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

Thanksgiving | Luke 17:11-19 | Come to the Great Meal of Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving (Observed)
November 26, 2025
Luke 17:11-19
 
In preparation for this week, we recently watched a Charlie Brown Thanksgiving in our house. It’s a classic, isn’t it?
 
You got Peppermint Patty inviting herself and others over to Charlie Brown’s for dinner.
 
Charlie Brown goes with the flow, being a good friend, and even though he has family plans to visit Grandma, he still tries to host his friends.
 
Who does that?
 
Amid everything, Charlie Brown enlists Snoopy’s help in preparing the meal. 
 
Then, of course, there’s the scene where they all sit down around the Ping-Pong table to unknowingly enjoy a feast of popcorn, candy, and buttered toast prepared by Snoopy and Woodstock, the little yellow bird. (This is the part that gets the children laughing hysterically. What child wouldn’t want candy and popcorn for dinner?)
 
But this is also when Peppermint Patty’s expectations for a perfect Thanksgiving meal of turkey, mashed potatoes, and stuffing weren’t fulfilled. Peppermint Patty boils over, and her anger rises to the surface.
 
But look, she invited herself over, invited others without asking, set her own expectations for Thanksgiving, and then threw a temper tantrum when things didn’t go as she had thought they would. 
 
In a way, there are parts of this story that you can all relate to at Thanksgiving, aren’t there?
 
The uninvited guests, the failure to achieve the perfect holiday, opinions on what food should or should not be served, the minefield, and arguments between family and friends. 
 
Honesty, when Thanksgiving is presented like this, who wants it?
 
But isn’t this an image of your lives?
 
A challenge is how you handle unfulfilled expectations, not only today, but throughout life: do you lash out, yell, and scream, or do you learn to call out to God for His mercy, for His peace and forgiveness, His patience?
 
Look at the Ten Lepers in the Gospel this evening. The disease that covers their skin has not only rendered them unclean, but it’s also forced them to live apart from their family; there’s no holiday or feasting for them, just a realization they cannot help, nor heal themselves, as they dwell in isolation.
 
The only thing these lepers can do is cry out for mercy, and that is exactly what they do when they see Jesus; they cry out with every ounce of their hoarse voices, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.”
 
Interestingly, here, all ten lepers call out together, “Have mercy on us.” They see themselves as a collective community in their misery.
 
This is interesting because of the widespread American belief that the family’s togetherness is the main focus of Thanksgiving, even though we live as individuals the rest of the year. 
 
Peppermint Patty confesses this idea after recovering from her meltdown, that what’s most important is spending time with friends and family.
 
Spending time with family and friends is good; it’s actually a gift from your Father in heaven.
 
But as you look at these Lepers, only one of them now returned to thank Jesus for the gift of being cleansed, forgiven, and returned to his family.
 
A Samaritan.
 
Someone who wasn’t even seen as a friend, much less a member of the family of Israel. Yet, he gets it and returns to Jesus to give Him thanks for the mercy, forgiveness, and new life he received in the Words of Jesus.
 
This is important because the Leper can now reunite with his family, eat and break bread with them, drink from the same cup, and be part of fellowship and community. 
 
This is pretty cool.
 
Many of us have separated ourselves not only from our families but also from each other due to the leprosy of sin that goes well below the skin and penetrates the heart. We boil over when family and friends invite themselves over, we get upset when the menu for the big dinner isn’t just right, and we struggle to navigate the emotional landmines planted between us and by us during these days of family gatherings.  
 
In light of this, we must once again learn to confess the leprosy of sin and to stop being individuals; instead, we must call out to God for mercy, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.”
 
In a way, this reflects what we do as we will soon sing the words of the Sanctus. We sing as a family, “Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna to the Son of David,” and in this way, we pray to be saved, we ask for God’s mercy, to be cleansed, and forgiven of all our sins.
 
And then approach this rail on bended knee to receive the greatest meal of Thanksgiving in the flesh and blood of your Savior Jesus Christ.
 
In fact, throughout many parts of the Scriptures and the history of the Church, this meal, the Lord’s Supper, is called the Eucharist or εὐχαριστέω, which means “to give thanks.” Because of this, it’s the greatest Thanksgiving meal you could receive, as through it, you share in the meal of God’s eternal family, where you receive the bread of Christ’s body and drink from the one cup of His blood for the forgiveness of sin. 
 
What a gift it is to be members of this eternal family of God.
 
Remember this if things do not go as planned over the next couple of days, if your Thanksgiving does not live up to expectations, the meal just isn’t right, or you’re overwhelmed by the conflict and strife that has existed between you and others.
 
Don’t be overwhelmed, but call out to Jesus when things begin to spiral and say with your fellow Lepers, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on me.”
 
And then return to Him and thank Him for dying on the cross to cleanse you of your sin, to grant you His mercy, and to make you members of His eternal family. +INJ+
 
 
Pastor Noah J. Rogness
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI

Trinity 26 | Matthew 25:31-46 | Jesus Comes in Glory

Trinity 26
November 16, 2025
Matthew 25:31-46
 
 
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
 
 
We have firmly entered the final Sundays of the Church year. Just like last week, this week, and next, stay focused on the end times, the day of Christ’s second Advent, His return. 
 
Our Gospel today began with these words, “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.”
 
Luther remarked regarding the second coming this way: “He will then not be bedded in the manger, nor ride on an ass, as He did in His first advent, but burst forth from the clouds in great power and glory.”[1]
 
This is a transcending image.
 
But it also raises the question: Do we regularly reflect and ponder these words of Jesus from the Gospel?
 
Honestly, if you are like me, you probably find it hard to stay focused on anything these days, especially the words we recite week after week, for many reasons. One reason is that our attention span keeps getting shorter every day. While technology can be helpful, it can also hinder our ability to concentrate on a single task. That’s why many now think public speakers should limit their talks to 18-20 minutes, so their message is fully understood. Some online platforms that share thought-provoking content, like TED Talks, try to keep their presentations within these time limits. I’ve had a cartoon on my office door in the past showing a congregation half asleep. The caption says, “There is a fine line between a long sermon and a hostage situation.” 
 
