Epiphany

Text: Matthew 2:1-12

It’s really something; the Wise Men in this morning’s Gospel are staples of almost every nativity scene created.  They are included in nearly every telling of the Christmas story. They play a vital role in many Christmas pageants, yet they didn’t likely arrive to present their gifts to the Christ child until Jesus was close to two years old. 

Yet, the brief appearance of the Magi or Wise Men in this Gospel continues a theme of Advent and Christmas: “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews?”

The arrival of the Wise Men, these Gentiles and men called the Magi, reveal to the world that the child Jesus is a King for all nations, for all people.

But this news of a new king cannot be taken lightly, either, especially in a world driven by greed and power. Even the thought of a new king may bring instability to a country, region, or man's heart.

For Herod, the King, this news is seen as a direct threat to his reign and, therefore, to Jerusalem and their way of life. Herod is such a paranoid and ruthless king; he is known for killing his own family members and others who questioned him and threatened his reign.

The arrival of the Magi and their question, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews?” pierces the heart of Herod. Paranoia and fear of the possibility of losing power caused him to call together the assembly of chief priests and scribes. He wants answers, “where is this king to be born,” he asks. And they respond, “In Bethlehem, as the prophet wrote it, ‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’”

Whoa, this new King is He who is by no means least among rulers! He is a ruler who comes to shepherd His people. Sounds pretty good to me. But in the eyes of Herod, He is a threat. A threat King Herod would eventually attempt to eradicate through the killing of all the precious male children under the age of two in Bethlehem.

The truth is, Jesus poses no earthly threat to the reign of Herod or Pilate any more than He does to Caesar or any president of this nation. He would not seek political office, nor would He be seen running for office as politicians do in our own time.

No, Jesus is a King from a kingly line of heavenly proportions. The Genealogy at the beginning of Matthew is kingly, following King David's line. Jesus is the King who fulfills this genealogy of God’s promise; He is the King who comes to redeem.

What does He come to redeem? A world that has fallen for the façade that we, too, can be royalty and gods.

This all began in the Garden as your first parents heeded and listened to the voice of the great tempter, the voice that says, “Take, eat, consume, and you will be like God – you will be as kings of your own dominions.”

This is the temptation that led to Adam and Eve grasping for their own power, a longing for more than what was given to them, and a fear of not being in control.

There is little difference in how we go about our work and the days of our lives. Likewise, this fear continues in us. At the first instance of chaos, the argument between husband and wife, the illness that strikes a loved one - the moment of fear sets in, and we, too, reach out like Adam and Eve, grasping for control and the upper hand.

In many ways, our culture feeds this desire for independence and control. Every election cycle is a deluge of advertisements and campaigns informing you that only you can save this country if you vote the right way and cast your trust and faith in this or that candidate – only then will your desires and wishes be met.

At the heart of it, what often drives these campaigns is paranoia and fear.

And yet, you don’t have to look at the national or global political theater; instead, look at your relationships, oh wise men and women; what is the true source of any argument or temper tantrum of Herod proportions you’ve ever had, fear.

But thankfully, Jesus does not enter this world as you and I do, trying to exert power and control.

Instead, Jesus said, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28)

This is not only the opposite of Herod's thoughts but also opposes how man continues to think today.

Hear these words again, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28)

How many kings and world leaders today are willing to give their lives as a ransom for you?

How many of you are willing to give your life as a ransom for another?

Instead, our fear, paranoia, and sin are what drove Jesus to the cross.

And it’s upon the cross that the question of the Magi in today’s Gospel is answered: “Where is He who is born King of the Jews?” Pilate brilliantly and unknowingly wrote and placed above the head of Jesus that first Good Friday, the pronouncement for all mankind to know, “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.” (John 19:19)

It’s really something: the whole life of Jesus, from His birth to His royal enthronement upon the cross, is all about His sacrificial love for you.

This is good news that cannot be taken lightly. But rather invites you to bring all your rage, fear, and paranoia to the foot of the cross, where Jesus takes into Himself and, in turn, gives you of Himself.

Here lies one of the great little sermons we must hear every year – as Jesus gives you of Himself, He reveals Himself to you both in His Word and here at this altar as you take into yourself His flesh and blood for the forgiveness of sin.

At the core, this is what the word Epiphany means: to shine upon or be made known. And every time you gather here, the light of Jesus’ Word shines brightly the way you are to go, leading you to this altar where, in the sacrament, His deep love for you is once again made known in a tangible and life-giving way.

As you continue journeying through this life, permit the Wise Men and Magi to be an icon and image for you – this life's journey is full of danger and fear. Still, the light of God’s Word will ultimately lead you not only to this altar where Jesus comes to you today but into the peace of His eternal presence. +INJ+

The Eve of the Circumcision and Naming of our Lord

Text: Luke 2:21

The Social Security Administration publishes a list of the top baby names yearly.

Since it’s still 2023, the final numbers aren’t in. However, many of the baby name sites on the internet have the top three female names: Amelia, Emma, and in the top spot, Olivia.  In the male category, we have Oliver, Liam, and in the running to retake the reign…Noah. (It’s a great name, what can I say!) Noah has been in the top spot 4 out of the past ten years, often duking it out with Liam.

But what’s in a name?

A great deal of thought often goes into naming a child. Sometimes, it involves countless hours of research, paging through books, and debate among parents. If parents choose not to know the sex of a baby before birth, then this exercise becomes much more laborious.

But think about it: what is a parent trying to accomplish in their child's name? Are they trying to be unique, finding a word so obscure it may cause their child’s future teachers nightmares trying to spell it (or pronounce it)? Or is there a family heritage being passed down through the use of a name, a grandfather or grandmother? Or is there a passing on of a spiritual legacy by selecting a name from the Scriptures, Christian history, or even Biblical ideas? All said this is a big task.

But another aspect of all of this is one’s family name. A family name represents a sense of belonging that you are part of something bigger than being called Noah.

How often do parents tell their children to be on their best behavior when they attend school, are out in the community, or have extended family events because they represent something more than themselves? They represent and reflect their family.

In the Old Testament reading this morning, the children of Israel were given a name: the name of the Lord. As we heard, “So shall I put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.” (Numbers 6:27)

What does He bless them with? Clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, wife and children, land, animals, and all that they had. He defended them against all danger and guarded them, and protected them from all evil throughout their journey to the promised land. Why? Because He was their Father and they were his dear children, they received the benefits that come with His name.

Even more important in this promise is the Father’s Word, that He would send a Son, a redeemer, into this world. He would finally grant them an end to their wandering and peace. But also, that He would send a name that not only Israelites could call upon, but a name all the earth would know as their Savior. This is what the prophet Isaiah prophesied when He wrote, “And His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6) Or “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14) This is the exciting news of Christmas, it’s the exciting news of the new year! That we, like Israel, have a Savior who has entered this world and planted His name upon His creation.

But first, in order to fulfill not only the prophecy but also the Law and Will of God, Jesus is circumcised. Like Baptism, circumcision for Old Testament believers includes the forgiveness of sins, justification, and incorporation into the people of God. (Dr. Just) Circumcision reveals God in the flesh, that He has truly taken our humanity. The shedding of blood in the temple foreshadows the blood He will shed for you on the cross.

In the ritual, it is only after circumcision that a name is given. Think back to the circumcision and naming of John the Baptist. He was to take his father’s name, Zechariah, but the angel of the Lord instructed otherwise. Zechariah was mute, but at the appointed time, he expressed with great joy, “His name is John,” because he would be great before the Lord.

Similarly, Mary and Joseph did not choose the name of the child they brought to the temple for circumcision. Instead, it, too, was announced to them by the angel of the Lord. In the Gospel of Matthew, Gabriel appeared to Joseph and instructed him that the child born of Mary “He shall be named Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21)

This name means something.

I love this: the Word of God never leaves you wondering who Jesus is. It clearly informs you that Jesus is the world's Savior and that “He will save His people (you) from their sins.”

Again, names are important; they confess who you are.

But one of the great realities of men is that they fear being forgotten. That one day, no one will have known who they were.

Truthfully, like a news headline today or a Facebook status tomorrow, our names will probably be forgotten as the headlines of a new year consume the world tomorrow, a new era and chapter in the world’s history.

But the Church festival we observe today, the naming and circumcision of our Lord, tells us something different about the name of God. As the Psalmist records, it is, “A name that endures forever, a name that is throughout the ages.” And it’s your name too!

Something extraordinary happened when you were baptized, and the water was sprinkled or poured over your head. Over your name, a new name was spoken, and a new name was given to you as you were baptized into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. In this name, you are included in the family of God, the gifts and benefits of Jesus’ name are now bestowed upon you, and you are called Christian. In this way, when the name of Jesus is spoken, you, too, are named. You have died your death, your sins crushed, and you have been given new life in Jesus, your Savior.

So come and gather with your brothers and sisters as we begin every Divine Serve by confessing, “Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” (Psalm 124:8) Because it’s the name that saves!

As we begin a new year, the truth is we probably won’t give much thought to our names. But in the short Gospel for today lies great news for you, no matter what your name or heritage may be: the child born of Mary, who was brought to the Temple, shed His blood for you. Through His death, He has defeated death, and in His rising, He becomes your Jesus, Your Savior. Therefore, let His name be upon your lips, heart, and mind as you approach this New Year. Trust and know that when you call upon His name, the Lord, your Jesus will answer and save you. +INJ+

Christmas Day

Text: John 1:1-14

+INJ+

What a wonderful day it is; it’s finally Christmas!

But has anything really changed in your life this Christmas?

Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote:
We cannot approach the manger of the Christ child in the same way we approach the cradle of another child. Rather, when we go to his manger, something happens, and we cannot leave it again unless we have been judged or redeemed. Here, we must either collapse or know the mercy of God toward us. (God is in the Manger, p. 66)

In other words, will you leave this Christmas and the manger of the Christ child different from how you awoke, opened presents, or arrived at church this morning?

I mean, so much of what our celebrations have become today are wrapped in the world’s story of Christmas. And no, this isn’t an attack on “Yuletide carols, mistletoe, or tiny tots with their eyes all aglow.” Instead, it reminds us that the child, born of Mary and lying in a manger, came into this world for a real, transcending, and transformational purpose.

Listen to these words of the Gospel again,

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)

There is so much packed in this verse, so much Gospel.

These words from the Gospel of John are not the words of the Christmas story we heard last evening with the Angel Gabriel making visits in the night, no room in the Inn, or shepherds in their fields; no, this is a very different Gospel calling on us to think deeply upon our Savior Jesus Christ, and the purpose for which He came into this world as He became flesh.

