The Shepherd’s Voice – Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Tomah, WI

The Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity
September 6, 2026
Galatians 5:16-24
 
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
 
This weekend usually marks the end of summer, but the meteorological calendar indicates summer still has a few weeks before fall begins. It’s also Labor Day Weekend, offering one last chance to visit the lake, go to a water park, or enjoy a picnic — a perfect excuse to take a break from work. 
 
The first Labor Day was celebrated in 1882 in New York City; a couple of years later, the day became a Federal Holiday. As many see it today, it’s a day off from work, but its history reveals that the day would include speeches on the holiday’s economic and civic significance. Labor Unions might use these days as opportunities to build support for their causes and sway public opinion on pay and benefits for today’s workforce.
 
But what is a Labor Union anyway?
 
At the most basic level, a Labor Union is an organization of workers who join together to negotiate with employers for better pay, benefits, and working conditions. A Labor Union is a group of people, united in their work, their toil, and labor.
 
Have you ever pondered how the world around you might influence how you view the Christian faith? Have ideas about the labor force influenced the Church or the local congregation? A group of people, united in a common work, to “make” Christians.
 
But if the work conditions aren’t favorable or up to your standards, can you go on strike from “making” Christians? It’s an interesting question, isn’t it? What we’re really asking here is this: can we go on strike from living the Christian faith if the conditions of faith aren’t favorable or acceptable to us? Can you negotiate better working pay, benefits, and surroundings so it’s easier to “make” a Christian? Or could there at least be some hazard pay when life becomes difficult?
 
The answer is no. To all of this.
 
The reality is that you dwell, live, and labor in this world, in the flesh inherited from your first parents, which means this life will be difficult, just as it was for your father, Adam, who worked the land full of thorns and thistles. Your flesh will be tempted, as King David’s was, to take for yourselves men and women who are not your husbands and wives, and to suffer the consequences of such sins.
 
Like laborers in the vineyard, you will complain and grow jealous of your neighbor who receives a higher wage than you, which in turn will lead you to jealousy, strife, and anger, if not with them, then within your own heart. If you permit these events to overtake you, if you permit your careers, positions, and places in society to become your sole focus and identity, you will likely begin to see yourself more at odds with one another than in union or unity with one another. 
 
The reason for this is that you’ve permitted yourself, or what you perceive as your “work,” to become a god. You began to idolize yourself and what you do. This is why some mutter, “No one appreciates me.”
And here is one of the reasons St. Paul warns you in this morning’s epistle: to walk in the Spirit so as not to gratify or give way to the works of the sinful flesh that clings to your bones and surrounds your heart.
 
The way we read the words of St. Paul is interesting, too, because we tend to lose something in translation. We hear “you” and think St. Paul is speaking individually, in the singular, but we need to take into account not only the context of his writing but also the Greek grammar. He is speaking in the second person plural, saying that you all, the whole community of the Galatians, are to walk in the singular Spirit of God. 
 
Likewise, you all, the people of Good Shepherd, the body of Christ, are to walk in the way of the Holy Spirit, to be in union with one another and led by the Holy Spirit in faith.
 
But here lies the divide: we wish to live according to the flesh, and when we do this, we are led away from the unity of Christ, living for ourselves through “sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these.”
 
In these ways, we live for ourselves; we aim to elevate ourselves above others, trying to control the uncontrollable. However, this only leads to brokenness, death, and eternal separation from one another and, most importantly, God. 
 
And of course, this catalog of vices is not exhaustive or conclusive; that’s why St. Paul ended it with, “And things like these…”
 
Still, St. Paul doesn’t simply end the sermon there; he continues to warn the Galatians, and we receive the same warning today that if we continue in these behaviors, these works of the flesh, we too will not inherit eternal life. So, Paul then moves forward by outlining the things that lead to faithfulness, unity, and eternal life.
 
Also, did you notice that Paul didn’t call these items works; no, he called them the fruit of the Spirit – “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.”
 
Again, if you reflect back to the Garden of Eden, what is it that Eve takes from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil to eat? It’s fruit. She ate the forbidden fruit, and now, by partaking of it, Adam and Eve, along with all their children, you, will have to labor and work for the things needed for this life. 
 
However, as we move forward, Jesus will also use fruit as an illustration to teach about faith, the Christian life, and eternity.
 
In the Gospel of John (15), Jesus says that He is a vine. However, the branches attached to Him that do not bear fruit are to be taken away and pruned so that the vine might bear more fruit.
 
Remove the bad so the good can grow. 
 
In this illustration, removing bad branches is achieved by confessing our sins and the works of the flesh we have committed and continue to commit. 
 
Jesus goes on to say that the branches cannot bear fruit by themselves unless they are united to the vine. This is an image of the Christian life. The Christian, you, cannot bear good fruit unless you abide in Jesus. 
 
He says, “I am the vine; you are the branches.” (John 15:5)
 
So, you are called to confess the works of the flesh, to be pruned through the work of God’s word, His Law within your heart, so that absolution, the forgiveness of sin, is announced and applied to you. This forgiveness then affects your heart and begins to form new fruit within you, and when this occurs, it’s because of what God is doing through you, how you “all” are being led by the Spirit as one, in communion, to possess the fruit of the Spirit.
 
There are no individuals in the Church.
 
And this is taught in the third article of the Creed as we confess the work of the Holy Spirit. We confess,
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.
 
We go on to say in the meaning,
I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith.
 
Sanctification is God’s action of making you holy through the work of the Holy Spirit in your life. It is the way your faith is strengthened, and the fruit of the Spirit, the fruit of faith, increases in you because the Holy Spirit is keeping you with Christ. 
 
In a wonderful way, the Holy Spirit works to gather you together, to bring you into communion, to remove the bad fruit from your heart and life, so new fruit may come forth. He leads you to walk together as a united people, not giving in to the desires of the flesh, which wish to separate you from one another, but rather to walk together, loving and caring for one another.
 
Unlike the chaotic and disjointed nature of the works of the flesh, we should note that the fruit of the Spirit is singular, and it begins with love.
 
Remember, we read that “the fruit” of the Spirit “is” “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.”
 
The list begins with the virtue of love for a reason, because everything that follows and is recorded as part of the fruit of the Spirit is a manifestation of love.
 
Joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, all manifestations of love.
 
God the Father’s love is most clearly seen and understood in His sending of His Son to atone for the sins of the world, a self-sacrificing love demonstrated by dying on the cross for you, for all of you.
 
It’s for this reason that St. Paul is recorded as saying at the end of the epistle, “And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”
 
The cross and the crucifixion of Jesus are the singular act of love that redeemed mankind from sin, death, and eternal separation from God the Father. For this love of Christ to abide in you, it requires a daily crucifixion, a daily pruning of the branches, confessing your sins, and putting to death the works of the flesh, so you can be raised in the resurrection of Christ through the work of the Holy Spirit, who produces life and new fruit within you, gathering you who were many into one people, one church, and leading you not only through this life together but also to the communal meal of fellowship at this altar, as people who partake and look forward to the day when your Savior will give you not just a day off for rest or a weekend to get away, but an eternal rest, as He says to you, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:21)
 
The reality is that few things in this life truly unify us as they ought. Too often, the entities and organizations meant to unify society only deepen division, often because we are led by the flesh rather than the Spirit.
 
The Church likewise must be on guard because the earthly rewards will never be satisfactory, the conditions of the Christian life will always be burdensome, nothing will be fair, and you can’t go on strike if you disagree with God’s Word.
 
But when you abide in God’s Word and permit the fruit of the Spirit to guide and gather you into the body of Christ, you learn to love the Lord your God with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37). You also learn how the Spirit of God dwells and He works within you and through you, He alone does the work of making Christians.
 
Praise God for that!
 
So go ahead and take a holiday, take rest in the Lord not only this weekend but every day of this earthly life. Permit Him to work the love of Christ within you so that the fruit of the Spirit leads you through this toilsome life with joy. +INJ+
 
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Pastor, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
 
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Website: www.goodsheptomah.org
The Shepherd’s Voice Podcast: https://goodsheptomah.podbean.com/
 
 

The Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist
August 30, 2026
Mark 6:14-29
 
 
I already know you may not appreciate the cover on today’s bulletin. It appears graphic: a head on a platter; it’s just sitting there, staring back at you. You heard the story in the Gospel with your ears, but seeing it, seeing the head of John the Baptist before you, that’s another story. Why would we use such an image on the bulletin cover?
 
