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

The Funeral of Sharon Herried

The Funeral of Sharon Herried
January 15, 2026
Psalm 23
 
Dear Don, family, friends, brothers, and sisters in Christ Jesus, grace, mercy, and peace be unto you this day.
 
Psalm 23 is probably the most well-known of all the Psalms. Since many children learn the Psalm early in life, many people can recite and pray it from memory throughout their entire lives. 
 
This highlights a frequently overlooked aspect of the Psalm: it’s meant to be prayed as one journeys toward the grave. It’s a Psalm for the sojourner as they walk each day. 
 
Just reflect on verse 2 as we prayed,
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
            He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
 
Who is taking the lead here?
 
Jesus, the Good Shepherd, is leading His flock to where the good pasture resides.
 
But a challenging part of this journey is highlighted in verse 4, where the Psalmist prayed, a verse that has become one of the most well-known in Scripture.
            Even though I walk through the valley
 of the shadow death,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
Your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
 
In reality, most of our lives unfold in the shadow of death.
 
This was true of our sister Sharon, whose illnesses caused her to be in and out of the hospital over the past years, going from one doctor’s appointment to another, as she wrestled with the growing shadows of death that drew near. 
 
But the valleys and shadows of death aren’t purely physical; they’re also mental, emotional, and spiritual.
 
And for this reason, Sharon was not alone on this journey to the grave; everyone who cared for her was affected by the shadows of the mental, emotional, and spiritual valleys she experienced.
 
Or, to put it another way, everyone who made this journey with Sharon supported her in carrying the crosses of her life. 
 
In light of this, the passage that comes to mind here is when St. Paul wrote to the Galatians,
“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2)
 
This is what you did, Don, as you cared for Sharon. You bore the shadows, valleys, burdens, and crosses of Sharon’s life with her, just as you both committed to do when you married on January 22, 1966; the two of you became one flesh. 
 
And from that day forward you learned together to “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2)
 
In other words, the law of Christ can be most simply summarized as love for one another. 
 
And the most vivid image of this love is seen in the sacrificial death of Jesus, the bridegroom, for His bride, the Church, upon the cross.
 
Honestly, to understand the valley and the shadow of death, one must view it through the lens of the cross and the Passion of our Lord.
 
It’s truly remarkable. After Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, He was led through the valley of the shadow of death for your sake. You see, the Kidron Valley, where Jesus was led on His way to trial, is the place where the blood of sacrificed lambs from Passover flowed. So, as Jesus crossed the Kidron Valley, He not only walked in the shadows of death but also foreshadowed how He would pass over and conquer death for you by journeying to the cross as the great Passover Lamb who takes away the sin of the world. 
 
Throughout these days entrusted to you in this life, you are called to follow Jesus even now to His cross.
 
This journey begins at the font of Holy Baptism, a journey that Sharon began in May of 1946 when she was baptized and united in the death and resurrection of her Savior, Jesus Christ. Yet, she still had to journey from the font to the day her Savior called her into His eternal presence. 
 
But every time she confessed her sins in order to receive God’s forgiveness, she was led back to green pastures and still waters; she was guided like all lambs to where God is present for them in His Word and in the flesh and blood of Jesus, a foretaste of that great meal prepared in the presence of her enemies.
 
And who or what were those enemies?
 
Cancer, chronic illness, broken relationships, and the burdens of mental, emotional, and spiritual crosses.
 
These aren’t just facets of a broken world and lives, but the ongoing consequence of the broken relationship between our first parents, Adam and Eve, and their God and our God. 
 
For Sharon, these struggles stem not only from our first parents’ sin but also from the sin that resided within her.
 
Yet, because she returned to the font and confessed her sin, she heard the voice of the Good Shepherd; she had confidence in knowing He was with her, even while she was homebound. You see, Jesus came to her in His Word as it was read at her bedside and in the Lord’s Supper as it was placed upon her lips and gave her His forgiveness.
 
It’s a forgiveness that remains for you today.
 
In a wonderful way, you walk the same path as Sharon every Sunday as you gather here for the Divine Service. As you remember your Baptism and confess your sins, it’s here you entrust the burdens and crosses of this life to Jesus, and He takes them to Himself—drowning them and the Old Adam within your hearts in Baptism—so a new man might arise. 
 
And then Jesus brings you to this altar, where He feeds you the same flesh and blood He fed Sharon, for the forgiveness of your sins – a foretaste of heaven.
 
Because this is ultimately where Sharon was being led and where your Lord wishes to lead you, even through the crosses and trials of this life, to His heaven, to the place where goodness and mercy follow, and all the sheep of the Father’s fold dwell in His house forever.
 
Remember this as we leave for the grave today. Pray the 23rd Psalm with each step you take, and trust that the Good Shepherd will not only stay with you but continue to lead you through this valley by His cross. And on the last day, He will also bring you into His house forever. +INJ+
 
 
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
 

The Baptism of Our Lord | Matthew 3:13-17 | Baptism Means a Life of Prayer

The Baptism of our Lord
January 11, 2026
Matthew 3:13-17
 
We Lutherans talk about Baptism a lot, don’t we?
 
But over the years, how we talk about baptism has influenced our view of this sacrament and blessed gift. 
 
Simply saying “I was baptized” shifts our perspective on baptism. While there is a specific moment—a date—when you were baptized, if you only see “I was baptized” as just a historical event, it can lead you to view baptism as a human act. This perspective makes baptism seem more like a family tradition rather than a sacred rite and sacrament of the Church. In turn, this affects how families and the Church see Confirmation and its link to baptism.
 
Because if baptism is just a family event, a civic duty, or a way to get grandma and grandpa off your back, then what happens to Confirmation?
 
It also becomes a family event, a civic duty, a coming-of-age, or, worse, a graduation where the individual is led to believe they’ve achieved something and no longer need to return to the font of Christ where His Word and forgiveness is present for them.
 
But if you examine the rite of Confirmation, it reflects maturity in the Christian’s faith, an acknowledgment of the ongoing gifts God grants in Holy Baptism and continues to give today.
 
So, in a way, confirmation is a time for the Christian, often the younger ones, to learn how to confess and clearly express the gift and faith received in Holy Baptism. 
 
And for this reason, we rightly say with Martin Luther, “I am baptized,” because the baptismal life of the Christian is an ongoing reality that extends beyond any single day, leading the Christian to continually confess their sin, drown the Old Adam, receive Christ’s forgiveness, and walk in holiness, guiding them toward eternal life. 
 