He came to redeem you, that is, to grant you His grace, to forgive all your sins, and to open the way to eternal life. And with this knowledge, you cannot approach this Christmas the same way as any other Christmas or the cradle of any other child.

It’s truly something to ponder: the very Word that was at the beginning of time, the same Word through which everything of creation was made, has not only become flesh but dwells among us – among man.

Why does God come to us in this way? To tell us where He is located and how He chooses to work and grant us His grace.

And for this reason, “we cannot approach the manger of the Christ child the same way as we approach the cradle of another child.”

Instead, His birth, life, death, and resurrection transcend mankind in such a way that when we come into His presence, our lives must experience a cosmic shift and change, being brought into His own life.

This is how confession and absolution work in the lives and hearts of man. When we confess our sin, our repentance is a petitioning of God for a change that transcends the mind or attitudes of man; repentance leads to a desired change within man's heart.

To frame this differently, this is what occurs when you remember and approach your baptism through the daily drowning of the old sinful Adam within – you confess your desire to die with Christ so that a new man may arise.

Truthfully, you cannot approach or remember your baptism without a change of heart because it is here you were first joined to the Christ child and He with you.

Think about that…Your Savior takes you into Himself, and from the font, your life is intimately joined to the Word made flesh, His manger, cross, and grave.

But even more, as you gather here today, the Word-made flesh continues to come and dwell among you as the Gospel was read in your very midst. In fact, you could not help but turn yourself and listen to His Words.  

And now, in just a few moments, we will gather around the manger of this altar where the crucified and risen Lord now feeds you with His flesh and blood, granting you in the most tangible of ways His redemption and forgiveness, again, coming to you and taking you into Himself.

When all of this occurs, you truly cannot remain indifferent to the Christ child even as much of the world tries on this most holy day of days. Instead, something must happen as Bonhoeffer said: Here, [you] must either collapse [under God’s judgment] or know the mercy of God toward you.

And this is the beautiful gift you continue to receive today: the news that a Savior has been born for you.

So receive the truth of His grace and mercy today in His Word and then return to your homes and families a new way, or rather, a new person in Christ Jesus.

Because when this happens, there is no more extraordinary gift you could receive and confess among one another on this day as you return home to celebrate with “Yuletide carols, mistletoe, or το [watch] tiny tots with their eyes all aglow.”.

So come to the manger of the Christ child and receive the mercy of God.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve + Lessons and Carols

Christmas Eve Lessons and Carols

December 24, 2023

Dr. Seuss’s book, The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, is a must-read in our home this time of year.

But why is this grouchy creature who lives in the solitary confines of a deep, dark cave so loved by children and adults alike? Well, it may be because we all feel and channel our inner Grinch at one time or another, especially around Christmas. In fact, Dr. Seuss said that he himself was the inspiration for this curmudgeon of a beast.

You see, leading up to writing the book, Dr. Seuss’ wife had fallen ill, and her illness changed how he viewed the approaching Christmas. He became sad as he saw a world growing greedy and obsessed with presents, money, and toys.

Are you obsessed with presents, money, and toys under the tree as this Christmas arrives?

If so, why do you fret over these things of the world? Why do they consume you?

Is it fear?

Fear is a troubling thing. For some of us, we fear our gifts will fall short. For others, we fear how this season of gift-giving will affect our overall finances. Yet, for others, like Dr. Seuss, our fear has nothing to do with presents under a tree; it’s the struggle of being unable to heal or bring a loved one back to health.

Fear is a real darkness we all struggle with.

However, the angel Gabriel's greeting to Mary this night is also for you: “Do not be afraid.”

Or as the Greek translates it, “Stop being afraid, for you have found favor with God.”

“Favor” is another way of saying, “You have found grace with God.”

This is your joy at Christmas that the grace, forgiveness, and mercy of your heavenly Father has come down from heaven and is now revealed to you in the incarnation of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. 

So, hear again the angelic greeting to shepherds keeping watch over their flocks, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be for all people.”

And “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

Tonight, we rejoice again as we celebrate our Savior's birth because, on this night, He brought heaven to earth.

On this night, He begins His journey to the cross, where He will take into Himself all your greed and want, all the ails of body and soul, and all your fears so that you might receive His peace – His forgiveness and mercy.

There is no greater gift than this.

Sure, a million Grinches could take your presents in an attempt to steal Christmas. If you aren’t careful as you survey the world around you, the very Grinch within could cast fear and doubt within your heart and lead you into the confines of the world's darkest cave.

But as you light your candle this night, remember these words for such a moment as this, “Jesus Christ is the light of the world. The light, no darkness shall overcome.”

And the darkness of this world did not overcome Him, but rather, this child born of Mary overcame this world of sin and death for you.

May this joy be your peace and comfort as you return to your homes this night. +INJ+

Merry Christmas!

Advent 4 + Rorate Coeli

Text: John 1:19-28

The date on the calendar says December 24th, but believe it or not, Christmas has not yet arrived for the Church. According to Jewish timekeeping, a new day begins with sundown, hence one of the reasons for the tradition of Christmas Eve services. But for now, on this morning of December 24th, we observe the 4th Sunday of Advent. We continue preparing for Christmas; we continue preparing our hearts for the coming of Christ.

Are you ready, though?

Well, today, we hear again from John the Baptist. John is in the wilderness, preaching this message of preparation. The wilderness is often thought of as an unfriendly place. The first part of the word “Wilderness” defines the environment’s wild characteristics; it’s an untamed and uncontrolled place.

A wilderness has an aspect of darkness, where things creep in the shadows. It’s a place where animal instincts rule, and creature is often pitted against creature. No one enjoys walking alone in the darkness of the wilderness, knowing that in it, there are creatures also willing to pounce and attack you when one’s guard is down.

Now, we desire to point to specific locations and call them a wilderness. We see tree lines and say, beyond, there is a wilderness. We look out over cranberry bogs toward the Necedah Wildlife Refuge and say ah, “There is a wilderness.”

But the reality is that the wilderness of this life is everywhere and in every place.

What is the darkness you fear? Where is the place where the untamed and wild things of life roam within your heart and mind?

Are you a child who finds yourself drifting into an abyss as you return home for Christmas, struggling and striving for parental approval? Are you a parent overwhelmed by the unrealistic expectations you feel to fulfill a child’s every wish for Christmas? Has strife entered your home and made everyone cross? Or is there a deep grief that persists as you stare into the darkness of your Christmas tree?

Thus, in today's Gospel, John the Baptist is preaching not only to the Pharisees and tax collectors but also to you. He says, “Make straight the way of the Lord.”

Quite simply, what has gone awry in your life? Where is there darkness or a wilderness? What is crooked? What needs straightening?

A significant challenge is that we don’t believe we need help with the challenges and tribulations of life.

Over the Advent season, Jesus's peace has been spoken to you, but what have you done with this peace? Have you told Jesus, “No, thank you, I can fix this on my own? I can find peace. I just need a little more time.”

If this is you, then repent.

Today, John stands in the wilderness; John the Baptist comes to you; his words come into the wildernesses of your life and call you to straighten up and “Bear fruits worthy of repentance.” In other words, repent, confess, and turn away from sin.

Now, this is what it means to repent, to confess, to literally stop sinning, to turn away from the ill that you are doing.

So, if your tongue causes division within your home, turn away and speak kindly the words of Jesus. If the devil has entered thoughts of dread and contempt for one another, confess your anger and distrust and turn your hearts to one another in forgiveness and peace. If grief and depression weigh on your heart, turn to the Light of your Christ; turn to His Word of hope and salvation.

These are the ways of “bearing fruit worthy of repentance.” In other words, turn to Jesus.

Did you notice how the words of John the Baptist did exactly this as he said, “I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know?”

You see, the day after John the Baptist's little party and discussion with the Jews, John proclaims the beautiful words of the Agnus Dei as we sing right before we receive the flesh and blood of Jesus in the Lord’s Supper, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

What a gift for us; John’s words and ministry point us to Jesus.

Jesus is the One who enters not only into the darkness of this world but also the dark and murky water of the Jordan River for you.

And this is a beautiful thing: Jesus comes, not as a sinner, but receives a baptism with sinners. In doing so, Jesus takes upon Himself, your sin and mine. He steps out of His place in the Kingly throne room of His Father and now takes His place among you and me in the wilderness of this life.

In the waters of Holy Baptism, Jesus stands for you today and invites you to drown and kill the Old Adam, the sinful nature that clings to you through daily contrition and repentance so that in Jesus, a new man may come forth.

Through this pattern of daily contrition and repentance, of daily drowning and rising in Christ then transforms your heart and molds you in the image of your Savior. It confesses that your life is not lived for yourself, but rather a life lived in God. For this reason, it is a life lived in service to your neighbor, supplying them with the greatest gift of Christ’s forgiveness, comfort, and peace. 

As we enter these waning hours of Advent, examine your hearts. If your heart is caught in a thicket of sin within your home, bear fruit in confessing your sin. If you have fallen short this Christmas, look up to Christ, who died upon the cross for you. If grief consumes your heart, see the child in the manger who not only entered this world to die for you but rose again, ensuring we and all the faithful would receive eternal life.   

For this reason, we can join the Apostle Paul as he wrote in the epistle, “Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say rejoice!”

The Lord is near, and He has conquered all your foes; he has defeated death and scattered the darkness of the wildernesses in your life.

So hear the words of John the Baptist again this day, sing them as you journey to this altar with all that ails you, rejoicing as you sing, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

The last two weeks of Advent focus on John the Baptist for a reason; before Christ comes to us at Christmas, the way must be prepared in our hearts by repentance, repentance John preaches not only to Pharisees and tax collectors but also to you and me. May you hear the call of John the Baptist this day, repent, and prepare yourself, for your King is near. And then let us come back as night falls this day and rejoice with all the Church in heaven and on earth, for the Christ child comes, and in Him you have life, salvation, and peace. +INJ+

Advent 3 + Gaudete

Text: St. Matthew 11:1-11

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

“Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?”

This is what John sends his disciples to ask Jesus. Why would John send his disciples to ask this question? Has he become weak in the knees? Have the surrounding prison walls caused him to become less of the bold forerunner and a little more of a reed shaking in the wind? 

I believe it’s natural to ask the question: did John know who Jesus was? Did he have doubts? I’m sure he had many doubts throughout his life. But did he join us in singing the familiar Christmas song, “Mary Did You Know?” That I cannot be convinced of; one could interchange John for Mary, but it would not matter; John knew who Jesus was as much as Mary knew who her Son was to be; why is this? 