Children will see it!
 
However, is this image as striking as you first believed? Is it as graphic as you think?
 
Ponder this for a moment… I’ll give you time.
 
Now, I asked these questions because I would argue that an even more graphic image is before you each and every day; in fact, every time you imagine this image in your mind, this figure appears, and the brutality is inescapable.
 
How could you carry such a graphic image with you each day? How could you be so dark and troubled?
 
Of course, you’re sitting here and saying, “Pastor, I have no idea what you are talking about, I would never carry such a horrid image of death with me each and every day.”
 
Oh yeah, then what’s wrong with you? Why wouldn’t you?
 
What’s wrong with me, what’s wrong with you?
 
Nothing…well, that’s not completely true. I am a sinner, just like you.
 
So why wouldn’t this disturbing image appear in your mind as it does in mine? I mean, you were brought into it just as I was; it was placed on both your forehead and your heart as a child, as an infant, like a tattoo so you’d never forget who you are.
 
Well, that’s morbid; you’ve been walking around all these years with an image of violence in your heart and mind, but you haven’t noticed?
 
Reflect on what I’m telling you now. I’m saying that since the time of your birth, you’ve been carrying an image within you that is worse than the cover of today’s bulletin. But why haven’t you noticed this? 
 
That’s a good question: why haven’t you noticed this?
 
Probably because you’ve become complacent; maybe all the violent and horrendous imagery of the news on the television you watch or in the video games you play has made you numb, or maybe you’ve decided to bury those images in the depths of the prefrontal cortex of the brain, the part of the brain that suppresses unwanted thoughts and visuals you’d prefer not to have. 
 
Maybe that’s it; maybe that’s why you can’t ponder or visualize the image that’s honestly worse than the cover of today’s bulletin.
 
You’ve become complacent, numb, and buried the image of proof.
 
However, the image, the cross, and Jesus’ mangled body still remain before you; you can’t escape it; it’s right here to my left.
 
That vivid, horrible image of violence, the most horrendous violence known to mankind: crucifixion.
 
Whips, lashes, and nails. A crown of thorns for the King and Kings, rough wood that digs deep into the open wounds of His back for a throne. Yes, Jesus cleans up real nice for our purposes today, for public display, but make no mistake, the day He died for sinners like you and me, it’s not an image we would have looked on with glee, joy, or celebration. No, His cross would have brought us shame. It would have been seared into our memories, the kind of image you can’t outrun or ever forget, the image of tragedy.
 
Being there that first Good Friday would have stayed with you until the day you died.
 
But that’s one of the reasons you might not want to think about it, to ponder it, or wrestle with it – it is graphic, vicious, and horrendous.  
 
But you are also the reason Jesus went to this cross.
 
Your sin, the ways you have not lived rightly, according to your Father’s will, as we learn from the Ten Commandments and Holy Scripture. How you have not loved God with all your heart or your neighbor as yourself, the way you have not been faithful in confessing your faith in your Savior, Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for you.
 
And here is the difference between you and John the Baptist, the one whose head ended on a platter; he was faithful, even to the end.
 
He confessed Jesus until his dying breath.
 
He refused to compromise God’s law, even at the risk of his life. He would not dilute God’s commands regarding the adulterers in King Herod’s court, which ultimately led to his death, just as he wouldn’t soften his message for his apostles. Despite the potential for mental or physical harm, John the Baptist consistently proclaimed God’s Word in full.
 
In this way, the rejection of the word John preached foretold the rejection of Jesus’ words. John’s violent death foreshadowed Jesus’ death.
 
And you, the baptized, have been brought into this death, too. Hear those familiar words of the epistle again:
 
Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. (Romans 6:3-4)
 
The newness of life you have received is the life of forgiveness; it’s how you are set on a new path that departs the old life of sin and death behind and leads to eternal life.
 
However, this new path of life is not as many want it to be; it’s not free from danger, threat of violence, or tribulation; in fact, it’s full of it, and it follows in the footsteps of John the Baptist, the martyr.
 
A martyr.
 
Someone whose life, witness, and confession of faith point to Jesus Christ and His cross, even if it would cost them their life.
 
Tertullian, a theologian of the second century, made this interesting point when he wrote, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.”
 
The fascinating thing about martyrdom is that while the blood of God’s children has been spilled, it hasn’t been silenced.
 
Ponder that… while the blood of God’s children has been spilled, it hasn’t been silenced.
 
The house of Herod believed that by killing John the Baptist, they would kill the message he proclaimed, but instead, it only inspired the Gospel to spread even further, strengthening and growing the Church.
 
But an important point to make here is this: martyrdom is never sought; it is the reluctant acceptance of death for the sake of the Gospel.
 
John the Baptist didn’t seek death; he accepted it, never forgetting his Savior.
 
And all of you have made this confession at your Confirmation, that you would be willing to die, rather than deny and betray your faith in Jesus Christ, the crucified.
 
This is your cross, and if it should be required of you, as it most certainly is, you will suffer for your faith at your jobs, as you might be shamed for being a Christian, or you may be mocked by peers at school for not cheering on the bullies or for refusing to join those who wish to hurt, harm, and slay their classmates, or even in your homes you’d find it easier to silence your heavenly faith for the illusion of earthly tranquility. 
 
These are your crosses to bear, the ordinary days and instances that require you to confess your faith boldly. But do you, and will you?
 
Will you confess the cross of Jesus, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin, even when it’s difficult?
 
Or would you prefer not to think about Him or His cross? Is it too difficult or violent an image for you to bear in your heart?
 
You know, Martin Luther gives us this thought regarding the cross,
 
For whether I will or not, when I hear of Christ, an image of a man hanging on a cross takes form in my heart, just as the reflection of my face naturally appears in the water when I look into it. If it is not a sin but good to have the image of Christ in my heart, why should it be a sin to have it in my eyes?
(Against the Heavenly Prophets, 1525; LW, Vol. 40, 99-100)
 
The most horrendous image of death is never far from the Christian, for you have been baptized and united to this death at the waters of Holy Baptism. However, the image of the cross also brings great comfort; it is the sign of triumph, the symbol of the world’s redemption for the body which hung upon thee.
 
And this is what changes one’s perception of an image: its meaning.
 
John the Baptist did not seek death, but accepted it, pointing all men to Jesus and thus taught us how to do as he did, even if it would require our lives. The cross, on which hung the salvation of the world, joins each and every Christian into the one mystical body of Jesus Christ, a reminder that no threat or evil death will harm God’s child, but rather be the blood that nourishes the soil of the Church of Christ and become a portal unto eternal life.
 
My friends, if seeing John the Baptist’s head on today’s bulletin makes you pause, praise God; it should. This image is a reminder of the confession you made on the day of Confirmation, the confession of faith for every Christian. Yet remember that you also carry within you a more powerful, beautiful, and disturbing image: the death of Jesus, the payment for your sin. On the cross, He secured salvation and eternal life for you. Look to the cross daily; let it shape your thoughts and heart, even if it’s hard to grasp. Keep it ever before you, for in its suffering lies profound beauty—a testament to what God has accomplished for you and to His love for you. +INJ+ 
 
 
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Pastor, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
 
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Website: www.goodsheptomah.org
The Shepherd’s Voice Podcast: https://goodsheptomah.podbean.com/
 
 

The Twelfth Sunday after Trinity
August 23, 2026
Mark 7:31-37
 
Have you ever found yourself speaking to someone and they don’t hear you?
 
You know their hearing works well, but strangely, they don’t seem to listen to you. They miss instructions, conversations, and what’s being taught. While some say a person has selective hearing, this is actually about the brain focusing on one person in a noisy environment, not about choosing to ignore another.
 
However, might a person subconsciously become deaf in certain situations? Causing them not to hear you? Might this be why a child doesn’t clean their room when they’ve been instructed to do so?
 
Well, Google says no; men cannot physically or medically become deaf purely through a subconscious choice or psychological will.
 
So why don’t individuals hear you when you speak to them, in a setting where people can converse normally?
 
Because they choose not to.
 
That’s all; they just don’t want to hear you. They’ve become preoccupied with their own thoughts and dreams; their desires, choices, and wills have become more important than you or anyone else. 
 
