An Argument Arose Among Us

***The below is a fuller edition of a newsletter article I wrote for Trinity 15 +2022***

Dear Friends,

I’ve continued reading through Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Life Together since I last wrote to you, and the book has profoundly impacted me. It convicts me of my own shortcomings and sin in so many ways. The book has also led me to believe it should be required reading for pastors and highly encouraged for the congregational leaders of the local parishes.

But for today, I want to share some of Bonhoeffer’s words, and I pray they will aid you as they support me this day.

Bonhoeffer begins the fourth chapter with a quotation from St. Luke, “An argument arose among them as to which of them was the greatest.” (Luke 9:46) What we have here is a reminder that the first Church also experienced discord and strife.

But Bonhoeffer goes on to say, “We do not think enough about the fact that no Christian community ever comes together without this argument appearing as a seed of discord. No sooner are people together than they begin to observe, judge, and classify each other.” 

I believe Bonhoeffer is getting to this idea that we are constantly self-justifying ourselves while condemning and judging others around us. Further, our self-justifying and judging ways lead us to the corners of the church to whisper and conspire against our neighbors. 

For this reason, he writes, “‘Those who keep their tongue in check control both spirit and body.’ (James 3:3ff) Thus it must be a decisive rule of all Christian community life that each individual is prohibited from talking about another Christian in secret.” 

“Where this discipline of the tongue is practiced right from the start, individuals will make an amazing discovery. They will be able to stop constantly keeping an eye on others, judging them, condemning them, and putting them in their places and thus doing violence to them.”

Yet, Bonhoeffer turns our self-justifying views on their head as he writes, “Only those who live by the forgiveness of their sin in Jesus Christ will think little of themselves in the right way. They will know that their own wisdom completely came to an end when Christ forgave them.”

“If my sin appears to me to be in any way smaller or less reprehensible in comparison with the sins of others, then I am not yet recognizing my sin at all.”

So, where do we go from here? Bonhoeffer writes, “The first service one owes to others in the community involves listening to them. Just as our love for God begins with listening to God’s Word, the beginning of love for other Christians is learning to listen to them.”

“However, God has put God’s own Word in our mouth. God wants it to be spoken through us. If we hinder God’s Word, the blood of the other who sins will be upon us. If we carry out God’s Word, God wants to save the other through us. ‘Whoever brings back a sinner from wandering will save the sinner’s soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.’” (James 5:20)

In reality, the source of our arguments is sin and often the sin of self-justification or the judgment and condemnation of others, their ideas, or works. If the words of our mouths cannot be spoken publicly, then they are words we should strive not to speak at all. We should flee the dark corners of the Church and meet our neighbors in the light of Christ with His Word of grace and mercy.

God be with you and guide you always.

In Christ Jesus,
Pastor Rogness

Bonhoeffer: Pastors and Authority

I’ve been rereading Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Life Together. The text has many gems, but the quote below stuck out to me. The passage reminds the pastor that they are always in submission to God’s Word. The pastor is a servant who possesses no authority of his own.

In a world where the desire for power and control presses in on all of us, the pastoral office is no different. Pastors, too, must guard against leading congregations into images of their likeness but give way to Christ Jesus and His Word instead.

I hope this quote is helpful to you. Bonhoeffer writes:

The community of faith does not need brilliant personalities but faithful servants of Jesus and of one another. It does not lack the former, but the latter. The community of faith will place its confidence only in the simple servant of the Word of Jesus, because it knows that it will then be guided not by human wisdom and human conceit, but by the Word of the Good Shepherd. The question of spiritual trust, which is so closely connected with the question of authority, is decided by the faithfulness with which people serve Jesus Christ, never by the extraordinary gifts they possess. Authority in pastoral care can be found only in the servants of Jesus who seek no authority of their own, but who are Christians one to another, obedient to the authority of the Word.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together, paragraph 92

Trinity 13

Text: Luke 10:23-37
September 10, 2022

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Think back to when you were a child. Were you brought up in the Christian faith? How were you taught to treat others? How about those who hurt or harmed you either physically or emotionally? Those who deserted you and left you in times of greatest need? 

In line with the words of the lawyer in today’s Gospel, you were likely brought up to, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” Even those who meant harm to you. And this is a good and correct response. It reveals a complete fear, love, and trust in God, as we learned the meaning of the First Commandment this past week in our memory work. It is also a reflection of how the Proverb says a parent is to raise their child as we hear, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)

But like the lawyer, we are interested in loopholes as we grow and mature in this life to adulthood. That is what the lawyer's following question to Jesus is all about, finding a loophole. The lawyer asks Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?”

The lawyer's question implies that there are people who are not his neighbor or his enemy. There are people he should be kind to, care for in this life, and give to in their times of need, and there are other people he doesn't need to be concerned with. He acts as if the law is unclear regarding his neighbors' true identity. This attempts to deflect the argument from himself and justify himself by his deeds and actions. 

If you read the newsletter article for the week, you're already familiar with this quote by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. He says:

The Christian cannot simply take for granted the privilege of living among other Christians. Jesus Christ lived in the midst of his enemies. In the end all his disciples abandoned him. On the cross he was all alone, surrounded by criminals and the jeering crowds. He had come for the express purpose of bringing peace to the enemies of God. So Christians, too, belong not in the seclusion of a cloistered life but in the midst of enemies. There they find their mission, their work. 

I believe this quote is powerful and important because it begs the question, who has Jesus excluded from His love and mercy? Who has Jesus avoided or turned away in their time of need? Absolutely no one. But, who have you withheld your love and compassion? Who have you avoided in their time of need? 

In the end, the dispute between the lawyer and Jesus boils down to a dispute over the Torah. “Jesus sees the Torah as part of the God-given means to eternal life, and this life comes purely by grace through faith, which is as the apostle Paul says, ‘active in love.’ (Galatians 5:6) Conversely, the lawyer attempts (and fails) to justify himself by twisting the Torah into a legalistic system that would excuse him from showing love to others.” (Just, 450)

Here's the thing, the Law demands your perfection. There are no loopholes. It says, “do this,” and you can never do it. At least not as God has demanded. And still, while your fallen mind believes you can fulfill the holy commands of God, in the end, your endeavors for perfection sadly reveal how you are in love with yourself more than any neighbor. 

The Epistle today makes a distinction between the Law and Gospel promises. It says, “If a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.” This passage flushes things out for us. If our kindness could save us, then the law would be our righteousness. But that’s not what the epistle says. Instead, what saves us is faith in Jesus. He is our righteousness. 

The reality is that we really do love ourselves too much and our neighbors and especially our enemies too little. Therefore, we are inclined to justify ourselves and desire to show ourselves as righteous. We look to our deeds and works in the community, church, and homes as lawyers. We look for them to justify us before God. For this reason, the parable Jesus tells the lawyer is also for you.

A man is beaten to the edge of death, stripped naked of his clothes, robbed, and thrown into a ditch to die. The priest goes down the road and passes on the other side of the man. The Levite followed the priest, came to the place, and then passed on the other side of the injured man. Maybe the Levite took the lead of the priest, imitating his example, not desiring to challenge the priest's decision or ranking to pass by the injured man. Likewise, isn't it interesting if we look at how children react to situations similar to this, how their pattern of actions most closely follows their parents and people of authority in their lives? You see, children most often react to the events of life in how they are trained and raised by observing their parents' lead. It’s no different for any of us adults, who follow the patterns laid out first by our parents and now by our leaders.

