Service Outline for Sunday, February 22, 2026

                                                     St. Paul’s Lutheran Church

Alliance, Ohio

Sunday, February 22, 2026

9:30 AM

 

PRELUDE               Be Thou My Vision                         Larry Shackley

 

 CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS

Blessed be the holy Trinity, + one God, who brings us safely through the sea, who gives us water from the rock, who leads us into the land of milk and honey.

Amen.

 

Silence is kept for reflection.

Holy God, holy and mighty, holy and immortal,

have mercy on us.

 

For self-centered living, and for failing to walk with humility and gentleness:

Holy God, holy and mighty, holy and immortal, have mercy on us.

 

For longing to have what is not ours, and for hearts that are not at rest with ourselves:

Holy God, holy and mighty, holy and immortal, have mercy on us.

 

For misuse of human relationships, and for unwillingness to see the image of God in others:

Holy God, holy and mighty, holy and immortal, have mercy on us.

 

For jealousies that divide families and nations, and for rivalries that create strife and warfare:

Holy God, holy and mighty, holy and immortal, have mercy on us.

 

For reluctance in sharing the gifts of God, and for carelessness with the fruits of creation:

Holy God, holy and mighty, holy and immortal, have mercy on us.

 

For hurtful words that condemn, and for angry deeds that harm:

Holy God, holy and mighty, holy and immortal, have mercy on us.

 

For idleness in witnessing to Jesus Christ, and for squandering the gifts of love and grace:

Holy God, holy and mighty, holy and immortal, have mercy on us.

 

Accomplish in us, O God, the work of your salvation,

that we may show forth your glory in the world.

 

By the cross and passion of your Son, our Savior,

 

bring us with all your saints to the joy of his resurrection.

In the mercy of almighty God, our Lord Jesus Christ was given to die for us, and for his sake, God forgives us all our sin.  As a call and ordained minister of the church of Christ and by his authority, I therefore declare to you the entire forgiveness of all your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

 

HYMN                                            O Lord, throughout These Forty Days                                  #319

GREETING

The grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ, the love of God, and communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. And also with you. 

PRAYER OF THE DAY, CHIldren’s Sermon

First Reading: Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7

15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.”

  3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God say, ‘You shall not eat from any tree in the garden’?” 2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you shall die.’ ” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not die, 5 for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was a delight to the eyes and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked, and they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves.

Psalm: Psalm 32

 1 Happy are they whose transgressions | are forgiven,

  and whose sin is | put away!
 2 Happy are they to whom the Lord im- | putes no guilt,
  and in whose spirit there | is no guile!
 3 While I held my tongue, my bones with- | ered away,
  because of my groaning | all day long.
 4 For your hand was heavy upon me | day and night;
  my moisture was dried up as in the | heat of summer. R
 5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you, and did not con- | ceal my guilt.
  I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” Then you forgave me the guilt | of my sin.
 6 Therefore all the faithful will make their prayers to you in | time of trouble;
  when the great waters overflow, they | shall not reach them.
 7 You are my hiding-place; you preserve | me from trouble;
  you surround me with shouts | of deliverance.
 8 “I will instruct you and teach you in the way that | you should go;
  I will guide you | with my eye. R
 9 Do not be like horse or mule, which have no | understanding;
  who must be fitted with bit and bridle, or else they will | not stay near you.”
 10 Great are the tribulations | of the wicked;
  but mercy embraces those who trust | in the Lord.
 11 Be glad, you righteous, and rejoice | in the Lord;
  shout for joy, all who are | true of heart. R

Second Reading: Romans 5:12-19

12 Just as sin came into the world through one man, and death came through sin, and so death spread to all because all have sinned 13 for sin was indeed in the world before the law, but sin is not reckoned when there is no law. 14 Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who did not sin in the likeness of Adam, who is a pattern of the one who was to come.
  15 But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died through the one man’s trespass, much more surely have the grace of God and the gift in the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abounded for the many. 16 And the gift is not like the effect of the one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the gift following many trespasses brings justification. 17 If, because of the one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one, much more surely will those who receive the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.

  18 Therefore just as one man’s trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man’s act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all. 19 For just as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so through the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. 

 

 GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Gospel: Matthew 4:1-11

1 Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tested by the devil. 2 He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterward he was famished. 3 The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4 But he answered, “It is written,
 ‘One does not live by bread alone,
  but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”
  5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,
 ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’
  and ‘On their hands they will bear you up,
 so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’ ”
7 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ”
  8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, 9 and he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! for it is written,
 ‘Worship the Lord your God,
  and serve only him.’ ”
11 Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.

SERMON

 

HYMN                                                    Bless Now, O God, the Journey                                    #326 

 

 

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, theforgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.   Amen

 

Prayers of Intercession, PEACE, OFFERING, special music

LORD'S PRAYER

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      

DISTRIBUTION OF COMMUNION

HYMN                          I Want Jesus to Walk with Me                                              #325

PRAYER, BLESSING

 

HYMN                                               Guide Me Ever, Great Redeemer                                          #618

DISMISSAL 

POSTLUDE                                Ein’ Feste Berg                                 David Cherwein

Liturgy and hymns printed and streamed with permission through OneLicense. A-710659 

Service Outline for Wednesday, February 18, 2026

                                                     St. Paul’s Lutheran Church

Alliance, Ohio

Wednesday, February 18, 2026

7:00 PM

 

PRELUDE                                  “Savior, When in Dust to You”                 Gerald Near

FIRST READING Joel 2:1-2, 12-17                                                                                                              ¹Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming, it is near—²a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness! Like blackness spread upon the mountains a great and powerful army comes; their like has never been from of old, nor will be again after them in ages to come.
¹²Yet even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; ¹³rend your hearts and not your clothing. Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing. ¹⁴Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him,
a grain offering and a drink offering for the Lord, your God? ¹⁵Blow the trumpet in Zion;   sanctify a fast; call a solemn assembly; ¹⁶gather the people. Sanctify the congregation;   assemble the aged; gather the children, even infants at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her canopy. ¹⁷Between the vestibule and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep. Let them say, “Spare your people, O Lord, and do not make your heritage a mockery, a byword among the nations. Why should it be said among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’ ”

Psalm 51:1-17                                                                                                                                                    ¹Have mercy on me, O God, according to your ^| steadfast love; in your great compassion blot                                                                    out ^| my offenses.