In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus encounters a man who is truly deaf and has a speech impediment. It’s probable that this man has had these ailments since his birth.
 
The man’s friends brought him to Jesus and begged Him to heal their friend.
 
Can you imagine?
 
Living all the days of your life in silence…not being able to hear, not being able to speak, not being able to communicate.
 
None of this is a choice for the man.
 
But his friends bring him to the One they believe can help and heal him. They bring him to Jesus.
 
It’s interesting: what follows is a liturgy of sorts, an order of service.
 
First, the man in need of healing is brought to Jesus; then there are prayers for him, followed by an absolution, and finally a dismissal.
 
Jesus instructs the man and his friends, “Don’t tell anyone what I’ve done,” but they do anyway.
 
But walk with me through this sequence.
 
The man’s friends bring him to Jesus for healing. We do the same. The first step is to bring our broken bodies to the Divine Service to confess our sins before Jesus. Then we pray to God for help and healing. This is followed by the absolution, the forgiveness of sin, and finally the dismissal, the sending out of God’s people in peace. 
 
Now, in this liturgy involving the deaf man, his friends bring him and beg Jesus to lay His hands upon him to heal him. The laying on of hands, as seen in the Old Testament, was part of the liturgy of healing. Often, anointing oils would be used, in addition to touching the person, to say, “This person, this man, this woman, is the one who is to be healed, cleansed, and forgiven.”  There’s a specificity in the laying on of hands.
 
But Jesus does something that we might find repulsive today. He puts His fingers into the man’s ears, spits, and touches his tongue.
 
What in the world is this?
 
Well, some scholars believe this would have been understood by the deaf man, but remember, it’s not uncommon for the Word of God to be accompanied by a visible sign. Where do we see this? Does not the water of Holy Baptism, joined with the Word of God, grant forgiveness and healing, declaring this one, this child, this man, to be God’s?
 
Another aspect here is how Jesus looks up to His Father in heaven as He says, “‘Ephphatha,’ that is ‘be opened.’”
 
Again, another connection to the Baptismal liturgy we use at Good Shepherd as we pray and ask for the ears of the one to be baptized to be open to God’s Word, His teaching, and His will.
 
As we learned last week, growing in this way, the baptized life, by being open and submissive to God’s Word, His teaching, and His will, requires humility. Jesus pulls the man aside, places His fingers and spit upon and within the man, and then looks to His Father, demonstrating that all He does is in accordance with His Father’s will. Jesus is submissive to His Father.
 
Honestly, this is where we often go wrong; we do not truly live in submission to Jesus or His Father. It’s not physical deafness we show but rather spiritual deafness. 
 
Spiritual deafness occurs when we do not listen to, hear, and take to heart the word of God.
 
And here are a few ways we demonstrate this deafness in our own lives.
 
The issue of closed communion has been a concern for the church lately, a time characterized by spiritual deafness. A faithful family that raises their children in the Church understands God’s teachings about the Lord’s Supper—that before participating, one must examine themselves to avoid judgment and condemnation.
 
Receiving at this altar signifies confessing unity, fellowship, and adherence to this church’s teachings. However, when families see their children go off to college, move away, and join a church of another confession that does not align with Good Shepherd, they sometimes become deaf to God’s warnings in 1 Corinthians 11. Consequently, the meal is no longer the Lord’s Supper but has become our supper.
 
The situation of cohabitation, or living together, is also relevant. Everyone raised in the Lutheran Church, who attended Confirmation classes and learned the Sixth Commandment, understands that a man and a woman should not engage in sexual relations outside marriage, nor should they cohabit without being married. 
 
However, today, couples are increasingly inclined to take this path to test-drive the relationship, to save money, to avoid losing money, especially from the government, and to avoid commitment and sacrifice.
 
Again, there is a spiritual deafness in these situations: one has heard God’s Word and knows His will but does not want to live according to it.
 
This is a choice made by man.
 
Or forgiving one another, have you ever said, “I’m never going to forgive that person for what they’ve done to me?”
 
That’s a choice, a decision.
 
What does Jesus say, “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (St. Matthew 6:14-15)
 
When we refuse to forgive others, we are refusing to listen to God’s clear Word; we are refusing to be Christians.
 
We have entered a state of spiritual deafness and have actively closed our ears to God’s will, His Word, and His teaching.
 
Even pastors are vulnerable to spiritual deafness when they ignore the Word of God and His commands to avoid offending members, friends, or family. In doing so, they also heed the devil's voice. 
 
When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden, that first sin that brought all of humanity into sin, it was because they were no longer trusting and listening to the one who created them and gave them life; they were listening to the one, the devil, who desired to lead them away from life.
 
Think about this: by not listening and heeding God’s Word, we reject it. Instead, we often accept the Devil’s lies and stray from life, including eternal life.
 
So where is your life found?
 
In the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ, the One who said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life…” (John 14:6)
 
The One who said, “The words that I [speak] are spirit and life.” (John 6:63)
 
And if the words of Jesus are spirit and life, then we cannot neglect them, no matter how painful they may seem to us, how unfriendly they may appear to us humans, how they may offend some, how they may permit crosses to be placed upon us, or how they may force us to face our enemies and speak those freeing words, “I forgive you.”
 
Because these are the words that heal.
 
Jesus is the Word that heals.
 
This is what we sang in the hymn of the day, today, “Word of God, Come Down to Earth.”
 
Word of God, come down on earth,    Living rain from heav’n descending;Touch our hearts and bring to birth    Faith and hope and love unending.
Word that came from heav’n to die,    Crucified for our salvation,
 
Word that caused blind eyes to see,    Speak and heal our mortal blindness;Deaf we are: our healer be;    Loose our tongues to tell Your kindness.
 
Word that speaks God’s tender love.  Word of truth, to all truth lead us;Word of life, with one bread feed us.[1]
 
My friends, how wonderful are these words to hear?
 
That the Word of God descended from heaven to earth, to live, to die, to rise, and ascend. To do this for you, to open your eyes, to open your ears, to free your tongue, so that you might hear His love, then confess Him, His love, His forgiveness.
 
But all of this begins with His Word, a Word spoken over you at the font of Holy Baptism. At the font, you’ve been brought; prayers were made for you; the pastor lays his hand upon you, looks to heaven, and speaks to Jesus and His Father, saying, “‘Ephphatha,’ that is ‘be opened.’” A prayer for the baptized not only to hear the precious words marking them as one redeemed by Christ the Crucified, but also to set them apart to live a life of hearing God’s Word, living within God’s Word, and confessing God’s Word in what they say, what they do, and how they live. 
 
Because in the end you have heard God’s Word, and as the Baptized, you are to continue to learn and grow in His ways, you are to have joyous confidence even when it’s not popular among friends and family, even if His Word permits crosses in your relationships and life, because this Word, your Savior, Jesus Christ, is the one who leads you out of this life into eternal life. 
 
If you find yourself wandering away from the path of the cross or feeling overwhelmed by worldly pressures, and you notice yourself drifting from God’s Word, return to the font and pray, “Ephphatha,” asking God to open your ears to His Word. Then, stay attentive and listen, because Jesus is speaking to you. +INJ+
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Pastor, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
 
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Website: www.goodsheptomah.org
The Shepherd’s Voice Podcast: https://goodsheptomah.podbean.com/
 
 
[1] Selected lines from the hymn “Word of God, Come Down to Earth.” The Lutheran Service Book, 545.

The Eleventh Sunday after Trinity
August 16, 2026
Luke 18:9-14
 
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
 
C.S. Lewis once wrote in his book Mere Christianity, “A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you.”
 
This quote brilliantly captures what pride does to the heart of man, how pride leads man to believe he is superior to others, even idolizing himself and making himself into a god. Which of course, distracts one from having faith in the one true God. 
 
Well, the Gospel today is about pride and humility. Jesus teaches a simple lesson through contrasting figures, and if you want to know the meaning of the Gospel, just go to the last verse, “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
 
But to begin to understand the entire text, let’s start at the beginning of the Gospel reading as we heard,
 
Jesus also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt:
 
The Gospel began with Jesus telling a parable. A parable is a short, simple story that typically teaches a moral, spiritual, or religious lesson. It uses everyday situations and human characters to explain a deeper, harder-to-understand truth by placing a familiar idea side by side with a new concept.
 
When Jesus tells a parable, He does so to teach truths about the kingdom of heaven.
 
