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

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

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

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

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

Holy Cross Day | St. John 12:37 | The Cross of Jesus Leads Us

September 14, 2025
John 12:32
 
Surely, you’ve all been there—sitting on the curb or in a comfy chair on the side of the main street through town, waiting for the festivities to begin. As the clock ticks by, and for the millionth time, a child asks, “When is it going to begin?” You tell them, “Soon,” and in the distance, you see it. You tell the child to stand up, place your hand upon your heart, son. “I see the flag coming now.”
 
This is how our parades start in America, showing love and respect for our country and for those who gave their lives in the fight for freedom. And whether you realize it or not, this is a type of procession. 
 
There is a beauty to this pageantry in America; it unites us under the banner of Old Glory - the Red, White, and Blue.
 
If you take a step back, life is full of processions, and they either unite us as a country, a community, a family, or the Church, or they divide us from one another.
 
Life is full of processions.
 
There’s the parade that unites the community. Or the wedding march that brings a man and woman together in marriage. Each morning, you awake, go through your routines, and join the morning commute as you journey to work. As the night comes, children process one by one to the bathroom to wash up, brush teeth, and prepare for sleep.
 
Yet, there are other processions in life, such as protests or demonstrations through city streets, which are often signs of disagreement. Sadly, there are marches to war and armed conflict by the armies of opposing nations and views. And there is the journey to the grave. 
 
Yes, life is full of processions.
 
But these are not new to us; they have been part of man’s story since the beginning of time. After Adam and Eve brought sin to mankind, they were sent and led out of paradise. Barred from entering the garden.
 
In reality, from this moment forward, the only choice for Adam, Eve, and their descendants is forward, to the cross, where Jesus, the long-awaited Seed of woman, promised by the Creator, will redeem man from sin and death.
 
And so, the whole accounting of the Old Testament documents one great procession of God’s people marching to the cross.
 
In fact, this is what Jesus is speaking of in today’s Gospel as He said,
But for this purpose I have come to this hour. … Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” (John 12:27b, 31-32)
 
Think about this, Jesus triumphantly enters Jerusalem to the crowds clamoring for Him and chanting, Hosanna – “Save us now.”
 
Could there be a better procession than this?
 
Look at all the people who have gathered around and come to Him for rescue.
 
However, this is not how Jesus says He will draw and gather all people to Himself; He says this occurs when He is lifted up from the earth upon the tree of the holy cross. The hour when the crowds scattered from Jesus. The time when His disciples dispersed and ran away from His presence. The instance when it seemed all hope was lost. 
 
This is one of the confusing aspects of the cross.
 
Jesus’ journey to Calvary is one entire act of humiliation, starting from the moment He was conceived by the Virgin Mary and became man. The God-man took on and shared in your flesh, feelings, struggles, sadness, loss, and even your temptations. 
 
As Saint Paul wrote to the Philippians,
And being found in human form, [Jesus] humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:8)
 
The cross now becomes the transformational place of Jesus’ enthronement and the beginning of His exaltation as He now descends into the depths of hell to proclaim His victory over sin, death, and the Devil - to those imprisoned in hades.
 
As St. Paul writes to the Corinthians,
For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. (1 Corinthians 15:22)
 
And for this reason, the cross is now an instrument and symbol of Jesus Christ that gathers and leads God’s children.
 
The tired, the poor in spirit, the masses yearning for hope.
 
For this, Jesus said,
And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” (John 12:32)
 
What a beautiful symbol.
 
Unfortunately, the flag of the United States, the old red, white, and blue, has ceased to be the banner that calls, rallies, and gathers its citizens in a united voice and spirit. The events of the past weeks and months reveal a very deeply divided country.
 
A vicious stabbing death on a train, bullets aimed at school children while they pray, the violent assassination of a brother in Christ in the public square.
 
These horrific scenes show a deeply divided nation, where brother is turned against brother. Sister against sister.
 
And as a people, we must wrestle with these truths that have become self-evident.  
 
How have we come to this point?
 
How do our words and interactions contribute to such evil? Have we become a people who can no longer converse and debate in healthy ways that further our nation, our communities, our homes, and our relationships? Have we forgotten where our lives and relationships come from?
 
The Declaration of Independence might help us, it says,
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
 
“Endowed by their Creator.”
 
Isn’t that something, the founders of this nation led with the understanding that truth and our rights come from God our Father, as we confess in the Creed, the Creator of heaven and earth.
 
Sadly, it seems like we are no longer gathered and united under the fabric of the nation’s flag; we are no longer a nation, a society, or a people of God.  
 
Which should raise the question, where are we going?
 
Who is leading us? Who is leading you? Your words? Your actions?
 
And this brings us to why the observance of Holy Cross Day is so important in this moment in history.
 
We as a people must remember that it is Christ Jesus who leads us through the valleys and darknesses of this troubled life. This is why the Church has long used processions into and out of the Divine Service each and every week.
 
As a guidon, this procession of the cross dates back to the Fourth Century. Its purpose is not so much to lead me, the pastor, in its shadows to the altar, but to focus us as a congregation and people on the horrors of Jesus’ crucifixion and death. To follow Him and be led by Him to where His forgiveness is now present for you in the Holy Supper of this altar.
 
This is why we stand and line the aisle of this church as those gathered that first Palm Sunday, with voices raised high in song, and humble hearts bowed low to our Lord and Savior. Confessing our sins with our words to Him and saying with all of Christendom, “Save us now.”
 
But then the cross also leads you out, past the font of Holy Baptism, where you became God’s child. It leads you into your daily lives, not only as a bulwark against this fallen world, but as a lamp upon your path.
 
A path that is guaranteed to have difficulties, trials, and darkness.
 
But, my friends, do not be afraid when these days come.
 
Don’t be afraid, because with the cross of Christ leading you, you already know and have the assurance that you have been drawn into the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
 
You already have His forgiveness and His eternal life.
 
This is true freedom.
 
A freedom to love your neighbor as yourself. A freedom to pray for those who persecute you. A freedom to demonstrate the same sacrificial love for one another as Christ Jesus showed, by dying on the cross for you.
 
So, look to the cross of Jesus, focus your eyes on Him, because He is your Savior and redeemer. +INJ+
 
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
 
 

The Twelfth Sunday After Trinity | St. Mark 7:31-37 | Jesus Takes You Aside and Give You His Word of Forgiveness

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