However, the often-overlooked importance of Baptism can be best emphasized by these words of encouragement from Luther, as he wrote, 
 
In all Christian earnestness, I would ask all those who administer Baptism, who hold the children, or witness it, to take this wonderful work to heart in all its seriousness. For here, in the words of these prayers, you hear how meekly and earnestly the Christian Church concerns itself about the little child and how it confesses before God in plain undoubting words that he is possessed by the devil and is a child of sin and wrath, and prays very diligently for aid and grace through Baptism that he may become a child of God. Remember, then, that it is no joke to take sides against the devil and not only to drive him away from the little child, but to burden the child with such a mighty and lifelong enemy.
What a burden, indeed. For the baptized child of God to face such a mighty and lifelong enemy as Satan. This is why Luther continued,
Remember too that it is very necessary to aid the poor child with all your heart and strong faith, earnestly to intercede for him or her that God, in accordance with this prayer, would not only free him from the power of the devil, but also strengthen him, so that he may nobly resist the devil in life and death.
Luther concludes by saying,
And I suspect that people turn out so badly after Baptism because our concern for them has been cold and careless; we, at their Baptism, interceded for them without zeal.
Here you can see how Luther encourages Christians to view Baptism as more than just a sentimental moment or the latest reason to gather friends and family.
 
Because those who are baptized are now united with Christ Jesus, they also become enemies of the devil. Therefore, Luther encourages Christians to pray for the poor child with all their heart. 
 
I wonder how often parents, grandparents, godparents, sponsors, congregations, or even pastors sit down and pray for the faith of the children baptized in the name of Jesus.
 
What follows the Gospel reading this morning—the Baptism of Jesus—is the temptation of Jesus. It’s the time when Jesus is led into the wilderness for forty days and nights to be tempted by the devil.
 
What happens to Jesus after being baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist is exactly what happens to every child of God who becomes a son or daughter of the heavenly Father.
 
A life of temptation from the Evil One himself, as he seeks to lead you to hunger and thirst for things that are not given to you in this life, or to tempt God’s care for you as he invites you to test your heavenly Father or lead you away from His Church, or to seek false power and glory in this life that have not been granted to you.  
 
However, while man often depends on their own weak powers to resist the temptations faced throughout this life’s wildernesses, Jesus depends on the Words of His heavenly Father. 
 
And in a way, it points us back to His baptism, where His Father spoke over Him,
“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
 
The Father is pleased because His Son is obedient and fulfills His will to redeem Israel. Jesus’ submitting to be baptized by John in the Jordan River identifies Himself with all sinners, including you.  
 
It’s there in the Jordan River—the Father’s voice, His Word, is joined to the water. From this moment on, the water joined by His name becomes a great treasure for the Christian. 
 
What a marvelous gift this is!
 
You see, Jesus had no need for repentance or forgiveness, but He received this baptism from John to reveal who He is, to take upon Himself the sinful condition of man, and to take His place, your place, under the wrath of His Father for the sin of the world.
 
In this way, Jesus’ baptism points you to His cross, where, through His death, He redeems God’s children. 
 
Yet, as you walk from the font to eternal life, you journey through many wildernesses and times of temptation. The devil is your enemy and also the enemy of every baptized child of God. As the Large Catechism recalls,
[The Devil] tries every trick and does not stop until he finally wears [you] out, so that [you] either renounce [your] faith or throw up [your] hands and put up [your feet], becoming indifferent or impatient.[1]
 
One of the main dangers to the Christian faith is that you, the baptized, become indifferent or impatient with God. You grow impatient because God’s will is not always your will, and your indifference shows through your lack of prayers and the exercise of your faith. 
 
Remember, St. Peter said, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)
 
“Be sober-minded; be watchful.”
 
Keeping watch for the Christian is often associated with the baptismal life of prayer. In the Gospel of St. Matthew, Jesus tells His disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane,
Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41)
 
Prayer is how Christians stay watchful and ready to enter eternal life with their Savior, Jesus Christ. 
 
Prayer is not only the voice of faith but also the exercise of one’s faith and the baptismal life. When you stop praying, you neglect to exercise your faith, and your faith grows cold, indifference to Christ grows, and sadly, your baptism becomes just a moment in time.
 
In these instances, the devil succeeds in his goal of leading God’s children away from Him. 
 
But see today how your life is called to follow the pattern of Jesus, how after receiving the gift of Baptism, you will, like Him, enter the wildernesses of this life.
 
But also remember how Jesus exercises faith and clings to His Father’s Word in every confrontation with the devil.
 
This is an image of the baptized life; therefore, parents, grandparents, godparents, sponsors, congregations, and even pastors must not only sit down and pray for the faith of the children baptized in the name of Jesus but also teach them how to pray.
 
Because no one’s baptism is meant to be just a moment in time, but rather the ongoing gift and exercise of faith that delivers your heavenly Father’s forgiveness, peace, and eternal life.
 
So go ahead, pray and tell the devil and this world, “I am baptized.” +INJ+
 
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
 
[1] Paul Timothy McCain, ed., Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2005), 433–434.

The Epiphany of Our Lord | Matthew 2:2-12 | God's Word Leads us to the Word Made Flesh

 
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
 
The faith of children is a precious gift. Their faith often stays pure and untouched by the ways of the world. They do not seek truth but instead believe simply in what Jesus has done for them.
 
And for me as a child, I remember the story of Jesus being taught to me both in church and at home, often through reading Arch Books, those well-known, simple children’s books from CPH (Concordia Publishing House). Whether it was the stories of “Lydia Believes,” “Samson Strong and Faithful,” “Jonah and the Very Big Fish,” the “Christmas Angels,” or simply the birth of Jesus, His miracles, His teaching, His crucifixion, and His resurrection - I believed these stories with great faith; I marveled at the work of God through His only begotten Son and the lives of His people. 
 
Likewise, the Gospel for Epiphany is one of those Scriptural stories told to children that causes them and us to marvel and look on with amazement—the story of the Wise Men, also known as the Magi.
 
Now the Magi were Gentiles, nonbelievers, outsiders to Israel. They were called Magi because they were scientists, seers, and undoubtedly learned men and scholars in the natural sciences, such as the movement of stars and planets. They were also seekers; they searched for knowledge and answers in the world, trying to understand its workings through witchcraft and the occult.
 
In many ways, as we grow into adulthood, we become similar to the Magi, seeking answers in the events of this world. Our inherent sin, the sin of Adam, causes us to fear the unknown. We become like Herod, afraid of losing our positions of power in the world – positions within our careers, our jobs, our homes, and our church. 
 
We find ourselves drifting away from God’s Word, and our once childlike faith grows dim and cold. Forgetting the stories of old, the stories handed down through apostles, prophets, and history, we neglect the tales taught to us as children. As we mature and grow older, we become skeptics and focus more on our own truths rather than the truth outside ourselves— the truth found and revealed in Jesus, the child in the manger.
 
Now, you see, children often need guidance as they discover and learn; they need to be taught how to read. They need someone to read to them to begin forming knowledge and understanding. They also need parents, grandparents, godparents, and families to point them toward where truth is located for them, directing them to God’s Word. 
 