Well, Mary received the visitation of the angel Gabriel, announcing the miraculous birth to her, instructing her that her Son would be named Jesus and that He would be the Son of the Most High. Due to the reality that she and Joseph had not had sexual relations, she knew and understood that what was occurring was nothing short of a miracle performed by the hand of God. She speaks and confesses what we call the Magnificat (We have sung this lovely canticle every Wednesday evening throughout Advent), “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” She rejoices in God, her Savior! Her joy is in her son, whom she proclaims as her Savior.

Well, John the Baptist is no different; His parents conceived him while advanced in years. Even in his mother's womb, Elizabeth, the baby John leaps in recognition of who the child is in Mary’s womb. In fact, it would be a little weird if John didn’t know who Jesus was; they are relatives, after all—two miraculous births within mere months.

But, even more, John the Baptist prepares the way of Jesus, announcing and confessing, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” It’s John the Baptist who baptizes Jesus and witnesses with his eyes the Spirit of God descend upon Jesus as a dove and hears with his ears the voice from the heavens declare, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”  

Yet, John is in Herod’s prison, sending his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?” Could this be because his disciples have failed to see and hear his words? Are they the ones who are truly poor and imprisoned – imprisoned by their fears and anxieties? I believe so; after all, these disciples of John know what is about to happen to the leader whom they have followed. His life will soon be over. 

And so, the disciples go to Jesus as instructed. Isn’t it something that the response of Jesus to these disciples of John begins like this, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see.” What did they hear and see; “The blind see and the lame walk; lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear: the dead are raised up and the poor have good news preached to them.” These words echo the prophecy of Isaiah regarding the Christ, yet now they are no longer mere words but actual works being fulfilled by Jesus.

But, Jesus appears differently than the disciples of John had imagined or hoped for. He’s not dressed in fine clothing, the kind an earthly king would wear. They imagined someone surrounded by good-looking folks, healthy people. Instead, they may have been offended to see Jesus hanging out among the poor and downtrodden. 

The reality is that Jesus does not fit their mold of what the Savior would look like; he does not come as they had imagined. The truth is, He does not come as you desire Him to either; He does not appear as you wish, and His Words are met with the deafness of heart.

But He does come as He needs to be. And that does not bring you comfort and joy this Advent. And so, you join in asking, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?” 

As we journey through this life, we are consumed and conditioned that faith comes from within us, especially during this time of year; it even begins at the earliest of ages. Have you ever watched the movie The Polar Express? It has become a favorite of children. Well, if you are not familiar with the movie, a boy is preparing for bed on Christmas Eve; he struggles with believing in, let’s say, the Christmas Spirit or Father Christmas. His lack of faith is revealed in greater depth near the end of the movie as there is a big celebration for the arrival of Father Christmas; there are sleigh bells ringing and crowds cheering, yet the boy cannot hear the bells ringing. He was deaf to the sound of the sleigh bells. Why? Because he lacked faith in the world's story of Christmas. Only upon coming to faith in the world's story [Father Christmas] could the young boy finally hear the sound of the bells. The movie's storyline reveals a belief that the young boy's faith had to begin from within, from inside of him, and it was only assured or sealed by the ringing of the sleigh bells.

Is this not how we begin to become imprisoned in this life? The traps of a faith produced from within oneself, the despair and worry over the depth of one’s faith, or the fleeting emotions that leave you searching for more, a sign, a seal of God’s promise to you. Is this not what we do, even while we have the assurance of Scripture that “[Lord] will never leave us, nor forsake us.” 

We remain unfulfilled and desire something more! Something a bit more magical, more emotional, more of a feeling. Dear friends, put away all worldly delusions and place your trust in the unfailing Word of God. As we heard from Isaiah today, “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” 

Here is a great joy of being Lutheran: we believe what Scripture teaches, we believe.

“Faith comes by hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17). Faith does not begin within you but enters through your ears. We confess this truth in the meaning of the third article of the Apostles Creed, “I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith.” Faith is not by your work or reason but by the work of the Holy Spirit, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who comes to you through the Good News of the Gospel. 

A lot is going on in the world; many things cause you to feel like the walls around you are caving in, and life is full of doubts and fears. But, as John the Baptist pointed his disciples in their time of great need to Jesus, he points you today to the very same Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the World.

This is why God sends you pastors. When you have doubts, pastors point you to your Baptism, where the dead are raised to new life in the death and resurrection of Christ.

When fear imprisons you, pastors point you to the Incarnate Word – the Good News preached to the poor, Good News that gives sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf; it is the assurance that God dwells in the midst of you.

When nothing in this life quenches your thirst and hunger, we direct you to the Sacrament of the Altar, where the Lamb of God is most tangibly received in the flesh and blood of your Savior. All this should arouse joy within us and cause us to say with the introit, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, rejoice.” 

Today is Gaudete Sunday, after all, often highlighted by the fantastic rose candle on the Advent wreath. Gaudete means to “Rejoice.” And this is what I leave with you this day, cause of rejoicing! The joy of knowing your faith resides in Jesus Christ alone. Dear brothers and sisters, there is no need to look for another; your Savior is near, and He is Christ the Lord. +INJ+

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

New Church Logo

I recently worked on a project to create a logo for my congregation. We believe it turned out well and look forward to people recognizing Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Tomah, WI.

Credit to my wife (Becky Rogness) for helping!

Advent 2 + Populous Zion

Text: Malachi 4 & Luke 21:25-36

The day is coming; the day is coming… But no, not the day you are all thinking of, not Christmas.

Instead, the Prophet Malachi speaks of the day Christ Jesus returns.

In one sense, our Old Testament reading from the last chapter of the last book of the Old Testament is about telling time – it speaks of our Lord’s final Advent, His final coming. And this is what our whole life is to be postured towards: the coming of Jesus.

These readings strike you, though, don’t they? They just aren’t what you expect this time of the year, as we will soon decorate the tree after service.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote in our congregational readings this past week,

We have become accustomed to the idea of divine love and of God’s coming at Christmas that we no longer feel the shiver of fear that God’s coming should arouse within us. We are indifferent to the message, taking only the pleasant and agreeable out of it and forgetting the serious aspect that the God of the world draws near to the people of our little earth and lays claim to it.

And Malachi affirms today how the day of the Lord will be no walk in the park for those who do evil. In fact, it’s worse than a stocking full of coal because that coal will possess the fire of God’s judgment, where nothing remains beyond this life and world; there are no second chances or opportunities for future growth throughout the land.

Yet, unlike so many of the Gospel readings we have heard as of late, there is also a note of hope. As Malachi writes, “But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings.”

This is what the beginning of the introit and the name of this Sunday, Populous Zion, is also confessing as we prayed,

Say to the daughter of Zion,
         “Behold, your salvation comes.”

So do as we heard in the Gospel, “straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

But those words, “Straighten up!”

How often did you hear these words as a child? When a person straightens up and raises their head, they display and possess confidence. That’s what these words are calling the Christian to do: straighten up, have confidence, or as we might say, have faith that the Lord who redeemed you upon the cross, “not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death,” is coming again to gather you and all believers into His holy Zion, into His eternal presence.

For this reason, we prayed the words of the Collect today, asking God to stir up within us a ready mind and heart, possessing confidence for the coming of God the Father’s only begotten Son, Jesus Christ.

And you need your hearts aroused by God’s Word because the cares of this life and world the Gospel refers to not only press upon you as soon as you walk out of these doors today, they come upon you as a trap, sifting your confidence like sand.

Truthfully, you no longer find yourself straightening up for the day of the Lord; instead, all the commitments of the season leave you hunched over, head down, and plowing forward to check off tasks and make this the hap…happiest of Christmas’ of all.

Yet, it’s the mind and the heart that will be the source of so many of the troubles we experience as we strive for a perfect Christmas. It’s the gifts that fall short, the relationships around you that continue to be caught in conflict. Sure, we prayed this morning for God to stir up our hearts, but you might say this world already stirs them!

At the core, what causes these tribulations of the heart? Maybe it’s the idea that you believe the success and failure of Christmas depends upon you.

It’s no wonder that all these pressures of life form a savior complex in all of us, causing our hearts and minds to fret and be filled with anxiousness, especially this time of year.

Yet, we must remember that the success of Christmas arrived when Jesus was born of Mary.

The success and fulfillment of Christmas was revealed from the cross as Jesus hung and died for your sins.

The success of Christmas is confessed every time you gather to hear God’s Word and receive the flesh and blood of Christ at this altar.

So, how do we rid ourselves of the anxiousness that weighs down our hearts and minds? We don’t. Instead, we do as the Apostle Paul says,

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” (Philippians 4:6 NKJV)

In other words, do what you’re supposed to do throughout the season of Advent (and really all the time): pray to your heavenly Father ceaselessly, and in this way, be prepared for His coming on the last day.

But do you want to know the kicker to all of this? You don’t have to come up with the words for your prayers; instead, do as the liturgy teaches us and speak the words of your heavenly Father back to Him. Permit His Words to be your prayer and supplications.

You see, it’s in this way the Holy Spirit comes to you and “calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith.”

I love this because it is a reminder of how the Holy Spirit makes you the daughter of the people of Zion, as we said at the beginning of the introit, His chosen people. It’s the Holy Spirit that makes you ready for the final advent and coming of your salvation. It’s the Holy Spirit that gives you the confidence and faith to “Look up and lift up your heads,” to see “your redemption [drawing] near.” 

So take to heart how fleeting our time on earth is and how this Advent serves as another reminder of our nearing day of judgment. Do not be indifferent to the message of Jesus, but be made ready by prayer and supplication – your Savior is near, and He brings with Him your redemption. +INJ+

Read “God is in the Manger” with me!

Join my congregation in reading “God is in the Manger” by Dietrich Bonhoeffer this Advent and Christmas. You can follow along on the congregations blog: http://goodsheptomah.weebly.com/advent-and-christmas-blog

Additionally, there’s a reading schedule posted on the blog too!

Advent 1

Text: Matthew 21:1-9

We’ve all been there before, being told something great is going to happen, only to be told again it will take a little longer. It’s like a child on Christmas Eve being told, “We’ll open presents in the morning,” only to be told in the morning, “We have to wait for everyone to wake up.”

This is the story of Israel. Jeremiah wrote in the Old Testament reading today, “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.”

Israel is ready for their new King to arrive; they want to meet Him; they desire the justice and righteousness God has promised He will bring to them; they desire to have a home and country to call their own, but they are continually told again, to be patient and wait.