This parable teaches that the holier-than-thou attitudes of the Pharisees won’t lead them to heaven. Instead, their trust in themselves, belief that they are more righteous than anyone else, and despising others will prevent the Pharisee from being brought into heaven. 
 
For the Pharisee, this high view of themselves is how they see the world around them. It’s a worldview that sees others as worse off and, in many ways, is built into who they are, prompting them to look down on others with disregard. 
 
Alright, so who is being compared to the Pharisee in today’s Gospel? Jesus went on to say, “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. (Luke 18:10)
 
In this verse, Jesus now presents the identities of both men; besides the Pharisee, we have a tax collector. Remember, tax collectors were not seen as good men. They were Jewish men who worked for the Roman Empire and were therefore viewed as traitors. It was often believed they skimmed money from the top for themselves. 
 
But here we are with two men coming to the temple of God. The temple is an important location throughout Scripture. At the beginning of Luke’s gospel, Jesus was brought to the pinnacle of the temple, where Satan tempted Him to throw Himself down. But the temple is also mentioned near the end, when Jesus is crucified. The temple is where God’s presence resides.
 
When Jesus came to the temple in last week’s gospel and cleansed it by throwing out those who treated the place as a den of thieves, He was foreshadowing what was to happen through His crucifixion and resurrection. Not only would the temple now become obsolete, but the kingdom of heaven, of peace, forgiveness, and eternal life, would reside in Him, the true temple of God.
 
So now the question might be, how does one approach and enter the presence of the temple of God?
 
In verses 11-12, the Gospel said,
The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’  Luke 18:11-12)
 
Alright, both men have come into the presence of God in the temple, and now we hear the Pharisee’s prayer, which isn’t odd because prayers were often spoken aloud. Speaking prayers aloud can be a good thing, too. This exercise can provide additional focus to your prayers and ensure your mind doesn’t wander during prayers.
 
We don’t pray like this because, for one, we’re afraid others will hear our prayers. We also don’t want people to think we’re weird for praying aloud or in public, so we allow our faith to be completely silenced and just don’t pray at all. 
 
Which is wrong.
 
But back to the Pharisee, he’s praying aloud for all to hear what a good guy he is; maybe he’s trying to impress those around him. The image you see is a man who believes he’s better than others and is an elitist.
 
With all the “I’s” he says, he’s sure happy to not be like the others, and he sure gives thanks to God for himself. What a guy!
 
The Pharisee is very thankful to not be like the extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. He does his good works by fasting twice a week and giving tithes of all he receives.
 
What a guy!
 
It’s almost as if the Pharisee is justifying himself. If this were a court case or trial, he’d be presenting the evidence to the judge and saying, please look at me; look how good a guy I am. 
 
Again, let’s hear the quote from C.S. Lewis, “A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you.”
 
You can see the pride of the Pharisee’s heart. He has set the stage for everyone to look up to him as he looks down on everyone else. There is no humility or humbleness in the Pharisee’s heart.
 
The contrast between this Pharisee and the tax collector will be clear as we continue hearing the parable from Jesus. He says,
But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ (Luke 18:13)
 
What a difference between the two men: the Tax Collector stands far off because he knows how sinful he is, and when one is sinful, they are weighed down with sorrow. Reflect on a situation in your life when you did something to cause harm to a husband or wife, a mother or father, sister or brother. When we sin against those we deeply care for, it’s hard to enter their presence, let alone to confess our sin to them, because of how unworthy we feel.
 
But the recognition of sin should create humility within us, just as it did in the Tax Collector. He can’t even raise his eyes to heaven, just as you cannot raise yours to make contact with those you’ve harmed. You can sympathize with the Tax Collector, can’t you?
 
He also beats his chest, saying, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!”
 
The beating of the chest was a physical sign of unworthiness and a visible expression of contrition.
 
We don’t use physical expressions of faith as much these days. But physical expressions of contrition and faith are okay. Which of you, as a child, did not bend over in tears when you did something wrong, broke a window while playing baseball, got in a car accident, and went to your parents to ask for forgiveness? We simply don’t always recognize the ways we have expressed our contrition in the past. 
 
If one wished to beat their chest or make the sign of the cross to confess their sin and need for the Savior, that would be most appropriate and acceptable. It is not required, but it is acceptable. My guess is that over the years we’d probably become like the Pharisee, which is ironic, looking down or with difference upon another Christian who came before Jesus beating their chest or making the sign of the cross to express contrition and their need for a Savior.
 
To be sure, the physical actions of the Tax Collector do not save him or earn God’s forgiveness, but they do confess what’s occurring in his heart, namely the desire to be justified and forgiven. 
 
And in the last verse of the Gospel, Jesus says,
 
I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18:14)
 
The Tax Collector, who approaches the presence of God in humility, goes away forgiven, while the holier-than-thou Pharisee continues to be caught up in the sin of pride.
 
What do we learn from this? Simply coming to the temple of the Lord and confessing sins does not automatically mean you are absolved. No, instead, one must come into the Lord’s presence with humility, as the Tax Collector did, recognizing one’s wretched state and need for a Savior. 
 
One must not look to oneself for salvation, but to Jesus for salvation. Because it was His death upon the cross that won for you justification and redemption.
 
Reflect on this for a moment. Even as Jesus was lifted up on the cross, He did not look down with begrudging eyes as He hung there for the sins of the world; He looked to His Father. He looked up and fulfilled His Father’s will.
 
As you journey throughout the days of the week, catch yourself when you begin to look down upon others, when you begin to believe you are better than someone else, repent of these sins, then come before Jesus, confess your faith in Him, shift your eyes up to His cross, beat your chest, bend a knee, and say with the sinful and wretched Tax Collector, “God, be merciful to be, a sinner!”
 
And having heard the absolution from the pastor, been fed through the flesh and blood of Jesus at this altar, go to your home, forgiven and at peace. +INJ+
 
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Pastor, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
 
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Website: www.goodsheptomah.org
The Shepherd’s Voice Podcast: https://goodsheptomah.podbean.com/
 
 

The Funeral of Stanley Martin Schleusener
August 10, 2026
 
Dear Marilyn, family, friends, brothers, and sisters in Christ Jesus, grace, mercy, and peace be unto you this day.
 
It’s always interesting to sit with members in their homes, you learn so much about them, you hear about their childhoods, their likes and dislikes, the jobs they had, the love they have for a spouse, their children, and grandchildren.
 
You also get to learn about their hobbies. Sometimes the hobbies can stir the most conversation, too. Before meeting Stan, I hadn’t really known anyone who had the hobby of beekeeping, nor did I know much about these pesty insects.
 
But as Stan was homebound for most of the past year or so, we really had a lot of time to visit.
 
Stan enjoyed beekeeping. It was something to see the photo of him standing next to one of his beehives; it looked like the hive was taller than he was, and he was a tall man.  
 
Truth be told, after talking with Stan, I gained a new perspective on bees and began to see their deeper purpose. Like many people, my entire view of bees was shaped by childhood encounters with being stung.
 
It’s like, “What did I do to you, bee?”
 
“Why are these bees always so angry with me?”
 
Of course, maybe the bees weren’t mad at me at all until I started swinging my hands at them.
 
“Get away from me…”
 
Because of Stan’s love of bees, I had to see how often they are mentioned throughout Scripture.
 
Four times.
 
Three of those instances describe how these winged insects became angry (Psalm 118:12), chased after God’s people (Deuteronomy 1:44), served as a symbol of conflict among nations (Isaiah 7:22), and stung. 
 
Only once are bees mentioned in the Scriptures in connection with honey, which is interesting since one of the only reasons we care about bees is the sweet and sticky fluid they make, honey. This occurs in the book of Judges when Samson sees a swarm of bees in the carcass of a lion, and he scoops up some honey to eat. (Judges 14:8-9)
 
Although beekeeping has existed since ancient times, the honey from bees mentioned in the Old Testament was often seen as a sign of good land. But the land of milk and honey also often refers to uncultivated land, an area we might consider wild. This might seem strange at first, but it makes sense because this type of land is suitable for sheep and goats to graze freely and for making milk, while the many flowers attract wild honeybees. 
 
No human hands have gone into these meadows or forests to change their environment.
 
If you look back to the environment of the Garden of Eden before the fall, it had not been altered by human hands either. It was created and brought into existence through the Word of God. It was a perfect meadow in every way. Until man got involved.
 