Today, the focus is often on the Magi, who followed a star high in the sky. But the star alone was not enough to lead these men to their final destination. Instead, the star guided them to the Word. It brought them to Jerusalem, but from there, the priests reading the Word of God told the Magi where they needed to go: Bethlehem. 
 
According to the prophet Micah, the birthplace of the new child King would be Bethlehem. So the star in the sky led these Magi to seek, but it was the Word that ultimately directed them to where Christ could be found.
 
The Word guided them to the Word - the Word of God led them to the Word made flesh.
 
Like the Magi, you also desire truth. Your presence here this evening shows your wish to know God and be known by Him. You will find God, understand Him, and learn about Him in the same way as the Magi—by listening, following, and submitting to His Word. 
 
The apostle Paul wrote to the Colossians, “Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly.” As God’s child, regularly engage with the Scriptures; read, mark, and inwardly digest. Know that when “the Word of Christ dwells in you”—God is present in you, strengthening you for all the days of this life and, most importantly, keeping you in the one true faith through the Holy Spirit who calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth. (Apostles' Creed, Meaning of the Third Article)
 
On this Epiphany, we rejoice because God’s Word continues to come to us, just as it entered a world darkened by sin and disbelief—salvation is revealed to all through His Son, Jesus Christ. The Magi searched for a king in Bethlehem, but what they discovered was God.
 
This is also the story of every catechumen and every baptized child of God.
 
Historically, on the festival of Epiphany, it was the church’s tradition to bring catechumens (both young and old) into the church through the waters of Holy Baptism. The catechumens, who were students, would be led to the font. Unlike us (although it is entirely acceptable to have the water poured or sprinkled on the head of the person being baptized), they might have entered the font as if walking into the darkness of the grave, while the baptismal waters submerged them and symbolically drowned the Old Adam and all sin. God’s Word was then spoken into their ears, and the name of Jesus, whom even the magi sought, was given to them. 
 
In this way, the Gospel was revealed to these young Christians—the same Gospel and the name of the child King who went to the cross and died for your sins—so that you may receive the Holy Spirit and remain in faith until the day their Lord returns.
 
This is what an epiphany is: to be made known or to manifest. Jesus—His birth, His life, His death, His resurrection, His ascension, and His promise to come again—being revealed, made known to those who have ears and rejoice in hearing this good news. 
 
This evening, this truth is once again made known to you as you make the sign of the cross or perhaps as you help the child next to you do the same to remember your Baptisms. Then, through the singing of hymns and the liturgy, in the reading of God’s Word, and in the breaking of bread—the Holy Spirit again guides and reveals to you your Savior. 
 
However, if given to the world, your minds and hearts, like mine, will be polluted and corrupted, and you will be led away from the truth found in Christ Jesus. But the miracle of faith given in your Baptism calls you back to Him.
 
You see, the Magi were men—men who searched the stars and planets for truth. But on that first Epiphany, the truth was unveiled to them through the Word made flesh. Their response after worshipping Jesus was not to question but simply to believe and return home transformed. 
 
You, too, are called to depart and return to your homes in a new way. Having received the flesh and blood of Christ Jesus, heard the Gospel, and been granted forgiveness, do not go back to your old ways of sin and disbelief. Instead, seek truth in the Holy Scripture and in Jesus. 
 
My friends, let this news, first revealed to the Magi, dwell within you, His faithful children. The news that Christ, your Lord, has come—that He comes to save you and all who believe this certain and unquestionable truth. So, let us rejoice, let us rejoice and believe as children; let us rejoice as the Magi, for today your Savior reveals Himself to you and the world in His Word. +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
 
www.goodsheptomah.org

Funeral of Douglas (Doug) Murray

Funeral of Douglas (Doug) D. Murray
January 5, 2026
 
Dear Ruth, family, friends, brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, grace, mercy, and peace be unto you this day.
 
Shortly after arriving here at Good Shepherd, Doug and Ruth called up the church one day to see if I would be interested in a children’s table and chairs for my kids to use. Having a need, I said, “Sure!”
 
So, the two of them loaded up the table and chairs, got in the car, and made their way through Tomah to the church. Once they arrived, Ruth came in and made small talk with Deb, the secretary, while Doug and I went out to move the table and chairs from their vehicle to the back of my own.
 
As I closed the back end of my vehicle, I had naively thought that was it, and the two of us would head back into the church so he could fetch Ruth.
 
I was wrong.
 
What followed was Doug holding court and sharing his life story with me. How he grew up around Kendall, married Yvonne, and how the two of them lived on the farm in Kendall before moving to Tomah. Oh, how he loved that farm.
 
He also talked about his wife, Yvonne, dying after 51 years of marriage and the heartbreak that followed.
 
Then Doug reconnected with Ruth from his younger years and recounted how she had been a Godsend to him. One thing I remember Doug saying is that when he married Ruth, they were attending different churches, but as he said, “A husband and wife should be in church together.” So, they were—each Sunday, sitting side by side, worshiping, praying, and learning the story of Jesus.
 
But more on this last part in a bit…
 
You see, what I learned that day in the parking lot was that Doug was a storyteller.
 
When Doug was going to tell you something, it was going to be done in the context of a story.
 
There was a story about which restaurants in town you should go to, why John Deere tractors were the best, and why the Packers would beat my Vikings.
 
There was even a story in these latter months as he lay in a hospital bed about how one of his doctors was eyeballing his cowboy boots.
 
Doug loved to tell stories.
 
But if you listened closely to his words, his stories weren’t always filled with joy or a joke. There was the heartbreak of Yvonne’s death. Not having children of his own, he relied greatly on his nephews. Being diagnosed with cancer, he experienced times of grief and frustration, too. 
 
In a way, Doug’s story is our story, your story, too.
 
It’s a story of love, heartache, and unavoidable changes in life.
 
But Doug’s life, you see, was really a small story in the telling of a greater, grander story.
 
Take a moment to step back and reflect on today’s readings from Holy Scripture.
 
In the first reading you have Job saying,
            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. (Job 19:23-25)
 
Well, what is the purpose of writing and inscribing words within a book?
 
To recount something that happened, to tell a story, and what is the story Job confesses and wants known?
 
That his redeemer lives and on the last day, He will raise Job from the dead, that He might stand with Jesus forever.
 
In the second reading, St. Paul says that he doesn’t want the brothers to be misinformed, so he writes,
For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. (1 Thessalonians 4:15)
 
St. Paul doesn’t want the brothers to be uninformed, so he gave them a “Word,” which, as some translations might render it, is a teaching and continuation of the story of Christ.
 
