The Second Sunday after Christmas January 4, 2026 Matthew 2:13-23   The Gospel reading this morning feels like an action-packed story: a quick escape to Egypt to protect the Child who would be the Savior of the world, a tyrannical king who kills all male children under two out of fear that one of them might dethrone him, and a safe return home after the evil king dies.    The story is gripping and suspenseful.   However, one of this morning’s main characters is someone we don’t often talk about; we know little about him. After this morning’s Gospel reading, the only other time we’ll hear of him is when he and his wife Mary are searching for their son as they leave Jerusalem, only to find the boy in the temple, discussing, as the boy will say, the teachings of His heavenly Father.    The man’s name is Joseph, of course, the earthly father of the Christ Child.   In this morning’s Gospel, Joseph provides a template and icon for all fathers to imitate, and his example really began before Jesus was even born, as the angel of the Lord came to him in a dream and said,   Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. (Matthew 1:20b-21)   The story goes on that when Joseph awoke from that sleep,   He did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus. (Matthew 1:24-25)   Yes, I know you know this part of the story, so why is it so important for today? Because Joseph always listened to the Word of the Lord and obeyed it. This is the foundation of all fatherhood: to listen, hear, and obey the Word of the Lord.   Regrettably, too many fathers neglect to regularly read, listen to, and learn God’s Word outside of the Divine Service each Sunday. Then they wonder,   “Where are my children?”   “Why aren’t they still in church?”   You see, if a man is not exercising his faith regularly, how can they expect their household to do the same?   More than ever, the Church needs to regain masculinity, godly masculinity; we need men who walk in the image of the prophets, those godly men who heard the voice of their God throughout the Old Testament and prepared the way for the Christ Child’s birth.   In a series of sermons on marriage and the family, the Church Father St. John Chrysostom highlights the faith of fathers throughout the Old Testament, such as Noah, who receives the Word of the Lord and builds an ark to save his family. Or there’s Abraham, who, despite being wealthy, did not seek fame and riches but sought the Lord’s wisdom, listening to and obeying the Word of the Lord as the greatest treasure of all.    As Chrysostom would write regarding the men of the Old Testament, he says,   All these great men looked at this present life as nothing; They did not thirst for riches or other earthly attachments.   Tell me, which trees are best? Do we not prefer those that are inwardly strong and are not injured by rain storms, or hail, or gusts of wind, or by any sort of harsh weather, but stand exposed to them all without fences or garden to protect them?   He who truly loves wisdom is like this and his riches we have already described. He has nothing, yet has everything; He has everything, yet nothing. A fence does not provide internal strength, nor is a wall a natural support; They provide only artificial protection. What is a strong body? Is it not one that is healthy, whether hungry or [filled], cold or warm? Or is it something that is dependent on restaurants, tailors, merchants, and physicians for health?   The truly rich man, the true lover of wisdom, needs none of these things, and that is why the [Scriptures] admonish us to bring our children up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Don't surround them with external safeguards of wealth and fame, for when

Christmas 1 December 28, 2025 Luke 2:22-40   ***Today, we had a baptism at the beginning of the Divine Service***   Have you noticed how everyone rightly focuses on the birth of Jesus at Christmas, but then forgets how the days that follow His birth are also important and continue to tell the story and purpose of the Christ Child’s arrival into the world?   To start with, we hear about Mary and Joseph’s faithfulness to God’s word as they brought the baby Jesus to the temple this morning. The Gospel says they took Jesus to the temple according to the Law of Moses, and it wasn’t until the law was fulfilled that they would depart and return to Galilee.    This image of Mary and Joseph’s faithfulness should motivate all parents to be just as faithful in hearing and listening to God’s Word and bringing their little ones to His temple and sanctuary, just as Gabe and Leah have, bringing Ellowyn to where God is present for her today.    Now, when Mary and Joseph arrived at the temple, they were greeted by Simeon, a devout and righteous man who had been in the temple specifically to wait for and receive the Lord’s consolation, to see the Christ.   But let’s take a moment to consider what it truly means to receive the Lord’s consolation. Yet, it might be helpful to start by thinking about what the opposite of consolation is.    It’s a harsh world of desolation, of indifference, ruthless disdain, and complete mercilessness, a lack of compassion and forgiveness.   Not a world one would typically desire to bring a child into.   But this is the world that Simeon knew and was waiting for consolation from.    As you look around, is the world you live in much different from the world of Simeon that first Christmas?   To ask the question differently, has the devil ceased to attack the faith of God’s children?   The answer is no, of course.   