Adam and Eve brought sin into the world, changing the environment; the very soil of the earth would be cursed, where thorns and thistles would grow, work would be difficult, and there was a promise that all men would return to the ground from which man was first created and eventually return to dust. 
 
However, God would make a new promise to Adam and Eve: a child from their lineage would be born to redeem this fallen world and decaying creation.
 
From this point on, the story of the Old Testament is about Adam and Eve’s children, the children of Israel, being first led into slavery, and then, through the hand of God, being rescued, taught to trust in Him, and being guided to the Promised Land, an uncultivated land flowing with milk and honey. 
 
Yet, this land is not the eternal land of milk and honey; no, that will only come through another child of Adam and Eve.
 
This child, of course, is Jesus.
 
He was born of Mary in the little town of Bethlehem to lead the children of Israel, not to an earthly land of plenteousness, but a heavenly home.  
 
A homeland that is beyond comparing in this world, bought and secured for you through the death of Jesus upon the cross.
 
It’s the pain and suffering of Jesus upon the cross that secured for you a way home to the land of milk and honey.
 
However, your journey, like Stan’s, continues to take place in a fallen creation where thorns and thistles grow both from the earth and from your hearts, impacting relationships that still need tending through the confession of sins and receiving the forgiveness Christ Jesus won for you. 
 
Yet there are still difficult days throughout this life, and we can grow angry and frustrated when we can no longer do the things we once enjoyed. When we lose control. When we have to start relying on others for help. These are difficult situations.
 
Like so many, Stan struggled not being able to mow the lawn, do yard work, or tend the bees. It wouldn’t shock me if it frustrated him from time to time to not be able to do the things he loved.
 
Could your life reflect Stan’s if you lost your freedoms?
 
Might you become as irritable and angry as bees when you lose control? You might be the ones buzzing around others, which of course distracts you from faith and the purpose of the bee (at least the good bees)—to produce sweet nectar that delights the taste buds and reminds you of the sweetness of your eternal home waiting for all of you. 
 
When these days come, the struggle to remain faithful and loving is tested.
 
When you struggle or forget to remain faithful and loving, it’s because you’ve forgotten to confess your Savior, Jesus Christ, who died upon the cross for your sins and the sins of the world.
 
Stan’s Confirmation verse was from the tenth chapter of St. Matthew, “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 10: 32)
 
When you confess your sins, you confess not only your need for a Savior, but you also confess your Savior, Jesus Christ.
 
Confession is the evidence of what is in the heart.
 
Jesus then promises that for those who make this confession, He will confess them before His Father in heaven on the last day, saying, “This one, this child is mine.”
 
During my recent visits with Stan, we talked about bees more often. He shared how special he felt because both Pastor Thompson and I visited him on the same day. During the last visit, though, he continued to confess his sins, as every Christian is called to do. He wanted to receive Christ’s forgiveness and be ready for His Good Shepherd to lead him through his remaining hours of this valley and shadow of death to where all the faithful dwell with the Lord forever. (Psalm 23)
 
Isn’t it incredible that one of the last things our brother in Christ did was to confess His sins and, in turn, confess his Savior? 
 
In this way, Stan took his Confirmation verse to heart, lived it, and confessed it.
 
That is a gift.
 
One of the last things I learned about regarding beekeeping (actually, this was from Marilyn) was the use of the white suit. It was always peculiar to me that beekeepers wore all white when they dealt with the bees; I never understood it.
 
But I do now (or at least kinda). The white is said to keep the bees calm and prevent them from stinging. The white also helps the keeper spot strays that might be buzzing around. The white suit not only signals that the oddly dressed person is a beekeeper but also reflects their identity. 
 
Likewise, just as the urn is covered with a white pall, it reminds us that Stan was baptized into the name of Jesus. He received the sign of the Holy cross both upon his forehead and his heart to mark him one redeemed by Christ the crucified. Stan was a forgiven child of God, a child now dwelling where the sting of sin has ended.
 
You, my friends, are also God’s baptized children, clothed in the white robes of righteousness. These garments give you peace and prevent you from stinging one another, help you identify the evils of this life that wish to distract and anger you, and reflect who you are in Christ, your identity as a redeemed child of God.
 
As we will journey to the grave to place the urn into the ground, remember who you are in Christ, be at peace, and as we go to the grave, join Stan in singing the song of heavenly joy, confessing your Savior as you also await the day when you will be brought into the heavenly land of milk and honey, of eternal life. +INJ+
 
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Pastor, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
 
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Website: www.goodsheptomah.org
The Shepherd’s Voice Podcast: https://goodsheptomah.podbean.com/
 
 
 

The Tenth Sunday after Trinity
August 4, 2024
Text: Luke 19:41-48
 
Whenever this Gospel is mentioned, I always think it’s important to reflect on the time when Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed. 
 
Armies had surrounded the city on each side, and the walls were torn down; no stone was left unturned. The inhabitants were slaughtered, crucified, and dismembered as blood filled the streets, and the utter destruction of a civilization was at hand.
 
As food and water grow scarce, daughters turn against their mothers and fathers against their sons. It’s every man, woman, and child for themselves.
 
We live in relative peace compared to the days when Jesus foretold the destruction of Jerusalem, which occurred in A.D. 70 under the Roman General Titus.
 
Despite Jerusalem, literally meaning “City of Peace,” there would be no peace in this place. Even today, not only military, but intense religious friction remains throughout Jerusalem and Israel.
 
Imagine this: over 2000 years ago, Jesus wept for Jerusalem, a city still conflicted, as He entered it to begin His journey to the cross. He wept and said, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace!” (Luke 19:42)
 
Are we different from those who lived in Jerusalem? Do we understand what brings peace?
 
Are we any different from those whom Jesus tossed from the temple?
 
In the Old Testament reading, God came to Jeremiah and said to Judah, “Amend your ways and deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place. Do not trust in these deceptive words: This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord.” (Jeremiah 7:3-4)
 
First, when God calls people to amend their ways, He is instructing them to repent and turn away from their sins. But He also lets them know that He can see through their words. Simply saying that this is the temple of the Lord does not make it so; one cannot rely solely on outward appearances or superficial views when it comes to being in the temple of the Lord or being a member of it. 
 
These words from Jeremiah call on the people to abandon superficial faith and grave sins that lack true fear, love, and trust in God; sins that only lead to destruction rather than salvation. 
 
So, what were the sins of Judah? God speaks through Jeremiah,
“Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, and make offerings to other gods that you have not known, and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, ‘We are delivered! – only to go on doing all these abominations’” (Jeremiah 7:9-10)
 
Things did not change from the days of Jeremiah to the day of Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem; the people still “stole, murdered, committed adultery, swore falsely, and made offerings to other gods that they did not know, and then come and then stood before God in His house… and said, ‘We are delivered! – only to go on doing all these abominations.’” (Jeremiah 7:9-10)
 
And here is a serious question for us today: are we any different from those whom Jesus tossed from the temple?
 
You can interpret these words from Jeremiah in a few different ways. First, during the first Holy Week, those in the Jerusalem temple had become corrupted by greed, turning it into a den of thieves. 
 
The second question might hit closer to home for us: Are you stealing, murdering, committing adultery, giving false testimony, worshiping other gods, going to church, saying, “I’m forgiven!” but then leaving and continuing to do all these things without changing your ways?
 
But thirdly, is there a spiritual warfare at play here as well?
 
If the Church is the Bride of Christ, then how does the Bride respond to the love of the Bridegroom?
 
Does the Bride, the Church, allow itself to be filled with greed and focus on making a budget rather than staying faithful to His Word? Does the church become a place of bearing false witness, gossip, and breaking the 8th commandment? Does the Bride allow other gods and teachings to enter the Bridegroom’s sanctuary? In other words, does the church cheat on their Lord and Savior to avoid offending anyone?
 
Over the years, churches have done these things, but in doing so, they have lost God’s true and abiding word.
 
And when the time comes for the Church in these situations to amend her ways and repent of her sins, it remains very difficult because they have turned away and wandered so far from where God’s Word, the food and drink of His altar, is not near or even found. 
 
Just as it was when Jerusalem was ransacked in A.D. 70, when food and water grow scarce, especially the heavenly food and drink, daughters turn against their mothers and fathers against their sons. All one sees is every man, woman, and child for themselves.
 