Waiting is hard for every season and age of life. But it is one of the only constants all of us have throughout our days on earth.

So, what should we be waiting for in this life? The same thing as Israel, our King, to arrive, to come and grant us His righteousness.

This is what the whole season of Advent focuses our hearts upon: the coming of our King, Jesus Christ, who brings with Him His righteousness, that is, forgiveness and eternal life.

Alright, so what does the word “Advent” mean? It comes from the Latin “Adventus,” which means “Coming.”

For this reason, the season of Advent prepares us for the twofold coming of Jesus.

His first coming is seen in the manger as He was born of Mary, while His second Advent is known as His coming on the last day, when He will, as we heard last week, bring judgment upon the earth.

However, we don’t possess the patience to wait for the Lord any more than the world has the patience to permit the Church this season of Advent.

For much of the world, Advent has been displaced into the shadows by an earlier and earlier celebration of Christmas as radio stations begin changing music programming right after Halloween and stores transition their displays. We, too, are undoubtedly guilty of these practices. I mean, who doesn’t get excited about the birth of a child? It’s always a joyful event for the parents and the entire family.

But, just as so many often repeat the words this time of year, “keep Christ in Christmas,” we need to keep our Advent in preparation for Christmas.

That’s right, the season of Advent is meant to slow us down, give us pause in our lives, deepen our patience, and refocus our eyes and hearts on the coming babe of Bethlehem. But instead, all the excitement around us, the “Parties we’ve been hosting, marshmallows toasting and caroling out in the snow,” leave us gassed and out of the patience necessary to wait for the coming of our Savior.

Maybe this is why the Gospel readings of Advent appear a little off to your ears.

Why the triumphal entrance into Jerusalem? Why a Gospel reading from Holy Week?

For two purposes. One: It reveals how our Lord, our King, arrives humbly as He processed into Jerusalem (which means city of peace) on a donkey. Two: It reveals how our Lord fulfills the prophecies regarding Him that were once spoken of old.

Similarly, Jesus’ birth comes in the lowliest and humblest of ways. He is born among the dung of cattle with no room to call His own. There is no grand and triumphal entrance into this world, no party or seasonal favorites to celebrate—just a bed of hay in the cool night among the earth's creatures and beasts.

Likewise, it’s on a humble beast of burden, a donkey, that the Christ Child will make His final journey to the cross to bring to completion the purpose for which He was born, the purpose we heard in our reading from Jeremiah, to be “a righteous Branch,” to “execute justice and righteousness in the land.”

It’s through His death and resurrection Jesus becomes “Our righteousness.”

Have you ever thought deeply about the well-known passage we hear around Advent and Christmas from the book of Isaiah,

There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,
                        and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. (Isaiah 11:1)

How long does it take for a shoot or limb of a tree branch to grow, mature, and bear weight?

It takes patience, and this is what our Gospel teaches us today, amid the tumult of the world, looking for a Savior; our Jesus has already come. 

But as we await His second coming on the last day, we must now learn again from the crowds to patiently cry out to Him, saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”

The word Hosanna means, “Save us now!”

As we prepare to receive the Lord’s Supper, we, too, join our voices with the crowds of Jerusalem in singing the Sanctus each week as we say, “Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest.”

So, what do you need saving from this Advent season?

Has the business of the season already made you feel overwhelmed and defeated? Do you lack patience for your family? Do you want to scream as everyone around you appears so jolly and happy as you navigate a gnawing sadness of life? Are you lonely?

If so, then cry out to Jesus with all those who line the streets of Jerusalem, pray with the Church throughout all time fervently by saying, “Hosanna,” that is, “save me now, Lord Jesus.”

And then know and trust that He has saved you through His death upon the righteous branch of the cross.

In fact, He hears your cries and continues to come to you in the Lord’s Supper to grant you His righteousness – His life and forgiveness.

This is great! As you come to the Lord’s Supper and receive Christ's flesh and blood upon your lips, you are redeemed, saved, and grafted into the very life and body of Christ Jesus. There’s truly no greater news than this.

I know, this is all so countercultural. But don’t worry, “There'll still be plenty of time for parties to be hosting, marshmallows toasting, and caroling out in the snow.” In fact, I look forward to all three.

But Advent deserves our time. It deserves our attention and focus. It prepares us not only to celebrate the birth of our King on December 25th but also for our Savior's final Advent, His final coming.

This Advent season, let us learn again the art of patience; let us turn our attention and focus to Jesus and be strengthened for the length of days as we say and sing together,

 “Hosanna in the Highest!” save us now, Lord Jesus Christ. Save us now. +INJ+

The Last Sunday of the Church Year

Text: Matthew 25:31-46

Today draws a line in the sand, a dividing line between one Church Year and the next. Today is the last Sunday of the Church Year, and next Sunday will begin a new year for us.

The Gospel reading for today also demonstrates a clear line in the sand for God’s true Church; a judgment is coming and is revealed through the image of separating the sheep and goats of this world.

Jesus described the sheep in this way as He says,

For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’

But for the goats, He says,

For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’

Who are you?

It’s easy to want to be an image and icon of the person Jesus describes as a sheep, but are you as humble as a sheep or as proud as a goat?

While we may get caught up in the external image of these two animals, Jesus is directing our attention to the internal nature of these two animals.

Sheep are often seen to demonstrate more innocence, humility, patience, and obedience. And they flock together. However, goats tend to be the opposite; they smell, can be fierce and quarrel, and often go alone and by doing so wander into dangerous places.

And so, who are you?

What’s pretty amazing is that the Gospel says the sheep didn’t even know they were demonstrating the characteristics of sheep as they responded to the King’s words of praise by saying, “And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?”

This brings to our mind the words of Jesus as He preached the sermon on the mount and the Christian’s care of the needy as He said, “But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” (Matthew 6:3)

However, the response of the goats to their King is in opposition to these words, aren’t they? The goats want the world to know what their left and right hands are doing as they responded to the King, “Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?”

Please don’t misunderstand me; our works are not necessarily bad in this life and world. In fact, Holy Scriptures says you cannot be a Christian without good works. St. James writes in his epistle, “So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” (James 2:26)

Faith requires good works, but our good works flow out of a faith that demands that our left-hand doesn’t know what our right hand is doing. (Matthew 6:3)

So, what is this truly getting at? What will Jesus judge when He returns on the last day? The nature and faith of our hearts.

But did you also catch how the sheep didn’t even realize how they were caring for the King? The sheep responded to King in the gospel by saying,

And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

Isn’t this beautiful? Their good works did, in fact, flow out of a pure faith that knew nothing else but to care for their neighbor. It’s just who they are. It's like a mother whose ceaseless love for a child is revealed as they nightly set out clothes for the next day, pack lunches, or give goodbye hugs and kisses as the child goes off to school.

But did you also catch this? Jesus said, “And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.”

So, who are these brothers? They are the ones whom Jesus regards as being welcomed, fed, clothed, and cared for by the sheep or rejected by the goats – they are His Disciples, His brothers.

Now, none of this is to say you are not all made brothers and sisters of Christ through the waters of Holy Baptism; you are. However, in the Gospel of Matthew, the term brothers is often reserved for Jesus' Disciples. Those whom Jesus has sent out in Matthew Chapter 10 to travel from place to place, preaching the Good News of Jesus to the “lost sheep of Israel.”

But Jesus warns His brothers that not everyone will receive them or the message they were given with hospitality or willing ears to listen. In fact, there will be days when they will be rejected, suffer harm, and remain sheep among wolves. And so, we continue to hear Jesus’ warning to His disciples today,

He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me…. And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward. (Matthew 10:40-42)

What is this reward but eternal life with Jesus?

For this reason, I, too, have been sent among you to bring and confess unto you God’s Word. To feed you with the flesh and blood of Christ Jesus for the forgiveness of sin. In these ways, the Holy Spirit creates and sustains a heart of innocence, humility, patience, and obedience within you. In these ways, you are made ready for the day when Christ returns and separates the sheep from the goats.

So don’t go the way of the goats, looking to yourself and your prideful works for validation. They will only lead you to quarreling, loneliness, and straying into life's dark and dangerous places – or, as Jesus says, “The way of eternal punishment.”

Instead, focus your eyes and hearts on your Savior, Jesus Christ. He is coming to judge the living and the dead just as we confess in the creeds.

But take heart: His cross will lead His sheep (you) out of this valley of tears and into His eternal kingdom to live forever. +INJ+

The Eve of Thanksgiving

Text: Luke 11:11-17

Going home is somewhat of a Thanksgiving tradition. With Thanksgiving always on the fourth Thursday of November, it’s hard for families that live afar not to plan a journey to see family. What is it about these homecomings that are so special? Is it seeing a brother or sister from the military returning home on leave? Maybe it’s the smells and aroma wafting from grandma’s kitchen as she cooks the bird and whips the potatoes. Or perhaps the stories being repeated by a father or grandfather too. The football game is also undoubtedly on TV.

But more, Thanksgiving is a yearly reminder that you are part of a tribe, a clan, a family. Being home provides comfort, a reminder of what we see as truth in the world, and a steady aspect of normalcy for many.

But for others, Thanksgiving is a yearly reminder that they are alone, isolated, and cut off from family and friends.

The lepers in the Gospel tonight share in these feelings of loneliness and isolation. They, too, have been living apart from the world, isolated from their village, people, family and friends.

These ten men have leprosy, a disease that renders them unclean, casts them out of their village, and isolates them from those who are pure, clean, and enjoy the fellowship of community.

When one thinks of leprosy in the Old Testament, it should bring to mind a disease that ravages and eats away the flesh of a man. But is leprosy simply an external disease? What about the conscience and the soul of the leper?

The leper had to stand at a distance from everyone else. This is why the lepers greet Jesus outside the city. They are not welcome inside the village gate they so desperately wish to rejoin. According to the purity laws of the Old Testament, they must be separated as outcasts of filth.

Whenever someone passed near them, they had to declare their condition by saying, “unclean.” Over time, their voices would become hoarse, and eventually, the only ones who would hear these words of judgment were the lepers themselves.

But when they see Jesus, all they can do is call out to Him. To lift up their voices to be heard, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” Their desire is mercy, not to simply be made clean, but to be saved.

While leprosy is not seen ravaging us or our neighbors today, we are still devastated by the disease and leprosy of sin.

The evil thoughts toward our families we have been cut off from, our neighbors whom we fail to see eye to eye with, or leaders whom we feel have led us astray. Like the ten lepers, the leprosy of sin penetrates beyond our flesh; it consumes our hearts, filling our thoughts with evil and spilling forth from our mouths.