But the man, who stops to give aid, does so with no regard for himself but unconditional love for his neighbor. After all, there is a chance the robbers and thieves are still around, awaiting a second person to jump. But he stops and carries the man lying in the ditch to safety. He pays for his medical care and promises to pay for future medical expenses. This man is a Samaritan. You see, however, Samaritans and Jews hate each other. They don’t get along and don't associate with one another. They are what the east is to the west; the divide is too large among their people. This story would simply never happen. 

Except it did. Jesus isn't telling a story of what you need to do. That is not it. Instead, He is telling a story of what He does. Christ is the Good Samaritan. He saw the wretched state of mankind. He saw what we had become through our sin and had compassion. He entered this world as a child. He assumed our human nature, breathed our worldly air, followed His Father’s will, and took the lowliest of places among sinners and thieves. He was stripped of His clothes and hung to die a sinner's death, a criminal's death on the cross. 

Jesus does this for you. He comes to the most fallen of man, He comes to the sinner, the helpless, the ones who hate Him with all their strength, and He has mercy on them. It’s not that we loved, but that He loved us. 

So you are in this parable too. You are the man in the ditch. 

God sees mankind collectively in the ditch, groaning in pain and crying out for help. And it's easy for us to cast off, to turn aside from the help He brings. You may still suffer from disease or illness, you may suffer emotionally or physically from the harm of others, and you may feel that you have been left by your fellow man, disserted. But this is why Jesus, the Second Person of the Trinity, became man. He became a man to rescue you from the misery and grief of this fallen world. On the cross, Jesus pours out His blood so that you would not be cast off forever but restored. 

The lawyer’s desire in today’s Gospel to be justified by His works will never happen. No mere mortal can or ever will do what the Law demands of them. Yet, there is always a place for good works in the Christian life. There is a place for mercy among our enemies and compassion for those who suffer and are in despair, just as Christ has for us. 

Throughout this Gospel, there is a theme of reversal. The lawyer is supposed to be one of the wise of the world, and yet, he doesn’t see Jesus with the childlike faith of the disciples. 

As children have returned to school, we must remind ourselves that we are all children of God - in need of His gifts of mercy and forgiveness. So continue to regularly come to the Divine Service to receive Christ's Word into your ears, be fed with His flesh and blood for the forgiveness of sin, and be eternally clothed by Him in the garments of salvation. For here, He is present for you.

My friends, everyone is wounded. Everyone is dying. All of our lives are broken, messed up, and troubled – we all experience times of being in the ditch. But praise God, Jesus brings you healing, compassion, and eternal life. +INJ+

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Associate Pastor, Immanuel Evangelical-Lutheran Church
Alexandria, VA

Trinity 12

How often do you stop and listen to the sounds of life?

While back in Minnesota with my family the past couple of weeks, I encouraged my children after four-wheeler rides to just listen to the world around them - the sounds of creation, the humming of bugs as they flew by, the wind was whipping across the southern Minnesota prairie as the sun set in the west.

It was peaceful and tranquil.

But then the sun set. And darkness, along with the sounds of coyotes and other temporal threats, disrupted the tranquility.  A stark reminder that death is not far from us as we live out our days in the shadow of Eden’s shattered bliss and the inherited sin of Adam flows through our veins, misplacing our words and actions from the Christian life we have been called into.

Martin Luther wrote regarding our Gospel today:
A Christian life consists in this: that, first, we believe and trust in our Savior, Christ, and are assured that we are not forsaken by Him, no matter what need or danger happens. Second, every Christian should also act toward friend and enemy the way he sees that Christ is so willing to help everyone. Whoever does this is a Christian. Whoever does not do this, however, may be called a Christian but is not one. These two cannot be separated; the fruit of faith must follow, or the faith is not real.[1]

So, all this leads to a dichotomy, are you a person whose heart is being turned towards God, or is your heart orientated towards the world you have immersed?

Reflect on the words you spoke this past week, the emails you sent, and the tweets you tweeted. Have they been filled with the fruits of the faith? What did they confess? Who did they confess?

Many of us have roles, positions, and occupations that require the use of written and spoken words every day – but do these words reveal a Christian who truly sits, listens, trusts, and receives the wisdom and Word of Christ Jesus? Or are these words a reflection of the shattered world we believe we can save through our verbal sparring and conniving?

Jesus says in the Gospel of St. Matthew, “By your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matthew 12:37)

In today’s Gospel, we heard, “Then they brought to [Jesus] one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech, and they begged [Jesus] to put His hand on him.”

You have a man who has probably experienced being deaf and having a speech impediment since birth. He could not communicate or be understood. Yet, this man had true friends willing to bring him before Jesus, ready to plead and beg on his behalf, "Just put your hand on him, and he will be healed."

Do you bring the needs of your neighbors before God in your prayers with such vigor and humility?

Or do you pray the familiar words of Psalm 141, “Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips! Do not let my heart incline to any evil, to busy myself with wicked deeds in company with men who work iniquity.” (Psalm 141:3-4b) In other words, do not incline my heart to join the company or the mobs of wicked people.

Interestingly, Jesus takes the deaf man aside. He takes him away from the multitude. He doesn’t ask the man any questions either. The Scriptures simply say, “[He] put His fingers in his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue. Then, looking up to heaven, He sighed, and said to him, ‘Ephphatha,’ that is, ‘Be opened.’”

In one sense, the manner and method in which Jesus heals the deaf man (by touching his ears and tongue) confesses His two natures – He’s true God and true Man. He is physically and tangibly involved with His creation.

But then Jesus sighs, not an audible expression of exhaustion or relief, but a groan of discontentment with creation. So St. Paul says to the disciples in Rome, “We also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body” (Rom. 8.23).

And this is what the deaf man receives, adoption and redemption.

You also receive this through the waters of Holy Baptism, adoption, and redemption.

Now, many of you recall these words of Jesus from the baptismal rite at Immanuel, “‘Ephphatha,’ that is, ‘Be opened,’” these are not words required for the Baptism to be valid. Instead, they teach that the faithful Christian is one who continually listens and receives God’s redemptive Word through the work of the Holy Spirit.

Gregory the Great, the bishop of Rome in the sixth century, whose commemoration was yesterday, wrote some fantastic words regarding today’s Gospel, “The Spirit is called the finger of God. When the Lord put his fingers into the ears of the deaf mute, he was opening the soul of man to faith through the gifts of the Holy Spirit.”4 

Likewise, this occurred for you in Holy Baptism. The Holy Spirit is given through the water and the Word spoken into your ears. The gifts of faith are bestowed upon you as a treasure and gift – like the man in the Gospel, you could only receive.

And this leads to a significant difference between the Christian and the unbeliever.

Through today’s Gospel, we see and learn how the ears become the eyes of the heart. The ears hear, and the heart believes. The tongue then confesses this faith of the heart.

Truthfully, if one was to do away with the tongue and the ears, there would be no difference between the kingdom of heaven and this world. Like the unbeliever, you, the Christian, toils, eats, sleeps, and strives through life. But for the Christian, the ears and the tongue are the difference between you and the unbeliever – because the ears listen and receive the Word made flesh, while the tongue confesses His glorious death and resurrection throughout all creation, throughout all the days of life. (Martin Luther)

So what are we to do? We must become better listeners, not just to our friends, family, or enemies – but first and foremost, to God’s Holy Word. Because where God’s Word is present, so the Holy Spirit works and creates faith in each of us – “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” (Romans 10:17)

As Paul goes on to say in Galatians, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23) The world should see and hear this when we speak and confess our Jesus. Our Savior.