Whether it’s true that goldfish now have a longer attention span than humans, the truth is that we are easily distracted and lack the patience needed to wait for the Lord's coming. 
 
Except that’s precisely what the confession of the Creed invites and calls us to do daily as we will soon recite the words of the Nicene Creed, “And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead, whose kingdom will have no end.”[2]
 
But why is it so crucial for us to remain watchful for the second coming of Christ?
 
Because if you do not patiently stay watchful, you risk falling away from the Christian faith. In this context, staying alert means exercising your faith, confessing it with your words, and making sure you remain within the sheepfold. For those who do not practice this faith, their awareness of Christ’s return fades, they become less vigilant, and they are as cold as a log separated from the burning fire. As a result, they are now at great risk of falling away, like the goats in today’s Gospel. 
 
Another reason we’re called to be watchful about preventing our faith from drifting comes from our Epistle today, as Peter wrote, 
But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.
 
Did you catch these words, “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”
 
This leads us to the sheep and the goats…
 
We often find ourselves acting like goats—independent and stubborn people who may attend church, even appearing similar to sheep, but lack patience for the Gospel. Unfortunately, the goats do not understand or appreciate God’s patience and the ways He is giving you time to turn to repentance.
 
But the sheep are those who flock together. They know their Shepherd’s voice, they follow Him, and have taken the Psalmists’ words to heart,
 
            I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,
                        and in his word I hope;
            my soul waits for the Lord
                        more than watchmen for the morning,
                        more than watchmen for the morning. (Psalm 130:5-6)
 
To be watchmen implies one is vigilant and prepared. They have not fallen asleep but continue to watch over the city, even in the waning hours of the night.
 
And that is what the pastoral office is called to do: keep watch over you. To speak to you the words of the law, but also the words of the Gospel. Here, however, one must ask oneself, are you humble enough to see yourself as a goat, so that you might confess your sins and be received as a sheep?
 
The pastoral office is established by Christ Jesus Himself to care for His sheep. And Jesus emphasizes that how you receive those whom He has sent and the words they speak to you are important. He says, “Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.”
 
Yes, you probably haven’t seen me, your pastor, needing a drink of water, nor have you needed to clothe me or visit me in prison. But where was Jesus hungry, thirsty, naked, imprisoned, and weak?
 
On the cross.
 
And ultimately, this is where your life leads you: to where Jesus bore the judgment of sin for you. As He called out, “It is finished,” He declared His victory over sin, death, and the Evil One.
 
Yet, as you live in this world, this unholy trinity of sin, death, and the Devil continues to distract your thoughts and words. They strive to silence your confession and vigilance, so you won't be ready for the day of the Lord. This is why you must exercise your faith that through the work of the Holy Spirit, you will be made ready and kept faithful in thought, word, and deed.
 
It all begins with confession and absolution. Every time you gather and confess your sins, you exercise your trust and faith in Christ Jesus to cleanse you from all unrighteousness. You approach the judgment seat of God and stand before your heavenly Father and admit that you have not kept His law. You have acted like stubborn and rambunctious goats toward the gifts you freely receive. And you know what? As the Father looks upon you, He sees His Son’s death on the cross for you and renders His judgment: not guilty (Forgiven).
 
This is the pattern of faith you must continue to exercise throughout your lives as you strive to remain vigilant for the day of Christ Jesus’ second coming. It’s a pattern of calling upon Jesus for forgiveness, a way of waiting and watching, and a life that has hope in His Word.
 
The Lutheran Theologian Albrecht Peters wrote regarding the second coming of Christ,
For this reason, true Christians must tirelessly beseech their Lord to return, as we do in the Lord’s Prayer; with heads held high, they are to run as fast as possible toward that day of judgment (Luke 21:28), which even Christ Himself describes as our redemption, “that is, not death, but eternal life, no wrath, but pure grace, no hell, but the kingdom of heaven, neither terror nor danger, but pure comfort and joy.” (Creed, pg. 202)
 
Aren’t these words wonderful? While the word judgment often causes us discomfort, here, Albrecht Peter encourages Christians to look forward to the day of judgment because you are God’s saints. You are His children. And He provides you all with the words to beseech Him, to exercise your faith daily, and to wait patiently as you pray in the Lord’s Prayer, “Thy kingdom come.” 
 
So, how do you exercise your faith and remain vigilant for the Lord's return? By praying, by speaking the words Jesus has given to you in the Lord's Prayer. These words are your petitions for all that is needed within this life: for your Lord’s kingdom to come, for His will to be done here within your lives today, for you to receive your daily bread with thanksgiving, for your sins to be forgiven as you forgive those who sin against you, for you to be kept from temptation and at last, delivered from the evil one. 
 
Through these words like those of the Creed and of Confession and Absolution, you are given the faith needed to keep watch throughout the days of life, your hearts are turned to Christ’s second coming, and with eagerness, you await the day, “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, [the day when] He will sit on the throne of His glory.”
 
And to you, He will say, “Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” +INJ+
 
 
The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
 
 
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
 
 
 
 
[1] Pieper, F. (1953). Christian Dogmatics (electronic ed., Vol. 3, p. 516). St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House.
[2] McCain, P. T. (Ed.). (2005). Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions (p. 16). St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House.

All Saints Day (Observed) | Revelation 7:9-17 | Your Name is Written in the Book of Life

All Saints Day (Observed)
November 2, 2025
Revelation 7:9-17
 
 
 
If you visit my mother-in-law’s house, you'll be greeted by a family tree that dates back over a hundred years. On one wall of the home, the names and dates of each person are carefully and meticulously written beside their photograph. The dates of birth and death are inscribed. The children from each marriage naturally branch out, along with all the vital information about their lives, captured and documented in the family history.
 
This journey into ancestry is not only a testament of love for family, but it also narrates the family story. It ensures no one in this long Lutheran heritage is forgotten. In a way, this family tree serves as a reminder of God’s faithful saints who now rest from the toils and labors of this earthly life. 
 
I’m unsure how many of us try to remember, or even know, the story of our family’s long history: where they came from, where they lived, what they did for a living, what they believed, and how the Christian faith passed down to them the story of Jesus and provided the assurance of eternal life. 
 
