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

Midweek 4 – The Office of the Keys
March 18, 2026
Matthew 18 & John 20:19-23
 
Tonight, we continue our walk-through Confession and Absolution and take up the Small Catechism’s teaching on the Office of the Keys, a teaching we don’t really meditate upon much these days.
 
The Small Catechism asks, “What is the Office of the Keys?”
 
The Office of the Keys is that special authority which Christ has given to His church on earth to forgive the sins of repentant sinners, but to withhold forgiveness from the unrepentant as long as they do not repent.
 
The Office of the Keys begins with the concept and idea of authority.
 
But man doesn’t like authority, does he?
 
It’s interesting, the etymology, the root of the word, authority, comes from the same source as the word author, which provides us with a beautiful story, really.
 
The story of authority began in the Garden of Eden, where God created man and woman along with everything that filled the earth. God is the author of this story, the creator of heaven and earth, and all that fills it. He provided Adam and Eve, your first parents, with instructions on how to care for His creation and how to avoid trouble, sin, and disobedience , but they didn’t listen to the author.
 
Instead, they rebelled against authority, the author who instructed them through His Word, and ensured all future children would be born with their sin inscribed upon their hearts.   
 
And because of the sin of Adam and Eve being written upon your hearts, you also, like them, rebel against authority and the author of life, Himself.
 
Your rebellion against authority shows early on when you, as a child, disobey your parents. They tell you to clean your room, and instead, you choose to play a video game or look them straight in the eye and say, “No.”
 
You rebel against the authority your parents entrusted to your teachers; they tell you to sit silently so they can start class, and you keep talking, thinking your conversation about the monkey bars or the gossip about what another student is wearing is more important. 
 
As you get older, it doesn’t get better. Instead, the story of sin written and formed through your hearts since birth leads you to reject the authority of professors, supervisors at work, law enforcement, and yes, even pastors who have been sent not of their own accord, but of God’s.
 
We do this, because like Adam and Eve, we desire lives of autonomy. Meaning, we want to live for ourselves, not for anyone else. We want to make the rules.
 
But God, as the author of life, created man and woman for community, for fellowship, and in doing so, He also provided an order of authority in His creation. Adam was created first and was to be in charge and responsible for Eve and her actions.
 
Adam was meant to care for her, protect her, and lead her. This is what authority or those in positions of authority do for those entrusted to their care.
 
Adam failed. Eve, likewise, failed. But Adam, the one who was placed as the head of family, he failed.
 
A complete breakdown of the order of Creation and the authority entrusted by God.
 
For this reason, God promised to send a child to redeem, meaning to buy back His creation from sin, through His only Son, Jesus Christ.
 
In His trial that first Holy Week, there is this wonderful exchange between Pilate and Jesus written for us in the Gospel John, it says,
So Pilate said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?” Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin.” (John 19:10-11)
 
We learn from this that all authority in heaven and on earth originates with God the Father, the Creator, and author of heaven and earth.
 
He sends His Son, Jesus, to submit to the authority of Pontius Pilate, to die upon the cross, to redeem you and what was lost in the sin of your first parents.
 
Jesus teaches us to live in submission and be obedient to all authority by fulfilling His Father’s will, even to the point of death, so that you might receive the forgiveness of sins He won for you on the cross. 
 
Which leads us back to the beginning of this evening’s sermon and the question, “What is the Office of the Keys?”
 
The Office of the Keys is that special authority which Christ has given to His church on earth to forgive the sins of repentant sinners, but to withhold forgiveness from the unrepentant as long as they do not repent.
 
The Office of the Keys is a position established by Jesus within the Church that has the authority to declare His grace and forgiveness of sins to those who have repented and to withhold the forgiveness to those who do not repent. 
 
We see the Office of the Keys clearly through Jesus’ words recorded in John:
The Lord Jesus breathed on His disciples and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” (John 20:22–23)
 
The Office of the Keys is best understood through the analogy of a prison cell. The person guilty of sin is imprisoned by it; they are locked within the prison of death. The only way to open the door of sin and death is first through repentance; then through the pastor, who acts in the stead and authority of Jesus, declares the forgiveness of Jesus to you.  
 
Which is a joy, because this is the sole purpose of the Church, to grant the forgiveness of sin to those who repent.
 
God wants you to know His forgiveness is present for you—through His Church, His Word, and the signs, such as the Sacraments of Holy Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. 
 
In fact, Jesus said in the first reading this evening, you must be willing to humble yourself and become like a child in need of their Father’s help, living in submission to Him who has written His name upon you in the waters of Holy Baptism.
 
And for this reason, don’t rebel against God, the author and authority of life; instead, listen to and obey His Word. Come to the Church where His forgiveness is present for you, so that you may be released from the sins that imprison you.
 
And then guide the children of the church to grow and learn the story of confession and absolution, because this is how they will be led, like Jonah, to confess their sins and faith before God. Then, they will be released from their sins through Jesus’ forgiveness in the flesh and blood of the Lord’s Supper, received at this altar—food of comfort and encouragement in this life. 
 
Comfort and encouragement we should all desire, but are only found here in the sanctuary of God’s church on earth. +INJ+
 
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Pastor, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
 
 
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Website: www.goodsheptomah.org
The Shepherd’s Voice Podcast: https://goodsheptomah.podbean.com/
 

The Fourth Sunday in Lent + Laetare
March 15, 2026
John 6:1-15
 
 
A beautiful reality of a church with children is that you get to see them grow from the time they are born.
 
The child, often carried to the font in a mother’s arms, enters the church through Holy Baptism and receives new life through the work of the Holy Spirit. For the first few months, one might wonder if the baby makes any noise as they remain in their mother’s arms, clinging to their love. But then, as they grow, they become more active. They move, fidget, and yes, they make noise. 
 
Still, while some like to say, “They’re the future of the Church,” as baptized children of God, they are the Church, even now.
 
As St. Paul wrote to the Corinthians,
For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body. (1 Corinthians 12:12-13a)
 
Notice how St. Paul doesn’t mention age, mental capacity, or anything else. He simply states how we are all members of the body of Christ through Holy Baptism.
 
Maybe you can hear the words of Dr. Seuss in the back of your mind, “A person’s a person no matter how small.”
 
And this is especially true in the Church, where we believe all life born of woman is a gift from God.
 
However, in many congregations, the question has become, “How do we keep the children quiet or entertained so the adults can listen and hear?”
 
But one might ask, do these questions recognize what St. Paul said above, that we are many members of one body?
 
Could we ask a different question?
 
How do we care for the youngest lives and nurture the faith of the youngest among us? How do we help them remain faithfully in the Church beyond the years of Confirmation?
 
This is an important question for us to ponder.
 
Simply put, we don’t delay in teaching them that they are members of the Church today. We don’t hesitate to instill the liturgy in their hearts. We don’t wait to help them hear God’s Word of forgiveness. We don’t delay in preparing them and guiding them to receive the Lord’s Supper. 
 
Instead, parents now actively guide and teach their children in the liturgy of the Divine Service, in hearing God’s Word, and preparing them to receive the Lord’s Supper.
 