This remains an image of the Church today when God’s Word is not the center of everything we do as a gathering of God’s saints on earth.
 
The Word of Jesus must gather, strengthen faith, and guide us in all our ways; otherwise, the Church risks becoming a den of thieves, a superficial club of programs and activities, or just another non-profit.  
 
If these things should occur, you can be sure that Jesus still weeps for us and says, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace!” (Luke 19:42)
 
When the church stops focusing on Christ and Him crucified, we become just like Jerusalem that was destroyed.
 
The church’s walls will crumble and collapse on themselves; people will grow frustrated and short-tempered with one another, risking love, community, and eternity, and faithful generations could be lost. 
 
All because of our departure from God’s Word, allowing sin to take root and spread among the people, fostering the belief that the Church endures because of the people.
 
But the Church endures because of its foundation, which is Christ Jesus, who went to the cross and died for His Bridegroom, for you.
 
This is pretty amazing because, despite life’s challenges, changes that sweep through a church, and the gathering of God’s saints, the Church endures because it’s built on the foundation of Jesus Christ and His Word. 
 
The fourth stanza of today’s sermon hymn, The Church’s One Foundation, helps put all of this into perspective for us as well. We sang,
Through toil and tribulation    And tumult of her warShe waits the consummation    Of peace forevermoreTill with the vision glorious    Her longing eyes are blest,And the great Church victorious    Shall be the Church at rest.
                                                ~LSB 644:4
 
Certainly, there will be ups and downs throughout life, and toils and tribulations within the Church. Some may be spiritual, others emotional, some worldly, and still others relational. Yet, everything the Church does aims to lead her people, you, and your brothers and sisters in Christ to become the victorious Church and the Church at rest. 
 
The Church that is at peace.
 
To be this Church, we must sincerely gather, confess our sins, and seek to amend our ways so we can receive God’s absolution and forgiveness. In turn, this allows us to grow in faith and holiness, strengthen the foundations of God’s Church on earth, and teaches us to love not only the Lord with all our heart but also our neighbors as ourselves.
 
Because, in the end, the goal of every Christian is to be brought into the eternal presence of God. For this sanctuary and church to be a reflection and image of the heavenly Jerusalem, the place of eternal peace and rest. 
 
Think about that, this sanctuary and church are to be a reflection and image of the heavenly Jerusalem.
 
This, my friends, should change how we live, how we gather here in this place, how we approach each service, and how we depart into our daily lives.
 
Because the sole purpose of this sanctuary and church is to prepare and lead you to Jesus.
 
So come, gather, and cling to every word of Christ. +INJ+
 
 
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Pastor, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
 
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Website: www.goodsheptomah.org
The Shepherd’s Voice Podcast: https://goodsheptomah.podbean.com/
 

The Ninth Sunday after Trinity
August 2, 2026
Luke 16:1-13
 
This past week, we finished another year of family night. The theme of our Family Nights was stewardship. Coincidentally, the Gospel reading today is called the “Parable of the Unjust Steward.”
 
The purpose of Family Nights this year was to teach children how to be stewards in many areas of daily life, to care for their families through food, home, and resources, while reminding adults where true stewardship begins and comes from.
 
But to accomplish this, we need to understand what stewardship means.
 
The Greek word for steward is “οἰκονόμος.” The root of “οἰκονόμος” is actually two words, “οἶκος,” meaning house, home, or estate, and “νόμος,” which denotes law, rule, and authority. A steward is someone who is given or placed in authority to manage or oversee a home, estate, or even, in modern times, a business. 
 
Another ancient definition of the word, “οἰκονόμος” or “οἰκονόμia,” is economy. Perhaps this is why we often associate stewardship mainly with money, because of how we perceive and understand the word, economy today.
 
Today, we view the economy as a free market where we trade money and stocks, buy food, cars, and homes. Many believe that the economy depends on who is in power, who is leading the government, interest rates, and so on.
 
However, like many things we have come to accept as true, is this the best understanding of the word economy? Has this worldly definition misled us as Christians?
 
How many of you would describe your home as an economy?
 
Yet, in many ways, the home is the foundation of a Christian economy and a Christian understanding of stewardship.
 
Over the past month, we’ve learned that stewardship starts in the Garden of Eden, where God created man in His image, placed Adam in the garden, and trusted him with caring for all living things. God put Adam in the Garden to tend and keep it, making him its steward. 
 
The creation account shows that Adam was not meant to be lazy; he was a worker made in God's image. 
 
Adam’s perfect stewardship ended when he allowed his wife, Eve, to take from the tree they were forbidden to eat from. The devil led them to idolize something that wasn’t theirs to have—the knowledge of good and evil.
 
Like these two in the Garden of Eden, the stewardship of our homes and lives fails when we allow idols to take hold of our hearts.
 
What has turned into an idol in your heart?
 
Sure, we could list money, cars, sports, guns, school activities, clubs, and so on, but there might be a deeper question being asked here…
 
Where has God placed you—the home, church, and your community? What vocations and tasks has God entrusted to you in these settings? 
 
Remember, God created Adam, then placed him in the Garden, and entrusted him with caring for everything within that space and time. 
 
So, where has God placed you, and what has He entrusted to your care in these areas of life?
 
When you reflect on these questions and use these perspectives, you then realize how you have squandered and wasted the master’s goods.
 
Look around your home — sure, you see siding you haven’t repaired and a vehicle that still needs an oil change, but what about the child you’ve committed to and entrusted with raising in the Christian faith? Think about the scriptures you promised to read, the pledge you made to come, confess your sins, and receive the flesh and blood of Jesus for the forgiveness of all your sins. 
 
What about these things? God’s Word, His Sacraments, His forgiveness?
 
Have you wasted or misused these gifts?
 
Are you wasting or squandering these gifts by not gathering around them, inviting others, and bringing those within your household to receive them?
 
You know, it’s easy for a church to lose its way, become idolatrous, and squander the gifts entrusted to it. Of course, we want more people to join us. The devil tries to tempt us into comparing ourselves to churches nearby. We complain when budgets aren’t met. We get distracted by small things like the color of the paint on the walls or the carpet on the floor.
 
Meeting the budget, gaining a hundred members a year, being one hundred percent in agreement on paint colors, or having the raddest youth group doesn’t define the church, nor does it, at the most basic level, mean that we are good stewards of the things and people entrusted to our care.
 
No, again, good stewardship starts with the Gospel, the good news of Jesus and the forgiveness of sin.
 
Reflect on Adam and Eve’s fall into sin. They failed in the stewardship entrusted to them, but the Creator also promised to provide a cure for this failure. He promised to send His Son, Jesus Christ, to be born of the flesh, born of Mary, to bear the sins of man, including mismanagement and especially the disregard we have for the relationships and people entrusted to us, upon the cross. 
 
It is through this death on the cross that humanity is redeemed and made new. As St. Paul wrote, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
 
Every time you confess your sins and receive your Father’s forgiveness in heaven, you are made into a new creation and a renewed steward of God. 
 
And this is what the pastor is sent and entrusted with: the stewardship of the Gospel, of announcing the forgiveness of sins to those who confess their transgressions. As St. Paul says, pastors are to be “Stewards of the mysteries of God.” (1 Corinthians 4:1)
 
If this stewardship of grace is lost, then the church is also lost.
 
Alright, so how does the church move forward with this frame of mind and spirit of the heart?
 
We come to understand that we cannot serve two masters; there can only be one, and that is Him, Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for you.
 
If you have failed in your stewardship of the things and people entrusted to your care, you need to repent. The Collect of the Day begins and guides us as we pray: “Let Your merciful ears, O Lord, be open to the prayers of Your humble servants.” Humble yourself and confess how you’ve squandered God’s gifts: the people, the community you’ve been placed in, your finances, and possessions that have been entrusted to you.
 
Surely, you’ve all acted like this unjust steward in the parable today, but consider how the Master treated him; the Master was merciful.
 
He is merciful to you as well. He loves you, forgives you, and the amazing thing is that He keeps trusting you with the gifts of His Kingdom, especially the forgiveness of sins. 
 
As you leave here today, remember this and be as merciful to your neighbor as your Lord and Master is merciful to you. See the people in your lives as the gifts they are, given and entrusted to you. See the Church not just as your institution to manage but as the fertile garden where God’s Word can be nourished, care for you, and bring others to faith. Because this is how true stewardship begins, with the word and grace of God planted into your ears and heart.
 