Despite all the technological advances in genealogy, it really seems that the learning of family heritage is fading with each passing generation. 
 
While on vicarage in Palo Alto, CA, I was told one of the saddest quotes I had ever heard. The psychiatrist Irvin Yalon wrote,
 
Some day soon, perhaps in forty years, there will be no one alive who has ever known me. That’s when I will be truly dead - when I exist in no one’s memory. I thought a lot about how someone very old is the last living individual to have known some person or cluster of people. When that person dies, the whole cluster dies, too, vanishes from the living memory. I wonder who that person will be for me. Whose death will make me truly dead?” (Irvin D. Yalom, Love’s Executioner and Other Tales of Psychotherapy)
 
No doubt, we ordinary people might never become famous; our names may never be recorded in a history book or included in college course lectures. Our likeness will never be carved into marble, granite, bronze, or steel. But does this mean the memory of your life will vanish with future generations? Will their deaths truly wipe away the memory of your life? 
 
To be sure, this is an incredibly heavy thought to ponder. Will someone else’s death make you truly dead?
 
While much of the world may sympathize with this idea or even embrace it in the culture of death we live in, where assisted suicide has become legal in many places around the globe, the Christian must stand on God’s Word and respond with an emphatic “No.” 
 
No, I will not die. But I will live in my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
 
And we should join Job as he faithfully wrote,
 
         Oh that my words were written!
              Oh that they were inscribed in a book!
       Oh that with an iron pen and lead
              they were engraved in the rock forever!
       For I know that my Redeemer lives,
              and at the last he will stand upon the earth.
       And after my skin has been thus destroyed,
              yet in my flesh I shall see God,
       whom I shall see for myself,
              and my eyes shall behold, and not another. (Job 19:23-27a)
 
Jesus’ death did not end your existence; it did not erase your life or the memory of it. Instead, the new life given to you through Holy Baptism guarantees you will never be forgotten, but that your name would be inscribed with an iron pen into the book of life. 
 
You have been made members of the choir immortal, washing your robes in the blood of the Lamb as you enter this sanctuary, confessing your sins and receiving your Father’s forgiveness. In this way, you are being delivered from the trials and tribulations of this present life and prepared to be released from the great tribulation of this earthly life on the last day.
 
This is the image John speaks of in our first reading from Revelation this morning, as he wrote.
These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
 
The blood of the Lamb, Jesus’ sacrificial death, ensures that you will never pass away, you will never cease to exist, and never become just a memory because you already live in and with your Savior. 
 
Like the multitudes, those faithful Christians from your family tree who make up your heritage also live and now dwell before God’s throne. They find shelter in His presence. They no longer hunger or thirst. Nor do they experience hardship or pain. No, their Shepherd, your Shepherd, has led them to springs of living water. 
 
The water of Holy Baptism has led them to eternity.
 
Similarly, the water of the font continues to lead you to follow the example of the saints who have gone before you, to give thanks for their lives and how God used them in His Church. As we remember those who rest with Jesus, we allow our faith to be strengthened as we reflect on the ways God was merciful and faithful to them. And finally, we strive to imitate their love for God and love for neighbor in and throughout our daily vocations.
 
Reflect on this and consider how the memory of God’s saints endures. It lives, and every time we gather here, the proper preface leads us to remember how God’s saints live with Him as the pastor sings, “Therefore with angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven, we laud and magnify the Lord, evermore praising you and saying…”
 
Think about that, in this instance, heaven comes to earth and the voices of the church militant, those still living on this side of heaven, and the church triumphant, those already in the eternal presence of Jesus, are joined in one gloriously spectacular choir, singing to Jesus, the Lamb who sits upon His throne. The Lamb who dwells in our midst. The Lamb who wipes away your tears and brings an end to all sadness.
 
This is a heritage worth following, worth living, because it ensures, by the grace of God, that you are more than a memory, you are an everlasting saint, a child of God who shall never die, but live with Him forever. +INJ+
 
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
 
 

Reformation (Observed) | John 8:31-36 | What is Truth?

Reformation (Observed)
October 26, 2025
John 8:31-36
 
What is truth?
 
Truth is understood as the opposite of what is false. However, in today's world, it is common for people to develop their own ideas of what is true and what is false. 
 
We refer to this perspective as subjective truth because the individual acts as the judge of what is right and wrong.
 
The concept of subjective truth becomes clear when a child is confused about their sexuality, questioning whether they are a boy or a girl. 
 
This discussion is settled not only by science, which has determined that there are only two sexes — male and female — but also by the Word of God, as we learn how our heavenly Father created Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.
 
When considering the conception of life, is it simply a clump of cells or a human being growing and developing in the mother’s womb?
 
While science declares that there is truly human life from the moment of conception, scripture also affirms this truth: God creates life through the union of a man and a woman.
 
Interestingly, when we hear the word science, we think of chemistry sets and microscopes, but the origin of the word “science” comes from the Latin word “Scientia,” meaning knowledge or to know.
 
To know or to learn what?
 
What is to be true.
 
The great endeavor for truth can be heard in the words of Pontius Pilate as Jesus stood before him that first Good Friday.
 
Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”
 
There’s a lot packed into these verses.
 
First, Jesus says that the purpose He came into this world and took on human flesh — your flesh — was to bear witness to the truth. In other words, to confirm what is true. And for this reason, Jesus says that everyone who is in the truth listens to His voice. 
 
You should hear in the back of your mind these words of Jesus, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)
 
Jesus is the truth, and He reveals through His voice the knowledge and wisdom that now leads you to eternal life.
 
So, for this reason, to be a disciple, a student of Jesus, begins with hearing His Word. 
 
And we call this objective truth, because His Word does not change. Jesus does not change, as we learn from the book of Hebrews, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8)
 
Now, as it’s Reformation Day, when you really think about it, on the surface, the Reformation started because the Roman Catholic Church took a subjective approach to interpreting Jesus’ words to serve its needs. The Pope became the only interpreter of Holy Scripture, thus undermining how Scripture interprets Scripture, how Scripture interprets itself, and not only establishes divine truth but also reveals it to you. 
 