Which raises the question, are we listening and participating throughout the Divine Service? Do we lead the little ones among us to follow along with the service by our example? Do we bring them to the rail to receive a blessing and teach them about the significance of Jesus’ body and blood in the Lord’s Supper, as well as how He cares for, feeds, and forgives us through this sacred meal? 
 
But when parents aren’t present or available, we need to step up as members of the church as we are able, recognizing that, as the body of Christ, we all have different talents and abilities. Similarly, not all children are the same and respond to their older brothers and sisters in Christ differently, too. When these instances occur, we still have the opportunity to teach the faith through our examples in Divine Service.
 
Because, in the end, all of us were brought into the Church in the same way, through the font of Holy Baptism, and within this Church, we have all grown and been nurtured in the Christian faith through the same words of Jesus Christ.
 
For this reason, the Church is like a living, breathing mother, caring for her children, no matter how big or how small.
 
Throughout the Scriptures, the Church is often described as a mother. The prophet Isaiah spoke about the new birth of God’s children and how the Church will provide her children with eternal comfort and peace, as he wrote, “As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.” (Isaiah 66:13)
 
Jesus would expand on this theme as He describes Jerusalem as a hen that gathers and shields her brood of chicks under her wings from the viper that aims to take their lives. (Matthew 23:37)
 
Or St. Paul wrote to those in Galatia that the heavenly Jerusalem is the mother of all God’s children.
Which prodded Martin Luther to write in the Large Catechism, “[The Christian Church] is the mother that conceives and bears every Christian through God’s Word.” (LC II 42)
 
For these reasons, how we nurture and lead the children of this church in the faith matters immensely.
 
As the familiar proverb goes, “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)
 
Training, teaching, and leading start even while the infant rests in their mother’s arms.
 
Honestly, this lens should continue to change how we view and approach Confirmation and First Communion.
 
Today, Jonah Rogness will receive his First Communion.
 
While he remains but a child, so do you.
 
While he has learned to seek forgiveness for his sins from Jesus, so do you.
 
But what makes Jonah prepared at his age to receive the Lord’s Supper? St. Paul answers this question, “Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.”[1]
 
Meaning, can he confess his sin? Can he approach the altar and confess what the body and blood of Jesus are and what benefits they give to us? Can he articulate who should receive such a blessed gift from Jesus?
 
These are really questions for all of us…
 
If the answer to these questions is yes, then he has been prepared to be received at this altar.
 
The truth is that Jonah needs the same forgiveness of sins as you do, and since he has learned what the Scriptures teach about this, there’s no reason to withhold this gift from him or any other child who has been properly prepared. 
 
Did you listen to the words of the Collect we prayed today? We prayed,
You receive us as Your children and provide for all our needs of body and soul. Grant that we may heartily acknowledge Your merciful goodness, give thanks for all Your benefits, and serve You in willing obedience.
 
We are all God’s children.
 
One thing I love about today’s Gospel reading on the feeding of the five thousand is that it wasn’t the apostles who had the bread and fish for Jesus, nor were they any of the followers; it was a boy, a child.
 
Jesus used the gifts of a young boy to care for those who had followed Him into a wilderness of life.
 
In the same way, these words today teach you to depend upon the Son and Child of your heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, for life and salvation as you wander through the wilderness of this world.
 
And here is the challenge: if we delay in preparing not only the children of the Church but also ourselves for eternity with Jesus, we will all fall away. Sadly, this might be why we have seen so many young people leave the Church over the years. We haven’t always taught and led the children of the Church with joy and compassion, nor have we always seen them as the brothers and sisters in Christ that they are.  
 
My brothers and sisters in Christ, we must not leave anyone behind as we journey through the wilderness of the world. If we look around and see someone missing today, we should call and check on them. If we see someone needing help in the Divine Service, no matter their age, we should be moved to support them. If we see families in need of help, let us at least pray for them.
 
The truth is that we are all journeying through the wilderness of this life together. While our struggles and temptations change with age, our need for God’s compassion and mercy remains the same.
 
And the mercy and compassion of Jesus are present here in His Church, where the heavenly Jerusalem descends upon us as a nurturing mother, comforting her children with the mana of God’s forgiveness. Protecting the Father’s children under the wings of her grace.
 
What a wonderful image of God’s Church on earth.
 
So, why would we delay in leading the children in the way they are to go to receive God’s comfort and peace, even now, in the Lord’s Supper?
 
As we walk through this life and wilderness together, let us point one another, no matter how big or how small, to the cross of Jesus. Let us learn together to depend on Him for every good and gracious gift—trusting that He will care for us and provide more than we could ever need, just as He did for the five thousand.
 
Do this, because the abundance of His mercy and forgiveness leads us to grow as brothers and sisters, ensuring that we all remain nestled in the arms of the Church from the moment we enter through the font, to the day we are brought into eternity with Christ Jesus. +INJ+
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Pastor, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
 
 
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Website: www.goodsheptomah.org
The Shepherd’s Voice Podcast: https://goodsheptomah.podbean.com/
 
 
 
 
 
[1] Luther, Luther’s Small Catechism with Explanation (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2017), 342.

Lent 3 + Midweek (Examination)
March 11, 2026
Deuteronomy 5:1-21
 
 
Do you know yourself?
 
Do you think you know yourself?
 
These are two different questions if you think about it.
 
The reality is that you probably believe or think you know yourself, but honestly, the picture you create in your mind is distorted. It’s a self-made image, formed through a filter of perspective, similar to the filters that enhance the photos shared on Instagram or Snapchat. 
 
But to truly know yourself, that’s scary.
 
Tonight, our Lenten journey through Confession and Absolution leads us to self-examination, to learning who we are.
 
The idea of knowing oneself is not new; the Philosopher Aristotle wrote, “Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.”
 
Socrates said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.”
 
These philosophers believed that one could only truly know oneself through quiet contemplation of life. This means the person must be willing to set aside time to dwell in silent contemplation, examine their lives, the bad habits they have formed, the temptations leading to sin, and the specific ways they are harming their neighbor, whether actively or passively. 
 
But you don’t enjoy silence; your lives have been conditioned to the opposite, to be constantly engaged from the moment you wake up in the morning and reach for your phone on the nightstand, until the moment you go to sleep and place the phone on the charging stand or fall asleep with it in your hands as a kind of mistress. 
 
It’s scary, really, but these technologies within your hands know you better than you know yourself.
 
The Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians,
Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!  I hope you will find out that we have not failed the test. (2 Corinthians 13:5-6)
 
The purpose of examination here is to discover the true nature of your character—who you are. But also, will examining your heart reveal Jesus Christ in you and guide you through this life, as St. Paul says? 
 
And this is where the reading from Deuteronomy comes into focus: have you kept the Law of God as you ought? Have you loved the Lord your God with all your heart? What about His name? Do you set aside time each day for quiet contemplation of God’s Word and prayer? What about your parents? Do you honor them? Do you love your neighbors as yourself? Have you cheated on your spouse in thought, word, or deed? Stolen time and money from your employer? Did you permit your lips to cause division among brothers and sisters, or did you sinfully desire what has not been given to you?
 
The Ten Commandments serve as a mirror to your heart, reflecting and revealing who you truly are in this life. 
 
And when you examine your heart in this way, do you see Jesus living within you?
 