And finally, in the third and final reading, Jesus said,
 
I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me… and they will listen to my voice. (John 10:14, 16)
 
Here, Jesus says, the sheep will recognize His voice, or in other words, they will know My Word, and within this Word, the story of My life is contained, because in Me, My life is the life of My sheep. 
 
Ponder this, if the sheep hear the voice of Jesus, they hear His Word and receive His life.
 
In fact, all of Scripture is a retelling of God’s Word and the most incredible story ever told…
 
From the beginning of Genesis and the fall into sin, all the way to the final Amen of the book of Revelation, the words within tell how Jesus will come as a babe in Bethlehem, die on the cross of Calvary for the sins of the world, rise from the dead on that first Easter morning, ascend in triumph at His Ascension to the right hand of His Father, and return again to gather His faithful children into His eternal presence. 
 
And this was the story Doug was brought into, not only on the day of his baptism as a baby many years ago, but every time he walked past the font at the entrance of the sanctuary.  
 
It’s truly remarkable that each week, as Doug gathered here in this sanctuary with Ruth and all his brothers and sisters in Christ, he took part in the story of Christ. He walked past the font, confessed his sins, and asked God for forgiveness. In fact, Doug joined the angels in singing the Gloria in Excelsis at Christmas, and he traveled through Holy Week by singing the Sanctus before hearing the Words of Institution from the night of Jesus’ betrayal, just before approaching this altar to receive the blessings of Christ’s cross in the Lord’s Supper. 
 
Being a Lutheran is pretty cool, I’m not going to lie, because every week we, like Doug, don’t only hear the story of Jesus, but become real-life participants as the Good Shepherd speaks to us through His Word and leads us to His nearer presence.
 
In fact, this is the whole purpose of gathering in the house of the Lord: to be prepared, as Doug, to be brought into the eternal presence of God.
 
As we depart today and journey to the grave, don’t leave the story of Doug’s life here, but take it with you, because it’s the story of Jesus Christ, who claimed Doug in the font of Holy Baptism and redeemed him through His death and resurrection.
 
Keep this story close to your heart and go in confidence because, like Doug, you have heard the Word of the Good Shepherd and you know without a doubt, “Your Redeemer lives!” +INJ+
 
 
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI

The Second Sunday after Christmas | Matthew 2:13-23 | Following in the Footsteps of Joseph, Guarding of our Lord

The Second Sunday after Christmas
January 4, 2026
Matthew 2:13-23
 
The Gospel reading this morning feels like an action-packed story: a quick escape to Egypt to protect the Child who would be the Savior of the world, a tyrannical king who kills all male children under two out of fear that one of them might dethrone him, and a safe return home after the evil king dies. 
 
The story is gripping and suspenseful.
 
However, one of this morning’s main characters is someone we don’t often talk about; we know little about him. After this morning’s Gospel reading, the only other time we’ll hear of him is when he and his wife Mary are searching for their son as they leave Jerusalem, only to find the boy in the temple, discussing, as the boy will say, the teachings of His heavenly Father. 
 
The man’s name is Joseph, of course, the earthly father of the Christ Child.
 
In this morning’s Gospel, Joseph provides a template and icon for all fathers to imitate, and his example really began before Jesus was even born, as the angel of the Lord came to him in a dream and said,
 
Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. (Matthew 1:20b-21)
 
The story goes on that when Joseph awoke from that sleep,
 
He did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus. (Matthew 1:24-25)
 
Yes, I know you know this part of the story, so why is it so important for today? Because Joseph always listened to the Word of the Lord and obeyed it. This is the foundation of all fatherhood: to listen, hear, and obey the Word of the Lord.
 
Regrettably, too many fathers neglect to regularly read, listen to, and learn God’s Word outside of the Divine Service each Sunday. Then they wonder,
 
“Where are my children?”
 
“Why aren’t they still in church?”
 
You see, if a man is not exercising his faith regularly, how can they expect their household to do the same?
 
More than ever, the Church needs to regain masculinity, godly masculinity; we need men who walk in the image of the prophets, those godly men who heard the voice of their God throughout the Old Testament and prepared the way for the Christ Child’s birth.
 
In a series of sermons on marriage and the family, the Church Father St. John Chrysostom highlights the faith of fathers throughout the Old Testament, such as Noah, who receives the Word of the Lord and builds an ark to save his family. Or there’s Abraham, who, despite being wealthy, did not seek fame and riches but sought the Lord’s wisdom, listening to and obeying the Word of the Lord as the greatest treasure of all. 
 
As Chrysostom would write regarding the men of the Old Testament, he says,
 
All these great men looked at this present life as nothing; They did not thirst for riches or other earthly attachments.
 
Tell me, which trees are best? Do we not prefer those that are inwardly strong and are not injured by rain storms, or hail, or gusts of wind, or by any sort of harsh weather, but stand exposed to them all without fences or garden to protect them?
 
He who truly loves wisdom is like this and his riches we have already described. He has nothing, yet has everything; He has everything, yet nothing. A fence does not provide internal strength, nor is a wall a natural support; They provide only artificial protection. What is a strong body? Is it not one that is healthy, whether hungry or [filled], cold or warm? Or is it something that is dependent on restaurants, tailors, merchants, and physicians for health?
 
The truly rich man, the true lover of wisdom, needs none of these things, and that is why the [Scriptures] admonish us to bring our children up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Don't surround them with external safeguards of wealth and fame, for when these fail - and they will fail - our children will stand naked and defenseless, having gained no profit from their former prosperity, but only injury, since when those artificial protections that shielded them from the winds are removed, they will be blown to the ground in a moment.
 
Therefore, wealth is a hindrance because it leaves us unprepared for the hardships of life. (64)
 
How remarkable are these words written by St. John Chrysostom in the 4th century? It’s as if he’s living yet today.
 
What has weakened your family’s faith in the past? How is your faith and the faith of those around you, including your children, being battered by the winds and storms of this life, leaving you and them exposed to the elements of this world?
 
We live in sad times when the home is more concerned with the adornments of life, whether it be, as Chrysostom said, dependence on restaurants, tailors, merchants, and physicians for health. Or in our time, sports, choirs, and social media status.
 
It’s time for the men of the Church to rise and follow in the steps of Joseph, the prophets, and patriarchs.  
 
It’s time for us to arise and prepare the coming generations so they might withstand the hardships of this life with the help of the Lord.
 
And look, this is why Joseph is the perfect icon and image for us to follow, as he received the Word of the Lord, and in a very awesome way, he became the guardian and protector of this, the Word made flesh.
 
Meditate upon this…
 
Fathers who follow in the footsteps of Joseph do so by hearing the Word of the Lord themselves—receiving it, trusting in it, and confessing it to their children and families. Then they guard and protect this deposit in their children’s hearts so the Word can take root, strengthening their dear little ones’ faith to be stronger than all the trees. 
 