This was the reason Luther nailed the 95 theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg. Luther didn’t do this to create a new church; he did it because he wanted the church to return to the objective and unchanging divine truth of Jesus Christ, the One who went to the cross and died to set you free from sin, death, and the pesky devil.
 
Now, take a moment to reflect with me on the word “Reformation.”
 
At the heart of “Reformation” is the word “Form” or “Formation.”
 
But, to reform is not to look forward in this instance, but to look back. The “re” in reformation means to return to the original form or substance. One word that comes to mind in the Church is “redeem,” which means to buy back.
 
The use of “form” for reform should indicate a past similarity or state once experienced. Therefore, the goal of the Reformation is to return or restore the Church to its original resemblance or condition. 
 
The point of the Reformation is to point and lead the Church —and you —back to Christ.
 
His Word is the only truth that will create faith, redeem you, and free you from the bondage and confusion of this earthly life.
 
This is the difference between true and false disciples of Jesus. False disciples hear His word, but Luther notes that they become like parrots, repeating the words of others; their hearts are not changed, and there is no faith in them.
 
In contrast, a true disciple listens to the Word of Christ, takes it to heart, allows it to transform who they are, and confesses it throughout their life. 
 
This is what McKinsey will do today: she will confess the faith she knows to be true, the faith she has learned and received through the Word of God. She will confess that she won’t stop coming to church but will return as often as possible so that the Holy Spirit might continue to change and reform her heart into the likeness of Christ Jesus. She will confess the redeeming truth that Jesus Christ died upon the cross of Calvary to redeem her, a sinner.
 
In other words, she’s going to confess that she’s a Christian. Confessing her sins and her need for her Savior’s forgiveness.
 
Every time we gather in this sanctuary, we join her in confessing our sins and our need for redemption. In doing so, we confess our need for a Reformation of our hearts—that Christ would come, forgive us, and return us to the Baptismal identity we received at the font, becoming children of God. 
 
Because this is how true freedom is received, through faith in Christ Jesus, who is the “Truth” that frees your restless hearts.
 
My friends, there are many Pontus Pilates in your lives, asking, “What is truth?” even encouraging you to become the judge and creator of your own truths. This is one of the great challenges of the culture that children like McKinsey are growing up in.
 
But if we understand that Confirmation is more than just a step on the journey of life, but part of ongoing maturity in the Christian faith, a time to learn more deeply how to confess the faith received at one’s Baptism, then we begin to see that Confirmation is really about a reformation of the human heart. It’s a time to return to the cross and confess your sins, so that you might come to know and confess the divine love of Jesus Christ.  
 
A love that does not depend on you, but comes to you through the Word of Christ Jesus and in His flesh and blood, present for you here at this altar.
 
If spiritual doubts ever arise in your mind, or if the world feels overwhelming, return here — to where Christ Jesus has promised to be present for you. Hold fast to Him and never be ashamed of His Gospel, for it is the power and divine truth for salvation to everyone who believes. (Romans 1:16)
 
So, listen to His voice, hold on to it, and believe. +INJ+
 
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
 
www.goodsheptomah.org

The Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity | Matthew 22:34-46 | Is it Okay to Ask Questions?

The Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity
October 19, 2025
Matthew 22:34-46
 
 
Questions have been part of humanity since the beginning of time. The world’s chief doubter, Satan, asked the first question. The serpent said to the woman, Eve, “Did God actually say, you shall not eat of any tree in the garden?” (Genesis 3:1) Here, the trickery, deception, and leading away from the will of God by the serpent began.
 
It started with a question.
 
The result of Adam and Eve’s actions brought mankind into sin by disobeying the command of God not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The question by Satan ultimately was a test of Adam and Eve’s faithfulness and obedience to God’s command, a test they failed.
 
Now, it is not wrong to ask questions. Quite the contrary, it is good to ask questions. Hang out with a child for more than a few minutes, and you'll get more than a few questions.
 
"What does that word mean?”
 
“When’s lunch?”
 
“Are we there yet?”
 
Questions, of course, come in many forms; most often, they seek to gather information and knowledge, but they are also used to test the respondent. The question posed by the Pharisees in today’s Gospel was meant to trap Jesus, and not in a good way. They weren’t genuinely interested in learning about the commandments, God’s will, or the kingdom of God. The Pharisees were insincere in asking, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” They hoped to catch Jesus off guard. 
 
Yet, Jesus answers their question by quoting the Old Testament, Deuteronomy 6:5: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind.” This means they are to love God in a way that reaches the core of who they are. This love encompasses every part of their being—heart, soul, and mind. To expand on that, their heart should always be turned toward God and His Word; the soul represents the life of a person, which should be focused on God and His will every year, day, hour, and minute. The mind is the seat of intellect and reason, along with all of a person's senses. Together, the whole person should always depend on and be focused on God. 
 
However, the Pharisees were not interested in learning what the great commandment was, any more than being dependent upon God or loving God.
 
Just as Satan tested and tempted Adam and Eve in the Garden, so these Pharisees set out to test and tempt Jesus. As in the world today, these Pharisees were not interested in the will of God; they were more interested in how to wash their hands, what they were to wear, and how their own works would achieve righteousness or good in their lives. In this way, they would never truly love God with all their heart, soul, or mind. In turn, they would never truly be able to “love their neighbor as themselves.” All because their life was focused on their works and their own wills.
 
How do you ask questions of God? Do you ask to test God? Or do you ask to learn the will of God?
 
Martin Luther, in his wisdom, laid out the Small Catechism in a question-and-answer format. He keeps things simple, so the head of a household may teach the children and family the will of God plainly. In the Ten Commandments, you are taught that there are two tables of the Law. Jesus summarizes the two tables in today’s Gospel, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 
 
This is God's will for you.
 
However, the sinful nature you inherited from your first parents prevents you from doing good apart from Christ. You are unable to love God as you should, but instead create your own gods of this world. You become frustrated with your children, your spouse lets you down, and your neighbors abandon you. Moreover, you find yourself asking God, what is the love you command me to give? Why have you placed these people in my life? 
 