Probably not, but this is why Jesus came, to die on the cross of Calvary for the sins that dwell within you, corrupt your life, and lead you away from Him.
 
Look at the cross and see what your sins have brought about.
 
But Jesus died for you because He loves you and wants to forgive you. However, to receive Jesus’ forgiveness, you must first examine your life and confess the darkness within. 
 
To do this, you need to become comfortable with silence and set aside life’s distractions. Sit alone with God’s Word, walk through the Ten Commandments, and ask yourself, “Have I kept this Word of God as I should?” 
 
Then be honest in what is revealed to you through the mirror of God’s Law and give an answer to God. No filters, no self-justifying, just confession.
 
Because “The unexamined and unrepentant cannot receive the life of Jesus Christ.”
 
As this Lenten season continues, a wonderful prayer for your use in the endeavor of knowing the corrupted nature of yourself comes from Psalm 139,
Search me, O God, and know my heart!
                        Try me and know my thoughts!
And see if there be any grievous way in me,
                        and lead me in the way everlasting! (Psalm 139:23-24)
 
Another suggestion is to use this evening hymn, “O Dearest Jesus, What Law Hast Thou Broken,” inspired by the meditations of the Church Fathers and intended as a meditation on the Passion of your Savior, which grants you true life.  
 
The time has arrived for you to learn and understand who you are, because only then can you grow in the heavenly wisdom of confession and absolution. 
 
But more, the forgiveness of Jesus makes this life worthy of receiving eternal life.
 
In these last weeks of Lent, it’s time to get reoriented with yourself. Set aside time to meditate and pray. Put away the distractions of life and embrace the solitude. Because in the silence of the world around you, you will hear with your ears the most wonderful news from your Savior, “I forgive you.” +INJ+
 
 
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Pastor, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
 
 
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Website: www.goodsheptomah.org
The Shepherd’s Voice Podcast: https://goodsheptomah.podbean.com/

Lent 3 (Oculi)
March 8, 2026
Luke 11:14-26
 
In the late 1940s, a thirteen-year-old boy lived just outside Washington, D.C. He was a normal young man, living in a middle-class home, with a mother and father who took him to church, a Lutheran church, for that matter.
 
Like many young boys, he was curious about life, including good and evil. Like a child around Halloween, he wondered whether spirits spoke to the living, whether the grave was the final resting place, or whether something lingered in the shadows and darkness.
 
The boy’s curiosity was ignited by an aunt he admired and deeply loved, a reminder of how important family is for children. The aunt was a spiritualist, which means she believed the living could communicate with the dead, and that the dead still spoke with the living, like a medium or a psychic. 
 
While children today fiddle on their phones and play video games, this young man played with the Ouija board, a game-like device from the 1940s that was mass-produced with the idea that it’s fun to communicate with the dead. 
 
Not exactly the kind of game I’d like to play around with.
 
Well, when the boy’s aunt died, he experienced a deep period of sadness and despair, and his family noticed significant changes in his behavior. Over time, they began to see strange things happening around the house—scratching noises on the walls or under the floor. Furniture moved by itself across the floor, objects were thrown off shelves, and a vase floated into the air before crashing to the floor. 
 
As the days went by and the strange occurrence continued, the family noticed the boy was acting differently, becoming quiet during the day and screaming uncontrollably at night. His behavior was erratic, unusual, and quite scary. 
 
What were the boys’ parents to do?
 
They did what any faithful Christian parents would do: they went to their pastor at the Lutheran Church they attended to seek his help. Their pastor was not only a dedicated student of the Scriptures but also interested in psychology, so he reached out to his psychologist friends as well, thinking they might be able to diagnose the young man with a mental disorder. 
 
However, the psychiatrist couldn’t diagnose the young man with any specific mental illness. They had no medical explanation for what was happening. So, the Lutheran pastor suggested that an exorcism be performed on the boy. Not having any experience with exorcisms himself, the pastor recommended that the parents contact a Roman Catholic priest. And so, they did.
 
The boy was taken to Georgetown Hospital in Washington, D.C., where an exorcism was performed on him. Nothing seemed to take hold, and the boy remained unchanged.
 
As time went on, the mother believed that whatever was possessing her son was giving her a sign to return to where she grew up, in St. Louis, MO, and so the family did.
 
Once the family arrived in St. Louis, a cousin, recognizing the challenges, reached out to the church again, requesting help. Eventually, three priests ministered to the boy and conducted the rite of exorcism night and day.
 
On the night of Easter Monday, 1949, it is said that the possession reached a climax, and after days and nights of continuous prayer, reading Scripture, and commanding the demon to depart, the demon relented and left the body of the young boy, restoring his life. 
 
For some of you, this might have been a difficult story to hear this morning. Others may have read it or seen it on the big screen. This reveals the real story behind the book and movie, “The Exorcist.”
 
An interesting aspect of the real story of the Exorcist reveals that the boy’s family was Lutheran, not Roman Catholic. However, they still went to the Roman Catholic Church for help, as described. The Lutheran pastor felt unprepared for such a battle.
 
It’s a fascinating story that few of us would probably believe today, but that’s exactly how Satan would like it. As St. Paul writes, “Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.” (2 Corinthians 11:14)
 
We Lutherans do get squeamish when we talk about exorcisms. Heck, many don’t even like the bulletin cover this morning. But an exorcism? It sounds so full of evil and darkness.
 
But Martin Luther did not share this belief; he believed demonic possession to be as real as the devil. He once wrote to a fellow pastor engaged with a woman who was demon-possessed,
The first thing you and your congregation ought to do is this: pray fervently and oppose Satan with your faith, no matter how stubbornly he resists. About ten years ago, we had an experience in this neighborhood with a very wicked demon, but we succeeded in subduing him by perseverance and by unceasing prayer and unquestioning faith. The same will happen among you if you continue in Christ’s name to despise that derisive and arrogant spirit and do not cease praying. By this means, I have restrained many similar spirits in different places, for the prayer of the church prevails at last.
 
Luther’s belief, and the church’s belief today, is that where the Word of Jesus is preached, the sacraments are administered, and the forgiveness of sins exists, Satan cannot remain. Instead, he must be expelled and driven out from that place, the assembly, and the Christian – the Church.
 
And this is the core meaning of conducting an exorcism: to have Satan, sin, and darkness expelled or cast out of you. It’s not just something from books and movies; it’s what Jesus does for each of you through prayer, hearing His Word, receiving the Sacraments, and forgiving sin. 
 
In fact, the Gospel today is all about exorcism, the casting out of a demon. St. Luke wrote, “Now [Jesus] was casting out a demon that was mute. When the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke, and the people marveled.” (Luke 11:14)
 
The Greek word for “casting out” is ἐκβάλλω (ekballo), and this is where the Church gets the word “Exorcism” from.
 
But the “Ex” in ἐκβάλλω or exorcism is the foundation of the word “exercise.”
 
When you put this little word study together, you learn that an exorcism is the exercise of casting out what is evil and sinful from your heart.
 
Now, because Lutherans believe the Christian is both a saint and a sinner, it means you must frequently exercise faith to overcome the evil and sinful desires in your heart. 
 