In fact, we want the children of the Church to grow up under the tree of the cross, always looking and clinging to it, because it’s there that Joseph’s Son would die for them, for you, ensuring forgiveness and life eternal for all who possess faith in Him who was born of Mary.
 
Still, you say, “Pastor, but I don’t know how to be a Joseph, I don’t know how to lead my children in the faith…”
 
Thankfully, the father of Lutheranism, Martin Luther, wrote before every chief part of the Small Catechism, “As the head of the family should teach in a simple way to his household.”
 
Teach the Catechism. Reclaim Lutheranism. Exercise the Christian faith.
 
As Martin Luther once remarked, “There’s enough in the Catechism to occupy the greatest theologian for a lifetime.”
 
You possess the tools; they just need to be used. 
 
Now, I understand, some have not been given the gift of children, and you might be thinking, “What can I do?”
 
There’s plenty; you can always pray for the families, and specifically for the fathers of the church. In fact, everyone should be doing this each and every day. For those children who are fatherless or whose fathers are absent, how can you confess and impart the Word of the Lord to them, and then protect it? 
 
There are no rules against encouraging one another in the faith; in fact, St. Paul wrote,
“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:11)
 
You are to do this because you are a family gathered and united as the holy family was in Bethlehem by the Word made flesh.
 
Again, how cool is this?
 
Now, circling back to the beginning today, the truth is, this morning’s Gospel is in fact the start of an action-packed, gripping, and suspenseful story. It’s the story of a father protecting a child who would grow into a man—a Man who would heal the lame, walk on water, and raise the dead.
 
A Man whose faithfulness to His heavenly Father was so strong that He fulfilled His Father’s will, even dying upon the tree of the cross - for you.
 
And this man’s name is Jesus, because He was sent to save His people from their sins.
 
My friends, you have received the most incredible story ever told, so go ahead and tell it to all who have ears, because it’s this Word that permits all of God’s children to withstand the storms and trials of this fleeting life and be led in Holy wisdom to eternal life. +INJ+
 
 Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
 
www.goodsheptomah.org

Christmas 1 | Luke 2:22-40 | Jesus' Parent's Fulfill God's Will - An Icon for All Christian Parents

Christmas 1
December 28, 2025
Luke 2:22-40
 
***Today, we had a baptism at the beginning of the Divine Service***
 
Have you noticed how everyone rightly focuses on the birth of Jesus at Christmas, but then forgets how the days that follow His birth are also important and continue to tell the story and purpose of the Christ Child’s arrival into the world?
 
To start with, we hear about Mary and Joseph’s faithfulness to God’s word as they brought the baby Jesus to the temple this morning. The Gospel says they took Jesus to the temple according to the Law of Moses, and it wasn’t until the law was fulfilled that they would depart and return to Galilee. 
 
This image of Mary and Joseph’s faithfulness should motivate all parents to be just as faithful in hearing and listening to God’s Word and bringing their little ones to His temple and sanctuary, just as Gabe and Leah have, bringing Ellowyn to where God is present for her today. 
 
Now, when Mary and Joseph arrived at the temple, they were greeted by Simeon, a devout and righteous man who had been in the temple specifically to wait for and receive the Lord’s consolation, to see the Christ.
 
But let’s take a moment to consider what it truly means to receive the Lord’s consolation. Yet, it might be helpful to start by thinking about what the opposite of consolation is. 
 
It’s a harsh world of desolation, of indifference, ruthless disdain, and complete mercilessness, a lack of compassion and forgiveness.
 
Not a world one would typically desire to bring a child into.
 
But this is the world that Simeon knew and was waiting for consolation from. 
 
As you look around, is the world you live in much different from the world of Simeon that first Christmas?
 
To ask the question differently, has the devil ceased to attack the faith of God’s children?
 
The answer is no, of course.
 
You still live in a world of desolation; indifference has become the Devil’s playground. The talking heads on television and social media often teach you to have ruthless disdain for the neighbor you disagree with, and forgiveness is seen as a weakness. 
 
Maybe this is a world you witnessed this Christmas as you gathered with family? A reminder of how near the wildernesses of this world are. 
 
But Simeon, a member of God’s faithful remnant of Israel, is waiting in the temple for the consolation of Israel to come, and he sees the Christ child as Mary and Joseph enter the temple, takes Him into his arms, and speaks the most comforting words anyone can say. 
            Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,
                        according to your word;
            for my eyes have seen your salvation
            that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
            a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
                        and for glory to your people Israel.
 
These are the words of Simeon’s consolation, God’s comfort and peace, His forgiveness. These are the words of fulfillment as the prophet Isaiah had written,
 
It will be said on that day,
“Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us.
                        This is the LORD; we have waited for him;
                        let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.” (Isaiah 25:9)
And this confesses why Jesus was born into this world, to save us, to save you.
 
This is also what Anna the Prophetess confesses in the verses that follow Simeon. You see, just a few days ago, the Shepherds announced the birth of Jesus, but the words that Prophetess Anna now speaks are about His death, as St. Luke records,
 
And coming up at that very hour [Anna] began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.
 
This redemption would occur through the means of the cross.
 
Now, while the Bible doesn’t specify the type of wood used for the cross, there might be a little sermon for young Ellowyn here (and the rest of you).
 
The name Ellowyn is of English origin. It carries several wonderful meanings, such as purity, joy, or, in some cases, it refers to the Elm Tree. When associated with an Elm Tree, the name symbolizes resilience and beauty. An Elm tree is known for its large canopy, which offers shade to those seeking shelter beneath it. It’s also a hardwood, signifying strength beneath its bark.  
 
Of course, Ellowyn’s last name is Oakes, which is an even sturdier tree and name.
 
Yet, there is a tree stronger than both, and this is the tree that Leah and Gabe must point their little Ellowyn to every day: the tree of the cross. Because this is what faithful parents do—they humbly bring their children into the courts of the Lord and guide them to look beyond this world, beyond themselves, and to their Savior.
 
Why does this matter?
 
Because little Ellowyn has been born into a harsh world of desolation, of ruthless disdain for one another, complete mercilessness – a world lacking compassion and forgiveness.
 
Merry Christmas, huh?
 
But look, as she was baptized today, like the rest of you, she became a member of God’s faithful remnant on earth.
 
A remnant that’s always walking and approaching the tree of Jesus’ cross, because that is how and where He won eternal consolation for Ellowyn and for all of you.
 
Here’s the thing: just as Jesus’ journey to the cross began at His birth, so the Christians’ journey to eternal life begins at the font, where you are joined to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
 
From this day forward, every journey from the font to this altar follows the way of the cross; it’s a rehearsal for singing with Simeon and praising God with Anna in paradise.
 
Think about that when you sing Nunc Dimittis in a few minutes…
 
Having come or been brought into this sanctuary, you approach, take, and receive the flesh and blood of Jesus into your hands and upon your lips, and then you sing again with Simeon,
 
Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,
                        according to your word...
 