Still, we are not without sin. We grow discontent with the world we have immersed ourselves and the broken relationships our words continue to cause. When this occurs, we should sigh and groan with Jesus. We should lament and beg for God's mercy. And then rejoice because through your Baptism, you have received adoption and redemption. You have been set apart to live as new creations.

So let us put away the noise of this life and turn back to God our Father’s creative Word, listen to His Son, Jesus Christ, who has the Words of eternal life, and pray for God the Holy Spirit to guide you into the way of life everlasting. The way of charity and love. +INJ+

[1] Luther, M. (2016). Luther’s Works: Church Postil V. (B. T. G. Mayes, J. L. Langebartels, & C. B. Brown, Eds.) (Vol. 79, p. 37). Saint Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House.

The Army Ethic and Moral Injury

The Army Ethic and Moral Injury

SGM Noah J. Rogness

United State Sergeants Major Academy

SMC-DL Class 46

SGM Robbie G. Sierra

31 December 202 

The Army Ethic and Moral Injury

The Army Ethic is a multifaceted tool used to unite Soldiers from all backgrounds and walks of life under one umbrella.  Throughout the past twenty years of combat in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Army Ethic remains a priority of the military profession.  The research of this paper will use qualitative means to examine the Army Ethic and the potential for emotional injury due to a violation of a person's ethos or moral belief system, or moral injury.

Research Problem

The Army Ethic is an essential twine woven within the fabric of the United States Army.  From learning the Army Values, Warrior Ethos, and the Soldier’s Creed the first days of basic training, Soldiers begin to build an ethical and moral foundation for their career.  As a Soldier’s career progresses, the Army Ethic remains.  However, how a Soldier applies or experiences the Army Ethic evolves with each leadership position and combat mission. 

Throughout time, the Army has experienced challenges in educating and fostering the Army Ethic.  The Department of the Army (2014) addresses the omission and failure to articulate the Army Ethic in an accessible and understandable manner (p. 1).  Despite efforts to update doctrine and policy, challenges remain in applying the Army Ethic in training and combat. 

The challenges of educating and nurturing the Army Ethic in Soldiers go beyond the words of the Soldier’s Creed, “I will always place the mission first, I will never leave a fallen comrade, I will never quit, I will never accept defeat.”  Combat is the arena where the Army Ethic and personal morals collide.  Without appropriate training and ongoing support, the Soldier will become vulnerable to what is known today as moral injury. 

Many soldiers are unaware of the term moral injury, nor do they understand the symptoms that accompany a moral injury.  Psychologists continue to wrestle with a singular definition of moral injury.  However, it was Jonathan Shay who originally coined the term in his book, Achilles in Vietnam.  Shay defines moral injury as “the psychological, social, and physiological results of a betrayal of ‘what's right’ by an authority in a high-stakes situation” (Shay, 2014, p. 182).  At the core of Shay’s definition is a matter of trust. At the center of the Soldier and leader relationship is trust.  Whether it is the leader or Soldier that violates the Army Ethic or deeply held morals, there is an aspect of trust eroded.  This erosion of trust becomes a readiness issue for the United States Army and its ability to fight and win the nation’s wars.

Research Questions and Strategy

For this research paper, a qualitative lens will guide examining the topic of the Army Ethic and moral injury within the United States Army.  The literature review that follows will begin by examining the Army Ethic as it is the all-encompassing ethos of all Soldiers throughout the United States Army.  Additionally, a review of moral injury will follow a byproduct of a violation of the Army Ethic or a Soldier’s ethos.  The following questions will guide the research of this paper: 

1.     What are the challenges for the United States Army in educating and training the Army Ethic among Soldiers?

2.     How does a violation of the Army Ethic or personal ethos generate moral injury and impact trust in United States Soldiers’ lives? 

Literature Review

The Basis for the Army Ethic

The possession of an ethic in war is nothing new for American Soldiers.  The history of the United States of America encapsulates victory in battle and how the young nation achieves victory.  The concept of an Army Ethic was on full display when George Washington stated, “when we took our oaths and donned our uniforms, we did not lay aside our sense of right and wrong” (Zust and Krauss, 2019, p. 45).  The expectation in war with Great Britain is fought consistently with society’s values and respect for the enemy’s human rights.

            The arena of war today blurs the lines of the knowledge of right and wrong.  The fundamental nature of war consistently causes violations of organizational ethics and personal morals.  The emotional scars Soldiers receive live beyond the battlefield and accompany the Soldier on their journey home.  Emotional scars of war are not new; history used various terms over the past couple of centuries to describe what is now known as moral injury, Soldier’s heart, war neurosis, or shell shock, to name a few (Drescher and Foy, 2008, p. 86). 

A lack of training, understanding, and acceptance by leaders continues to surround the concept of moral injury.  A possible cause of these issues is the lack of understanding and training of the Army Ethic throughout the ranks.  Understanding and training the Army Ethic at the unit and Soldier level and how leaders care for Soldiers when an emotional injury occurs will follow throughout this literature review. 

The Army Ethic at the Organizational Level

Every major organization forms a culture through the use of values, ideals, or creeds.  The United States Army is no different.  The Department of the Army wrote (2010), “Army culture is the system of shared meaning held by its Soldiers, ‘the shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterize the larger institution over time’” (14).  The purpose of the Army Ethic is to explain to Soldiers and leaders why we conduct and live our lives in a specific manner. 

The Department of the Army (2014) suggests the Army Ethic goal is to motivate and influence Soldiers to perform in a manner that endears a grateful nation (p. 3).  Further, the Department of the Army (2010) writes there are three primary purposes of the Army Ethic: 

(1) establish core principles as guidelines for moral judgments based on a given operation's moral goal, e.g., defense of America’s autonomy and territory or responding to a humanitarian crisis. (2) it must inform operational design and mission command by helping leaders adapt to the operational context by applying the principles of the Ethic (3). It must provide the standards and framework for developing an individual Soldier's character by instilling the profession’s values and virtues. (p. 19)

As mentioned above and in the Army Ethic goals, the purposes transcend the Army organization down to the individual Soldier behind each weapon on the battlefield.  For this reason, a tension exists within the moral complexity of the Army’s ability to remain lethal on the battlefield and demonstrate a strong professional Ethic from the institutional level down to the individual Soldier (Department of the Army, 2010, p. 16).  In other words, success in battle as a nation depends on a strong ethic, both organizationally and individually.

The Confusion of the Army Ethic

Due to the complexities of combat, the United States Army's goal is to have an ethic that avoids confusion.  The Department of the Army (2014) wrote, “The goal is an articulated, accessible, commonly understood, and universally applicable Army Ethic -- motivating Honorable Service, guiding and inspiring right decisions and actions” (p. 3).  Further, the United States Army wants and needs the Army Ethic to drive its character development (Department of the Army, 2014, p. 3).

 Unfortunately, when outlining and defining the Army Ethic in doctrine and policy, the Army failed to provide a clear and understandable explanation.  Anderson (2016) remarked in his research regarding the Army Ethic, “while the 2013 version of ADRP 1 offered a definition and outlined a framework for the Army Ethic, it did not ‘fully describe the Army Ethic so that it is accessible, commonly understood, and universally applicable’” (p. 9).  Producing an accessible, easily understood, and universally applicable ethic is a difficult challenge for any organization.  Still, the mission of the United States Army demands exactly this to achieve success.

            The failure to produce a universally understood and applicable ethic at the organizational level presents a harmful effect on the Mission Command doctrine.  If the values and morals meant to unify an organization are not understandable, then the goal of trust between the commander and subordinate leader will always be in tension.  Further, the lack of a singular ethic bonding the organization shatters the Mission Command doctrine's success at the tactical level (Department of the Army, 2014, p. 5).