You still live in a world of desolation; indifference has become the Devil’s playground. The talking heads on television and social media often teach you to have ruthless disdain for the neighbor you disagree with, and forgiveness is seen as a weakness.    Maybe this is a world you witnessed this Christmas as you gathered with family? A reminder of how near the wildernesses of this world are.    But Simeon, a member of God’s faithful remnant of Israel, is waiting in the temple for the consolation of Israel to come, and he sees the Christ child as Mary and Joseph enter the temple, takes Him into his arms, and speaks the most comforting words anyone can say.              Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,                         according to your word;             for my eyes have seen your salvation             that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,             a light for revelation to the Gentiles,                         and for glory to your people Israel.   These are the words of Simeon’s consolation, God’s comfort and peace, His forgiveness. These are the words of fulfillment as the prophet Isaiah had written,   It will be said on that day, “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us.                         This is the LORD; we have waited for him;                         let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.” (Isaiah 25:9) And this confesses why Jesus was born into this world, to save us, to save you.   This is also what Anna the Prophetess confesses in the verses that follow Simeon. You see, just a few days ago, the Shepherds announced the birth of Jesus, but the words that Prophetess Anna now speaks are about His death, as St. Luke records,   And coming up at that very hour [Anna] began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.   This redemption would occur through the means of the cross.   Now, while the Bible doesn’t specify the type of wood used for the cross, there might be a little sermon for young Ellowyn here (and the rest of you).   The name Ellowyn is

Christmas Day John 1:1-14   Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,   In 1968, the space shuttle Apollo 8 was orbiting the Moon. But on that Christmas, the astronauts onboard this space shuttle broadcasted a short, brief greeting from high above down to Earth below in one of the most watched television broadcasts at that time. Some of you may remember huddling around a TV or radio for this mesmerizing event. As the astronauts orbited, and the lunar sunrise approached, they spoke the words “In the Beginning…” The three astronauts read the first ten verses of the book of Genesis, the beginning of creation.      Imagine what those three astronauts experienced. What a sight to see the Earth below as the sun rises and they read these Words of God, these Words of creation. What awe and wonder to witness the beauty of Earth and God’s creation as they begin their new day with, “In the beginning….” How small the world must have seemed, with its problems and challenges, to these astronauts at that moment as they orbited in space.      Today’s Gospel, John 1, in many ways paints a cosmic picture for us. The tone and makeup of the Christmas readings have shifted. No longer are you hearing about cattle lowing, angels from on high, mangers, or room at the inn. Today’s Gospel points you to creation.     How often do you reflect on the words of creation, “In the beginning?”   “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” The truth is, most days you forget how awe-inspiring the world God created is. Instead, you focus on the world often shaped by you. Why is this the case?     You are a fallen creation; a child separated from their Father. In Adam and Eve’s fall into sin, you fell too. Just as your first parents became concerned and even consumed with their needs in this life, so have you.     It must have been a fleeting moment in time when those astronauts read the words of Genesis during Christmas in 1968. We might like to think the sense of awe and wonder lasted, but surely children soon after this event longed for Red Ryder Range Model 1938 BB guns to shoot and baby dolls to dress. Before long, this moment in history became just the past, and man and woman on earth were once again consumed by their own wants, needs, and desires. They were preoccupied with their own world.   Things haven’t changed much since 1968.      Our lives continue to be filled with daily events. When a man and a woman become engaged, their days and world are shaped by wedding plans. As couples welcome children into the world, new parents feverishly prepare to care for this gift, this child of God entrusted to them. In the face of job loss, one is overwhelmed with concerns about how to provide for and care for their family. Likewise, when death occurs, you must bear the burden of planning a funeral and returning your loved one’s body to the earth. These are the joys, the challenges, and the sorrows of life; they have not changed over time but remain constants.      Yet, in the joy and sadness that so often shape your lives and the world you live in, you have a promise that remains with you. A promise first made to Adam and Eve in Genesis, where God said, “And I will put enmity between you and the women, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head and you shall bruise His heel.” (Genesis 3:15) Amidst the crumbling world around Adam and Eve, God came to them, spoke to them, and offered hope through a promise, through His Word.      If the world around you feels like it’s crumbling, or God seems distant and uninterested in you, don’t listen to the flesh or the lies of the serpent. Instead, listen to this Word of God. Hear the promise made to send a Seed, an offspring to conquer sin in this world, to defeat and destroy the devil, and to undo death with life. This child does not abandon you in your struggles or leave you in loneliness. Rather, this promise has been fulfilled in the Word that became flesh, the Word incarnate that wa

