11460 60 Ave NW, Edmonton, AB. T6H 1J5 Canada. 780-434-1671
Next Church Service Sunday February 8, 2026@ 10:30am
Holy Communion 3rd Sundays of the month
Holy Communion 3rd Sundays
Martin Luther's Morning/Evening Prayer
Make the sign of the Holy Cross and say:
Morning Prayer
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.
Evening Prayer
In the evening when you go to bed, make the sign of the holy cross and say: In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have graciously kept me this day; and I pray that You would forgive me all my sins where I have done wrong, and graciously keep me this night. For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.
Then go to sleep at once and in good cheer.
2026 LCC Synod Convention June 12-15, 2026
2026 LCC Synod Convention June 12-15, 2026
2026 LCC Synod Convention - Lutheran Church–Canada
2026 Convention Updates - The Canadian Lutheran
Welcome to the 2026 LCC Synod Convention Info-page
Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC)’s 13th Regular Convention will be held in Winnipeg from June 12-15, 2026, gathering under the theme “Together One: One Lord, One Faith, One Body” (Ephesians 4:4-6). The Convention was last held in the Central Region in 2008 under the theme “Give Jesus Glory – His Calling, Our Praise.”
The start of business related to this synod convention will begin on March 20, 2025, with the first meeting of the Commission on Nominations and Elections (CNE). The CNE manages the nomination process for elected positions at the synodical and regional levels, monitors the vetting process of nominees, and supervises the election of candidates to various positions at conventions of LCC.
News pertaining to LCC’s Synod Convention will be released on an ongoing basis in The Canadian Lutheran and on CanadianLutheran.ca; as well as in LCC’s weekly e-newsletter InfoDigest.
FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY
(8 February 2026)
Isaiah 58:3–9a
1 Corinthians 2:1–12 (13–16)
Matthew 5:13–20
The Righteousness of Christ
Jesus warns that “unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:20), but He also calls His imperfect people “the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world” (Matt. 5:13, 14). That’s because the Lord Jesus came not to abolish the Law or the prophets, “but to fulfill them” (Matt. 5:17) in perfect faith and love. Since He does and teaches all of God’s commandments, He is “called great in the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:19). God manifests His “demonstration of the Spirit and of power” in “Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2–4), and through the preaching of the Gospel He gives His “secret and hidden wisdom” (1 Cor. 2:7). Christ gives this perfect righteousness to His people, and it leads them to true fasting, which is “to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free” (Is. 58:6) and “to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house” (Is. 58:7. .LCMS Summaries.
Introit (Psalm 119)
P: Bless You, Lord!
C: Teach me Your commandments!
P: How can a young man keep his life clean?
C: Your word protects his life.
P: All my heart looks-for You.
C: Don’t let me stray from Your commandments.
P: I kept Your word in my heart.
C: Then I won’t sin against You.
P: Bless You, Lord!
C: Teach me Your commandments!
P: My hands announce
C: All Your right laws.
P: I will think about Your laws
C: And I will watch all Your ways.
P: I will be happy in Your commandments.
C: I will not forget Your word.
All: Glory give to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, the same as it was in the beginning, is now, and will continue forever. Amen.
Prayer for God’s Word
P: Lord, keep Your family, the church, always in true faith. Then we will always trust and hope in Your grace. And Your great power will always protect us. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord. Jesus lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C: (copy) Amen.
What Is a Lutheran?
While there are a variety of ways one could answer this question, one very important answer is simply this, “A Lutheran is a person who believes, teaches and confesses the truths of God’s Word as they are summarized and confessed in the Book of Concord.” The Book of Concord contains the Lutheran confessions of faith.
Perhaps you have attended an ordination of a pastor and heard him promise that he will perform the duties of his office in accord with the Lutheran Confessions. When people are received into membership into a Lutheran congregation through confirmation they are asked if they confess the doctrine of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, as they have learned to know it from the Small Catechism, to be faithful and true.
These solemn promises indicate to us just how important the Lutheran Confessions are for our church. Let’s take a look at the various items contained in the Book of Concord and then we will talk about why the Lutheran Confessions are so important for being a Lutheran.
What are the Ecumenical Creeds?