            Like the Mission Command doctrine, the Army Ethic molds Soldiers through training.  If subordinate leaders are to be trusted to make the right decisions in the fog of war, training must become instinctively in line with the Army Ethic.  A challenge Sevick (2011) writes in his research, “When it comes to morality and decision making, our Soldiers simply do not conform to traditional rationalist models that emphasize moral judgment gained from reflection and reasoning” (p. 3). Instead, Soldiers act emotionally.  Emotions are an essential response to almost all high stakes situations throughout humanity.  The results either bring a sense of relief and joy or tattoos an emotional wound upon the heart and mind of the Soldier, leader, or commander that outlasts any physical wound of war.

Moral Casualty in the Foxhole

            Military leaders possess an increased understanding of the importance of emotional trauma better today than in past wars.  Yet, moral injury remains a force protection and unit readiness issue.  The Soldiers’ phycological and spiritual compass is at most significant risk when the Army Ethic or morals of their faith are at odds with a violent situation on the battlefield.  Zust and Krauss believe part of the challenge in preparing leaders and Soldiers for the ethical and moral dilemmas is a failure to build moral reasoning into the Mission Command process (Zust and Krauss, 2019, p. 45).  Zust and Krauss (2019) believe the inclusion of moral reasoning within Mission Command training will “build healing processes into post-combat actions that help service members address perceived moral contradictions” (p. 45).

 The human aspect of war highlights the importance of building moral reasoning into mission command training.  Nash articulates war in the following way:

War is a clash of opposing human wills, fueled by emotion and influenced by mental and moral forces as by technology and material factors. It is seldom the physical destruction of people or equipment that brings victory. Still, the destruction of adversary’s will to fight because of the bombs, bullets, and other hardships they endure. Combat stressors are weapons whose targets are the hearts and minds of individual opposing warriors. (Drescher and Foy, 2008, p. 90)

            The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq left a wake of Soldiers deploying and experiencing combat multiple times.  As researchers continue to learn more about the cause and effects of moral injury, they are beginning to redefine moral injury from Shay’s original definition to reflect a perpetuation of war at the human level of combat.  Nash and Litz (2013) defined moral injury twenty years after Shay as “the enduring consequences of perpetrating, failing to prevent, bearing witness to, or learning about acts that transgress deeply held moral beliefs and expectations” (p. 368).  For Nash and Litz (2013), the aspect of moral injury lies in the “loss of trust in previously deeply held beliefs about one’s own or others’ ability to keep our shared moral covenant” (p. 368). 

            The failure to keep a shared moral covenant not only results in a loss of trust, but Nash and Litz (2013) believe also leads to “shame, guilt, and self-destructive impulses, and their perpetuation because of an inability to forgive oneself for failing to live up to one’s moral expectations” (p. 368).  The question of moral injury turns to, “How is one healed?” Again, Nash and Litz join a choir of researchers advocating the path of recovery begins with the ability to give forgiveness.  Nash and Litz believe the emotional, cognitive, and spiritual aspects of forgiveness are vital to overcoming moral injury and preventing compiling acts of revenge or mental anguish that erodes trust within a unit (Nash and Litz, 2013, p. 371).

Summary of Findings

            The literature review revealed a systematic challenge to understand the Army Ethic throughout the United States Army.  In a review conducted by the Department of the Army (2014), Soldiers and Army civilians were unable to identify or express the Army Ethic with clarity, “Specifically, members across the profession noted that no single document exists to identify and define the Army Ethic” (p. 4).  A failure of this magnitude poses a tremendous challenge for any organization, let alone the United States Army, whose mission is to defend the nation under established values and morals.

            The reality is every Soldier is a moral actor in the realm of combat.  Zust and Krauss (2019) concluded, “All combatants are moral actors because they make life and death decisions influenced by their core values and lethal skills” (p. 45).  The challenge for the United States Army today doesn’t lie as much as it once did in propelling Soldiers to take the life of an enemy if required to; the challenge now is assisting Soldiers once they have taken a life.

As the literature directs, the United States Army now needs to find ways to support Soldiers processing moral injuries.  The mission of supporting Soldiers through moral injury is pronged; first, it requires preparation through training.  Second, it deals with the topic of forgiveness after any given mission.  The Chaplain Corps and other ethical leaders within the United States Army are positioned to assist units train and prepare for the moral dilemmas of war.  The real challenge will be pairing Soldiers with chaplains and mental health practitioners to work through forgiveness for actions taken or not taken in periods of combat. 

Professional Practice 

            The Chaplain Corps and Religious Affairs Specialist possess an opportunity to lead from the front regarding the Army Ethic and moral injury topic.  The Chaplain Corps participates in the United States Army resiliency program, which helps leaders and soldiers prepare for combat’s emotional gymnastics.  However, incorporating a more robust training program geared towards the Army Ethic in combat and recovery will help soldiers deepen their combat preparation, effectiveness, and recovery.  

Zust and Krauss (2019) point out in their commentary, “Leaders can help prevent moral injury and set the conditions for healing. The first step is to equip subordinates with the training and good moral leadership needed to mitigate and resolve their moral dissonance” (p.48).  Further, leaders that embed moral dilemmas within training will prepare their Soldiers to process various moral situations within combat.  In training, leaders can establish boundaries for how Soldiers operate and begin to lay the groundwork for Soldiers to learn how to heal from moral injury and adapt even while combat operations continue (Zust and Krauss, 2019, p. 49).  Chaplains and religious affairs specialists are ready to lead this endeavor. 

            Incorporating chaplains and religious affairs specialists into the fabric of training allows them to assist and advise the commander and other leaders throughout a unit as ethical and moral questions of war arise.  The reality is that all leaders are an image of the Army Ethic and how they prepare and reason ethical and moral dilemmas will transcend their command.  By equipping leaders and providing experts to assist in the Army Ethic and moral injury fields, the Army will receive better-trained Soldiers, prepared and equipped for combat's resilience.  

            Additionally, the Chaplain Corps is uniquely situated to assist with the recovery from moral injury as secular research points to the act of forgiveness as a central tenant to moral injury recovery.  Nash and Litz (2013) write, “Forgiving requires strenuous emotional, cognitive, social, and spiritual work, including sustaining compassion, attaining wisdom, and forgoing talionic justice such as might be found in acts of revenge” (p. 371).  Most faith belief systems provide the rituals required to encourage and assist Soldiers in receiving forgiveness. 

In past wars, the ritual has been a critical component to the readjustment and returning to society for Soldiers.  Often by ship, Soldiers made a slow journey and return from combat to the United States.  The time provided opportunities to talk among one another, time to speak with a chaplain or other healthcare workers.  The journey provided time to mourn among fellow Soldiers.  The rapid return home from combat since Vietnam continues to pose challenges for chaplains and religious affairs specialists in caring for Soldiers.

Further, the issue of recovery and forgiveness deepens for members of the United States Army Reserve and National Guard as they scatter to their communities throughout the country post-deployment.  Soldiers in the United States Army Reserve and National Guard are isolated from the Soldiers, leaders, and chaplains that accompanied them on deployment.  Additionally, chaplains and medical staff return to their parishes or medical practices and cannot assist the Soldiers in greatest need.

Ultimately, the Army's goal is to motivate and inspire a shared identity within the Army.  Senior leaders are the stewardship of America’s most precious resource, her people (Department of the Army, 2014, p. 20).  To use a former slogan and concept, leaders must be, know, and do. They were especially surrounding the topic of ethics and morality.