Christmas Eve Lessons and Carols December 24, 2025     +INJ+   It’s clear that the Christmas season began nearly two months ago, as stores began displaying their holiday decorations in the days leading up to All Hallows’ Eve, or Halloween, as some call it.    It was slightly after the beginning of November that Starbucks began selling its holiday coffees.   But don’t get me started on the Hallmark channel, which began its 24/7 programming of Christmas movies on October 17th that make you wonder every two to three hours if the down-on-her-luck girl will find Mr. Christmas in a small town or if the big city accountant who runs away from life will ever find the true meaning of Christmas.   Now, I love a good Christmas movie, a Frosty the Snowman or a little Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, but have you noticed how the whole Christmas season, as the world sees it, conditions you for nearly two months?   And it’s about how Christmas begins with you—what you do, how you find and create purpose and love.   This idea really stood out to me in the movie, The Polar Express. It features a boy who has lost his belief in the Christmas stories of the world, so he boards a train on Christmas Eve in the middle of the night to go to the North Pole with other children for a magical experience.    The climax of the movie revolves around the train arriving at the North Pole just in time to see Father Christmas off, allowing one of the children to receive the first Christmas gift of the night. The challenge for the young man who plays a central role in the movie is that he cannot hear the sleighbells ring when Father Christmas appears because of his lack of faith in Father Christmas. You see, the boy no longer believes in him.   Only when the young man finds it in himself to believe in Father Christmas again does he hear the joyful ringing of the sleigh bells.   In a way, this is how you’ve been conditioned over the past two months: that the “spirit” of Christmas begins with you, that it depends on you.     That’s a heavy weight for anyone to carry, let alone a child.   But it also misses how Christmas comes to each of you…   So, what did we hear in the lessons we just read tonight?   The Angel Gabriel told Mary when she questioned the miraculous birth of the Savior,   The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. (Luke 1:35)   Mary didn’t do anything here; she simply received the Word of God, and the Christ Child was conceived in her womb through the work of the Holy Spirit who came upon her.   If you fast forward, the Angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds in the field, who seem to have been just doing what shepherds do, and announced to them,   For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:11)   There’s nothing the shepherds did to solicit this great news and the joy that overwhelmed them; it came to them through the words of the heavenly angels. As the prophet Isaiah wrote,               For to us a child is born,                         to us a son is given… (Isaiah 9:6)   Ponder these words…   The good news of Christmas doesn’t start with you; it’s not a feeling or emotion to be recreated from childhood. It’s given and announced to you through the words of God’s messengers.    To say all of this differently, Christmas is not dependent upon you, but it is because of you.   Again, Christmas is not dependent upon you, but it is because of you.   The truth is, if a successful Christmas depends on the number of gifts given or received, falling in love under the mistletoe like in the movies, or digging deep into oneself to find or create a feeling of “Christmas Spirit” so you can hear the ringing of magical bells, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment.    No, the joy of Christmas comes to you; it comes because of your heavenly Father’s heart and great love for you that H

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

Advent 3 + Midweek (The Angels and the Shepherds) December 17, 2025 Luke 2:8-20   Tonight, we conclude our meditations on the Angels of Advent as we reflect on the Angels who appear to the Shepherds.    It’s interesting that shepherds are among the first to learn about Jesus’ birth since He will be the great Shepherd. In a way, the angels are not only announcing the birth of the Savior but also revealing the work He will perform to protect, keep, and lead you, His lambs, to springs of living water.   But one of the things that prevent you from being led to the springs of living water, eternal life, is your rejection of His Word—lips that do not confess His name both here and in your daily life, whether you’re going to work or school, taking children to practice or rehearsals, encountering neighbors at the store or out to eat, or gathering around the table at home.    But right from the beginning, as soon as Jesus is born of the Virgin Mary, the angel of the Lord appears to the shepherds to do what we find difficult: to announce the good news, the birth of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world.    