This word and grace then sustain you throughout this life as the Great Steward, prepares you to receive a heavenly reward, prepared by Him through His death and resurrection.
 
This changes everything…
 
So go ahead and be a new creation and image of your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, the Great Steward of man, forgiving, loving, and caring for all those who dwell within your house, church, community, and presence, supporting each other through these dark and latter days as you journey together toward the new heaven and new earth that await us all. +INJ+
 
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Pastor, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
 
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Website: www.goodsheptomah.org
The Shepherd’s Voice Podcast: https://goodsheptomah.podbean.com/
 

Mark 10:35-45
 
 
We all have questions, but are we willing to ask them?
 
What keeps you from asking questions? Are you afraid that the other person might think your question is too simple or silly? Are you worried about how they might respond? What if you already know the answer? Or, of course, maybe the person you’re asking doesn’t know the answer, or doesn’t have the authority or permission to answer your question, or provide what you want.
 
But we all have questions, don’t we?
 
James and John seem to have a straightforward question for Jesus in today’s Gospel: “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in glory.”
 
Have you ever noticed that some questions can also appear selfish, cause a stir, or create division among people?
 
The Gospel said the other ten Disciples were not so happy with the question posed by James and John. Why do they get to sit closest to Jesus?
 
But Jesus didn’t respond with matching anger, honestly, he wasn’t rude, He simply said, “You do not know what you are asking.”
 
People often don’t appreciate this type of response.
 
Why don’t they know what they’re asking?
 
For one, because the Passion and death of Jesus are hidden in these words, hidden from their understanding.
 
But also, to sit at the right and left hand of Jesus is not His to give; that rests with His Father.
 
So again, sometimes a person can’t answer a question because they lack the authority and permission to do so.
 
James and John not only asked for something Jesus could not grant, but for something they did not fully comprehend. To sit at His left and right hands.
 
Jesus’ response to these two brothers continued,
“You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?”
 
These words of Jesus look forward to His cross. The cup symbolizes the wrath and punishment for mankind’s sin. The baptism is that of His blood shed on the cross, His death.
 
In ancient times, the term “baptism of blood” referred to a martyr’s death.
 
Jesus asked James and John, “Are you able to drink the cup that I drink?” In other words, are you able to suffer my Passion?
 
Or are you able to be baptized with the baptism I am to undergo? “Are you able to die in a similar manner as me?”
 
A death like that of Jesus on the cross.
 
Will you die in my name?
 
All of you said as much in the confession you gave on the day of your confirmation, but remember, martyrdom is not sought; it is received.
 
But what has Jesus taught His disciples about prayer, about petitioning the Father, asking questions, “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.” (John 14:13-14)
 
Then why won’t Jesus just give these two what they ask for?
 
Because it is important to understand that our questions and prayers are answered according to the Father’s will.
 
Reflect on the words of the Lord’s Prayer as we were taught to pray to the Father, “Thy will be done.”
 
You shouldn’t get discouraged in your prayers; you should always turn to the Lord in prayer, but also understand that His plans are not your plans, and His will is not your will. 
 
If your prayer is asked rightly, in Jesus’ name and according to the Father’s will, you shouldn’t worry that it won’t be answered, because a Christian’s prayer is always not to be led into temptation and to be delivered from the evil one. 
 
This is what your Father in heaven wishes to grant you.
 
The prayer of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane teaches us these truths. Remember that He prayed for His Father to remove the cup of wrath, placed upon Him on Calvary, but it wasn’t.
 
Why wasn’t the prayer granted? Because it wasn’t the Father’s will. Because the Father loved the Son. Because the Father loves you.
 
Reflect on that: you undoubtedly asked your parents for many things in life that you didn’t receive, and later on, you might understand why they didn’t give you what you asked for. 
 
The same is true today: the child asks for sugary cereal for breakfast, but the parent gives them oatmeal and fruit. The parent isn’t trying to satisfy the child’s immediate desire but to care for the child’s body and mind, setting them up for a good start to the day. 
 
The petition for breakfast was granted, but not in the way the child wanted. Instead, it was granted in the way that is best. They just won’t understand how this was a good answer to their request until later in life, and when we pray, health concerns caused by unhealthy lifestyle choices are kept at bay. 
 
Asking questions is important. Too often in life, we have simply stopped asking questions. Maybe we’re afraid they won’t be answered, or maybe we’re worried we won’t like the answer, but still, don’t stop asking questions. Keep asking me, your pastor, questions, no matter what, and continue going to the Lord in prayer with your petitions and laments.
 
The answer to your prayer may come immediately, but it might also raise more questions. Your question could be answered with another question. But remember that when you ask your Father in heaven in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, your plea for redemption, no matter how hard it seems, will be answered on the last day as you are welcomed into His eternal presence. 
 
But that’s what makes all of this so hard, isn’t it? Sometimes, even when you know the answer, you still have to wait on the Lord…
 
The question James and John asked Jesus could not be fulfilled at that moment. For one, they didn’t know what they were asking for. Two, Jesus could not grant what they wanted. Additionally, it wasn’t the time. 
 
In a fascinating way, if you look to the cross, you know who was given a place at the right and left hand of Jesus, don’t you?
 
Criminals!
 
Sinners like you. People who ask questions and petition your Father in heaven for help. Questions that sometimes appear to anger and frustrate others. Questions you may even already know the answer to. Questions that reveal your impatience. Questions that demonstrate your faith and great need for help.
 
That’s what a good question does, after all: it reveals humility and dependence on another. It shows that you cannot save yourself and need to be saved. It makes known that you don’t have all the answers, that you are weak, broken, and in need.
 
So do as Jesus says and take the lowest place among your peers, humble yourself, and ask the question, Father, for the sake of Your Son, Jesus, please forgive me all my sins. Bring me into your eternal presence as you brought the thief upon the cross.
 
This is really the question James and John were asking Jesus. They wanted to be in Jesus’ eternal presence. But for St. James, he would drink the cup of suffering and receive the baptism of blood in a martyr’s death for the confession of faith he proclaimed. 
 
Certainly, none of you desire a death such as this, but if you were to ask the question from the Epistle this morning, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” (Romans 8:35) You’d better be ready, as St. James, the answer to this question may involve tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, or even the sword.
 
But like St. James, your confession of faith has also made you conquerors through the cross that awaited Jesus, because the cross is the answer to your prayers, where the Father’s love is revealed for you, even now.
 
How great is this?
 
When questions of your faith arise, look to the cross, see the answer to your prayers, and then pray, “Come Lord Jesus, come quickly.” (Revelation 22:20) +INJ+
 
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Pastor, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
 
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Website: www.goodsheptomah.org
The Shepherd’s Voice Podcast: https://goodsheptomah.podbean.com/
 

 
July 12, 2026
 
The readings today really provide a nice little sermon for us to ponder.
 
The Old Testament gives us the Law, including the Ten Commandments. The Epistle explains how we should be dead to sin and alive to God. Finally, the Gospel shows how Jesus fulfilled the Law. 
 
For this sermon, we will start with the Old Testament reading from Exodus. These words from God remind Israel of how He rescued them from Egyptian slavery, highlighting His greatness as a God and Father. They also present the Ten Commandments, which show what service in God’s kingdom should look like, both to Him and to others. 
 
However, as we know, we do not always follow the law as we should. We fail to act morally; often, our actions can’t be justified. Our words lack decency and grace. 
 
Reflect on the commandments. Do you avoid adultery in thought, word, or deed? What would your phone or computer search history reveal?
 
Do you use the Lord’s name in vain? Let’s listen to your child’s speech and find out.
 
What does someone’s church attendance reveal about remembering and observing the Sabbath Day?
 
How are your parents? Do you listen to and obey them, children? What about you older children, do you still call your parents and help them as you should? 
 
Have you coveted or stolen a neighbor’s property? Should we check out your garage?
 
Or what about murder? Have your words spoken in the darkness, the gossip of your lips, slain your neighbor?
 
The Law is meant to show you how to live as a child of God. However, because you can’t do this perfectly, the Law exposes your sin and the ways you’ve fallen short of keeping the commandments. 
 
You don’t like this, and I understand. None of us usually enjoy being told we’ve failed, and none of us appreciate the disappointment in a parent’s look. 
 