Connecting Moral Injury to Policy

          As mentioned above, one of the most significant leadership challenges to the Army Ethic is the lack of clarity provided in regulation and policy to leaders.  Over time, updates have striven to clarify leaders, subordinates, and civilians alike regarding the Army Ethic.  Yet, clarity continues to lack in written form.

          Finally, the Department of the Army took time to discuss the Army Ethic topic in greater detail in the recent publication of Army Leadership (ADP 6-22).  As understood throughout this paper, trust is the pillar in which the Mission Command Doctrine stands or falls.  The Army Ethic's goal is to build a culture of trust-based upon the enduring moral principles, values, beliefs, and laws that guide the military profession (Department of the Army, 2019, p. 1-6).  Thus, a robust Army Ethic will assist in training up a strong Mission Command culture.

 A review by Army leadership needs to discern how the Army Ethic transcends the multi-domain battlefield.  The rapid expanse of technology in the battlefield of space and cyber domains provide senior leaders with challenges not experienced in their early days of military service.  The Army Ethic applies to these domains the same, but proposes the question, have the regulations kept up to combat changes?

          Further, as the literature review and findings point out, forgiveness is a large part of moral injury recovery.  Equipping the Chaplain Corps to take the lead in this endeavor is imperative.  An update to the Department of the Army pamphlet for Moral Leadership must be completed and released not only for the Chaplain Corps but also for leaders at all levels.  Additionally, it is essential the Chaplain Corps, as the lead on this update, include a chapter within a new Department of the Army pamphlet regarding moral leadership on the topic of moral injury and guiding principles to train leaders regarding resilience and forgiveness.

Conclusion

Addressing the Army Ethic and moral injury will require multifaceted tools and approaches as the United States Army moves into new areas and methods of combat.  Challenges will remain, particularly how the United States Army clearly expresses and trains the Army Ethic.  A clear and accessible Army Ethic is vital to establishing a shared ethos and moral belief system among all Soldiers. 

          Further, when a Soldier experiences harm to their moral belief system, Soldiers need to know how to process and recover from the moral injury experienced.  Chaplains and Religious Affairs Specialists are knowledgeable and able to assist leaders at all levels in preparing Soldiers for future combat's moral dilemmas.  Ultimately, there are tools for equipping soldiers for embracing a strong Army Ethic and processing moral injury, and they reside in ritual and the act of forgiveness. 

          Moving forward, approaching the Army Ethic and moral injury will remain a leadership issue.  Leaders have a responsibility to incorporate moral reasoning into all training.  Leaders have a responsibility to ensure Soldiers do not lay aside their sense of right and wrong but embrace what guides them both in and out of combat, the Army Ethic.

Reference

Anderson, E. (2016). Fostering the Army Ethic. https://publications.armywarcollege.

            edu/pubs/724.pdf 

Brock R. (2019). The Battle Inside: Addressing Moral Injury Can Help Prevent Veteran Suicide. 

            https://www.moaa.org/content/publications-and-media/news-articles/2019-news-

            articles/the-battle-inside-how-addressing-moral-injury-can-help-prevent-veteran-suicide/ 

Carey, L. B., & Hodgson, T. J. (2018). Chaplaincy, spiritual care and moral injury: 

            Considerations regarding screening and treatment. Frontiers in psychiatry, 9, 619. 

            https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00619/full

Department of the Army. (2010). The Profession of Army [White Paper]. https://www.army.

            mil/e2/downloads/rv7/info/references/profession_of_arms_white_paper_Dec2010.pdf 

Department of the Army. (2014). The Army Ethic [White Paper]. https://api.army.

            mil/e2/c/downloads/356486.pdf 

Department of the Army. (2019). Army Leadership (ADP 6-22). Retrieved from 

            https://www.army.mil/e2/downloads/rv7/info/references/profession_of_arms_ 

            white_paper_Dec2010.pdf

Drescher, K. D., & Foy, D. W. (2008). When they come home: Posttraumatic stress, moral 

            injury, and spiritual consequences for veterans. Reflective Practice: Formation and 

            Supervision in Ministry, 28. https://journals.sfu.ca/rpfs/index.php/rpfs/article/view/158

Nash W. & Litz B. (2013). Moral Injury: A Mechanism for War-Related Psychological Trauma 

            in Military Members. Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev, 16(4):365-375. doi:10.1007/s10567-

            013-0146-y

Shay, J. (2014). Moral injury. Psychoanalytic Psychology, 31(2), p. 182.

Sevcik, M. (2011). Moral Intuition and the Professional Military Ethic. Small Wars Journal. 

            https://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/moral-intuition-and-the-professional-military-ethic

Smith-MacDonald, L. A., Morin, J. S., & Brémault-Phillips, S. (2018). Spiritual dimensions of 

            moral injury: contributions of mental health chaplains in the Canadian armed 

            forces. Frontiers in psychiatry, 9, 592. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/

            fpsyt.2018.00592/full

Zust J. & Krauss S. (2019). Force Protection from Moral Injury: Three Objectives for Military 

            Leaders. Joint Force Quarterly, 92 (1): 44-49. https://ndupress.ndu.edu/Media

            /News/News-Article-View/Article/1737148/force-protection-from-moral-injury-three-

            objectives-for-military-leaders/

Meditation on the Evening of Roe being Overturned

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus,

On this, the Feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, we gather in prayer and praise.

But, for nearly fifty years, you have probably wondered if this day would come.

For nearly fifty years, Roe v. Wade had been part of the fabric of American society.

For nearly fifty years, it appeared our prayers had not been heard, that our voices had grown silent.

However, for nearly fifty years, the Church has stood and gathered around the Word of God, praying with sadness for the life of mother and child.

But today is a different day. Today is a day of great joy!

It is a day of joy for families; for mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, grandmothers and grandfathers, aunts, and uncles. For the children that smile and laugh, for a mother's embrace, and for love a father will cherish.

It's a day for us to thank God for the gift of life and His continued assurance that He hears our prayers even as we believe our lips had grown silent with the likes of Zechariah.

However, today our voices do break forth in joy with Zechariah, praising God for sending His Son Jesus Christ into this world to redeem us from the sin that binds us, the temptations of the evil one that lead us astray, and the death that was defeated by the cross.

And still, tomorrow will see new challenges and new periods of darkness.

My friends, while we give thanks for today’s ruling, nothing changes for the Church on earth.

Tomorrow, we still arise and pray for the mother, father, and child.

Tomorrow, we pray for God to guide our feet into the way of peace, the way that does not permit us to be entangled in the foolishness of this world, but rather the way that leads to His Son, Jesus Christ.

Tomorrow, we still confess the comfort of Christ Jesus and the knowledge of Salvation for the forgiveness of sin to a world dwelling in darkness.

And we ask God to grant us His Spirit that we may walk as children of light. (Ephesians 5:8) That we may be bearers of His name, continuing to care for the unborn, the child, the mother, and the father.

For many years, we have felt like ones in the wilderness with John the Baptist, marching every January, crying out, and confessing to what seemed to be no avail. But, today reminds us that God abides with His children and wishes to grant His comfort to those in distress.

As you go forth from here this night, go forth with peace and joy in your hearts. Go forth with praise and adoration. Go forth, praying and confessing the good news of Christ Jesus to all who continue to dwell in darkness. +INJ+

This photo was taken shortly after Roe VS Wade was overturned

Graduation Vespers 2022

***This sermon was given for the graduation of Immanuel Lutheran School 2022***

We've had many conversations regarding our feelings over the past couple of years, haven't we?

Life is full of emotions and feelings. Some of you probably experienced butterflies, some joy, and some laughs even as you prepared to process into the sanctuary this evening.