This is where Confession and Absolution and Holy Baptism come into play, through the confession of your sins, the darkness of your heart, the secret transgressions that plague you, those things that not even a spouse or friend knows, you exercise faith in Christ Jesus and ask Him to remove your guilt and shame, to forgive you, and cast out of the devil and his darkness from your heart.
 
St. John says precisely this in his first epistle, “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.” (1 John 3:8)
 
But this doesn’t mean you are immune to future evil, either.
 
As the Gospel reading concluded this morning,
When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and finding none it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house swept and put in order. Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there. And the last state of that person is worse than the first.
 
These words emphasize the continuous need to confess your sins and return to your Baptism to drown the Old Adam, and all the serpent’s lies that echo in your ears. 
 
Don’t underestimate the enduring power of the font. It’s there—the pastor first speaks into the ears of the baptized, “Depart unclean spirit and make way for the Holy Spirit.”
 
It’s at the font, sides are taken, and lines are drawn in the ancient battle with the Devil. Luther wrote regarding Holy Baptism,
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. Remember too that it is very necessary to aid the poor child with all your heart and strong faith, earnestly to intercede for him/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.
 
Why is it that we don’t see the dangers of the devil as Luther describes?
 
For one, because “[He] disguises himself as an angel of light.” (2 Corinthians 11:14)
 
We simply don’t want to accept evil or acknowledge Satan in our lives.
 
But secondly, as the story of the boy at the beginning of today’s sermon shows, we often invite Satan into our homes and hearts through what we consume—the games we play, our entertainment, our addictions, and sadly, even some of our relationships.
 
The way forward, the path of escape, is to return to faith, the community of believers, the Church, and the exercise of your faith. As Luther emphasized, the strongest weapon a pastor has, and that you have against evil, is to pray without ceasing and with the unshakable faith of a child. 
 
As the season of Lent continues, the struggles of faith grow harder, pray for one another, teach the little ones in your life to pray the Our Father, and help them understand that when you pray, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil…,” you’re not just speaking of generalized evil, but to highlight the original language, you’re praying to be delivered from the “Evil one,” from Satan himself. 
 
And this is why Jesus was born into your sinful flesh, endured the temptation in the wilderness, experienced the sadness of a friend and loved one’s death, and suffered His holy Passion, even dying upon the cross, to be the stronger man who delivers you from the “Evil one.”
 
My friends, Satan is real, evil exists, and so do exorcisms.
 
Recognize that this evil surrounds you, seeks to turn you against one another and against your Savior, Jesus Christ. But through prayer, hearing God’s Word, the forgiveness of sin - the Holy Spirit, the finger of God, is at work in you, giving the gifts of Christ’s victory and driving out all darkness from your heart, just as He did when you were brought to the waters of Holy Baptism and the pastor spoke into your ears, “Depart unclean spirit and make way for the Holy Spirit.”
 
So, hold on to the gift of your Baptism, rejoicing in how God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—has freed you from Satan’s reign and gives you and all children of God, safe harbor in the ark of His Church. +INJ+
 
 
 
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Pastor, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
 
 
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Website: www.goodsheptomah.org
The Shepherd’s Voice Podcast: https://goodsheptomah.podbean.com/
 

Lent 2 Midweek – Confession
March 4, 2026
2 Samuel 11:1-12:25
 
Tonight, we continue our Lenten midweek series on Confession and Absolution, focusing on the act of confessing our sins.
 
As you just heard, the story of David’s sin has a snowballing effect—lust, murder, and an attempt to conceal. It’s a remarkable yet common story. 
 
David allows lust to take hold of his heart as Bathsheba bathes on a nearby rooftop. One also has to wonder what made Bathsheba choose such a visible spot to bathe.
 
David takes Bathsheba for himself, lies with her, and gets her pregnant. Of course, she is a married woman. So, what should he do in this situation? He decides to have the loyal husband and soldier return from the battle, to come back and lie with his wife so the child will appear to be his. 
 
Oh, wait, did we mention that Uriah was a loyal soldier who wouldn’t do this while his brothers were still fighting in battle? Yeah, no, he won’t do that.
 
So, what is an adulterous king to do?
 
Use your influence, power, and position to send the husband to the front lines, where he will probably die, so no one will make a big deal about this affair to anyone. 
 
To top it all off, act as if this was the predictable outcome, that it was an expected outcome, and you’ve done nothing wrong.
 
Now, God sends the prophet Nathan into the story. He was David’s pastor and counselor. He has been observing this entire situation unfold, and like any faithful pastor, he must care for the sheep entrusted to him. This means he has to do the difficult work of calling David to repentance. This is a tough task, but it can also be a joyful one if David repents because then forgiveness is present for him. 
 
But part of the challenge here is this: how do you approach or engage a king, someone in power, a person in authority who acts as if they haven’t done anything wrong, and call them to repentance?
 
This isn’t just a pastoral challenge; it’s a challenge for any mother or father who needs to correct a child’s behavior, or a child who must confront a parent, a brother who needs to call a sister to repentance, or a friend who has become blind to their ways and actions.
 
And so, Nathan doesn’t just come out and say to David from the get-go, “Hey David, you sinned.”
 
No, he approaches the situation like a doctor treating a sick patient. Nathan understood that the cancer of David’s sin needed to be cut out and removed, but he kept the steel blade hidden beneath his robe; he concealed the instrument to remove the cancer until the right moment, and then he drove the steel blade scalpel into the open wound of sin so that David could feel the pain of his sin. 
 
And this is what I mean by all of this.
 
As I mentioned a moment ago, Nathan did not approach David and just tell him, “You sinned.”
 
Instead, Nathan knew David well, and through a story, an allegory, God’s law was revealed and preached to David. Nathan delivered his message so effectively that David became absorbed in the story and didn’t even realize he was the star in it until Nathan’s echoing words thundered, “You are the man!”
 
How often does this happen to you?
 
How often do you go through your day without noticing the sins that plague your heart? 
 
When this happens, you join David in suffering from what we call spiritual blindness, when a person either doesn’t see their sin or wants to acknowledge their trespasses.
 
As Jesus says to the Pharisees, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘we see, your guilt remains.’” (John 9:41)
 
Through God’s Word, the prophet Nathan, David’s pastor, leads him to see his sin, and now there is only one thing David can do with the sin, confess it.
 
And you can hear David’s confession for these sins in the words of Psalm 51, which we prayed tonight, David wrote,
Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your steadfast love; according to Your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You may be justified in Your words and blameless in Your judgment.
 
David was forgiven, but that didn’t mean there weren’t any earthly consequences for his sin. The child in Bathsheba’s womb would die. A terribly hard pill to swallow.
 
There are a few things we can learn tonight. First, whether a person is blindly sinning or outright ignoring God’s law, we must approach them with gentleness and humility, using the Word of God as Nathan did, so gently and winsomely, to guide them toward recognizing their sin and repenting. 
 
Not all situations are the same, nor is each person. So, build trust with one another so you can have honest conversations.
 