However, tonight, the lepers show us the way of faith and point us to the true source of salvation. Their cries for mercy are our cries for mercy. The lepers cannot heal themselves but must rely upon the Son of Man to deliver them, grant them salvation, and return them to their community.

But isn’t this something? It always amazes me how the ten are healed by Jesus and sent on their way to the temple to have their cleansing verified by the priests so that they could rejoin their family, friends, and community once again. But just the one leper returns on bended knees and with prayers of thanksgiving. Just one recognizes Jesus as the giver and source of salvation.

We often gloss over salvation, but salvation is the deliverance from the trials, disasters, or physical and mental ailments of this life. An earthly king or president may be able to grant a form of salvation to save man from a lengthened prison sentence or by forgiving a debt. But, the salvation of man, the eternal rescuing of man, resides in the incarnate Son of God.

Jesus tells the leper who returned to thank him: "Your faith has made you well.”

Where is your faith this Thanksgiving? Is it located in Christ? Or is today just another reminder of the sin that separates you from family and friends?

Sin is ultimately our turning away from God, our departing from His presence. It’s not God that has separated us from Him, but we who have gone astray from Him.

People often say, “Home is where the heart is.” It’s often meant to comfort someone away from family and friends or who might move a lot. But, it’s true in the sense that where your heart is, there your faith will follow. This is not only your comfort but also your assurance this night. Your home is with Christ Jesus.

Have you separated yourself from your neighbor? Run to them and seek reconciliation. Are you one who is happier to avoid the gathering of family? Stop and thank God for giving you the gift of people to love and care for you in this life. Have you sinned and departed the grace and joys of your Baptism? Repent, turn back to Jesus, cry out with the lepers, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” and know that He hears you and will save you.

What a comfort this is for us to hear again this night. You have a Savior who hears your pleas for mercy, who died upon the cross and rose again for you so that you may have an eternal home with Him in heaven. So come and feast this night on the Holy Meal prepared for you upon this altar. In this bread and wine, you receive the flesh and blood of Christ, the medicine that heals your leprosy of sin, restoring you to Christ Jesus, and sends you home with thanksgiving. +NJ+

25th Sunday After Pentecost

Text: Matthew 25:14-30

+INJ+

Well, our Gospel reading didn’t end very Gospel-like.

Jesus said, “And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

One might wander in off the street and say, “That’s pretty dark.” It is; Jesus is nearing the cross and preparing His disciples for His death and when He will return in glory on the last day.

Today, Jesus is teaching the disciples and us about the stewardship of faith. He wants to impress upon them the importance of an active faith that does not sit idly with our heads buried in the sand.

When we think or hear “stewardship,” our minds often go directly to money. It’s hard not to, especially as Jesus teaches this parable using the image of a talent. 

A talent was worth a lot. One talent alone was worth nearly 6,000 days of wages or twenty years of slavery. So, receiving two talents as the second servant would be 12,000 days of wages or 40 years of slavery. Or five talents as the first servant would be 30,000 days of wages and 100 years of slavery. This is even unimaginable to most of us.

The only way many of us would ever see an income of this magnitude would be if we were the starting quarterback of an NFL team. But then, again, to keep it, we’d still need to be good stewards.

But what is stewardship anyway? One of the most basic ways to define stewardship is to see it as carefully managing what has been entrusted to you. So, this implies that stewardship is done when someone else places something or someone into your possession and for your care.

The parable says that the Master is the source of the talents entrusted to the servants. The duties of the servants are to now use these gifts faithfully and well.

As we know from the Gospel, those servants entrusted with five or two talents used them and saw them increase twofold. However, the one who dug a hole and planted his talent into the earth as some time capsule to be opened years later needed to have used his gift correctly. Instead, the parable says,

He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed?

What caused the servant to dig and bury the gift entrusted to him by his master? The servant said it was fear.

But who owns this fear? The servant does.

It’s his fear that caused him to dig and bury what was entrusted to him by the master. He fears losing his earthly life more than anything else.

It’s important to note that the master entrusted all his servants to use the goods he provided them, no matter the amount. This is why the first two receive the accolades and blessing of the master as he said, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.”

The good and faithful servants use the gifts entrusted to their care not for themselves but ultimately for their neighbor, and by doing so, they not only please their master but also serve him and see His kingdom grow.

So, what are we to make of all of this today?

How many of us come and receive the blessing and gift of God’s forgiveness each week, only to return home and bury the gift we’ve received in the Divine Service out of fear?

At its core, what fear am I speaking of? The fear of reconciliation, the fear of confessing our sins among one another as we have confessed before God. The fear of absolving one another as God has absolved and forgiven us. Or, to put it more simply – the fear of saying, “I am sorry” and “I forgive you.”

When the servants of Jesus Christ do not use the Gospel gifts of grace and forgiveness granted and entrusted to them in their lives and among neighbors, they are, in fact, rejecting their Master.  They are not only failing to exercise proper stewardship of the great gift of faith among others, but they are also excluding themselves from communion with Jesus through the idleness of their faith.

This is why Jesus said, “And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

It’s frightening.

Too often, we see the things of this world as ours: homes, cars, clothes, knickknacks, people. But truthfully, we’d have nothing if God the Father did not give it to us first.

When we realize we own and possess nothing and are just using and caring for the gifts our heavenly Father entrusts to us as a gardener tending their garden, it changes how we value not only the people in our lives, such as husband or wife, mother or father, children, friends but how we use the gifts of this world to serve one another. 

The stewardship of our lives is important. In fact, our whole lfe should be one long exercise of preparing for our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, to return and take account of our stewardship.

Have we dug and buried His Word in the ground in order to hide our faith from Christ Jesus and our neighbor alike? Have we used His grace to extend His forgiveness among one another, permitting His Church and kingdom to grow? Or has fear turned our hearts from our Savior and silenced the confession of our lips?

If so, turn back to your Lord and Master, Jesus Christ. Return to His cross and learn again how,

[Jesus] purchased and won [you] from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver (or talents), but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, that [you] may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity.

An eternity He desires to call you into.

As we continue journeying to the Last Sunday of the Church Year and the day when our Lord and Master returns to settle our accounts, may His Word not only abide but actively increase faith, love, and charity within you for God and neighbor alike. +INJ+

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

Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI

Funeral of Dawn Hawkins

Text: Luke 2:25-38

Dear family and friends of Dawn, grace, mercy, and peace be to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Some of you may wonder, “Who is Anna the prophetess?” After all, her name is mentioned only once in all of Scripture. It comes immediately after the infant Jesus is presented in the temple, and Simeon sings the familiar hymn, Nunc Dimittis, you know, “Lord, now you let your servant go in peace; your Word has been fulfilled.”

However, in a way, Anna is in the shadows of Simeon. But, with only a couple of verses mentioned, we learn a great deal about her. She was a pious woman who did not depart the temple. Her life was centered and anchored in being where Israel came into the presence of God. While she dwelled in this place of God’s presence, she spent her time worshipping her Lord night and day in anticipation of the redemption of Israel. She looked with an expectation of the newborn king’s arrival.

This is true of Dawn as well; as her days grew shorter, she was anchored in God’s Word and was looking forward to the arrival of her Savior – to bring her into His eternal presence. 

And this is why Simeon and Anna were great examples for Dawn and teachers for us. Both Simeon and Anna had been waiting and longing for the Lord, a waiting for the Savior that embraced both hope and comfort.

But patience and waiting are not what most of us are known for, not in this lifetime. Yet, as Dawn was a teacher, she had to master the art of patience as she was entrusted with children's education. Teachers have to have some of the deepest wells of patience, don’t they? The repeating of instructions to students over and over again. The answer to the question parents also receive all too often, “But why?” The challenges of helping students navigate emotions and family issues they brought to school.

In many ways, God used these experiences for Dawn to prepare her for her last days on earth.

Why would Dawn require patience in her last days? Because her body would not move as it once did. Her mind was not as quick or sharp as it once was. Her relationships with family were not as they once were.

We can relate.

So, what gave Dawn and what will give you the patience needed for this life? The same Jesus whose appearance causes Simeon to break forth in song and Anna to give thanks endlessly because Israel’s redemption, their Savior, had arrived in the flesh of the baby boy born to Mary. 

This redemption was also granted to Dawn in the waters of Holy Baptism. A redemption that was given every time she confessed her sin. A redemption that was placed upon her lips as she received the Lord’s Supper, even in her final days of life, and joined Simeon and the Church in singing, Nunc Dimittis, “Lord, now you let your servant go in peace, your Word has been fulfilled.”

Isn’t this such a joyful confidence?

One of the last things Dawn ever did on this earth was to receive her Savior’s flesh and blood for the redemption and forgiveness of her sin. Jesus came and visited her in this final time of distress, granting her the patience she needed for the last days.

And in thanksgiving, she sang with Simeon, Anna, the angels, archangels, and the whole company of heaven; she sang praises to Her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, declaring she was ready to be gathered into His eternal courts.

It doesn’t get much better than this. And yet, it doesn’t take away your sadness and grief, but as the apostle Paul reminds you, “We do not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe in Christ Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.”

This is the same hope that must accompany us to the grave of Dawn. For just as the body of Christ only laid in the grave three days, we know Jesus, our Redeemer, lives. And just as the body of Christ was raised on that first Easter morning, we look forward to the great resurrection when Christ returns, and the body of Dawn and all who are in Christ are raised in glory.

So, look to Simeon, Anna, and Dawn – learn from them to wait patiently on the Lord. Receive God’s Word into your ears and take into your hands the flesh and blood of your Savior, Jesus Christ. For in this way, you are not only granted the patience needed for the trials of this life; you are made ready to join the song of heaven, confessing your readiness by singing, “Lord, now you let your servant go in peace, your Word has been fulfilled.”

 His Word has been fulfilled, and Dawn has received eternal peace.  +INJ+

24th Sunday after Pentecost

Text: Matthew 25:1-13

+INJ+

For whatever reason, the hymn we just sang, “Wake, Awake, for Night is Flying,” has always stayed with me. It’s haunting, yet you can hear how the trumpets might sound in the background as a choir sings, and a bride makes her grand entrance.

However, as the hymn writer Phillip Nicolai wrote the hymn, life was not that joyful. But instead, an epidemic hit his town of 2,500 people, killing 1,400 of the townspeople. Nicolai recounted that some days, he’d performed nearly 30 funerals. By all accounts, this number is simply staggering to us. But it was the reality of those living in the tiny German town of Unna.