Tonight is a big night. It's a night you've been looking forward to, whether with excitement or dread, you've been looking forward to tonight.

When I was your age (And I still do this), I would listen to music that matched my "desired" emotional state. The Black Eye Peas had a song some of you might still know. It began like this:

I got a feeling

That tonight's gonna be a good night

That tonight's gonna be a good night

That tonight's gonna be a good, good night

Well, tonight is going to be a good night.

But, tomorrow will also have a mix of emotions, too – joy along with a bit of sadness. At least I know I’ll be sad tomorrow. Sad to see so many of you attend your last day of school at Immanuel.

These days mark the end of a chapter in your life and begin focusing on the next chapter, high school. And guess what, some of the feelings you experience today, you’ll have again around the end of August as you prepare to begin the new academic year at a new school with new friends, new teachers, and new uniforms.

You can’t escape this.

However, you can remember through all of this who gave you the ability to possess feelings and emotions in the first place. Do you remember what we learned in the First Article of the Creed?

“I believe that God has made me and all creatures; that He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my reason and all my senses, and still takes care of them.”

Your Heavenly Father gave you the gift to experience sadness as much as joy. However, He did not say to be solely led by this joy and sorrow, but rather that He “Still takes care of them.”

C.S. Lewis wrote,

Don't bother too much about your feelings. When they are humble, loving, brave, give thanks for them; when they are conceited, selfish, cowardly, ask to have them altered. In neither case are they you, but only a thing that happens to you. What matters is your intentions and your behavior.

So, C.S. Lewis writes that your feelings and emotions are not who you are but something that happens to you. Or one may also say, something that becomes manifest through you.

The question then is this, “Who are you?”

Immanuel Lutheran Church and School taught you what is good, what is true, and what is beautiful. But, when you depart the doors of this school, most of all, you should be able to confess in this world and life who you are by saying, “I am a child of God.”

This is who you are, and because you are God’s child, you have access to your heavenly Father.

Our verse of the year is your verse:

“Call upon Me in the day of trouble;

         I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.” (Psalm 50:15)

What is trouble?

Trouble lies in the things of life that bind you up, distress you, or give you emotional trials – like being nervous about a new high school, becoming overwhelmed by your studies, or even feeling isolated from friends and family as you go through transitions. Or, for your parents, this idea of trouble may manifest itself as they watch you grow up tonight, asking the question, “have I done what I’ve been called to do for this sweet child God has placed into my care?”

Again, the answer to these questions resides in the verse of the year,

“Call upon Me in the day of trouble;

         I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.” (Psalm 50:15)

The Father says, “I will deliver you.”

Your deliverance from the things that bind you rest, not in how you feel, but in your heavenly Father, as you learned from the First Article of the Creed, “He richly and daily provides [you] with all that [you] need to support this body and life. He defends [you] against all danger and guards and protects [you] from all evil.”

And He does this “out of fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in [you].”

He does this by sending His only Son, Jesus Christ, to die upon the cross for you, deliver you from your sin, death, and all the many ways the devil works to confuse and mislead you.

And this is really the point I want to get across to you tonight, your emotions and feelings are a gift from God. And while they help to process the many changes of life and even celebrate your many accomplishments, you must remember to always be faithfully led by the cross of Christ Jesus.

And should life’s journey overwhelm you, then pray the words of the hymn of the year:

To God the Holy Spirit let us pray

For the true faith needed on our way

That He may defend us when life is ending

And from exile home we are wending.

Lord, have mercy!

Keep these words close. Remember how prayer is the voice of faith, how this faith brings glory to God and how He will defend you, and ultimately, how He is the one who will bring you into His eternal and loving care. +INJ+

St. Mark’s Conference 2022 + Solemn Vespers

Text Isaiah 52:7-10

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Isaiah depicts Jerusalem as amiss, devasted, and full of waste places. The great city is war-torn and crumbling under continued enemy occupation. What hope does Israel possess as they peer out into the mountains that surround and look down upon them? They are a broken and hopeless people.

We are likewise a broken and hopeless people. We live in a world that is continually at war with itself.

If you’ve ever served in the military, you’ve walked the streets of devastation in foreign lands and places afar. You’ve seen the crumbling foundations of bombed-out infrastructure and the sad faces of defeated and oppressed people.

If you’ve lived in a major American city over the past decade (or owned a television or phone), you not only saw but still see the crumbling foundation of society due to riots, the burning of buildings, and neighbors turning against one another – often under the façade of freedom from oppression.

This life is a battleground, and it leaves all of us feeling oppressed and depressed as we too look about, wondering, is there any hope for peace and redemption?

Still, Isaiah says the watchmen stand guard over Jerusalem. What good are watchmen if the city has already been sieged? What good can they do if the very walls they are to stand upon have been knocked down?

Yet, the watchmen see their hope coming from afar, coming from the mountains - from among the rubble. They see a runner, and as He approaches, they hear his announcement of triumph. The lookouts now lift up their voices as they sing for joy - their King and champion has come, and He brings good news of peace, happiness, and salvation.

These tidings of great joy cannot be contained, but look and hear how even the ruins of Jerusalem break forth into singing, the rubble, and waste left from battle and heartache. But, these are no usual ruins. They belong to the Lord. They are His people, His creation. They are you.

You who feel oppressed by the world and rubble around you.

You who struggle to confess the sin that continually wraps you in bondage.

You who stare into the grave of death as one without hope.

But, your hope comes not from within yourself but through the mighty arm of the Lord.

Moses spoke to the people of Israel, “you shall not be afraid of [those who enslaved you], but you shall remember well what the LORD your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt: the great trials which your eyes saw, the signs and the wonders, the mighty hand and the outstretched arm, by which the LORD your God brought you out. So shall the LORD your God do to all the peoples of whom you are afraid.” (Deuteronomy 7:19)

The Psalmist writes, “Oh, sing to the LORD a new song! For He has done marvelous things; His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory.” (Psalm 98:1)

And the mother of our Lord said, “He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.” (Luke 1:51)

The arm of the Lord reveals His magnificent strength and power, as a gladiator shrugging off his cloak as He enters the Coliseum, readying Himself for battle. Those who wish to oppose Him should tremble with fear and anguish, with thoughts of Pharaoh and his Army being tossed into the sea forever etched within their minds.

Yet, the strength of the Lord’s holy arm is most clearly seen when it appears He is the weakest.

Isaiah writes,

“The LORD has made bare His holy arm

         In the eyes of all the nations;

         And all the ends of the earth shall see

         The salvation of our God.” (Isaiah 52:10)

Upon the cross with arms extended, the only Son of the Father, who entered the ruins of this life through the flesh of a child, hung for the salvation of the world. Given into death for all to see and believe.

But it’s hard to believe when you find yourself in the midst of dust and ashes, the depth of sin and death, the chaos of turmoil.

The Apostle Paul wrote while highlighting our reading today from Isaiah:

“How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written:

         “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace,

         Who bring glad tidings of good things!” (Romans 10:14-15)

How beautiful are the feet of those watchmen among the waste places of Jerusalem? The preachers and pastors who "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:16)

For many of us gathered here today, this is what we are called to do as undershepherds, to be watchmen among the people of God, not only in their times of joy but especially when everything in life appears to be lost.

We are called to bring the good news of God’s peace, as Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:27) While you are not guaranteed or promised a life free from hostility, through the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus, the sin that has separated you from your heavenly Father is forgiven.

And this message is the glad and good tidings of God. The devil and his tyranny no longer hold sway over you, God’s children. Evil must cede to the good and gracious will of the Father.