The three ecumenical creeds in the Book of Concord are the Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene Creed and the Athanasian Creed. They are described as “ecumenical” [universal] because they are accepted by Christians worldwide as correct expressions of what God’s Word teaches.
What is the Augsburg Confession and Apology of the Augsburg Confession?
In the year 1530, the Lutherans were required to present their confession of faith before the emperor in Augsburg, Germany. Philip Melanchthon wrote the Augsburg Confession and it was read before the imperial court on June 30, 1530. One year later, the Lutherans presented their defense of the Augsburg Confession, which is what “apology” here means. It too was written by Philip Melanchthon. The largest document in the Book of Concord, its longest chapter, is devoted to the most important truth of the Christian faith: the doctrine of justification by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.
What are the Small and Large Catechisms?
Martin Luther realized early on how desperately ignorant the laity and clergy of his day were when it came to even the most basic truths of the Christian faith. Around 1530, he produced two small handbooks to help pastors and the heads of families teach the faith.
The Small Catechism and the Large Catechism are organized around six topics: the Ten Commandments, the Apostles’ Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, Holy Baptism, Confession, and the Sacrament of the Altar. So universally accepted were these magnificent doctrinal summaries by Luther, that they were included as part of the Book of Concord.
What are the Smalcald Articles and the Treatise on the Power and Primacy of the Pope?
In 1537, Martin Luther was asked to prepare a statement of Lutheran belief for use at a church council, if it was called. Luther’s bold and vigorous confession of faith was later incorporated into the Book of Concord. It was presented to a group of Lutheran rulers meeting in the town of Smalcald. Philip Melanchthon was asked to expand on the subject of the Roman pope and did so in his treatise, which also was included in the Book of Concord.
What is the Formula of Concord?
After Luther’s death in 1546, significant controversies broke out in the Lutheran Church. After much debate and struggle, the Formula of Concord in 1577 put an end to these doctrinal controversies and the Lutheran Church was able to move ahead united in what it believed, taught and confessed. In 1580, all the confessional writings mentioned here were gathered into a single volume, the Book of Concord. Concord is a word that means, “harmony.” The Formula of Concord was summarized in a version known as the “Epitome” of the Formula of Concord. This document too is included in the Book of Concord.
What is the connection between the Bible and the Confessions?
We confess that, “The Word of God is and should remain the sole rule and norm of all doctrine” (FC SD, Rule and Norm, 9). What the Bible asserts, God asserts. What the Bible commands, God commands. The authority of the Scriptures is complete, certain and final. The Scriptures are accepted by the Lutheran Confessions as the actual Word of God. The Lutheran Confessions urge us to believe the Scriptures for “they will not lie to you” (LC, V, 76) and cannot be “false and deceitful” (FC SD, VII, 96). The Bible is God’s “pure, infallible, and unalterable Word” (Preface to the BOC).
The Lutheran Confessions are the “basis, rule, and norm indicating how all doctrines should be judged in conformity with the Word of God” (FC SD RN). Because the Confessions are in complete doctrinal agreement with the written Word of God, they serve as the standard in the Lutheran Church to determine what is faithful Biblical teaching, insofar as that teaching is addressed in the Confessions.
Now may:
The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and show grace to you.
The Lord look on you and give you peace.
Be safe, keep each other in prayer and, God willing, we will all see each other next Sunday!
Pastor Ken
Scripture Readings February 8, 2026 (ASL Format)
Feb 8, 2026
The Old Testament lesson is from Isaiah chapter 58.
The people complained to God, “Why do we fast (eat nothing) and You don’t see? Why do we humble ourselves, but You don’t notice?”
God says, “On the day you fast, you search-for pleasure, and you hurt your workers. You fast so you can argue and fight and hit with sinful hands. Your fasting will not bring your prayers to heaven.” God says, “Do I want this kind of fast? Only one day you are humble? One day you are sorry and use rough cloth and ashes as your bed? You name that a ‘fast’ and say that God likes that day?”
“No! This kind of fast I want: That you stop wicked actions, that you free people from burdens, and let suffering people go free. I want you to share food with hungry people, and bring homeless people into your house. If someone has no clothes, give him clothes. Don't ignore your own people!"