Secondly, be humble enough to accept correction, to have your eyes open to your trespasses, so you might confess your sin. As the Psalmist wrote,
For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.… I acknowledged my sin to You, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and You forgave the iniquity of my sin. (Psalm 32:3, 5)
 
God wants to forgive you, but you must recognize and confess your sin. Yes, there may be earthly consequences for your blindness and lack of faith that led you into this snowball of despair. But a lack of confession will only keep you from the heavenly presence of Christ.
 
As we learn in the book of Proverbs,
Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy. (Proverbs 28:13)
 
In the end, we are little Davids, conceived in sin, and often enough, becoming blind to the ways we hurt and harm the people God has placed into our lives to love and care for.
 
We must keep working to strengthen our relationships so we can have difficult conversations with each other and call one another to repentance, when necessary, in charity and love. 
 
But we also need to learn to be humble and vulnerable, to be open to God’s call to repentance, through the people He sends into our lives, because in confessing our sin, we exercise a faith of humility and dependence on our Father in heaven, we recognize that there is no sin that we can hide, and acknowledge that we require a change of heart.
 
In fact, David exercises his greatest strength as a King through the humility of confessing his sin with Bathsheba and against Uriah.
 
Your Savior Jesus Christ, David’s Son and Lord, also demonstrated the greatest act of humility by dying for your sin on the cross.
 
This Lenten season, when you need to be humbled, look to the cross, where Jesus died for you. Then exercise true strength by allowing yourself to be called to repentance, to confess your sin, and to rejoice in the gift of God’s mercy and forgiveness. +INJ+
 
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Pastor, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
 
 
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Website: www.goodsheptomah.org
The Shepherd’s Voice Podcast: https://goodsheptomah.podbean.com/
 

The Second Sunday in Lent
March 1, 2026
Matthew 15:21-28
 
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
 
In the Gospel today, we see Jesus not as we are accustomed to. The Canaanite woman approaches Jesus and His disciples with a prayer – a plea, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.”
 
The Gospel says, “He answered her not a word.”
 
This is not the Jesus we know and love. Maybe in the back of your mind, you are wondering about this Jesus, “Who are you?”
 
While I was on vicarage, there was a lady who lived in a nursing home; one day, she asked the pastor for a picture of Jesus to hang on her wall. My supervisor brought her an image of Jesus, one of the Olan Mills style portraits. But it was not right, she told us. She did not want a feminine-looking Jesus but a strong Jesus, a Savior – that’s what she was looking for.
 
This got me thinking – there are numerous images of Jesus throughout the church, but how does his appearance strike you? What does his facial demeanor confess to you?
 
Isn’t it interesting how the true subjectiveness of art influences not only how we see the world, but also how we want Jesus to appear to us and within our own hearts? What Jesus do you want? The masculine Jesus? A serious Jesus? Or a happy Jesus? Well, the Canaanite woman doesn’t get a choice, and neither do you. 
 
Now, this woman pleads with Jesus for His mercy three times, and it seems He might remain unmoved. Her crying must have been powerful because even the disciples felt for her and turned to Jesus to intercede on her behalf. At first glance, you might think the disciples aren’t that compassionate, but I believe their concern is genuine and perhaps gets lost in translation, as Jesus responds with, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” He is saying, I was not sent for this Canaanite—this woman from the ancient and idolatrous enemies of God’s people—rather, I was sent to redeem Israel.
 
None of this matters to the woman, though. She will not give up or be dismissed. She has heard of Jesus and the miracles He has already performed—possibly the healing of the paralytic, the raising of the ruler’s daughter, the restoration of sight for the blind, the loosening of the mute man’s tongue, and the feeding of the five thousand—where even the crumbs were collected into baskets after everyone ate. All that Jesus has done precedes Him, and this is enough for her here; she places her faith in Him to grant her and her daughter healing and mercy. But, “He answered her not a word.”
 
The whole Gospel can feel a bit uncomfortable for us, can’t it? The Psalmist writes, “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in mercy.” (Psalm 103:8) But, where is His mercy? Where is His graciousness in saying, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs”? As if the situation couldn’t get worse, He insinuates she’s a little dog.
 
Throughout time, the God of Israel has fed His ungrateful people in the wilderness during the exodus and again in the recent feeding of the five thousand. In saying, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs” Jesus will learn whether this woman really knows who He is, or if she is just giving Him lip service as she addressed Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David!”
 
Ultimately, in the final conversation, she will confess the purity of her faith in Jesus and her unworthiness by saying, “Even [the little dogs even] the puppies eat from the crumbs that fall from tables of their masters.” (Jerome) If you have observed little children, you know how the endless stream of crumbs falls from the table to the floor below. This space becomes a utopia for dogs to dine and feast.
 
The woman doesn’t want to take anything away from the lost sheep of Israel. She understands that Jesus came to redeem His sheep that have wandered, but she also believes in the abundance of God’s mercy - that even the crumbs will be enough for her and her daughter to survive.
 
Are you as persistent and bold as this Canaanite today in your pleas for mercy and your desire for God’s help? Would you also be satisfied with crumbs?
 
In the end, none of us pray as we should, and our faith often wavers throughout life. When God doesn't seem to answer your prayer, you might get discouraged and possibly seek out another Jesus—one that better fits your needs. 
 
Maybe you have prayed for Jesus to remove a burden from your life – a broken relationship or an illness that could be fatal. Yet, in the end, you still find yourself not speaking to your spouse while your brother’s cancer persists. You wanted a powerful Jesus, one who would fix these struggles or take them away. 
 
Maybe you prayed for a miracle, hoping that the child in your womb—whom you were told would die even before taking a breath—would actually survive and live, but that didn’t happen. You desired the merciful and life-giving Jesus. All of these are good things to pray for, and if we learn anything from the Canaanite woman, it’s this: don’t stop praying. Instead, approach God with persistent prayer and faith. 
 
Learn to pray as she did: “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David!” In these pleas, she shows Jesus as the object of her faith, and she was not swayed by his demeanor.
 
There’s something else she confesses with this statement, “Son of David”—that Jesus is both God and man. We often come to believe that prayers are to be answered, just as letters were once returned in the old days, and that emails are supposed to be responded to today.
 
Likewise, we have a certain belief regarding the demeanor of Jesus and often prefer a smiling and welcoming Jesus – one to accompany our Precious Moments collection of angels. But Jesus was “born of the Virgin Mary and made man.” He grew not only in age, but also in wisdom. When the temple became a place of commerce, Jesus cleansed it by driving the merchants out with a whip. When He gathered the children unto him, He did so with joy. When His friend Lazarus died, He wept. When you look at the processional cross, the crucifix, what do you see? I see the face of a Savior who experienced an agonizing and painful death not only to redeem the Israel of the Old Testament, but to save this Canaanite who descends from the ancient and adulterous enemies of God. I see a man who entered the judgment hall to redeem you.
 
Luther wrote regarding today’s text, “This was written for all our comfort and instruction, so that we may know how deeply God hides His grace from us, so that we would not consider Him according to our perception and thinking but strictly according to His Word.”[1] 
 
We often approach prayer as a means to receive an immediate response from God. But God’s grace can be hidden from our perceptions – and when we experience this, we see Jesus as uninterested. His demeanor appears cold, and His countenance is not as we desire. But this is not so, for in these ways we are taught to rely all the more upon God’s Word. It is not subject to our feelings, emotions, or perceptions – it is unchanging, and it is good.
 