However, this angelic announcement is met with the same fear as each of the previous two announcements to Mary and Joseph. In each case, fear appears in the person receiving the good news, but it quickly vanishes with the angel’s words.    In a way, I wonder if the shepherd’s fear diminishes partly because of the words of the angel as he said to them,  Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.   This news is for all people…   Have you ever noticed that you’re usually less afraid in life when you’re with others? When you’re part of a group? When you’re in a crowd?    Some people call this strength in numbers, right?   Speaking of numbers, joining the angel of the Lord is a multitude of heavenly hosts in saying,             “Glory to God in the highest,                         and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”   How wonderful it is to witness heaven and earth united in celebration.    The joy comes from the peace of heaven that has descended upon earth in the baby, wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. It is this child who will take away all fear from man’s heart.    But let’s return to the idea of fear again. Throughout our readings this Advent, fear is always present in the hearts of the receivers, whether it’s Mary, Joseph, or the shepherds. But when someone hears the Gospel for the first time today, do they experience fear?    Maybe…   Honestly, though, for all the wrong reasons, fear usually rests in the one who has the chance to confess not only the birth of Jesus but also the purpose for which He was sent: to take your sins to the cross, to die for you, and to rise again so you could receive eternal life.    Consider this: it’s your fear that stops you from sharing Jesus with everyone you meet — at the bus stop, school, work, or even around your dinner table.    However, reflect on what the shepherds did after receiving the good news—the gospel of Jesus from the angels. They went to Bethlehem to see this Babe in the manger, and the text says,    And when they saw [Jesus], they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.   Having seen Jesus, these shepherds could not keep from confessing the good news of His birth; they told everyone, praising their Lord for revealing Himself to them.    Now think about this: Have you seen Jesus? Have you heard His voice? Has He revealed Himself to you?   Absolutely!   He does this every time we gather here in this sanctuary. As you walk past the font

Advent 3 + Gaudete December 14, 2025 Matthew 11:2-11   In the latest issue of the Lutheran Witness, the magazine of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, the topic of “Traditions” is discussed, which is fitting as we go through the season of Advent and approach Christmas. Every family has its own traditions. Every congregation has its traditions. In the end, every tradition we observe and uphold should help us confess the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus.    In the opening article of the Lutheran Witness, our synod president, Matthew Harrison, reminded readers that tradition is a Scriptural idea, taught in both the Gospels and the Epistles.   St. Luke wrote, Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught. (Luke 1:1-4)   The idea here is that Luke would “Deliver” or pass down what he received to others.   Or as the St. Paul wrote to the Corinthians, Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.   For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. (1 Corinthians 15:1-5)   The use of the word “delivered” here is rooted in the Greek word for tradition, so St. Paul is truly saying, “For I gave to you, the tradition of what I received.”   And this is none other than the tradition of passing down and sharing the story and good news of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins and eternal life.    But we don’t think of words being passed down from one generation to another in the same way we think of Grandma’s sugar cookies at Christmas, the trimming of the Christmas tree, or the family games played around the table on Christmas Day. We tend to see tradition as things we do.   The Lutheran Confessions address the idea of traditions, the things we do, too, by saying, Our churches teach that ceremonies ought to be observed that may be observed without sin. Also, ceremonies and other practices that are profitable for tranquility and good order in the Church (in particular, holy days, festivals, and the like) ought to be observed.[1]   From this, the traditions and ceremonies of the Church, such as the pastor wearing robes, lighting candles, making the sign of the cross, Gospel processions, and celebrating the festival of Christmas, are all for the good of the Church. There’s nothing wrong with them.   So, what does any of this have to do with today?   Well, there’s a tradition during the season of Advent that we’ve usually just accepted without knowing the story behind it, and that is the rose-colored candle in the Advent wreath. The rose-colored candle represents the Third Sunday of Advent, known as Gaudete Sunday.   Gaudete comes from the Latin word for “Rejoice!”   Soon, the Sunday School choir will sing the musical piece Gaudete. While it’s a sacred Christmas carol written in Latin, it is believed to have actually been composed around the 16th century as part of a Finnish or Swedish collection of songs. It’s not as old as one might have believed.   But getting back to that rose-colored candle and the history of Gaudete Sunday. The season of Advent originally began around the 5th century as early as November 11th, when it was known as St. Martin’s Lent. No, this was not for Martin Luther; it was for St. Martin of Tours, a Soldier turned pastor, known