How cool is that?
 
Here you are given the Lord’s consolation, His peace. And how would a child ever know this if their parents did not faithfully carry out their responsibilities, to walk in the shadows of Mary and Joseph, and to bring their little ones into the presence of God as He has instructed.
 
Mothers and fathers, fathers and mothers, have an enormous responsibility in raising their child in the faith, and the greatest joy they will receive is by presenting them to the Lord, where He shall place His name, granting them not only consolation now, but eternal peace when they leave this world and enter the heavenly courts.
 
Remember this, because there’s no greater joy than receiving the peace and forgiveness of Jesus Christ and being made ready by Him to live with Him forever. +INJ+
 
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
 
www.goodsheptomah.org

Christmas Day | John 1:1-14 | Christmas is a New Beginning

Christmas Day
John 1:1-14
 
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
 
In 1968, the space shuttle Apollo 8 was orbiting the Moon. But on that Christmas, the astronauts onboard this space shuttle broadcasted a short, brief greeting from high above down to Earth below in one of the most watched television broadcasts at that time. Some of you may remember huddling around a TV or radio for this mesmerizing event. As the astronauts orbited, and the lunar sunrise approached, they spoke the words “In the Beginning…” The three astronauts read the first ten verses of the book of Genesis, the beginning of creation. 
   
Imagine what those three astronauts experienced. What a sight to see the Earth below as the sun rises and they read these Words of God, these Words of creation. What awe and wonder to witness the beauty of Earth and God’s creation as they begin their new day with, “In the beginning….” How small the world must have seemed, with its problems and challenges, to these astronauts at that moment as they orbited in space. 
   
Today’s Gospel, John 1, in many ways paints a cosmic picture for us. The tone and makeup of the Christmas readings have shifted. No longer are you hearing about cattle lowing, angels from on high, mangers, or room at the inn. Today’s Gospel points you to creation.
   
How often do you reflect on the words of creation, “In the beginning?”
 
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” The truth is, most days you forget how awe-inspiring the world God created is. Instead, you focus on the world often shaped by you. Why is this the case?
   
You are a fallen creation; a child separated from their Father. In Adam and Eve’s fall into sin, you fell too. Just as your first parents became concerned and even consumed with their needs in this life, so have you.
   
It must have been a fleeting moment in time when those astronauts read the words of Genesis during Christmas in 1968. We might like to think the sense of awe and wonder lasted, but surely children soon after this event longed for Red Ryder Range Model 1938 BB guns to shoot and baby dolls to dress. Before long, this moment in history became just the past, and man and woman on earth were once again consumed by their own wants, needs, and desires. They were preoccupied with their own world.
 
Things haven’t changed much since 1968. 
   
Our lives continue to be filled with daily events. When a man and a woman become engaged, their days and world are shaped by wedding plans. As couples welcome children into the world, new parents feverishly prepare to care for this gift, this child of God entrusted to them. In the face of job loss, one is overwhelmed with concerns about how to provide for and care for their family. Likewise, when death occurs, you must bear the burden of planning a funeral and returning your loved one’s body to the earth. These are the joys, the challenges, and the sorrows of life; they have not changed over time but remain constants. 
   
Yet, in the joy and sadness that so often shape your lives and the world you live in, you have a promise that remains with you. A promise first made to Adam and Eve in Genesis, where God said, “And I will put enmity between you and the women, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head and you shall bruise His heel.” (Genesis 3:15) Amidst the crumbling world around Adam and Eve, God came to them, spoke to them, and offered hope through a promise, through His Word. 
   
If the world around you feels like it’s crumbling, or God seems distant and uninterested in you, don’t listen to the flesh or the lies of the serpent. Instead, listen to this Word of God. Hear the promise made to send a Seed, an offspring to conquer sin in this world, to defeat and destroy the devil, and to undo death with life. This child does not abandon you in your struggles or leave you in loneliness. Rather, this promise has been fulfilled in the Word that became flesh, the Word incarnate that was nailed to a tree and became a curse for you and every child. 
   
Your joy today is these words, “In the beginning…”
 
Because as we hear “In the beginning” from the Gospel of St. John, we hear the beginning of God’s promise to man being fulfilled through the redemptive and regenerative work of the Word made Flesh, Jesus Christ.
   
For every child born of God, this promise is given. In baptism, Jesus penetrates your world as a child, uniting Himself with you. Our text says, “As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” (NKJV) Blood and flesh are the ways of earthly birth and earthly death, but the birth given in Holy Baptism is a heavenly birth, a birth that leads to eternal life in Jesus.
   
In the midst of this world, Jesus comes to you. He becomes man and takes on your flesh, joining Himself to you. He does not sit high above the heavens as a God who does not love His creation or is indifferent to your prayers and petitions. Instead, He humbles Himself, enters into this world, and bears the crosses of your life in His flesh, taking them upon the cross He bore for you, dear child of God. And He continues to bring renewal and His forgiveness to you. How wonderful this is—soon, we will gather not around a television but here around this altar, Saint Augustine writes. 
 
What you can see here, dearly beloved, on the table of the Lord, is bread and wine; but this bread and wine, when the word is applied to it, becomes the body and blood of the Word. That Lord, you see, who “in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” was so compassionate that he did not despise what he had created in his own image; and therefore “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” Because, yes, the very Word took to himself a man, that is, the soul and flesh of a man, and became man while remaining God. For that reason, because he also suffered for us, he also presented us in this sacrament with his body and blood.
 
This very flesh and blood are for the comfort, encouragement, and forgiveness you are so desperately in need of. At this rail, something truly amazing happens: heaven fills this earth. You are joined with your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ as our voices unite in praise with the angels, archangels, the saints who now rest from their labors. We rejoice and praise the one who comes and enters our world.
   
The miraculous aspect of Christmas is that your Savior comes to you. In Him, you find forgiveness and salvation. He is your hope in this life, a light that shines in your darkness, and your joy during times of sadness. Through Him, you were created, and in Him, all things are fulfilled, giving you eternal peace. 
   
As you journey through life until your final day on earth, let your days be shaped by the Word that was made flesh and now dwells among us. When you pass by the font, remember the new creation you are through holy baptism. As you approach this rail, rejoice that your Savior lives within you as you live in Him. Rejoice, for this is not just a fleeting moment, but the joy of eternity extended to you. God bless you and keep you this Christmas Day. Merry Christmas!
 
 
“The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
 
 
www.goodsheptomah.org

Christmas Eve | Christmas is not dependent upon you, but it is because of you

Christmas Eve Lessons and Carols
December 24, 2025
 
 
+INJ+
 
It’s clear that the Christmas season began nearly two months ago, as stores began displaying their holiday decorations in the days leading up to All Hallows’ Eve, or Halloween, as some call it. 
 