Sometimes, you encounter folks who I want to believe are well-meaning, saying that the Ten Commandments don’t apply to us today. They claim the commandments were strictly part of the Old Testament, and after Jesus came, they no longer matter. 
 
We call these people antinomians — anti-law. They downplay the law so you can live guilt-free.
 
However, does Jesus say that the law doesn’t matter?
 
No, in the Gospel today, Jesus says, “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.” (Matthew 5:17)
Even more, Jesus says, Whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:19)
 
Alright, so the law, the Ten Commandments, still matter to us today.
 
But they are not what the Scribes and Pharisees thought, something to be achieved. You can’t achieve the Ten Commandments or live a perfect life.
 
Jesus will emphasize this through His teaching on anger.
 
You see, those who believe you can achieve or fulfill the Law often see it narrowly as only the outward acts of man. But Jesus wants the Scribes, Pharisees, and you to understand that transgressions not only include but also begin within the heart, as He said. 
 
 ‘You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, “Raca!’ (or insults his brother) shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire. (Matthew 5:21-22)
 
Murder starts in the heart and mind, with your thoughts before it turns into gossiping words, and God forbid the physical taking of a life. 
 
And so you don’t become a hypocrite in the temple or congregation of the Lord, Jesus says,
Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. (Matthew 5:23-25)
 
To oversimplify these words: You cannot rightly approach God’s altar to offer Him praise or receive His peace if you have not first reconciled with those you have trouble with, those you are at odds with. 
 
Often, we believe the false idea that if we simply don’t say something or avoid reconciliation, time will heal all wounds. However, without reconciliation, not only is the sin still very present, but you also cannot properly approach God’s presence, and you should fear His punishment. 
 
However, it’s often our inability to stay silent and refrain from speaking that not only gets us into trouble but also leads to the spiritual harm of our neighbors through gossip. In many ways, what drives gossiping? Jealousy, insecurity, fear, anger? 
 
If this is the case, then there is a great need for confession, for all of us, including myself. Because this way of life and these actions reveal hearts caught in sin. This is why the Law, the Ten Commandments, are still necessary to show us our sin and lead us to confess the sins of the heart before God and our neighbors alike. 
 
If only there were a place where we could meet our neighbor to confess our sins, receive their forgiveness, and be reminded of how we have been united with them in the death and resurrection of Jesus.  
 
Oh wait, this is what the Epistle reading illudes to: the place where we all die to sin, because in Holy Baptism we have died with Christ, so that we may be raised to new life through the forgiveness of Christ, the forgiveness that makes us new creations—new men and women, able to reconcile with one another. 
 
This image represents the Christian life because in Holy Baptism, you are united with Christ. If you refuse to forgive, you deny Christ and your Baptism, and you act as if God’s Law, the Ten Commandments, do not matter. This is a very bad idea.
 
Instead, revisit and relearn the Ten Commandments. See how they guide your way of living, how they aim to steer you away from sin, and how they reveal the sins you need to confess before your neighbor and before God. 
 
Confess these sins, then look to the cross and see how your Father in heaven loved you. Man, did He love you. He sent His only Son to die for you, to forgive you, and to enable you to forgive one another.
 
And finally, you’ve heard it a million times, and you’ll hear it another million. But as you walk past the font, remember your baptism—recall that you have died to sin and risen to new life in Christ. Then live as a new creation, putting away sin and reconciling with your neighbors—because that is what it means to be a Christian. To be Christlike. +INJ+ 
 
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Pastor, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
 
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Website: www.goodsheptomah.org
The Shepherd’s Voice Podcast: https://goodsheptomah.podbean.com/

The Fifth Sunday after Trinity
July 5, 2026
Luke 5:1-11
 
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
 
Yesterday, the country paused for fireworks, picnics, and celebrations. But why? It was our nation's Independence Day. It marks the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, some 250 years ago in 1776, a document few continue to read, but many will quote these words, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
 
So, you are promised an existence. The right to life – being alive. And you have the right to liberty, meaning you are free. But you are also given the pursuit of happiness.
 
Well, what does this mean?
 
Is the pursuit of happiness a state of being, or does the word “pursuit” mean chasing after or seeking happiness? If you ask most people today, they would say the pursuit of happiness is an effort that citizens chase. Like being an overcomer or a rags-to-riches story achieved through hard work, grit, and determination. This is how most of the world thinks and operates. 
 
In the Gospel, there were no riches for Peter, no abundant catch of fish. What he did have in his possession were empty nets to be cleaned. Cleaning the nets would not be enjoyable; it would be downright laborious and tidiest work, yet this fishing crew worked hard with no bounty to show for it. Their pursuit of food and happiness led to the deep darkness of disappointment.
 
The deep darkness of disappointment remains a challenge for you as well. While you desire joy and happiness and work hard for it, you often find yourself unsatisfied in life. You grumble when others receive promotions you have worked so hard for. You are distraught over the happiness shown by other families, while you simply strive to hold onto the family you have. You grow depressed as sin enslaves you through secret addictions of the heart. Life isn't fair, and you are not always joyful. 
 
You have developed a lack of satisfaction with your labors and vocations because they do not yield the fruit you desire or the profits you expect. Yet, you are reminded through the interactions of Peter and Jesus how all things come from God's hand, even our freedom.
 
Solomon was the author of Psalm 127, a Psalm that speaks to the reality that the foundation of all your labors is God the Father. Solomon writes, “Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.” (V. 1) Your protection and care are derived from the presence of God. The wisdom of God's Word is the foundation of your homes and the labors we undertake.
 
But the world is fallen, unsatisfied, and anxious. Solomon writes again, “It is in vain that you rise early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.” (Psalm 127:2) The bread of anxious toil is the result of man’s fall into sin and recalls the Words God spoke to Adam in the garden after the fall, “In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread.” (Genesis 3:19)
 
No longer would labor be enjoyable, but thorns and thistles would fill the earth and hamper the pursuits of man. They would remind man of their dependence upon their Father in heaven and bring us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.”
 
These are the words Jesus is teaching Peter and the rest of his crew. Our daily bread and the needs for life, family, and country all come through His gracious hand. In the miraculous catch, Jesus reveals His authority over heaven and earth. He shows Himself as the God-Man.
 
Peter’s confession then is our confession – “Depart from me, because I am a sinful man, Lord.” It’s a confession of awareness, unworthiness, and sinfulness. But, Peter was wrong in one aspect when he said, “Depart from me.” In reality, he should have said, "Lord, come to me because I am a sinful man."
 
To you as to Peter, Christ says, “Do not fear.” Do not fear because, through His death and resurrection, your confession of sin is met with an announcement of absolution and forgiveness.
 
Through your baptism, you were plunged into the depths and darkness of Christ's death and raised to the glories of new life through His resurrection. 
 
Our English translations always fail to provide a clear understanding of Jesus’ words near the end of the Gospel, as they often say, "Do not be afraid. From now on, you will catch men." Instead, the correct translation should be, "From now on, you will catch men alive."
 
To catch men alive takes us back to the beginning of our text, where crowds gathered upon Christ to “hear the Word of God.”
 
Here is why pastors are sent into the world to proclaim God's Word to you and those who are in despair from the toils and arduous labors of life. To proclaim forgiveness in Christ's name so that you are no longer slaves to sin but to Christ Himself.
 
It’s through the Word of God that you seek to hear this day; you are brought into the boat, the ark of the Church, to be kept safe throughout the deep and dark days of this life. You are no longer dead but made alive.
 
Alive and able to stand beside your neighbor who received a promotion before you with joy, support, and love for them. Or by having the Word of God upon your lips—speak it with gentleness so it may bring calm and peace to a family tired and frayed. Or if it is you who has been pursued by addiction, see the image of Peter this day and join in His Confession - "Lord, come to me because I am a sinful man."
 
Our pursuits of happiness are often met with tears and disappointment, but one who seeks the Word of God is led to the giver of every good and needful thing.
 
Seek Christ this day. Permit Him to be the builder of your home and the foundation for your labors in this life, the keeper of the nations. Hold onto the truth of His Word so that it will guide and keep you in the one true faith and bring us into the eternal joys of heaven. +INJ+
 
The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
 
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Pastor, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
 
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Website: www.goodsheptomah.org
The Shepherd’s Voice Podcast: https://goodsheptomah.podbean.com/