One would surmise, amid all the sickness, war, and death, these people must have prayed the closing words of Revelation quite often, “Amen, come Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20)

And yet, that is precisely what the hymn “Wake, Awake, for Night is Flying,” and our Gospel reading today are about – the coming of the Bridegroom, Jesus Christ.

Like a “Mighty Fortress is Our God,” today’s hymn is a complete paraphrase of Holy Scripture, a marriage of hymn text and Scripture. It’s pretty beautiful.

Now, there is a twofold aspect to the Gospel today: the first is preparation, and the second is the ability to remain vigilant and ready.

It’s Veterans Day weekend, and for those of you who have served in the military, you know how painstaking the process of training and preparation for a mission can be. The details matter, and you train over and over and over again to ensure a state of readiness because the training and preparation before meeting the enemy can mean life and death.

In many ways, this is the same mentality we must have today as the Church.

And for this reason, today's text is not speaking of a strictly physical and mental alertness; instead, it speaks of a spiritual readiness.  A readiness that requires all hearts to be prepared for, as we confess in the Creed, the Bridegroom, “who will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead.”  

While this daily and weekly confession should arouse us from our spiritual slumbers, we must ask if our ears actually hear the words of our lips. Do we take our confession of faith as seriously as we ought? Does our confession reveal hearts with the necessary oil of faith to await the Bridegroom, your Savior, Jesus Christ?

The twentieth-century German theologian Hermann Sasse wrote, "Is the foolishness of the virgins not also our foolishness? Have we not become tired and sleepy in the light of the Christian faith? Have we not let the lamps of hope, with which we would escort the coming of Christ, go out?"

The midnight cry that goes out will separate the wise from the foolish. This is all so disturbing because in the Gospel today, it’s not that the lamps of the wise were continually burning; they weren’t. Instead, it was that they were prepared and ready with the oil required to burn their lamps and greet the coming of the Bridegroom. While the foolish spurned preparation, they had been in the company of the wise and yet turned out very differently.

We often ask this question about brothers and sisters – how are they both from the same parents and mature so differently? How is it that we can come and hear the same Gospel, the same sermon, and receive the sacrament at the same rail, and yet, some of us will depart today, wise and prepared, while others will not take seriously the call to be ready for the day of death? Truthfully, I don't know; however, sin works in each of us differently; the devil and the world attack us in different ways, according to our individual weaknesses.

Now, while we all confess with the Church in the Creed, "And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead," we must continually examine and ask ourselves, have we, as our brothers and sisters, grown weary as we journey through this life and world of sickness, war, and death? Have we permitted the flame of faith to grow dim as we travel to the grave? Have we begun to mechanically confess and gloss over the gravity of these words of the Creed?

To you, the cry comes out, awake! Prepare! The Bridegroom is near!

The time of judgment and the time of the Bridegroom's return draws nearer with each passing breath. We do not know the day or the hour. Yet, the words, "I never knew you," should frighten and arouse you to awake from slumber and confess your sins to God, confess your sins among one another, announce and extend forgiveness, receive forgiveness and the oil of faith that only God can provide to you.

So the time is at hand for us to prepare for the Bridegroom, to be like soldiers obsessing over the details of faith and practicing them over and over and over again.

How do we do this? First, by coming to the Divine Service and being mentally, physically, and spiritually involved. By making the liturgy our song, a song that abides in our hearts and leads us even to sing it throughout each week while we go about our daily tasks.

But also by getting back into the Small Catechism. No, the Catechism is not just for kids; it's for all of us. In fact, it’s the most basic form of preparation and training of the Christian faith that we cannot outgrow. Instead, through careful repetition of the catechism and liturgy alike, the lamp of faith continues to receive the oil needed for young and old alike.

Why? Because repetition and preparation are the difference between life and death. Of possessing the oil of faith or hearing the Bridegroom pronounce to you as the door to the eternal marriage feast closes, “Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.”

On the last day, age will make no difference; intellect will make no difference, only faith. So, prepare.

Because while we do not know the day or the hour, we do know Christ Jesus is coming. This is what all the Gospels are leading to at the end of the Church Year, the return of Christ Jesus. So let us hear His call today to prepare and make ready our hearts for His return.

Now, I get it, for some these readings always seem down and gloomy, but shifting back to our hymn, “Wake, Awake, for Night is Flying,” did you notice how we sang in the first stanza, "The watchmen on the heights are crying." But, in the second stanza, the watchmen break forth in joy as we sang, "Zion hears the watchmen singing…." Why is this important? Because the watchmen of old never sang to announce an arrival, good or bad, into their town or village, they shouted! But, the news of this Bridegroom is too exciting not to sing; they cannot help themselves.

As the days of life grow shorter and darker, as you approach the day of your death, remember the joy of the watchmen. Let their song be your song, and sing not only with the Church on earth but with the Church Triumphant (Those who now rest from their labors and are with Christ). For as you sing, you confess the virgin birth, the crucifixion and resurrection, the ascension, and the coming again of the Bridegroom – your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

So my friends, amid all this world's sickness, war, and death, prepare each day for your Lord's return by keeping His name and life upon your lips. Praying with the Church, “Amen, come Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20) In this way, even upon your deathbed, you join in keeping watch for the Bridegroom. +INJ+

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

Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI

Reformation Sunday 2023

Text John 8:31-36 & Romans 3:19-28

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

As a child, I absolutely feared cemeteries, especially around Halloween or All Hallows Eve. The cold, damp air, the constant thoughts of being watched, the absolute darkness – it caused my heart to race, my breathing to become shallow and rapid, and my mind to succumb to paranoia.

What is the paranoia that causes fear in your life? What wraps you into bondage? Is it the lack of power and control? Is it the thought people are watching you or the belief they are out to get you? Is it a present darkness that no one knows besides you, a darkness of grief and despair that seizes your heart and won't let go?

Our fear is what gives birth to sin and the things that continue to haunt us throughout this life.

Martin Luther was also haunted as you; he would be driven by the torments of this world to confession for hours at a time. The voice of Satan would whisper into Luther's ears seeds of doubt - are you genuinely sorry enough for your sin? Have you enumerated every sin? Have you stopped sinning?

All this is enough to enslave a man and drive them mad.

But, where all this madness eventually drove Luther was to read the Holy Scriptures all the more, to pray feverishly, and to confess what is true and right.

In the first of the 95 theses nailed to the Castle Church door of Wittenberg, Luther wrote, “When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, ‘Repent’ (Mt 4:17), he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.”

The first of the 95 theses began with Reformation.

Our world is constantly looking to reform, except their reform is not a return but a way forward. A way to advance a cause. A method for change.

Reform the economy, reform the police, reform education, reform the IRS code, reform election laws, reform, reform, reform... The desire for reform today is seen as a method to improve life, advance, and transform institutions.

But, to reform is not to look forward but to look back. The "re" in reform means to return or go back to the original foundation. One word that comes to mind is "redeem," which means to buy back again.

And the “form” for reform should bring to mind a former likeness or condition once experienced. So, the point of Reformation is to bring the Church back to its original resemblance or condition.

What is the former condition and likeness the Church should desire - the image and likeness of Christ Jesus.

How does this Reformation happen?

Hear the words of Luther again, “When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, “Repent'' (Mt 4:17), he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.”

A repentant heart springs a correct fear of God that begins with faith and trust in the only Son of the Father.

Repentance begins with remorse and the feeling of guilt then leads a man to a confession of their sin. And finally, repentance calls man to have a change of behavior, a change of heart. To go another way…

Where do you need a change of behavior? In what ways does your heart need to be reformed?

Have the words you have spoken to your neighbors caused your heart to race and your breathing to become rapid? Have you become paranoid of others, telling the devil's lies under your breath? Do you have an email you wish could be buried and never seen again? Or have you sat silently, unsure what to do, failing to speak the liberating Words of Christ Jesus to your neighbor?

The torments of the heart and mind enslave and lead you into doubt and sin. Yet, abiding in the Word of God leads you into the truth, and this truth does not set you free in the shallow American way of thinking – it liberates man's heart. The truth Jesus speaks of dwells within you through His death and resurrection, emancipating you from the chief enemy of sin, death, and the devil. 

So run to the waters of Holy Baptism and learn again from the Small Catechism your need to return to your baptism again and again and again. In fact, you will need to remember that you must return to your baptism daily to drown and put to death the Old Adam and all sins and evil desires that possess you through contrition and repentance so that you may daily emerge and arise anew to live before God in righteousness and purity forever. (Fourth Part of Holy Baptism, Small Catechism Paraphrased)

This is the way of an ongoing Reformation within each of us. Confession and absolution, returning to Jesus, and His forgiveness.

So, when Satan whispers into your ears seeds of doubt regarding the contrition of your heart, run to the font and say, “I am baptized!”

When the night comes, and you are haunted by the ghosts of your sin, say and believe with all your heart, “Yes, I have fallen short of the glory of God, but I am justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”

Through the daily drowning of the old Adam within you, live a life of repentance so that a new man will emerge daily.

When you return to Christ Jesus with sorrow and repentance, your fears are put away, the devils torments are put to flight, forgiveness is present for you, and the assurance of everlasting life will abide forever and ever – even until the day when Christ returns and the cemetery is seen as nothing more than a garden, whose seeds are the true children of God. +INJ+

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

Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI

Wedding Sermon of Jonah Wendt and McKenna Hammack

The Marriage of Jonah Wendt and McKenna Hammack
October 21, 2023

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

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

It is good to be with you today for the marriage of Jonah and McKenna - to witness the beginning of their earthly lives being intertwined, grafted, and brought into full communion by God.  

As many of you know, this man and this woman met in the great, powerful, and often confusing city of Washington, D.C. – also known as the center and heartbeat of freedom.

In fact, their paths first crossed, and their courtship began as their offices worked to support the religious freedom case of Rev. Dr. Juhana Pohjola, the bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland and Dr. Päivi Räsänen, a Finnish politician, as this pastor and politician were prosecuted for confessing their Christian faith and belief in marriage as it was instituted by God.

But what is freedom anyway?

I fear this has become a confusing question for us today.

If you trust the internet or the voices we consume, they inform us that freedom is the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without external hindrance or restraint.

Or maybe you view freedom as many today as the absence of being subjected to anyone or anything.

Well, maybe good old Martin Luther, the great German reformer, can help us frame things better. He once wrote in the same breath in his work, “The Freedom of the Christian," that:

A Christian is an utterly free man, lord of all, subject to none.
A Christian is an utterly dutiful man, servant of all, subject to all.

At first, this also appears to be an absolutely confusing statement, providing little or no help.