This Lent, do not waver in your prayers, nor be dismayed if God’s grace appears hidden from you; remain persistent. The voice of the Canaanite woman did not waver; her voice remained persistently focused on the object of her faith – her Lord and the Son of David. His response to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” In this way, we are taught that prayer is the voice of faith.  
 
Join her now in singing and echoing a similar prayer in the Agnus Dei before you approach the altar: “Lamb of God, You take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us.” Give voice to your faith and remember that even in the crumbs of bread and the drops of wine, your Lord sees your faith and has mercy on you – He grants you His forgiveness and His life. He gives you His Word. +INJ+
 
The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
 
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Pastor, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
 
 
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Website: www.goodsheptomah.org
The Shepherd’s Voice Podcast: https://goodsheptomah.podbean.com/
 
 
[1] Luther, M. (2013). Gospel for the Second Sunday in Lent. In B. T. G. Mayes, J. L. Langebartels, & C. B. Brown (Eds.), Luther’s Works: Church Postil II (Vol. 76, p. 380). Saint Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House.

Lent 1 – Midweek (Absolution)
February 25, 2026
Luke 7:36-50
 
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
 
This Lenten season, we will use the midweek services to meditate upon Confession and Absolution.
 
We began this evening’s service, as we’ll do each midweek service throughout this season of Lent, with confession and absolution from the service of Compline.
 
Now the service of Compline dates back to the fourth century as a sort of bedtime prayer, and for this reason, Compline means completion, to pray at the completion of the day and one of the most important aspects of this service is the rite of Confession and Absolution, that there would be peace within the home and among one another before laying one’s head down to sleep, especially since no one truly knows if they would awake the next morning.
 
For this reason, a verse from the Psalms that comes to mind is that of Psalm 4,
Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. (Psalm 4:4)
 
The Apostle Paul builds upon the verse by writing to the Ephesians,
Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. (Ephesians 4:26-27)
 
Reflect upon this: how often do you go to bed angry?
 
Surely, some of you are whispering to yourselves, never.
 
However, you can see from both verses I just read to you how anger and sin are intimately related. So let me ask you this: how many of you go to bed still caught up in sin?
 
Meaning, going to bed without forgiving each other for an argument, a hurtful word, taking someone else’s property, or an unfaithful act within a relationship? 
 
Honestly, when it comes to understanding the two parts of Confession from the Small Catechism, “First that we confess our sins, and second that we receive absolution...” a great challenge for people is absolution — forgiving those who have sinned against you and caused you harm.
 
Now, of course, absolution—the forgiveness of sin—occurs after someone confesses their sins. 
 
But when absolution is not granted or given, your husband, wife, father, mother, son, daughter, brother, sister, friend, or co-worker remains in chains and is imprisoned by the sin they have confessed to you.
 
Now, culture, your friends, AI (on the internet), poorly written self-help books, and sometimes your feelings, all tell you that it’s okay not to forgive, to withhold forgiveness from someone who has hurt you.
 
I understand that forgiveness can be tough, but it’s better for Christians not to seek help or understanding about spiritual matters from the world, but from the Scriptures. As Jesus says in the Sermon on the Mount,
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (Matthew 6:14-15)
 
The words of Jesus highlight a serious need for us to consider how we approach forgiveness and the act of forgiving one another, even when it’s difficult, when the sin of another has cut deep and left a lasting scar. 
 
A common refrain in families is, “They hurt me for the last time.”
 
Or “Fool me once, but…”
 
Or “They’re never going to change.”
 
But do these words confess faith and confidence that the Holy Spirit can change people’s lives?
 
Do you lack faith in God to transform the heart of an erring brother or sister in Christ? Or do your words resemble those of the Pharisee in the second reading tonight from the Gospel of St. Luke?
 
The Pharisee in the second reading only saw a sinful woman, one who was unclean, probably a prostitute or adulterer, because her sins were great; he didn’t see how she could be forgiven. 
 
And this offers another perspective for us to consider. Most often, we focus more on the severity of our neighbors’ sins than on our own sinful nature, or that it’s sinful of us to refuse to forgive someone who is contrite and sorry for their transgression. 
 
And for this reason, these words of Jesus tonight should not only call you to account for the sins you have failed to forgive, but also be a comfort not only to those who have hurt and caused you harm, but also to you, a poor, miserable sinner yourself. Jesus said,
Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
 
How wonderful it is that we can forgive one another just as our dear Savior forgives us. This entire season of Lent leads us to the cross of Calvary, where Jesus not only took the place of a murderer and insurrectionist but also bore your sin and endured the judgment for it by dying on the cross for you.
 
But even there, as Jesus hung between two criminals, the sins and faith of one were confessed, and what did Jesus say to him?
 
“Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43)
 
Before Jesus gives up His spirit, is placed in the tomb, and sleeps the sleep of death, He forgives the one who confesses their sin – the criminal.
 
In doing so, Jesus shows us not only how to prepare for bed each night but also how to face death by exercising the Christian faith entrusted to each of us. 
 
Sure, the one who has sinned against you might do it again, but just as the forgiveness of Christ does not cease for those who have faith, neither does the forgiveness of the Christian.
 
As St. Peter once asked Jesus,
“Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times. (Matthew 18:21-22)
 
My friends, those who have sinned against you most deeply have the most to gain in Christ Jesus and through your love for them. Let us make it a point this Lenten season to work on forgiving those who harm us, to release them from the bondage of sin, so we, too, can go to our beds each night, ready for the resurrection. +INJ+
 
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
 
 
 
 
 
 
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Website: www.goodsheptomah.org
The Shepherd’s Voice Podcast: https://goodsheptomah.podbean.com/

Lent 1 (Invocabit)
February 25, 2026
Matthew 4:1-11
 
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
 
I want to begin today by highlighting some of the first battles throughout American history. 
 
So, to begin, the first battle of the Revolutionary War was the battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775.
 
The first battle of the Civil War was the bombardment of Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, in April 1861.
 
The first battle of WWI occurred at Liege in August 1914.
 
The first battle of WWII was the Battle of Westerplatte in September of 1939. But America didn’t formally enter the war until December 1941.
 
The first battle of the Korean War happened in Seoul, South Korea, also before the Americans entered the fray.
 
While the initial battle of the Vietnam War for American forces was the Battle of Ia Drang in November 1965, the first battle of the Vietnam War was the Battle of Ap Bac in January 1963.
 
The war on terror started in Afghanistan in November 2001, but major ground troops didn’t enter active combat until Operation Anaconda in March 2002. (I was there)
 
So, what’s the point of all of this?
 
In war, there are many battles, and these often begin before the war officially starts, but few wars are ever won or finished in a single battle.
 
The season of Lent leads us to the battle of Calvary, where Jesus, the victor, will be nailed to the cross for the sins of the world. But this battle and war began long before that first Holy Week.
 
Today, we hear of two such battles in the Old Testament reading and the Gospel.
 
In the Old Testament reading, the first battle and conflict in Scripture occurs between your first parents and the serpent. It began with the temptation of the devil as he said to Eve, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden?’”
 