On this podcast, we get to know another family of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Dave and Barb Scardino!   Please take a listen and learn how they moved to Tomah and became members at Good Shepherd over thirty years ago!   www.GoodShepTomah.org  

Advent 2 – Midweek December 10, 2025 Matthew 1:18-25   When you were born, God gave you the ability to understand life’s matters. When you were young, you didn't use this ability well; it needed to be developed. Therefore, God placed adults in your life to help you learn how to think clearly in your daily life.   Reason is the ability or capacity to use logical thinking and draw conclusions from existing information.   In our second reading this evening, Joseph used his reason to conclude that the woman he was betrothed to, Mary, was pregnant through sin and a relationship with another man.     It’s not hard to see how he would arrive at this conclusion if he had not yet slept with Mary.   But here God intercedes for the sake of salvation. He sends His angel to Joseph in a dream, and like when the angel Gabriel visited Mary, the angel says, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear.”   If you think about it, even before the angel appeared, Joseph was probably full of fear. What was his family and friends going to think of him now that Mary was pregnant and not by him? Would he be shunned? Would he be an outcast? Would he be looked down upon?   Could he not lead a household?   But at the core of the angel’s message is the reality that man cannot understand the ways of God apart from Him and His Word.   Now, just as the experience Mary had with the angel is beyond human understanding, God uses His messengers to begin revealing the meaning behind these events that first Advent, as he says, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.”   The first part of the angel’s greeting connects Joseph, the baby in Mary’s womb, and his lineage with the line of David. This is important because it fulfills the prophecy spoken to David in our first reading this evening, as we heard, “When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.” (2 Samuel 7:12)    This prophecy will take time to be fulfilled, but it begins to find fulfillment in the womb of Mary, where the offspring, Jesus, now resides.   But the second part of the angel’s message conveys the origin of the Christ child, that He has no human father. That through the work of the Holy Spirit, sent by the heavenly Father, the child was conceived.                  Again, this was difficult for Joseph to reason and rationalize.   However, the way to understanding the birth of Jesus begins with the source of the child’s conception, the Holy Spirit.   Likewise, you received a new birth from above when the Holy Spirit came upon you in the font of Holy Baptism and ignited faith within your heart. This faith continues to be revealed through God’s Word, and in this Word, human reason is brought into submission because God’s ways are not the ways of man.   As the prophet Isaiah wrote,             For my thoughts are not your thoughts,                         neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.             For as the heavens are higher than the earth,                         so are my ways higher than your ways                         and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)   In a glorious and comforting way, you are not tasked with reasoning or rationalizing the will of God. Instead, you are to be as Joseph and receive the messenger and Word of God as it is spoken to you. Through this word, permit the Holy Spirit to create faith within you and lead you through the trials and unknowns of life, faithfully trusting Jesus, who came in the womb of the Virgin Mary to redeem you upon the cross.   And look, faith can be difficult at different times in life, but as we read in the book of Hebrews, remember, “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1)   But as Martin Luther wrote, One of the noblest and most precious virtues of faith is to c

Advent 2 December 7, 2025 Luke 21:25-36     In preparation for this Sunday, I revisited and reread Martin Luther’s sermon for the second Sunday in Advent, and in it, you hear a message about how God uses nature to tell the story of the end times— the end of days, the end of this life, and the end of this earth.   This story of the end days is described in the Gospel as Jesus said, And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world.   And then a few verses later, Jesus says, Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. As soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near.   In a beautiful way, God’s creation is always the teacher, whether through disaster or new life, guiding you to prepare for the arrival of His kingdom.    But how often do you observe its lessons?   How often do you see eclipses of the moon or shooting stars and think, “God is coming?”   How often do you hear of hurricanes tossing waves to and fro, destroying anything in their path, and think, “God is coming?”   How often do snowstorms trap you in your homes and think, “God is coming?”   How often does a budding leaf in the warmth of spring stop you to ponder and think, “God is coming?”   God’s creation is always telling and preparing you for His return.   