But, if you ponder these words of Luther, there is a great, mysterious, and beautiful paradox for us, the Christian, especially in view of marriage.

There will be times, Jonah and McKenna, that you will not desire to be in subjection to anyone, let alone one another; you will crave freedom as defined by this world to roam about the country to see your beloved Horned Frogs or battle over the temperature setting of the thermostat (in the car or home) or continue the age-old struggle over whether to leave the toilet seat up (or down).

But, only when you are able to step back from these insignificant battles of the sinful flesh you both inherited from your first parents, Adam and Eve, will you be able to see the words of Luther more clearly through the lens of Scripture,

A Christian is an utterly free man, lord of all, subject to none.
A Christian is an utterly dutiful man, servant of all, subject to all.

The secret and what’s at the heart of these seemingly paradoxical sayings is Jesus Christ Himself.

It's really that simple, yet we make this so hard in marriage (and life in general).

One of the reasons we get hung up on this is because of those words “subject to all.” Or, as we heard in the Ephesians reading, the dreaded word, “Submission.”

Our getting caught up on all of this, which I believe is somewhat anchored in our own subjective ideas of freedom and the culture we live in today, really hinders us from seeing Jesus in the midst of our own relationships and lives.

I mean, for a moment, reflect on how Jesus demonstrates submission and service throughout His earthly life.

As we confess in the creed, “Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary and made man.” God submits Himself to our human flesh, being born of woman.

As a child, Mary and Joseph searched for the boy Jesus as He hung back in the temple. Why? Because He said, “I must be in my Father’s house.” Yet, as Jesus’ earthly parents found Him, probably full of a mixture of emotions (kind of like yours today), the Scriptures say, “Jesus was submissive (or subject) to them.”

Again, as Jesus nears the cross, the Gospel of John recounts how Jesus took the form of a servant, washing His disciples' feet, saying, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.”

Ultimately, the whole life of Jesus and the many more instances of His submissiveness and service to others finds its fulfillment upon the cross.

It's on the cross Jesus demonstrates complete submission to His heavenly Father’s will while sacrificing Himself for you, His bride, the Church so that today He can now serve you with His forgiveness and eternal life.

So, the linchpin to understanding Christian Freedom, submissiveness, and servanthood is found in Jesus Christ, His cross, and sacrificial love for you.

This is why the reading from Ephesians is the perfect image and icon of marriage.

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word... In the same way, husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body.

Today, Jonah and McKenna are united in marriage. The two become one. And yet, today, you begin to learn to live as one.

So, what does this new life and freedom look like? 

It’s as the Apostle Paul wrote in Galatians, “For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” (5:13)

Liberty seen through the lens of Christ is not autonomy from the world or, more importantly, one another, but rather being free from this world of sin and death, and as Paul wrote in Ephesians, learning to walk as husband and wife in “all lowliness, gentleness, and longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:2)

Because this peace granted through the work of the Holy Spirit will also allow you to “bear one another’s burdens.” (6:2)

To bear and encourage one another when work is difficult.

To rely on one another when children come, babies cry throughout the night, and McKenna needs help changing the most horrendous diapers, Jonah.

Or to walk alongside each other when illness comes, comforting and supporting one another as your final breaths approach and death and grief draw near. This is how you “bear one another’s burdens.”

In the end, marriage, along with the life of the Christian, is nothing like the world around you. But with Christ Jesus as the heartbeat of your marriage and life, it is greater and more powerful than any city or human institution on earth.

So, my friends, Jonah and McKenna, live in the liberty of Christ's forgiveness, loving and serving one another. Trust Him to guide you throughout all the days of joy and sadness alike so that in the end, you may both find yourselves at the eternal wedding feast of His kingdom. +INJ+

Pentecost 20

Text: Matthew 22:1-14

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

In many ways, with my installation last week, we began a marriage (you and I). It's a time of great joy but also filled with anxiousness. Much like a young couple, you don't truly get to know your spouse until you begin living and working together. But that is what these new days for us are all about - learning, growing, and getting to know one another. 

Scripture also begins with a wedding, which started in the Garden of Eden as Eve is formed from the side of Adam. They were to live in harmony and peace. But, they departed from God's command, became unworthy, and were expelled from the Garden. Thus, the story of Adam and Eve is and remains our story. However, it's not the end of the story.

However, like installations, weddings are joyful events. For a bride, her wedding is often seen as the day of days, the coronation of her life. You can just picture the train of her dress now. Or so the fairy tales go…

But, in the Gospel today, there is not much joy or happiness regarding the wedding described.

The wedding was set, the food prepared, the invitations sent out, everything was ready.

Yet, no one came; the guests “made light of the [wedding].” They were uninterested in the grand celebration. Rather than joining the joyous event, they departed to the tasks of the day, their farms, and their businesses. Who are these people? Who doesn’t enjoy a good time?

They are the Chief Priests and the Pharisees. It’s Holy Week.

Before our Gospel today, Jesus has just spoken to them the parable of the wicked tenants who threw out, beat, and killed the master’s son of the vineyard. Now, He continues to speak to these Chief Priests and Pharisees regarding Israel’s persistent rejection of God’s invitation to His banquet.

The rejection of the King comes to completion as Jesus would be arrayed and enthroned upon the cross in mere days. The rejection and destruction at the hands of armies foretold in the parable also came to fruition in the demise and destruction of Jerusalem some 30-40 years later.

Has anything changed since that first Holy Week? Or is the feast still ready? Do the people of Earth continue to make light of it? Do they brush off the invitation, treating the servants who have been sent spitefully, even putting some to death? Sadly, the answer to these questions is yes.

Now, most of us have not endured the experiences of martyrs; we have not met that fury. But, as a pastor, the concern for the flock persists.

Yet, throughout the past few years, our world has transformed quicker than we’ve ever imagined. Not everyone continues to hear the weekly invitation and enters the Lord's sanctuary at Good Shepherd.

As employment has entered our homes through telework, Christians have likewise become comfortable living out their vocations without venturing beyond their doors' threshold. Do you need food? Order online and pull up to the curb. Do you need clothing? Amazon. Do you need to attend a work meeting? Zoom. Do you need Jesus? Change the tab of your browser and see what the church down the road is doing.

Church now comes to anyone who desires, ready to be consumed as any other commerce within our lives. This is not to say technology is the devil (although some of you would disagree); it can be a blessing, too.

But, the invitation to the wedding is meant to be incarnational. Christ took on human flesh and dwelt among us. Likewise, we are called to be present physically and in the presence of one another as we gather every Divine Service, just as we hear in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, “be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Ephesians 5:18-20)

Well, that’s what we’re doing here, right?

But today’s Gospel asks the question, are you here? Are you present in thought, word, and deed? Do you possess true faith in Christ Jesus? Have you been made worthy?

Outwardly, you were all baptized. You come and continually listen to the Word of God and confess the ancient creeds of faith. You even understand the doctrine of the Lutheran Church and have defended it throughout your conversations. You are not easily moved to anger; you are humble and seek forgiveness – even seeking out those you have wronged to confess or permitting yourself to be rebuked when you have trespassed against your neighbor.

Yes, it all looks good.

But, todays Gospel is speaking about the heart of man, your heart and mine, is not right. It’s the heart that does not trust in Jesus alone. Therefore, words and works do not proceed out of true faith – we are caught simply going through the motions to possess the appearance of being pious and upright. We are the guest without the wedding garment.

Just as Jesus saw the rejection in the hearts of the Pharisees of last week’s Gospel, He continues to see our heart this day; there is no hiding from His judgment. So here is why we should take to heart the words we confess each day in the Creed, “From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.”

These are powerful words to confess – words of judgment, yet words of peace for those who call upon the Lord with a true heart.

As Isaiah wrote:
“Seek the LORD while he may be found;
                 call upon him while he is near;
         let the wicked forsake his way,
                  and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
          let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him,
         and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” (Isaiah 55:6-7)

My friends, do not waste time, but examine yourselves before the Lord returns. Turn not only your body but your heart toward God. He is near in His Word of grace – through His compassion, He will hear your confession and grant you pardon and peace. He will give you His Holy Spirit to call, gather, and enlighten your way and the way of the whole Christian Church on earth until His return.

This is what the gift of Holy Baptism does; it grants you the Holy Spirit to call, gather, and enlighten your way and the way of the whole Christian Church on earth so that you may journey confidently through this earthly life that leads to the last day – when Christ returns to “to judge the living and the dead.”

So, until that day arrives, we must return to our Baptisms daily, drowning the Old Adam within by going the way of confession and absolution, which in turn leads us along the paths of righteousness, the path of forgiveness, the path that leads to the great wedding hall that awaits.

And for this reason, pastors are sent. Not only to get to know the sheep but to shepherd them throughout this life and unto eternal life in Christ Jesus.

You know, just as the first book of Scripture begins with a wedding, so the last concludes as it is written in the book of Revelation:
           Let us rejoice and exult
                  and give him the glory,
          for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
                  and his Bride has made herself ready;
         it was granted her to clothe herself
                  with fine linen, bright and pure” (Revelation 19:7-8)

Friends, come, make yourselves ready, rejoice, and receive the foretaste of the marriage feast the Lamb has prepared for you. Receive His forgiveness. And in faith, remain ready for Christ's return to gather you and all who are adorned with the garment of salvation into His eternal kingdom. +INJ+

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

Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI

Trinity 10

***This sermon was preached on my last Sunday at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Alexandria, VA. I will be in a period of transition as I move to Tomah, WI, and begin serving the saints of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church.***

Text: Luke 19:41-48

+INJ+

In September of 1989, the American musician Billy Joel released the song “We Didn’t Start the Fire.” I remember listening to the song with my older siblings over and over and over again. The quick pace and rhythm were captivating to a 7-year-old. But I’ll be honest, I didn't really understand what the song was about; I just got caught up in the rhythm and beat.

As I’ve now gotten older, I find myself listening to music with a little more intent, and I believe the story of how this song came about is relatable to many of us today.

You see, Billy Joel was in the recording studio when his friend Sean Lennon (son of John Lennon) said, “It’s a terrible time to be 21!” Billy Joel replied: “Yeah, I remember when I was 21 – I thought it was an awful time, and we had Vietnam, and y'know, drug problems, and civil rights problems and everything seemed to be awful.”

Sean replied: “Yeah, yeah, yeah, but it’s different for you. You were a kid in the fifties and everybody knows that nothing happened in the fifties.” Billy Joel retorted: “Wait a minute, didn’t you hear of the Korean War or the Suez Canal Crisis?” Billy Joel later said those headlines formed the basic framework for the song [We Didn’t Start the Fire].

