us lips to sing Thy glory, Tongues Thy mercy to proclaim, Throats that shout the hope that fills us,
Mouths to speak thy holy name. Alleluia! Alleluia! May the light which thou dost send
Fill our songs with alleluias, Alleluias without end!
God the Father, light-creator, To Thee laud and honor be.
To Thee, Light from Light begotten, Praise be sung eternally.
Holy Spirit, light-revealer, Glory, glory be to Thee. Mortals, angels, now and ever Praise the holy Trinity!
SERMON
NICENE CREED
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of his Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made: who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried. And the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures and ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father. And he will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead, whose kingdom will have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and Son together is worshiped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. And I believe one holy Christian and apostolic Church, I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins, and I look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.
GREETING/ANNOUNCEMENTS
OFFERING
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH LSB, p. 215
Pastor: Friends in Christ, I urge you all to lift up your hearts to God and pray with me as Christ our Lord has taught us and freely promises to hear us.
God, our Father in heaven, look with mercy on us, Your needy children on earth, and grant us grace that Your holy name be hallowed by us and all the world through the pure and true teaching of Your Word and the fervent love shown forth in our lives. Graciously turn from us all false doctrine and evil living whereby Your precious name is blasphemed and profaned. Lord, in Your mercy,
People: hear our prayer.
Pastor: May Your kingdom come to us and expand. Bring all transgressors and those who are blinded and bound in the devil’s kingdom to know Jesus Christ, Your Son, by faith that the number of Christians may be increased. Lord, in Your mercy,
People: hear our prayer.
Pastor: Strengthen us by Your Spirit according to Your will, both in life and in death, in the midst of both good and evil things, that our own wills may be crucified daily and sacrificed to Your good and gracious will. Into Your merciful hands we commend [name(s)] and all who are in need, praying for them at all times: Thy will be done. Lord, in Your mercy,
People: hear our prayer.
Pastor: Grant us our daily bread, preserve us from greed and selfish cares, and help us trust in You to provide for all our needs. Lord, in Your mercy,
People: hear our prayer.
Pastor: Forgive us our sins as we also forgive those who sin against us so that our hearts may be at peace and may rejoice in a good conscience before You, and that no sin may ever frighten or alarm us. Lord, in Your mercy,
People: hear our prayer.
Pastor: Lead us not into temptation, O Lord, but help us by Your Spirit to subdue our flesh, to turn from the world and its ways, and to overcome the devil with all his wiles. Lord, in Your mercy,
People: hear our prayer.
Pastor: And lastly, O heavenly Father, deliver us from all evil of both body and soul, now and forever. Lord, in Your mercy,
People: hear our prayer.
Pastor: We trust, O Lord, in Your great mercy to hear and answer us; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
People: Amen.
+ SACRAMENT +
PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
Pastor: Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and have showed Your gracious power to us through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord. We give You thanks that in His most Holy Supper You nourish us, that we may join in the noble work of praising You as, year by year, we grow in grace. Grant that we receive the blessings of forgiveness, life, and salvation that come to us in His body and blood as we gather at His command.
People: Amen.