It was slightly after the beginning of November that Starbucks began selling its holiday coffees.
 
But don’t get me started on the Hallmark channel, which began its 24/7 programming of Christmas movies on October 17th that make you wonder every two to three hours if the down-on-her-luck girl will find Mr. Christmas in a small town or if the big city accountant who runs away from life will ever find the true meaning of Christmas.
 
Now, I love a good Christmas movie, a Frosty the Snowman or a little Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, but have you noticed how the whole Christmas season, as the world sees it, conditions you for nearly two months?
 
And it’s about how Christmas begins with you—what you do, how you find and create purpose and love.
 
This idea really stood out to me in the movie, The Polar Express. It features a boy who has lost his belief in the Christmas stories of the world, so he boards a train on Christmas Eve in the middle of the night to go to the North Pole with other children for a magical experience. 
 
The climax of the movie revolves around the train arriving at the North Pole just in time to see Father Christmas off, allowing one of the children to receive the first Christmas gift of the night. The challenge for the young man who plays a central role in the movie is that he cannot hear the sleighbells ring when Father Christmas appears because of his lack of faith in Father Christmas. You see, the boy no longer believes in him.
 
Only when the young man finds it in himself to believe in Father Christmas again does he hear the joyful ringing of the sleigh bells.
 
In a way, this is how you’ve been conditioned over the past two months: that the “spirit” of Christmas begins with you, that it depends on you.  
 
That’s a heavy weight for anyone to carry, let alone a child.
 
But it also misses how Christmas comes to each of you…
 
So, what did we hear in the lessons we just read tonight?
 
The Angel Gabriel told Mary when she questioned the miraculous birth of the Savior,
 
The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. (Luke 1:35)
 
Mary didn’t do anything here; she simply received the Word of God, and the Christ Child was conceived in her womb through the work of the Holy Spirit who came upon her.
 
If you fast forward, the Angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds in the field, who seem to have been just doing what shepherds do, and announced to them,
 
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:11)
 
There’s nothing the shepherds did to solicit this great news and the joy that overwhelmed them; it came to them through the words of the heavenly angels.
As the prophet Isaiah wrote,
 
            For to us a child is born,
                        to us a son is given… (Isaiah 9:6)
 
Ponder these words…
 
The good news of Christmas doesn’t start with you; it’s not a feeling or emotion to be recreated from childhood. It’s given and announced to you through the words of God’s messengers. 
 
To say all of this differently, Christmas is not dependent upon you, but it is because of you.
 
Again, Christmas is not dependent upon you, but it is because of you.
 
The truth is, if a successful Christmas depends on the number of gifts given or received, falling in love under the mistletoe like in the movies, or digging deep into oneself to find or create a feeling of “Christmas Spirit” so you can hear the ringing of magical bells, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment. 
 
No, the joy of Christmas comes to you; it comes because of your heavenly Father’s heart and great love for you that He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to be born of the Virgin Mary—to redeem and rescue you.
 
This is why Martin Luther is correct when he said, “The manger and the cross are never far apart.”
 
In other words, when you approach the manger, you are already starting your journey to the cross of Good Friday, where the Christ Child dies for you.
 
How wonderful is this?
 
You have a Savior who came from heaven above to this earth below. He came for you, to save you, to forgive you, and to give you eternal life – His life.
 
For this reason, the Church remains His manger, where He comes to you through His Word.
 
The Church is His manger as He comes and is present to feed you at this altar with His flesh and blood, the food of pardon and peace.  
 
The Church is His manger, because it’s here the true Spirit, the Holy Spirit, gathers, creates, and sustains faith in the hearts of all God’s children.
 
How great this is that Christmas and the Church do not depend on you, but they are for you.
 
Remember this….
 
Christmas and the Church do not depend on you, but they are for you.
 
+INJ+
 
 
Merry Christmas!
 
www.goodsheptomah.org

Advent 4 | Philippians 4:4-7 | Jesus Comes to Remove the Bah! Humbugs! of Life

Advent 4 – Rorate Coeli
December 21, 2025
Philippians 4:4-7
 
 
Bah! Humbug!
 
It’s believed this saying first appeared around the 1750s, about 100 years before it was made famous by that cold, miserly, selfish, and cynical old man, Ebenezer Scrooge, in Charles Dickens’ classic, “A Christmas Carol.”
 
Bah! Humbug!
 
To define the well-known saying from the classic, let’s start with the Humbug, which is meant to say something is not genuine, that it’s a deception, a con, a fraud, a hoax, it’s fake.
 
The Bah! in Bah! Humbug! acts as an annoyed interjection to emphasize the contempt behind “Humbug.” Because of this, the Bah! is meant to be the finishing touch on the Humbug, the exclamation point!
 
For these reasons, when Scrooge says, Bah! Humbug! - he is genuinely and emphatically dismissing Christmas joy, equating it with foolishness and hypocrisy. He’s calling Christmas a hoax, nonsense, or a scam.
 
Old Scrooge saw Christmas as a waste of time and his money; he lacked sympathy towards others, and his lack of cheerfulness isolated him from both his acquaintances and family.
 
In many ways, I’m sure Charles Dickens wants the reader to see themselves in Scrooge.
 
Can you? Can you see yourself in him?
 
As the season of Advent approaches its end, people’s prayers must grow more intense, asking God for a change of heart—one that admits how they, you, have imitated Scrooge in both what you say and what you fail to do for others.
 
Now, there is another man in Scripture, a truly zealous, well-educated, get-things-done type, whom some might have seen as similar to Scrooge, except this one was serious about it in a very different way and took it to another level. He persecuted Christians, arrested them, and even participated in stoning them for their faith in Christ Jesus. 
 
His name was Saul of Tarsus.
 
You know him as the Apostle Paul. Yes, it was he who persecuted Christians, sought to arrest them, and was there when St. Stephen, the first martyr, was stoned to death for confessing his faith in Jesus.
 
But then something miraculous occurred: Jesus came to Saul, not through ghosts or spirits in the night, but He called him to faith through His Word and gave Saul new life in the waters of Holy Baptism. 
 
In this way, Saul was no longer the same, as his heart of stone was transformed into a heart of flesh. Later, he would be known as St. Paul, and he would become someone who suffered for Jesus, proclaiming the gospel everywhere he traveled. He would encourage other apostles in their faith. He would be shipwrecked, beaten, and left for dead. In fact, the epistle this morning was written while he was imprisoned. 
 
And what did he say?
Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
 
No one writes these words from prison, no less, unless they truly believe them and have faith in their Savior, Jesus Christ. No one writes these words unless their heart has been miraculously transformed.
 