It all began with temptation, a desire for what was not given to Adam and Eve, along with pride and the wish to be like God, rejecting the Creator’s Word and instruction. 
 
Sadly, this is just the first conflict of many, as Adam and Eve will turn against one another in an instant, as Adam’s first response to the fall was to say, “The woman you gave me, it’s her fault.”
 
This sin of Adam and Eve was passed down to their sons as well, as pride and insecurity tempted and led Cain to rise up and kill his brother, Abel. 
 
Sadly, you are no different from this first family, as you experience deeply personal and interpersonal battles throughout your life.
 
When alcohol, drugs, gambling, the overuse of technology, or pornography become not just temptations but full-blown addictions, you are quick to refuse blame for turning to these vices—similar to Adam—blaming the bad company who tempted you or the husband or wife whom you believe pushed you to seek fulfillment in these ways, due to fractured and unfulfilled expectations and relationships. 
 
In reality, if we’re being honest, we are like Adam, blaming God for our troubles, saying, “The woman you gave me, it’s her fault.”
 
We blame God for the temptations and conflicts of our lives.
 
But St. James writes in his epistle,
Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. (James 1:13-15)
 
This final verse captures the struggle with temptation perfectly and how sin is born out of temptation and finds a home within your heart,
Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. (James 1:13-15)
 
Temptations throughout life begin within you, the old Adam, the sinful man that dwells within your heart, and for this reason, your true enemy in all of this is not your husband or wife, your brother or sister, a father or mother, it’s you.
 
Why, because, like Adam and Eve, you do not listen, hear, or obey God’s Word.
 
You don’t.
 
In a fantastic way, St. James follows up his words regarding temptation by saying,
Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. (James 1:19-21)
 
If only you and I were so eager to be quick to hear and slow to speak, how much more could we communicate with each other and have love one another. How much more would we be able to hear and receive the Word of God, which, as St. James says, is able to save your souls?
 
Ultimately, the struggles and conflicts of life persist because we continually turn away from God’s Word and instruction and because of this, we are not only fighting against alcohol, drugs, gambling, technology, pornography, insert your vice here, or each other; we are also engaged in an ongoing battle with the devil, who seeks to entice you away from your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 
 
And in the Gospel reading this morning, you received a glimpse into just one of many battles Jesus had in a greater war with the devil.
 
The devil’s temptations were presented to Jesus, but He did not give in or turn away from His Father’s Word. He confessed it and clung to it with all His heart. 
 
Jesus does what your first father, Adam, did not—He obeyed His heavenly Father’s voice.
 
In fact, Jesus obeyed His Father’s voice and will, even to the cross of Calvary, where He not only won the battle, but won the war for you.
 
In His death and resurrection, He defeated sin, death, and the devil.
 
So, what should you do with all the battles and conflicts in your life this Lenten season? Bring them to where the spoils of war and the benefits of the cross are present for you. Bring them to the font of Holy Baptism, where Christ drowns the temptations of the Old Adam within you, unites you in the peace of Christ’s forgiveness in the absolution as you stand side by side with your brothers and sisters, and feeds your souls in the holy supper of your Lord, receiving eternal life. 
 
Come to the cross this Lenten season, my friends, and receive God’s precious Word, a Word that will sustain you and put an end to all the battles of your heart and lead you to new life in Christ. +INJ+
 
 
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
 
www.goodsheptomah.org 
 
 
 

Ash Wednesday
February 18, 2026
Matthew 6:16-21
 
The Old Testament reading this evening from the prophet Joel began by saying,
Yet even now, declares the LORD,
                        return to me with all your heart,
             with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.
 
The prophet Joel is pleading for the people of Israel to repent and return to the Lord. He warns that if they continue to conduct themselves in ways against God’s will, there will be armies of locust that will come upon the unrepentant people, destroying everything in their path.
 
A sign or practice that the prophet Joel prescribes for Israel’s repentance in the text is fasting.
 
Repentance and fasting have long been associated with one another.
 
King David fasted, wept, and mourned not only the brief life of his son but also the sins of adultery and murder that led to the boy’s death.
 
Upon hearing the call to repentance through the prophet Jonah, the people of Nineveh fasted, repented, and turned from their evil ways.
 
In accomplishing what Israel could not do during the Exodus as they wandered through the wilderness for forty years, Jesus was led into the wilderness for forty days, fasting. 
 
In fact, tonight’s Gospel, Jesus says, “And when you fast…”
 
So why do Lutherans struggle so much with the concept of fasting?
 
Because it’s considered “Roman Catholic.”
 
Have you ever noticed how sometimes people oppose something just because another group believes in it?
 
How contrarian!
 
However, as explained above, this perspective rejects the Lutheran understanding of “Sola Scriptura” – Scripture alone. 
 
Sola Scriptura states that Scripture alone speaks and guides the Christian faith, and the teachings of the church must align with it. 
 
Now, for this reason, Scripture never explicitly demands fasting, but from the examples just mentioned, you can see not only how the practice went hand in hand with repentance but was also highly expected.
 
Even Martin Luther (1483­–1546) promoted the practice of fasting for two reasons, he wrote: “Of fasting I say this: it is right to fast frequently in order to subdue and control the body. For when the stomach is full, the body does not serve for preaching, for praying, for studying, or for doing anything else that is good. Under such circumstances God’s Word cannot remain. But one should not fast with a view to meriting something by it as by a good work.”
 
Isn’t this something? Christian fasting is meant to grow our hunger for God’s Word and forgiveness. It’s not intended to earn forgiveness as good works, which is why we are not like Roman Catholics or many evangelicals, for that matter; we cannot earn salvation this way. 
 
But we can learn through practice where our life needs changing, where repentance is necessary, and where our faith is struggling. 
 
Think about this: if the doctor told you that you had cancer and needed to fast for twenty-four hours for a blood test to get the right medicine, you’d do it in a heartbeat. 
 
You’d do it because you can’t imagine not talking to your father, mother, son, daughter, brother, sister, or friend ever again. 
 
Here’s the thing: if we don’t examine ourselves, recognize which sins are not only running through our veins but also controlling us, and learn to confess them, then we can’t be sure we’ll have a tomorrow in heaven with the people we care about so deeply.
 
We need to understand which sins control us and require confessing to receive forgiveness.
 
Alright, so what does it mean to fast?
 
Contrary to popular belief, fasting isn’t just about abstaining from food and drink; it’s about reducing or going without. Therefore, fasting can include anything that controls you.
 
So, what is controlling your life and hindering your faith and the vocations God has entrusted to you?
 
Is your phone glued to your hand while your children or grandchildren play on the floor in front of you, begging for your attention? Begging you to read a book to them?
 
Do you happily stop for breakfast every morning on your way to work, but have no money to give to the church to care for the hungry and needy?
 
When was the last time you went out of your way to visit a shut-in brother or sister from the church?
 
When we fast and reduce the things that control us and hinder our faith, the relationships we have, and the vocations God has given us, we not only realize how little of these things are truly necessary, but also recognize how much God already provides. 
 
The season of Lent is an opportunity for us to fast, not only from food and drink, but the things that have become gods and idols in our lives.
 
Do you find it hard to put your phone down? Start today by placing it in another room of your house in the evenings, spend quality time with your family, work on a puzzle, enjoy a meal around the dinner table, read the Bible, and pray together.
 