God’s response to you, love your neighbor.
 
Paul writes in First Corinthians regarding the kind of love we are to have, saying,
 
“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”
 
However, we have not lived our lives in this manner for our neighbors no more than we have for God. Here we have sinned, and our recognition of our sin is a call to repentance. It is a call to look to Jesus with contrite hearts and faith that He will forgive you, as He is the seed promised to Eve in the Garden, the promised Son of David whom David will call Lord.
 
In the final question of today’s Gospel, Jesus flips the script on the Pharisees. He asks, “If David calls the Christ Lord, how is He his son?” The Pharisees were unable to respond, leaving the conversation in silence. 
 
Dear friends, do not grow silent in your faith. When you are asked the question, “Who is the Christ?” what will you say? Especially when your closest neighbors ask you this? Your father or mother, your husband or wife, your child, or those who bring the most considerable harm against you?
 
Do not be silent, but confess and give answer for the faith you’ve learned from the simple questions laid out in the Small Catechism. Confess the faith anchored in the love of Jesus Christ, that He would die for you and your neighbors, in order that together you may receive forgiveness and the certainty of eternal life. +INJ+
 
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
 
www.goodsheptomah.org

The Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity | Luke 14:1-11 | The Sabbath Day is a Gift for those in Need of God's Mercy

The Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity
October 12, 2025
Luke 14:1-11
 
As we observe LWML Sunday, I am reminded to reflect on our Thursday morning Bible study on the Pastoral Epistles. In the letters to Timothy, the Apostle Paul reminds him of the faith he received from the faithful women of his mother, Eunice, and grandmother, Lois, who taught him the Christian faith.
 
We learn here how the faith is handed down to God’s children throughout the ages. What a precious gift these women were to Timothy.
 
Who was instrumental in handing down the faith to you? Was it a mother or a grandmother? Or was there someone else who was instrumental in your life?
 
My guess is that whomever it was, one of the main reasons you are here today is because this individual brought you to church each Sunday.
 
Now, why is Sunday so important for the Christian faith? Wasn’t Saturday the seventh day of Creation, the day of rest?
 
It was, but move ahead to Holy Week and you’ll see how Jesus completes His salvific work of redemption and new creation on the cross on Good Friday. As the women, along with some disciples, removed His body from the cross and placed it in the tomb, Jesus rested from all His work—the work of saving you, of securing forgiveness and eternal life for you that Holy Saturday. 
 
And so, after Jesus rested from His saving work on the cross, He rose again on the first day of the week, on Sunday. As an aside, the first person to see the risen Jesus was a woman, Mary Magdalene, as she exclaimed to the Apostles, “I have seen the Lord!” (John 20:18)
 
However, because of the resurrection of Jesus on that first Easter Sunday, the church now gathers on the first day of the week for Sabbath rest.
 
But what does the word Sabbath mean?
 
Luther defines the word, Sabbath in the Large Catechism, “To rest.”
 
In the Old Testament, the Third Commandment was given to the Jewish people to stop laborious work, allowing both man and beast to rest from their endless toil. But in the New Testament, this day shifts its focus toward resting the spirit and soul of man, finding peace and renewal in Christ. For this reason, Luther asks in the catechism, “What does it mean by keeping the [Sabbath] holy?” he says, “Nothing else than to be occupied with holy words, works, and life.”
 
So, how are you to be occupied with holy words, works, and life?
 
You come to the Divine Service to remember the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. You come to hear the Word of the Savior, and worship Him, to receive His forgiveness and a foretaste of the life to come.
 
This is a pattern of faith, the pattern of keeping the Sabbath that has been ingrained in many of us because it’s a faith handed down by a mother, grandmother, or family member.
 
But if we’re honest, this pattern of life was given to some of us with a little more of a heavy hand, wasn’t it?
 
Because of this heavy hand, attending church became more of a box to check for some, simply the fulfillment of a duty. And this use of the law isn’t always a bad thing; it can help us form the good habit of coming to church. However, if coming to Good Shepherd is seen as accomplishing something, as checking the box, then you have missed the whole point of remembering the Sabbath Day and keeping holy, or what the Sabbath of Christ is all about.
 
This is evident in our Gospel today, where the lawyers and Pharisees fail to understand the true meaning of the Sabbath. For them, the Sabbath is a work, tradition, and law to be done by them. It was not about God’s Word and receiving His mercy.
 
Jesus exposes this truth as He asks,
“Which of you, having a son or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?”
 
What a sad situation, the lawyers and Pharisees just sat there, silent, hardening their hearts towards Jesus and His Word of mercy. 
 
Do you do this when one of the readings convicts you of a particular sin in your life?
 
If you step back, you’ll see that one of the greatest gifts and reasons we come to this sanctuary and gather around this altar each Sunday is mercy. The gift of being rescued and pulled from the pit of death and despair.
 
But if you don’t properly understand the purpose of the Sabbath Day, then you become like the lawyers and Pharisees. As a result, you end up not acting out of love or possessing a joyful willingness when coming to church, but rather begrudgingly. 
 
Furthermore, when the church becomes a task to be accomplished, pride begins to fill your heart, leading you to feel you have achieved something. You begin to take an unhealthy ownership of the Church and her practice; you begin to lord over the church.
 
But today you are reminded that one does not receive eternal life just by showing up on a Sunday morning; instead, one must be willing to humble oneself and take the lowest seat in the sanctuary so that Christ can invite them to come forward and sit next to Him. 
 
This act of humility is exercised every week when you faithfully bow before Jesus and confess your sins, so the pastor can declare the grace, mercy, and forgiveness of your heavenly Father. Only through this absolution from God are you prepared and invited to come higher in the presence of the Lord to receive the foretaste of the wedding feast at this altar. 
 
And all of this is a gift for you, won by Jesus through His death on the cross. A gift He now wants to give you, here, at this altar and in this sanctuary.
 
Think about that, who doesn’t want to receive a gift? And if you knew there was a gift waiting for you here each Sunday, would you not willingly want to run back here as quickly as you could?
 
You should, because this is about receiving the gift of God’s mercy and forgiveness.
 