Throughout this season of Advent, have you permitted your heart to be transformed? Have you cast aside the Bah! Humbugs! of your life for joy in Christ? Have you learned to pray regularly and faithfully, so that the anxiety of your heart might receive the peace of God that surpasses your understanding of this mortal life on earth, the peace that guards your hearts and minds from the cold, miserable, selfish, and cynical ways of old Scrooge? 
 
If not, the time is now; hear the words of John the Baptist from today’s Gospel,
 
“I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord.’”
 
These words are a call to repent of the sin that has led you away from Christ this Advent season. The ways your path has become crooked—the road where joy is not found.
 
Today is a call for the heart of mankind to be reconciled in the cross of Jesus – His death and resurrection.
 
In a way, Advent is meant to be a battleground for the heart and mind of every Christian. But the peace you desire will thankfully not be revealed to you by spirits throughout the night, but through the same transformational Word and Gospel spoken to St. Paul on the road to Damascus. 
 
It’s this word of Christ that removed Paul from the crooked path and set him to walk in the way of Jesus, and this was his cause for joy – faith and trust in Jesus.
 
Old Scrooge saw Christmas as a waste of time and his money; he lacked sympathy towards others, and his lack of cheerfulness isolated him from both his acquaintances and family.
 
Is this you?
 
Are there sorrows that continue to fill your heart as we approach this Christmas? Are there broken relationships that you have not reconciled? Do you grieve your lack of charity in word and deed? Have you failed in keeping your prayers this Advent season?
 
If so, the time is at hand; put away your anxious heart and go to the Lord in prayer.
 
Pray for a generous heart.
 
Pray for peace in your life.
 
Pray for reconciliation with one another.
 
Pray for your Lord to remove the cold, miserly, selfish, and cynical old man within you.
 
Because when you entrust the needs of this life to God in prayer, there you exercise your faith, and where there is faith, there is peace, and there is joy in your heart.
 
So let us gather now in these waning hours of night and pray, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.”
 
Come and be with us, O Emmanuel, transform us into your likeness, so that we might rejoice in your presence forever. +INJ+
 
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
 
 
www.goodsheptomah.org

Advent 3 Midweek | Luke 2:8-20 | Confess the Good News the Shepherds Received

Advent 3 + Midweek (The Angels and the Shepherds)
December 17, 2025
Luke 2:8-20
 
Tonight, we conclude our meditations on the Angels of Advent as we reflect on the Angels who appear to the Shepherds. 
 
It’s interesting that shepherds are among the first to learn about Jesus’ birth since He will be the great Shepherd. In a way, the angels are not only announcing the birth of the Savior but also revealing the work He will perform to protect, keep, and lead you, His lambs, to springs of living water.
 
But one of the things that prevent you from being led to the springs of living water, eternal life, is your rejection of His Word—lips that do not confess His name both here and in your daily life, whether you’re going to work or school, taking children to practice or rehearsals, encountering neighbors at the store or out to eat, or gathering around the table at home. 
 
But right from the beginning, as soon as Jesus is born of the Virgin Mary, the angel of the Lord appears to the shepherds to do what we find difficult: to announce the good news, the birth of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. 
 
However, this angelic announcement is met with the same fear as each of the previous two announcements to Mary and Joseph. In each case, fear appears in the person receiving the good news, but it quickly vanishes with the angel’s words. 
 
In a way, I wonder if the shepherd’s fear diminishes partly because of the words of the angel as he said to them, 
Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
 
This news is for all people…
 
Have you ever noticed that you’re usually less afraid in life when you’re with others? When you’re part of a group? When you’re in a crowd? 
 
Some people call this strength in numbers, right?
 
Speaking of numbers, joining the angel of the Lord is a multitude of heavenly hosts in saying,
            “Glory to God in the highest,
                        and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
 
How wonderful it is to witness heaven and earth united in celebration. 
 
The joy comes from the peace of heaven that has descended upon earth in the baby, wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. It is this child who will take away all fear from man’s heart. 
 
But let’s return to the idea of fear again. Throughout our readings this Advent, fear is always present in the hearts of the receivers, whether it’s Mary, Joseph, or the shepherds. But when someone hears the Gospel for the first time today, do they experience fear? 
 
Maybe…
 
Honestly, though, for all the wrong reasons, fear usually rests in the one who has the chance to confess not only the birth of Jesus but also the purpose for which He was sent: to take your sins to the cross, to die for you, and to rise again so you could receive eternal life. 
 
Consider this: it’s your fear that stops you from sharing Jesus with everyone you meet — at the bus stop, school, work, or even around your dinner table. 
 
However, reflect on what the shepherds did after receiving the good news—the gospel of Jesus from the angels. They went to Bethlehem to see this Babe in the manger, and the text says, 
 
And when they saw [Jesus], they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
 
Having seen Jesus, these shepherds could not keep from confessing the good news of His birth; they told everyone, praising their Lord for revealing Himself to them. 
 
Now think about this: Have you seen Jesus? Have you heard His voice? Has He revealed Himself to you?
 
Absolutely!
 
He does this every time we gather here in this sanctuary. As you walk past the font, you remember where He claimed you as His own. As you sit in the pew, you hear His voice, the good news of forgiveness, and at this rail, you join the angelic choir of heaven in receiving a foretaste of what’s to come.
 
How could you not want to confess this great news to everyone you come in contact with in how you speak and what you do?
 
Think about this: if you read a book and found the story to be delightful, would you not tell others?
 
Or if you went to a restaurant and enjoyed a wonderful meal, would you not tell others?
 
I mean, these days, if the Chick-fil-A trailer shows up in Tomah, Facebook is all a clatter with people saying the best chicken sandwiches are in town!
 
So why wouldn’t you be moved to confess the good news of the angels more boldly with those you encounter? 
 
Because you live in fear.
 
You worry about what others think. You’ve fallen for the lies of the devil, believing it’s inappropriate to speak of faith in Christ Jesus. You’ve closed your heart to His Word. 
 
But listen to these words from St. John,
There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. (1 John 4:18)
 
In other words, set aside the fears of this world, such as the fear of rejection. Fear God and the eternal punishment He can bring. Allow Jesus to dwell in you, because with Him, love overflows, dispels earthly fears, and works within you. In return, you receive the greatest gift of heavenly peace – His forgiveness. 
 
As we conclude our meditations on the Angels of Advent, remember that the definition of an angel is to be a messenger of God. While you are not angels, nor will you ever be, you are called to be messengers of God—to take the great news the shepherds heard and make it known to all who will hear. 
 
In the end, you cannot separate your confession of Jesus from faith, as St. Paul wrote,
If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. (Romans 10:9-10)
 
In the days ahead, cast aside your fears, and do not keep the good news of your Savior’s birth to yourself. Learn from the shepherds to confess His birth, remembering that this news is for all people. +INJ+
 
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
 
 
www.goodsheptomah.org