How often do you look around and romanticize over the past? How often do you become conditioned to the world around you? The destruction and evil? How often do you sing with Billy Joel regarding the circumstances and events of your life, “I didn’t start the fire!”

But you did.

You are a child of Adam and Eve, which means you inherited the seed of their sin. Like Cain and Abel, their first children, you war against one another, continuing the flames of destruction that burn within your heart since the creation of man and your first parents’ fall and expulsion from the Garden.

Therefore, the world’s history is your story.

This is also why the account of Jerusalem’s physical destruction by the historian Josephus in AD 70 should still grieve us today. The Roman general Titus laid siege on the city as foretold by Jesus in today’s Gospel.

While the siege was ongoing, the inhabitants were driven to hunger and despair. As the masses were dying, best friends and families came to war with one another over pieces of bread. Children are even recorded as forcefully taking food from their parents’ mouths.

Even as we have seen the costs of eggs and a gallon of milk rise and become more valuable than gold these past years, grain was the hottest commodity in Jerusalem. The desperate people who lay in the city’s rubble were not beyond eating hay, leather, or even dung.

When the city had finally been conquered, over 115,000 died of starvation, while 600,000 people died throughout the entirety of the siege (The numbers may even be higher). Because of how horrendous the events of Jerusalem’s fall were, Josephus still recorded them because he feared future generations would never believe them.

Titus, however, did desire to spare the temple as the siege went on, he saw the magnificence of the building. Yet, it was still set ablaze in the final battle, bringing it to ashes.

In the end, the place where the great city of Jerusalem once stood was no more. This is why Jesus weeps in today’s Gospel, reflecting how the kindling of God’s judgment upon the city and man’s sin began decades and centuries earlier.

Look to our reading from the prophet Jeremiah this morning; he wrote to those desiring to enter the temple;
Stand in the gate of the Lord’s house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the Lord, all you men of Judah who enter these gates to worship the Lord. Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place. Do not trust in these deceptive words: ‘This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord.’

Why does Jeremiah say, “Do not trust in these deceptive words, The temple of the LORD?” Because the temple was not seen as a place where God comes to His creation but as a location for empty rituals that lacked the fear of God, true repentance and an amending of one’s ways.

Instead, the temple was where anything goes, and the Ten Commandments were meant to be broken: sexual sins, stealing, and harm to one’s neighbor – it happened there. 

What a sad state of affairs.

All of this should also give us pause to ask, what in our surroundings and current state of affairs hinders us as we enter the gates of this sanctuary to worship the Lord?

You, too, live near and in a great and powerful city of this world. Many of you are accomplished and thoughtfully take the faith of Christ into your earthly vocations that affect not only the people you engage with daily in your offices or over Zoom and Teams meetings - but organizations, our country, and sometimes the world.

However, have you become consumed by your earthly and often political vocations that form and mold you Monday through Friday? As the Church strives to remain a refuge and harbor for the wary, have you, in fact, brought the attributes of your earthly vocations into the Church to a fault?

I’d argue that, unlike Peter Pan, we cannot escape the shadows of our daily lives. Like those Jeremiah preaches to and Jesus contends with today, is it us that bring the outside world into the Church - the political battles, the culture, and the complete destruction of the soul – it is us.

And so, Jesus weeps for us who permit the icon of this world to descend upon His Church.

Reflect on the Ten Commandments, use it as a lens, and exam how we transgress them here – maybe the gossip of our lips transcends physical conversations and pours over into the technological conversations - where we are tempted to forward email conversations we were never privileged to, or maybe there’s a temptation to step out of Scripture Study or the Divine Service to converse over the business and politics of church governance, or quite simply – the words, “I’m sorry,” just don’t flow off your lips as easy as they ought – reflecting a heart lacking true repentance and reconciliation before God and neighbor alike.

Today, Jesus weeps for you, for us.

Now, when Jesus entered the temple, it says He began to drive out those who were not there for prayer. Interestingly, the root word in Greek for Jesus, “Driving” out those who were profaning the temple, is “ekballo,” which means to cast out – another word for exorcism.

So, in reality, Jesus is calling those conducting the business of the world in His Father’s temple unclean spirits, needing expulsion.

So, what does this have to do with us?

Well, from the word exorcism, we also get “exercise.” And for the Christian, we must understand that the whole Christian faith and life is one of exercise – the act of confessing Jesus, the confession of sin, the process of having the unclean and impure thoughts and sins cast out of our hearts by Jesus Himself.

You see, we need not be caught up in the rhythm and beat of the world that pits brothers and sisters against one another, nor bring it into the Church, but instead, we must be drawn into harmony with one another through the beat and rhythm of confession and absolution.

Because this is what it means to be a Christian, to be led to humble yourself before Christ Jesus and His cross – to confess your sin and rejoice in how He casts this darkness out of you.

Sure, you didn’t start the fire, but you certainly heap the fuel and coal upon it that keeps it burning when you, as your first parents in the Garden, fail to take ownership for the trespasses of your hearts and lips, saying, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” Or, as the woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

My dear brothers and sisters, if you genuinely desire to block out the world, you cannot act as Adam and Eve; you must approach every aspect of life differently.

You must come to the font daily where Jesus has taken your sin into His death and raised you to new life. So, dip your fingers in that font and remember your baptism as Christ Jesus continues to douse the inferno within your heart.

Then, you must gather with one another in this sanctuary where your Immanuel dwells with you this day – bringing the true temple of God to you as He fills your ears with His Word and purges this corrupted world from your mind.

And then, finally, approach this altar where the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” feeds you with His life-giving flesh and blood – expelling the dung of the sin that consumes and destroys you. 

This is the rhythm and beat of the Church’s song - written so that we, along with future generations, would know its story, sing it, believe it, exercise, and live it as we place our faith and trust in our Savior Jesus Christ.

As I descend this pulpit for the last time today, my prayer is that the cross of Christ Jesus continues to unite you as true brothers and sisters - leading you out of the ashes and sadness of this life and unto eternal life where we are given the new song of eternal praise to our heavenly King who reigns eternally in the great city of peace, His Holy Jerusalem. +INJ+

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

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

Trinity 9

Text: Luke 16:1-13

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

Today we heard the parable of the unjust steward. Permit me to let you in on a bit of a secret; not everyone loves this teaching of Jesus. 

But before we get too far into things, let's briefly define what is meant by an “unjust steward.”

To be unjust is the opposite of being just – to be unjust is to act contrary to what is right - in a crooked way. 

When we think of a steward or read and hear the Gospel today, our first thought is probably money! The steward was terrible with money. 

The Greek word for steward is “οἰκονόμος.” So the construct of “οἰκονόμος” is really two words, “οἶκος," meaning house, home, or estate. And “νόμος” denotes law, rule, and authority. So a steward is placed or given authority to rule or manage a home, estate, or even today, a business. 

The steward in today's Gospel oversaw the rich man’s goods or possessions. The debtors owed things like oil and wheat. This was commerce, but these were also needful things for life. 

Many, if not all of us, have some sort of steward in our lives. We all manage our homes. Parents are stewards of their children and the aspects of their lives. Some of us rely on family members to oversee our affairs and finances as we age. Others employ people to manage estates or businesses. Yet, pastors are also included in Scripture as stewards - the apostle Paul writes, pastors, are “servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.” (1 Corinthians 4:1)

In all of our vocations, we have been entrusted with stewardship. We are called to be honest, just, and wise with the people, possessions, and faith entrusted to our care. 

Do children eat the food placed before them or push it away, toss it to the ground, and throw a fit? Do parents see their children as gifts from God, giving their care to raise them in wisdom and virtue, or are they a means to an end? Is the Church a place where you come to receive the forgiveness and salvation promised in Christ Jesus, or is it a place for unholy business and the affairs of this world to take place? 

In reality, the parable of the Unjust Steward reveals to us that while our focus is often solely on the monetary aspect of stewardship, when unjust stewardship takes place – it penetrates into all aspects of life – the possessions of the world, the body, and our faith. 

Possessions and mammon are not evil in themselves. They are gifts from God. However, when riches, power, control, homes, land, food, or the needs of daily life become our focus and idol, we are led into sin. It is then that these things become unrighteous mammon. 

Our health, vision, hearing, wife, and children are all gifts for us to care for throughout this life. And yet, we must guard against the allure of this faithless world – protecting our family from the assaults that wish to lead us to misuse our time and energies, permitting the devils of this world access into our homes.

God created you as body and soul – the two are inseparable. He gave you reason and intellect, wisdom, shrewdness, and an ability to suffer all in this life – even if it means you would have to dig trenches as the steward today in the Gospel says he could not do or one day beg as poor Lazarus would a little later in Luke Chapter 16. 

But this is a portrait of the Christian life, is it not? 

You are to be content with what God has entrusted to your care. If it is to manage money, then do it wisely. If it is to teach, do it with patience and joy. If you have been given to lead, then lead with charity, a cup overflowing with grace, and by being just. 

In these ways, you are diggers, tilling the soil of faith through your places of stewardship. 

And by all means, don't be ashamed to beg before God. It is recorded that Martin Luther’s final words of this life were, "We are all beggars; this is true." 

Why is it we are beggars in this life? Because we are unjust and in need of God’s mercy. The Collect of the Day begins to reveal this aspect of the Gospel as we prayed, “Let Your merciful ears, O Lord, be open to the prayers of Your humble servants.” 

A servant serves. A servant must till the earth through the callings they have been given from above. They are the one who begs, and this begging leads us to God's mercy.

Remember earlier I said pastors are “stewards of the mysteries of God?” In the broad sense, this mystery is the Gospel. 

To the unbeliever, the Gospel remains hidden in the foolishness of the cross. And yet, to those who have faith, the Gospel forgives, restores, and nurtures the hope of the resurrection to come. 

And in a more narrow sense, begging leads you to confession and absolution. Thus, the pastor is a steward of the means of grace in Holy Baptism and the Lord’s Supper – the locations Christ has promised to be present for you, reveals His great love for you, and delivers life and salvation to you.

Being a steward goes beyond finances and commerce. Stewardship reflects the One who entrusts you with all the possessions and goods of this life. You will never be stewards of God's gifts as you are supposed to be. The math and accounting will never be in your favor. For this, you are led to the cross where your Savior has paid your debts to the fullest degree. 

So be generous in all your dealings of this life, with people, goods, and with the mammon of this world – “do good and distribute,” trusting that God will care for you and bring you into an everlasting home with Lazarus and all the faithful beggars that look to the mercy of Christ Jesus. +INJ+

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