And this should alter how you see your need to attend church. You get to come here, to be with Jesus, to see Him, and hear His voice, and receive His flesh and blood for the forgiveness of sin.
 
In this way, the Church is like a nurturing woman, a mother who gives birth and calls her children to gather, to be formed in the love of Christ Jesus, and teaches the faith that leads to the wedding feast.
 
What a wonderful image and icon, not only for the ladies of the LWML to ponder on this LWML Sunday, but also for all of us who desire to serve as God’s servants in this life, building up and teaching the faith to the children of every age and pointing them to their Savior. +INJ+
 
 
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
 
www.goodsheptomah.org
 
 

Welcome to Good Shepherd | An Interview with the Lafferty's

In this episode of the Shepherd's Voice, we sit down with Dillin and Deb Lafftery and learn how they came to Good Shepherd and why this church is important to them and their family. 

The Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity | Luke 7:11-17 | Our Funeral Processions Begin at the Font of Holy Baptism

The Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity
October 5, 2025
Luke 7:11-17
 
What an incredible sight this Gospel must have been, as the Lord of Life encountered a procession of death.
 
A widow and mother follow the bier that now carries her son’s body in procession to the grave. It’s a sorrowful journey, filled with many tears and an uncertain future. 
 
The woman must have been asking, is this it? Is this all I’m left with, a slow walk to the grave? 
 
In ancient times and throughout early Christian history, the funeral procession started at the deceased’s home and ended at the grave, usually a tomb or cave. Due to purification laws and health concerns, the body was taken outside the city.
 
Of course, this was before the rise of funeral homes and similar establishments. The cosmetics of dressing up a corpse or the removal of death from our lives reflect how we have commercialized the process today. Historically, families were responsible for caring for the body and preparing it for their loved one’s final resting place. This process, along with the journey to the grave, served as a way to mourn – it was part of the grieving process. 
 
One thing that might seem unusual to us is that it was also common to hire professional mourners, people who would lead the procession in wailing and crying. When the mourners reached the tomb, prayers, Scripture readings, and hymns would be offered.
 
Another aspect of burial traditions in the early church was the celebration of the Eucharist, commonly referred to as the Lord’s Supper. In this way, it served as a family meal and a foretaste of heaven. The final step was to place the body in the grave with its feet pointing east, in hope and anticipation of Jesus’ return for the living and the dead. 
 
But that wasn’t the end; it was tradition for the family to return on the third, ninth, and fortieth days after the burial, where family and friends would again sing hymns, read scripture, and offer prayers as they rejoiced in thanksgiving for Christ’s victory over death.
 
The third day represented Christ rising from the dead. The ninth symbolized fulfillment and judgment. The forty days served as a time of testing, trial, and completeness. 
 
This description reflects an intention and a ritual that were not only present but also designed to facilitate the grieving process and affirm the resurrection of Jesus at the time of death. 
 
And this is an important point for us to remember as we live in times when funerals have become less about ritual, less about grieving, and less about the Lord of Life.
 
So, how should we prepare for the Christian funeral today? 
 
Well, Luther has a helpful insight regarding this matter. He says,
A Christian is a person who begins to tread the way from this life to heaven the moment he is baptized, in the faith that Christ is henceforth the Way, the Truth, and the Life. And he holds to this way until his end. He is always found on this way and is led in the truth to obtain life, as one who already sees the shore where he is to land. He is prepared at all times, whether death comes today, tomorrow, or in one, two, or ten years; for in Christ he has already been transported to the other side. We cannot be safe from death for a minute; in Baptism all Christians begin to die, and they continue to die until they reach the grave.
 
If you step back, the funeral dirge of life and the confession of what is received in death begin the moment you’re baptized – it’s at this moment we begin to prepare for our funeral.
 
For this reason, baptism begins to influence not only your journey to the grave but also how you mourn. 
 
Think about that for a moment…
 
The font of Holy Baptism becomes the ongoing battlefield of life and death. It involves confessing the sins that have consumed and isolated you in grief and sorrow. It includes confronting the fears of death that fill your mind as you endure ailments and aging. It also involves the struggle with Satan himself. 
 
In Baptism, you die to this life and rise to new life in Christ. This reflects the pattern of the Christian life: confessing and drowning your sins in Christ’s death, so that you may rise with Him to new life and forgiveness. 
 
With this understanding, you are not only exercising your faith every time you gather in this sanctuary, but you are also getting ready to die. I know you might not want to hear this, but you are preparing to die, and everyone around you is preparing to grieve.
 
Even the prayers before a death in Christ confess these truths.
 
The prayer for the Commendation of the Dying (commonly known as last rites) is as follows,
Go in peace. May God the Father, who created you, may God the  Son, who redeemed and saved you with His blood, may God the Holy Spirit, who sanctified you in the water of Holy Baptism, receive you into the company of saints and angels to await the resurrection and live in the light of His glory forevermore.
 
How about this, the pastor prepares you for death by pointing you back to your Baptism, praying to God to receive you not because of your deeds on earth, but because of His Son’s death and resurrection. 
 
As the pastor meets with the grieving family before the funeral, he prays,
We give You thanks for all who have lived and died in the faith, especially for name, our dear sister. In this body You gave her life and poured out Your Holy Spirit when You washed her in the renewing waters of Holy Baptism. By the same Spirit You led her to confess with her mouth that Jesus is Lord and to believe in her heart that You have raised Christ from the dead.
 
Or, of course, as the casket is placed at the sanctuary’s entrance, next to the font at the beginning of the funeral service, and the funeral pall (symbolizing the white baptismal garment) is laid over the casket, the words of St. Paul are spoken.
In Holy Baptism [name] was clothed with the robe of Christ’s righteousness that covered all his sin. St. Paul says: “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?
 
And then the congregation responds by saying,
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.
 
For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. (Romans 6:3-6)
 
Yes, a Christian understanding of death starts at the font. The waters that spring forth and abide with you through life’s trials, but also lead you to a foretaste of heaven here at this altar, and to the grave.
 
This is the procession, not only of confessing life and death, but also the life and death of Jesus Christ.
 