Could you cut back on eating out or stopping for breakfast every day? Could the money you save be donated to the church’s missions or a cause that supports the gospel?
 
Or could you set a goal to call or visit one friend or family member each week this Lent? Especially the lonely, those going through struggles, and those who need your support.
 
You see, when you practice fasting correctly, it creates time for prayer and meditation on God’s Word. It provides a way for you to give and support the work of the Gospel financially, and it encourages you to do good works, caring for your neighbor.
 
Why wouldn’t you want to do any of these things?
 
This Lenten season, don’t be a contrarian, don’t be opposed to Scripture just because other churches or people observe the same traditions, but instead be Scriptural, be a Christian.
 
And in fasting, if you struggle to let go of the things that you learn have control over your life, then glory be to Jesus, because you now know the sins you need to repent of, you know what is leading you away from being with your brother and sister in Christ, and when you confess these sins, you have the assurance and word of God, that He forgives you.
 
In fact, He wants to forgive you because He desires for you, your brother, your sister, and the person to your left and to your right to be with Him in eternity. +INJ+
 
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
 
www.goodsheptomah.org

Quinquagesima
February 15, 2026
Luke 18:31-43
 
 
Many of you have sat in the doctor’s office as the death notice was handed out, as the words were spoken to your husband or wife, a father or mother.
 
“There’s nothing more we can do.”
 
The cancer has advanced past the point of reversal. The body is too weak to undergo treatments. The accident caused extensive damage to the body and its vital organs. 
 
These instances are often met with a lack of understanding. How did the shadow of death appear so quickly? Why can’t the doctor do anything more?
 
Isn’t this their job? To heal and restore people to health?
 
In these moments, you are like the disciples of Christ as He prepares them for His passion and death. It’s truly remarkable how Jesus explains everything to His disciples as He says, 
“For [the Son of Man] will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise.”
 
But they did not understand His words; they did not understand that death was approaching for their Lord and Savior. That His death was necessary to give them life.
 
The Gospel said,
“They understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.” Or “They did not know the things that were spoken [to them].”
 
To grasp or to know are synonyms for the action of Christian faith.
 
In other words, the disciples lacked faith in Jesus’ words.
 
Like the disciples, when the storm clouds of death approach, you also tend to lack understanding; you lack faith.
 
Why does this happen to you, O Christian?
 
Because in the clouds and storms of life, you do not always hear rightly, you don’t hear the words of Jesus, you don’t remember your Savior.
 
The disciples did not fully understand Jesus’ words in today’s Gospel, and because of this, when His passion did arrive, they also failed to remember His words. They lacked faith and scattered from His cross. 
 
We’ll come back to this thought in a moment…
 
But for you, in the midst of turmoil, you must “remember” the words of your Savior, “They will kill him, and the third day he will rise.”
 
If you listen closely, these are words of death and resurrection.
 
Again, “They will kill him, and the third day he will rise.”
 
Seldom do you remember these words in tribulation any more than you place them before your eyes each day of this life.
 
Some men in the congregation are participating in a program this Lent called “Memento.” The Latin word “Memento” means “remember.”
The purpose of this program is to remember how fleeting this life is, that without Christ we are powerless, to reflect on our Savior’s suffering on the cross, and to honor the faithful men who came before us—fathers, grandfathers, saints, and martyrs—those who struggled and endured in faith, stood firm in the face of death, and remembered their Savior’s death.
 
Because when one remembers the death of Christ, they must also remember His resurrection.
 
But because we do not remember the death of Christ, we cannot properly understand His resurrection.
 
In reality, we don’t think much about death unless it’s on our doorstep. This is very different from the ancient world and the early church, where not only was death all around them through plague, disease, and war, but they also used language and symbols to remind themselves of where this life would lead. 
 
If you look back at art throughout history, you might come across paintings of skulls with the words “Memento Mori,” meaning “remember you must die” or “remember your death.”
 
Comforting, huh?
 
It was also common for monks, pastors, or priests to have human skulls or bones on their desks or near where they prayed, to remind them of their mortality.
 
But more than that, this practice served as a reminder of mortality, humbling one by showing that all earthly life moves toward the grave. It fosters a sense of turning away from earthly pleasures, of concentrating on eternal life with God, of living in repentance, and of cultivating a virtuous life. Additionally, it symbolizes that death is not the end, but the gateway to resurrection and eternal life. 
 
Now, no one is suggesting you should run home and place a skull on your desk or table. However, how can you remember the death and resurrection of Jesus? How can you keep these words of your Savior from the Gospel before you today?
 
Sure, you could buy one of the paintings I mentioned earlier, like a skull with the words “Memento Mori” inscribed. Or you could hang a portrait of the Lord’s crucifixion in your home. Or even simpler, you could hang a cross or crucifix near a door to remind yourself, as you venture into daily life and return at night, that not only is death always close by, but through the death of your Savior, you receive life. 
 
As St. Paul reminds us, “The last enemy to be overcome is death.” (1 Corinthians 15:16)
 
And that’s what the season of Lent leads you to understand, to know, to have faith in – not only the death of Jesus, but also His resurrection.
 
For this reason, on Ash Wednesday, those of you who desire to receive ashes upon your forehead will hear the words, “Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return.”
 
“Memento Mori” remember your death, remember that you will die.
 
But then, as you enter the sanctuary, remember that you have already died in Christ Jesus through the waters of Holy Baptism.
 
As St. Paul writes to the Romans,
Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
 
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.
 
With these words of St. Paul: your eyes should be opened to what happens in Baptism — the conflict between death and life, and the truth that victory is with life; it remains with Jesus. 
 
Now, going back to the disciples, it wasn’t just a lack of understanding and faith for them, but the Gospel says, “This saying was hidden from them.”
 
Simply put, the disciples couldn’t understand how Christ was supposed to suffer, see how His death would fulfill Old Testament prophecies, or realize that God had chosen to veil or hide this truth from them. 
 
This remains our challenge today: when difficulties come, whether illness, tribulation, or death, and the ways of God are unclear to us, we turn away, scatter from the crosses before us, and become blind to God’s word and mercy. 
 
In this way, you are like the disciples—you see this as they heard the words of Jesus but did not have faith in them. They deserted Jesus as He hung on the cross; they gave up hope. It wasn’t until Jesus appeared to them again after His resurrection, on the Emmaus road, that He once again declared to them. 
“O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” (Luke 24:25-26)
 
In bringing these disciples to remember His words, they not only remembered how He would die, but how He would live again.
 
As you approach this season of Lent, it will begin with the sign of ash and dust, a reminder that all mortals will return to the earth: “Memento Mori!”
 
Remember your death.
 
But the sign of the cross upon your forehead marks you as one redeemed by Christ the crucified and reminds you that you will live.
 
Whether you are experiencing difficulties in life right now, if the grief and sorrow of death plagues you, or this upcoming season of Lent rightly causes you to flee from the earthly pleasures of life, do not forget your Savior Jesus Christ, whose death has won for you salvation, forgiveness, and eternal peace. 
 
Memento, remember. +INJ+
 
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
 
 
www.goodsheptomah.org