Because you, His child, have been delivered from sin and death. Through the salvation of God, you have been made free in Christ Jesus.

The world around you may be crumbling, society may be cracking at its foundation, but you have been given a much greater freedom and gift. You have been given a Savior who is Christ the Lord.

So, join with the watchmen as they lift up their voices. Sing with all of Jerusalem, for Christ comes to you and grants you comfort and peace in His Word. +INJ+

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Rev. Noah J. Rogness

Associate Pastor, Immanuel Evangelical-Lutheran Church

Alexandria, VA

Prayer Vigil for the Protection of Human Life

November 29, 2021

Text: Isaiah 9:2-7

***The following meditation was given on the steps of the US SCOTUS in the days leading up to oral arguments of Dobbs VS Jackson Women’s Health Organization***

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

As we have entered the season of Advent, we have entered a time when the Church’s posture is naturally turned toward prayer.

Throughout the Advent season, the darkness of night constantly progresses and increases as we all await our Savior’s arrival – His return.

The world likewise resides in this darkness we now experience. It is the darkness of sin, rebellion, and unbelief.

And yet, Isaiah wrote,        

The people who walked in darkness

Have seen a great light;

Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death,

Upon them a light has shined.

We who walk in darkness desire to see this light and have it shine upon us.

For this reason, we gather in prayer for the light to be upon us and those residing in the darkness of life with us.

You see, the darkness affects us all and is uniquely crafted for each of us - our unique struggles, temptations, and needs. The darkness is our restlessness, our rebellion toward God, our need for control, and our sin.

But, the light is outside of us. We cannot bring ourselves out of the darkness, but rather, we must be led by the light into day.

And so, we must look to whom Isaiah foretells as he writes,

For unto us a Child is born,

            Unto us a Son is given;

         And the government will be upon His shoulder.

         And His name will be called

         Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,

         Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

What has been placed upon the shoulders of this child and only begotten Son of the Father is the cross and the sin of the world. In turn, what He now gives to us is His peace – His forgiveness.

As Jesus spoke, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:27)

But ultimately, fear is what led us to this night some forty-seven years ago, on January 22, 1973.

That fear continues today in the minds and hearts of each person struggling with the life residing within their womb.

But, we come tonight to these steps of the Supreme Court of the United States of America in peace, and we come with prayer.

Truthfully, it would be easier to have stayed home this evening, but we cannot do that. We know from the Scriptures that we are responsible for praying for our leaders and everyone in need. The apostle Paul writes to Timothy, “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.”

For this reason and in this night of darkness, we gather to pray for those continuing to struggle with their past abortion, for those who continue contemplating the termination of an ongoing pregnancy, and for those who serve in the legislature, the courts, or any other leadership position throughout our land.

We pray for God’s Word to be a lamp to their feet and a light to their path. (Psalm 119:105)

We entrust these prayers to God our Father, trusting the Holy Spirit to work and transform the hearts of man through the Word and Gospel of Christ Jesus. A Word that announces and gives the forgiveness and life we all so desperately need. A word that leads us to the everlasting light of the Prince of Peace.

So, now let us keep our Advent, permit our prayers to ascend as incense, always trusting in the good and gracious will of our Heavenly Father. +INJ+

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Rev. Noah J. Rogness

Associate Pastor, Immanuel Evangelical-Lutheran Church

Alexandria, VA

Oh, the Places You'll Go: My Promotion Speech for Sergeant Major

This speech was given on the day of my promotion to Sergeant Major - June 19, 2020. Due to COVID-19, the promotion ceremony was conducted via Zoom.

Before I begin, I want to thank CH Solhjem for hosting today’s ceremony and SGM Martinez for providing remarks. I am grateful for their leadership and allowing this ceremony to have the semblance of normalcy in very unnormal times, especially for my family who are watching via Zoom.

Just think of all the places you will go the recruiter says to the new recruit as they are on the verge of enlisting in the United States Army. No, I don't believe recruiters are issued a copy of Dr. Seuss' book, "Oh, the Places You'll Go." Still, in many ways, the recruiting pitch may have some similarities. You'll face danger, travel through wide-open spaces, enter the waiting place (which there are many), and hey kid - you will face problems. Am I doing a good job of recruiting future soldiers yet?

My parents knew all of the risks when they signed and gave me permission to enlist at the age of 17, we are a military family. One grandfather served in the Navy, and another was in the Army infantry during WWII. My father was in the Air Force during Vietnam, and my brother served in the Army National Guard in the 1990s. Still, knowing the danger, my parents granted me permission to enlist during my senior year of high school to become a soldier.

Little did any of us know that danger was creeping at the door, and the horrific events of 9/11 would be close at hand. As a 20-year-old specialist, I got the call to go. From the college life to the mountains of Bagram, Afghanistan, the transformation was quick and traumatizing. Honestly, I could have used a little Dr. Seuss back then to give me some false motivation and confidence as I traveled to places I did not want to go.

Instead, Mr. Charles Hire (former NCOIC of the 10th Mountain Division) and the now SGM Eugene Loveless is what I received. These two men inspired me for the first time in my Army life; they were leaders to me. Mr. Hire and SGM Loveless planted seeds in now fading memories of conversations we had almost 20 years ago, that would change my career's direction. To both of you, thank you.

Those seeds planted by Mr. Hire and SGM loveless have not grown on their own. Many leaders have come along throughout my career and nurtured me through the investment of their time, their energy, and frustration, mentoring me and encouraging me to this day. Thank you, SGM Patrick Savage, the retired Master Sergeants Leamon Duncan, and Gerald Holliday. I would be remiss if I did not thank the chaplains that have given me their complete trust and confidence to demonstrate my potential for increased responsibility. Thank you, CH Brian Harki, CH Charles Causey, CH Jonathan Shaw, CH Jeffrey Watters, and CH Mark Nuckols.

Yet, throughout this career, as you meet many people from all over this land and of every walk of life, some things do not change. My family has remained strong throughout my many mobilizations and deployments in the United States Army Reserve. My family has been there for every goodbye and every welcome home. They continue to encourage and support me as I serve today. Whether it was cards, letters, pictures, or emails, you have been behind me one hundred percent of the way. I am grateful for all of you – mom, dad, Luther, Eve, Jay, Luke, and Emma.

One of the places I was fortunate to mobilize throughout my career was the Office of the Chief of Chaplains. I am a repeat offender, I left the first time none the wiser. But, it is here that I met my wife, Becky, in 2009. Since then, we have survived six to eight moves between the Army, seminary, and the parish. Becky is our family's pillar, she keeps our home and family going. She is super mom to Lydia, Samson, Jonah - and the new baby is the luckiest little boy or girl in the world to have her as a mother. Becky is my greatest cheerleader, the best listener, and my most faithful friend. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for loving and forgiving me unconditionally.

As so many of you know, as you become a parent, this profession becomes harder. Over the past two years, I have traveled more than any other time in my career. I met a lot of fantastic chaplains and religious affairs specialists serving this Army throughout the world. But, the loneliest place for me has been in the backseat of an UBER pulling away from my children as they wave goodbye from the front step of our home. They did not sign-up for this career, they were born into it. It’s now part of who they are. Thank you, Lydia, Samson, and Jonah, for always understanding when daddy has to leave and for always waiting for me when I come home. I love you!

These three kiddos don’t see daddy as the desk jockey he is today, they see him as a soldier, not any soldier either. They see their father as the one in pictures they peruse in my photo album from Afghanistan in 2002, holding an M16 next to Mr. Hire or SGM Loveless. If you haven’t figured out, Afghanistan is where a lot of change occurred in my life. Afghanistan is where wearing the uniform became a career.