No, it doesn’t remove the tears and sadness that accompany you to the grave, but it invites you to grieve with hope, because just as Christ Jesus rose from the grave, He has promised to raise those who have fallen asleep in Him, to raise you and your loved ones. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-13)  
 
For this reason, you don’t need to approach this dirge to the grave the same way as the rest of the world.
 
My friends, we are in a time when it is essential to refocus and return to a proper understanding of the funeral and the procession of this life to the grave…
 
We don’t need paid mourners or cosmetics that hide the corpse; we don’t need to alter the Church’s ways to fit the world with celebrations of life; we need to relearn how to confess Jesus, the Lord of Life, and His love for us—poor, miserable sinners—in both life and death. 
 
We need to relearn how to grieve and mourn.
 
We need to gather around the grave with prayers, the reading of God’s Word, and hymns of comfort. We need to hear the voice of Jesus saying, “Do not weep,” and then return to church for the family meal that is the Lord’s Supper.
 
Because it’s here at this altar that the angels, archangels, and the entire company of heaven come and dwell on earth with you. It’s here you are prepared not only for death but also for the day Christ returns and says, “Young man, young woman, I say to you, arise.” 
 
And then you will, because the waters of Holy Baptism claimed you and led you to this great and triumphant day. +INJ+
 
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
 
www.goodsheptomah.org

St. Michael and All Angels | Matthew 18:1-11 | God Wants to Protect You through His Angels

St. Michael and All Angels (Observed)
September 28, 2025
Matthew 18:1-11
 
As a child, I would prepare for bed, get my pajamas on, brush my teeth, and get snug under the covers, and then I would use this prayer I was taught,
 
Now I lay me down to sleep,I pray the Lord my soul to keep;If I should die before I wake,I pray the Lord my soul to take
 
It’s a prayer I’m sure many of you have also prayed or taught your little ones to say. It’s a meaningful prayer, and because of its rhyme, it’s also very easy to remember.
 
Some believe this prayer was written by the English clergyman George Wheler and published around 1698. However, others think it was inspired by an earlier German version called “The Black Paternoster,” which simply means the “evening Our Father.” (Paternoster means “Our father” in Latin)
 
The Black Paternoster goes as such,
 
Mathew, Mark, Luke, JohnBless the bed that I lie on;And blessed guardian angel keepMe safe from danger while I sleep.
 
However, some believe that even this version of the prayer might originate from a medieval Jewish prayer that went like this,
“In the name of the Lord, the God of Israel, may Michael be at my right hand; Gabriel at my left; Uriel before me; Raphael behind me and the Shekhinah of God be above my head.”
 
And just so you know, Shekhinah is Hebrew for the presence of God or His dwelling place.
 
But if all of this is true—that the prayer we know today as “Now I lay me down to sleep” has an unusual origin tracing back to this Jewish prayer—and it has really changed a lot. 
 
Requests for angelic protection from danger and similar matters are no longer included, as they have become more obscure. 
 
It is also worth noting that these original versions of the bedtime prayers were sometimes flawed. For example, we don’t pray to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John to bless our beds and watch over us.
 
However, all of this should make you think more carefully about your prayers, including their origin, history, and what they express.
 
And this leads me to wonder: why haven’t we, as Lutherans, fully embraced and used the Evening Prayer that Martin Luther provided to the Church and included in the Small Catechism as we should? 
 
In many ways, Luther has taken everything from the past and present versions of “Now I lay me down to sleep” and provided the Church with a prayer of great depth.
 
Luther’s Evening Prayer goes like this,
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.
 
Ponder the prayer with me.
 
First, Luther begins the prayer by thanking God, his heavenly Father, through His dear Son, Jesus. Remember, all prayers are to be made through Jesus Christ. (John 14:13-14) But then the prayer guides you to thank God your Father for keeping you throughout the day, whether it was a good or a bad day. 
 
However, the next part of the prayer is a crucial aspect of the Christian life that many of our prayers overlook at the end of the day. Luther’s Evening Prayer continues to say, “and I pray that You would forgive me all my sins where I have done wrong, and graciously keep me this night.”
 
As the Psalmist writes,
In peace I will both lie down and sleep;
                        for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety. (Psalm 4:8)
 
How can you lie down at night in peace if your sins still trouble you and there hasn’t been forgiveness? You won’t!
 
But know this: forgiveness is peace, and this gracious gift begins with your Savior, Jesus Christ. For this reason, every day you dwell in this world, the temptation of sin surrounds you, but you also have a Father who sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for you. So, make it a habit to pray and ask your Father in heaven for this wonderful gift of peace and forgiveness. 
 
Alright, but now the final section of Luther’s Evening Prayer arrives, and it begins as such, 
For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things.
 
The Christian now entrusts their bodies and souls into God’s care, trusting Him to watch over them. Consider this: who else can watch over you while you sleep? Are you not most vulnerable to the world and the attacks of evil when your body lies on the pillow? How could you fend off even a dream at this moment without God’s help?  
 
And for this reason, the prayer concludes, “Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.”
 
It’s a petition for God to send His messengers and guardians to be with you, watch over you, and keep you safe from the temptations of the Evil One who resides in the dark shadows of this life. 
 
But if you do not exercise your faith and prayers in such a way, will you even remember that God continues to care for you throughout the hours of the night, or that He sends His angels to care for you?
 
This is one reason for observing the festival of St. Michael and All Angels: to remember that God cares for you through His angels. But beyond today, you must also remember that God’s angels continue to care for and watch over you, even if you don’t see them. They do this not as cute cherubs shooting magical arrows of love, but as His warriors, as the Psalmist again says. 
 
            The angel of the LORD encamps
                        around those who fear him, and delivers them. (Psalm 34:7)
 
God’s angels encamp around you to defend, protect, and deliver you from the evil and temptations of this life.
 
They do so because you are God’s children. Don’t get caught up in the Gospel today and only think of a child like those who make sounds during the Divine Service, infusing it with life and excitement; instead, consider yourself God’s child, because this is what the Gospel says. 
 
And as His child, you are in need of protection – protection from the temptation and inclination to sin.
 