"Then your light will shine the same-as sunrise. Your healing will come quickly. Your righteousness will lead you and the Lord's glory will follow and protect you. Then you will call the Lord, and He will answer you. You will call-out for help, and the Lord will say, 'I am here.'"
This is the word of the Lord.
C: (copy) Thanks give to God.
You have two choices for the New Testament lesson, a shorter reading from 1 Corinthians 2 and a longer reading from 1 Corinthians 2. Choose one.
This is the shorter reading.
The New Testament lesson is from 1 Corinthians chapter 2.
PAUL wrote: Brothers, when I came to you and I told you about God, I didn't come with smooth speaking or great wisdom. I wanted to talk only about Jesus Christ crucified, nothing else. I came to you weak and in fear. I didn't preach with wise and convincing words. I preached with the Holy Spirit's power. Now your faith doesn't depend on people's wisdom. Your faith depends on God's power.
But we do speak wisdom for mature people. But that wisdom is not from this world or rulers in this world. They will die and go away. We give God’s secret and hidden wisdom. Long ago, God planned to use His wisdom for our glory. The rulers in this world didn’t understand God’s wisdom. If they did understand, then they would not crucify the Lord of Glory.
The same as the Bible says, “No eye saw, no ear heard, and no person thought of everything God prepared for people who love Him.” God showed us this through the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit searches all things, also the deep things of God. Who knows a person’s thoughts? Only the person’s spirit in him. The same, only the Spirit of God knows God’s thoughts. We didn’t get a spirit from the world. We have the Spirit from God. Then we can know everything that God freely gives us.
This is the word of the Lord.
C: (copy) Thanks give to God.
This is the longer reading.
The New Testament lesson is from 1 Corinthians chapter 2.
PAUL wrote: Brothers, when I came to you and I told you about God, I didn't come with smooth speaking or great wisdom. I wanted to talk only about Jesus Christ crucified, nothing else. I came to you weak and in fear. I didn't preach with wise and convincing words. I preached with the Holy Spirit's power. Now your faith doesn't depend on people's wisdom. Your faith depends on God's power.
But we do speak wisdom for mature people. But that wisdom is not from this world or rulers in this world. They will die and go away. We give God’s secret and hidden wisdom. Long ago, God planned to use His wisdom for our glory. The rulers in this world didn’t understand God’s wisdom. If they did understand, then they would not crucify the Lord of Glory.
The same as the Bible says, “No eye saw, no ear heard, and no person thought of everything God prepared for people who love Him.” God showed us this through the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit searches all things, also the deep things of God. Who knows a person’s thoughts? Only the person’s spirit in him. The same, only the Spirit of God knows God’s thoughts. We didn’t get a spirit from the world. We have the Spirit from God. Then we can know everything that God freely gives us. We give God’s gifts in words that the Spirit teaches. Human wisdom doesn’t teach about God’s gifts. We teach spiritual truths for spiritual people.
A person without the Spirit can’t accept teachings from the Spirit of God. He thinks God’s teachings are foolish. He can’t understand because those teachings are spiritual. A spiritual person can think carefully about all things, and no one can judge that person. “Who understands the Lord’s mind and can teach Him?” But we have Christ’s mind.
This is the word of the Lord.
C: (copy) Thanks give to God.
The Gospel lesson is from Matthew chapter 5.
C: (copy) Glory to You, O Lord.
Jesus said, "You are salt for the earth. But if salt lost its taste, how can you make it taste salty again? Now that is no good. You throw it in the street and people walk on it.
You are light for the world. A city on a hill can't hide. People don't light a lamp and hide it under a bowl. People light a lamp and put it on a table and that lights all the house. The same, let your light shine for all people, then they can see your good actions and praise your Father in heaven."
"Don't think I came to throw-away the law or prophets. I will not cancel them. I came to do everything they say. I tell you honestly, until heaven and earth disappear, none of the law will disappear, not one letter. None of the law will disappear until everything is finished. If someone ignores one small commandment and teaches other people to ignore commandments, that person will not be important in God's kingdom. If someone follows the commandments and teaches the commandments to other people, he will be great in God's kingdom. I tell you, if your righteousness isn't better than the PHARISEES and law teachers, you will never enter heaven."
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C: (copy) Praise to You, O Christ.