²Wash me through and through ^| from my wickedness, and cleanse me ^| from my sin.
³For I know ^| my offenses, and my sin is ever before me.
⁴Against you only have I sinned and done what is evil ^| in your sight; so you are justified when you speak             and right ^| in your judgment. 
⁵Indeed, I was born ^| steeped in wickedness, a sinner from my ^| mother’s womb.
⁶Indeed, you delight in truth ^| deep within me, and would have me know wisdom ^| deep within.
⁷Remove my sins with hyssop, and I ^| shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be purer than snow.
⁸Let me hear ^| joy and gladness; that the body you have broken ^| may rejoice. 
⁹Hide your face ^| from my sins, and blot out ^| all my wickedness.
¹⁰Create in me a clean ^| heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
¹¹Cast me not away ^| from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
¹²Restore to me the joy of ^| your salvation and sustain me with your bountiful Spirit. 
¹³Let me teach your ways ^| to offenders, and sinners shall be restored to you.
¹⁴Rescue me from bloodshed, O God of ^| my salvation, and my tongue shall sing ^| of your righteousness.
¹⁵O Lord, o- ^| pen my lips, and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.
¹⁶For you take no delight in sacrifice, or ^| I would give it. You are not pleased ^| with burnt offering.
¹⁷The sacrifice of God is a ^| troubled spirit; a troubled and broken heart, O God, you will ^| not despise. 

SECOND READING 2 Corinthians 5:20b--6:10

^20bWe entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. ²¹For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. ^6:1As we work together with him, we urge you also not to accept the grace of God in vain. ²For he says, “At an acceptable time I have listened to you, and on a day of salvation I have helped you.” See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation! ³We are putting no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, ⁴but as servants of God we have commended ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, ⁵beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; ⁶by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love, ⁷truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; ⁸in honor and dishonor, in ill repute and good repute. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; ⁹as unknown, and yet are well known; as dying, and see—we are alive; as punished, and yet not killed; ¹⁰as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

 GOSPEL: Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

[Jesus said to the disciples:] ¹"Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven. ²"So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. ³But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. ⁵"And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. ⁶But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. ¹⁶"And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. ¹⁷But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, ¹⁸so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in

secret will reward you.¹⁹"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; ²⁰but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

SERMON                                             Pastor Muse

  

HYMN                    Our Father, We Have Wondered                                             #606

 

 

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

 + Kneel or sit (The minister leads the confession.)

 Most holy and merciful God,

we confess to you and to one another, and before the whole company of heaven, that we have sinned by our fault, by our own fault,

by our own most grievous fault, in thought, word, and deed,

by what we have done and by what we have left undone.

 

We have not loved you with our whole heart, and mind, and strength. We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We have not forgiven others as we have been forgiven.

Have mercy on us, O God.

 

We have shut our ears to your call to serve as Christ served us. We have not been true to the mind of Christ. We have grieved your Holy Spirit.

Have mercy on us, O God.

 

Our past unfaithfulness, the pride, envy, hypocrisy, and apathy that have infected our lives, we confess to you.

Have mercy on us, O God.

 

Our self-indulgent appetites and ways, and our exploitation of other people, we confess to you.

Have mercy on us, O God.

 

Our negligence in prayer and worship, and our failure to share the faith that is in us, we confess to you.

Have mercy on us, O God.

 

Our neglect of human need and suffering, and our indifference to injustice and cruelty, we

confess to you.

Have mercy on us, O God.

 

Our false judgments, our uncharitable thoughts toward our neighbors, and our prejudice and contempt toward those who differ from us, we confess to you.

Have mercy on us, O God.

 

Our waste and pollution of your creation, and our lack of concern for those who come after us, we confess to you.

Have mercy on us, O God.

 

Restore us, O God, and let your anger depart from us.

Hear us, O God, for your mercy is great.

 

                  

Sit                    Imposition of Ashes

 

Accomplish in us, O God, the work of your salvation,

that we may show forth your glory in the world.

By the cross and passion of your Son, of Savior,

bring us with all your saints to the joy of his resurrection.

Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life.

Amen.

 

PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH 

GREETING OF PEACE 

OFFERING

CHANCEL CHOIR (7:00)                       Cast Thy Burden on the Lord

PRAYER 

WORDS OF INSTITUTION

LORD'S PRAYER

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

 

THE DISTRIBUTION OF COMMUNION, POST COMMUNION PROCLAMATION 

 

POST COMMUNION PRAYER 

 

BENEDICTION

 

hymn                                                      Be Thou My Vision                                                   #793

 

 DISMISSAL 

 POSTLUDE                              “Forty Days and Forty Nights”                       Charles Callahan

 Liturgy and hymns printed and streamed with permission through OneLicense. A-710659