The temptation of being led away from God.
 
The temptation of using your speech or actions to lead other Christians away from God into sin throughout your days.
 
The truth is that we sin often and greatly need God’s care and mercy. The wonderful thing is that He is gracious and eager to give it to us. However, we also need to make it a habit of asking for His care and mercy. 
 
For a long time, our catechisms have served as textbooks, meant for a brief period to teach the young, then placed on a shelf or tucked away in a closet. However, as God’s children, our learning is never supposed to stop; instead, we are called to keep growing, deepen our faith, and mature.  
 
It’s time for us to pull out our catechism, and if we don’t know where they are, to get a new one.
 
Because on these pages, faith is given to us, God’s dear children, in simple terms, and the prayers provided by Luther have often gone unnoticed or fallen out of use. But in these words, we are given not only an opportunity to confess our faith, our sins, our need for a Savior, but also His ongoing care through the work of His angels. 
 
What a gift that God doesn’t leave you to the known and unknown evils of this life, but sends His angels to serve Him by protecting you.
 
To God be the glory!
+INJ+
 
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
 
www.goodsheptomah.org

The Fourteenth Sunday After Trinity | Proverbs 4:10-23 | Follow the Father's Wisdom

The Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity
September 21, 2025
Provers 4:10-23
 
Our Old Testament reading is from the book of Proverbs. In some circles, Proverbs is a book that is not meditated on as it should be, and yet, it remains incredibly relevant today, especially as Christians navigate this chaotic world of evil and wickedness. 
 
An evil and wickedness that has been on full display these past few weeks as young adults have taken the lives of other human beings. Whether it is the life of an innocent girl on a subway, children praying, or Charlie Kirk being assassinated.
 
And as we discussed last week, we all have to take stock and examine the ways our words and actions contribute to this downfall in humanity. In our homes, our communities, and schools.
 
One aspect that cannot go unnoticed in our society today is the breakdown of the family unit, especially the failure of fathers to lead their families. As of 2023, one in four children did not have a father physically present in the home.
 
But you have to also ask, how many children live with a father who is physically present but emotionally and spiritually absent? A father who does not lead the home and family with wisdom—wisdom that transcends society and this world—and that leads to peace in Christ.
 
For this reason, today’s reading remains valuable and significant as Solomon shows fatherly love for his sons by teaching them the way of godly wisdom. 
 
A noble task, entrusted to the head of the household. The teaching of Godly wisdom is a father’s job. (Just think of how Luther begins each section of the Small Catechism, “As the head of the family should teach it in a simple way to his household.”)
 
So, Solomon portrays life as a journey and describes the father as the one who must guide the young person in the way of wisdom. The child’s role here is to listen to the instruction given by the father, and this becomes an ongoing conversation throughout life. However, the father also needs to be aware of where he is leading the child.
 
Solomon wrote,
            I have taught you the way of wisdom;
                        I have led you in the paths of uprightness.
            When you walk, your step will not be hampered,
                        and if you run, you will not stumble.
            Keep hold of instruction; do not let go;
                        guard her, for she is your life. (Proverbs 4:11-13)
 
The father is to teach and lead his children to wisdom, and wisdom is to understand God’s will, the truth revealed in His word.
 
Where is this will of God found?
 
Don’t overthink it, begin with the Ten Commandments.
 
Begin with the First Commandment, “You shall have no other gods.”
 
“You shall fear, love, and trust in God above all things.”
 
When someone has this anchor throughout their life, they will start to walk and run in the paths of righteousness, the path, the way of eternal life.
 
This is where the words of the Epistle come into focus as St. Paul wrote,
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. (Galatians 5:16)
 
He goes on to say,
For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. (Galatians 5:17)
 
So, what are these works of the flesh?
The works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. (Galatians 5:19-21)
 
These works of the flesh are also the path of the wicked, where Solomon says sleep is robbed, where the diet of man is to eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of this world’s violence. (Proverbs 4:17)
 
In other words, the evil you consume with your lips and your ears will enslave you, not to do good, but to do evil. To attack your very heart and the seat of faith.
 
So, what are you and your families consuming?
 
To figure this out, think about where you spend your time. Whether it's online, in front of the TV, talking with others at the dinner table, or reading books.  
 
We all have to make this examination of our lives.
 
As Jesus said to the Jews and says to us still today,
“Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. (John 8:34-36)
 
This is a struggle, even for a parent, to be enslaved to sin.
 
To have “sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)
 
So how are we supposed to lead the children of God if we, too, have fallen short or found ourselves on the path of wickedness? Show them and guide them on the way back by first confessing your own sins to them and God, the ways you’ve allowed yourself to succumb to the works of the flesh, and how you have stumbled into darkness and evil. Show them that you’ve permitted the sin of leprosy to consume you and say with them, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” (Luke 17:13)
 
I am no different. When the path of wickedness appears for me, I too must go to my children, repent of my sin, and turn away from the darkness that assaults me. I, too, must say, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” (Luke 17:13) So that they, like me, might be led back to the way of wisdom and the path of righteousness. To the place where the light shines in the darkness, to the place where Jesus is present with His forgiveness and eternal life for poor sinners like us.
 
As Jesus says in the Gospel of John, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 812)
 
And this light of Christ enables man to go in the way of the Spirit, to have,
The fruit of the Spirit [that] is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. (Galatians 5:22-24)
 
Because this is the way of Christ: to confess and immerse the sins of Adam in the font of Holy Baptism, to go to the cross and die in Christ, and to rise again to new life. 
 
And the children entrusted to our care, or those who see and observe us, only learn this way of life if we, too, are living it. 
 
As we observe this corrupt and often vile world, parents, especially fathers, have a vital role in guiding their children—to keep them from falling into wickedness and to lead them toward the eternal light of Christ.
 
Listen to Solomon's voice, hear your Father in heaven, and follow His words, for they are your life and healing balm for your soul. They will guide you and your descendants to eternal life. +INJ+
 
 
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
 
 
The Sermons of Pastor Rogness can we found at www.RognessOnTap.com
Learn more about Good Shepherd Lutheran Church at www.goodsheptomah.org