Approaching this new chapter of my military career as a Sergeant Major, I do so with an appreciation for the past and an eye to the future. Research says at least one of my children will continue in the family business by donning a military uniform. As a parent, I want the best leaders for them. As leaders today, we have the responsibility to foster and create an environment that nurtures, cares, and grows future leaders as we have been cared for.

I referenced Dr. Seuss's book today, “Oh, the Places You’ll Go,” because it highlights a belief in oneself like the old Army slogan – “Army of One.” Dr. Seuss highlights a belief in the autonomy of man. However, in reality, my career has been nothing of the sort. My family and friends have always cared for and supported me. My brothers and sisters in arms have always stood next to me and led me. And my Lord has never departed from me, no matter how alone I have felt. Today is a testament that I have never been alone in my career. The places I go, we go, we go together, and I thank you all for being part of my career in the greatest Army in the world.

Pro Deo et Patria.

For God and Country.

Devotion at LoveX2 Conference

***The below was given as a devotion at a conference held at the Museum of the Bible in January 2020

Matthew 2:13-18

Prayer:

Let us pray: Almighty God, the martyred innocents of Bethlehem showed forth Your praise not by speaking but by dying. Put to death in us all that is in conflict with Your will that our lives may bear witness to the faith we profess with our lips, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

In my tradition, December 28th is observed as a feast day in the church year. The feast is that of the Holy Innocents. The feast of Holy Innocents is the third feast in the first three days of Christmas. The first is on December 26th, St. Stephen, who was martyred in both will and deed. On December 27th, St. John is observed, he is a martyr in will, but not in deed. Lastly, on December 28th, the Holy Innocents are martyred not in will, but in deed. It's not the beginning of the Christmas season you would expect, but it has a purpose in preparing the Church for the Christian life.

The feast of Holy Innocents is the day in the church year when the Church has appointed time to remember the slaughter of the innocent boys in Bethlehem. As we read a moment ago, King Herod was a jealous man, even killing his own family members if he thought they conspired against him. When Jesus was born, and word of a new King came by the magi, Herod could have nothing of the new king and sent his soldiers to murder all male children under the age of two. It was Herod's hope that by exterminating these children, he would rid the world of Jesus and further fortify his way of life, his reign as king. So, on December 28th, the Church marks time and remembers these innocent children who died not in will, but in deed.

The date of the first March for Life, January 22, 1974, was not chosen by us. It was given by the Supreme Court ruling. In many ways, I agree with a former professor of mine and believe it would be helpful for the feast of Holy Innocents and the March for Life to be on the same day. But there is a purpose for each observance on their particular day in time.

The three feasts that range from December 26th through December 28th remind the Christian that this life is brief, but more importantly, Jesus has come. In Jesus, we are always being prepared through His Word for the trials and tribulations of this life. We are always looking forward to the day when we will be brought into His eternal presence. For now, this life becomes a life of suffering, bearing one another burdens, and carrying undesirable crosses. The innocent boys who died at the hand of Herod could not defend themselves, but they received the weight of martyrdom, the crosses they carried brought them death. In this way, as we remember the prayer we prayed a moment ago, the holy innocents offered their praise "not by speaking, but by dying." And for our ears and our hearts, this is absolutely not fair and absolutely cruel.

The feast of Holy Innocents continues to be painful still today, children that never saw or experienced life as you or I have. They would not run around and chase one another or learn to use their voices to speak or sing for joy. Instead, these children were ruthlessly put to death for the purposes of power and lordship. What we see in Herod is a conflict that continues today in all mankind. The conflict resides in the heart. It is the conflict of the will of man, good and evil, saint and sinner.

The March for Life is painful, first because we still must march. But it is also painful because we continue to see the old battle and conflict of the will of man raging against the will of God. It is the conflict that first began in the Garden of Eden as the serpent led Adam and Eve into temptation. In the Garden, our first parents placed their will above God's and were led into the belief that they too could be like God. This conflict and desire for power to be like God continues beyond the Garden and beyond the rule of Herod. This past year, news reports from Indiana and Illinois reported another Gosnell discovery of thousands of human remains from abortions in years gone by, children that will never be identified but known only to God. Dr. Ulrich Klopfer was the one at the center of this tragedy. But, for those children that died at the hands of Dr. Klopfer, a conflict already resided in the hearts of the mothers and fathers to be. These mothers and fathers brought what they saw as the troubles of their life, the crosses placed upon them, and their conflict to the hands of Dr. Klopfer. This is a struggle for me to understand. But it also causes me to examine the conflicts within my own life and whether I turn for power and control over them or whether I pray that God would put to death all in my life that is against His will.

The Feast of Holy Innocents gives us hope because of Jesus. He is the Savior promised to Mary, the One who would be born of a virgin and save his people from their sins. Jesus is the One who would take on the flesh of the innocent children that would never speak, yet praise their God by their deaths. Jesus is the Savior whose death would put an end to death and give life and forgiveness to those trapped in the conflict of sin, joy to the downtrodden, and hope to those who are hopeless in this life.

For Jesus, death will come. But His death will be upon the cross, it is not in the manger or the tender years of His youth. We know little of Joseph from the Gospels, but in the Scripture read today, Joseph is the Lord's earthly protector. The angel of the Lord appears to Joseph and warns him to protect the child and flee to Egypt. Joseph is not the Savior, he not a king, and for the great work God gives to him, the protection of your Lord, His name is, for the most part, silent within Scripture.

The world we live in lacks silence. Noise surrounds us, it consumes us. The sounds of the innocents will never break into this world. Yet, by the leaping of John the Baptist in the womb of Elizabeth proclaims to me that the unborn still hear the great promises of Jesus. While they will not praise the Christ child by words, they will praise Him by their deaths. However, the weeping and lamentation of mothers, fathers, grandmothers, and grandfathers will continue in the silent corners of this world, lamentation and weeping that joins the voice of Rachel at the end of our reading, "Because they are no more."

Today, Joseph provides an image to the Christian Church on earth as the Church is called to protect those who are unable to give voice to their needs. The Church is called to care for those suffering from the earthly wants and demands of this world. It's the supplication of the Church that "our lives may bear witness to the faith we profess with our lips." Pray that our life and our faith confess Jesus Christ, "Who is the resurrection and the life." (John 11:25)

As we discuss issues and ideas today, as we ready ourselves to march again this year, let our voices be united in confessing Jesus Christ to those who suffer from conflict within their lives. Let us confess with our lips Christ and His forgiveness to the mothers that will never hold or hush their sweet children to sleep. Let us confess Jesus Christ to the fathers that will never walk with their children and instill the Christian faith upon their hearts. Let us confess Christ to the grandparent that never had the opportunity to share stories of their parents and pass down their heritage. Let us confess Christ to the Herods of this world, those who seek fleeting power and purpose.

The day of Holy Innocents and the March for Life are regrettably, and sadly yearly dates etched onto our calendars. These dates are days of remembrance, but also opportunities for us to confess Jesus Christ to those in conflict and darkness. So, let it be our prayer that God would "put to death in us all that is in conflict with His will that we may bear witness to the faith we profess with our lips." Faith that in Jesus, there is forgiveness. Faith that in Jesus, there is hope. Faith in Jesus for He is our Savior and our Life. +INJ+

Let us Pray: Heavenly father, creator of all that is good. Put to death in us all that is in conflict with your will, enliven us with the Gospel of your Son, Jesus Christ, so that we are prepared in both will and deed to live as your true children on earth. We ask this through your Son Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, ever one God. Amen.