And in this way, it’s the darknesses that descend upon your life, the tossing waves of trials and tribulations, the coldness of your hearts that often keep you bent over and looking down, so you cannot see the budding fig leaf of spring, telling you summer is near.    New life is near.   Christ is near.   Every Advent, I like to reread the book, God is in the Manger, which includes excerpts from the German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer. In one of his devotions from this past week, he wrote,  Let’s not deceive ourselves, ‘Your redemption is drawing near’ (Luke 21:28), whether we know it or not, and the only question is: Are we going to let it come to us too, or are we going to resist it? Are we going to join in this movement that comes down from heaven to earth, or are we going to close ourselves off? Christmas is coming – whether it is with us or without us depends on each and every one of us.   The question Bonhoeffer poses is, are you going to permit Christ to come to you, or are you going to ignore the signs that you need a Savior and close your heart to Him?   Jesus says, “Your redemption is drawing near.”   And this is what the Advent season prepares you for: like the changing seasons of this world, Advent prepares you not only for Jesus’ birth but also for His coming again on the last day, the day when He will gather you into His eternal presence.    So, how do you prepare for the coming of Jesus? You do as Jesus instructs, “Straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is near.”   These words should be understood in the context of the fig tree sprouting leaves and summer approaching. It signifies that the old, dying life is cast aside so the new man can emerge.   Or through the lens of Holy Baptism, the Old Adam is drowned along with all his sins so that a new man might arise, and this occurs through Confession and Absolution.   This can also be seen in a Christian’s posture. In some traditions, a Christian continues to kneel for Confession and Absolution. They kneel to confess their sins in humility, which demonstrates how sin burdens the heart of man. But after receiving the absolution, the forgiveness of sins, they rise to new life because they see the nearness of their Savior as they hear His voice in His Word or approach this rail to receive His flesh and blood.   Reflect on how Martin Luther also teaches this truth in the Small Catechism and how the Christian sho

Advent Midweek 1 – The Angel Gabriel December 3, 2025 Luke 1:26-38   As we begin our Wednesday evening services this year, the theme will be the Angels of Advent.   Now, to begin, we need to remember who angels are. Throughout the Scriptures, angels are spiritual beings; they are warriors, and they often pray for man. As Jesus says in the Gospel of Matthew, they see His Father’s face and do His will.  Angels are not to be trifled with.   But the most basic definition of the word “angel” is “messenger.” Angels are messengers of God who bring His news to mankind.   While we meditate on the Angels of Advent over the next three weeks, only one of these angels will have a name, and that is tonight – Gabriel the archangel.    It’s also interesting that, while Michael, the other known archangel, is mentioned throughout the Scriptures, Gabriel is the one sent to announce both the conception of John the Baptist and Jesus.   Now, meditating on Gabriel’s message tonight, let’s begin with how he was received by Mary. As Gabriel arrived, the text said she was troubled by him and his words. After all, in our hymn we sang, “The angel Gabriel from heaven came, with wings as drifted snow, with eyes as flame.”   There’s an image for you, and not one easily discerned.   But the angel Gabriel perceives Mary’s fears, which is why he tells her, “Do not be afraid, Mary.”   The word “afraid” here originates from the Greek φοβος; you might hear in the background the word “phobia,” which means fear or terror.   What has your heart filled with fear and terror this Advent?   What kind of news or messages have sunk your heart in depression, filled you with dread and anxiety, and caused you terrors throughout the night?   Do you worry about your children and their faith? Have you been laid off? Did a doctor deliver the news, the news you feared, that you have cancer or another life-altering diagnosis?   This, of course, leads to the questions of a racing mind.   Will my children receive eternal life? How will I pay the bills or buy Christmas presents? Will the cancer or ailment consuming my flesh take my life?   Mary was told by the angel Gabriel as she was filled with fear, “Do not be afraid.”   This is the angel’s message for you, no matter your fears: “Do not be afraid.”   Why? Because God is with you, Christ is with you.   You see, the angel Gabriel’s entire message fulfills Old Testament prophecy, beginning with Genesis 3, as God the Father promises Eve an offspring who will come to defeat the Devil and the sin they brought into this world.   But this prophecy is also mentioned in our first reading tonight from Isaiah, as he wrote, Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)   And this text from Isaiah really gets to the heart of Gabriel’s message to Mary, she is going to bear a Son, Jesus, the One whose name will be Immanuel, which means God with us.   In a very physical way, Immanuel takes His place within the womb of Mary. He is God with her, and one of the messages of the Advent season is that Immanuel is God with you in the midst of the darkness of your fears.   And this should be your prayer throughout the troubles of life, for the only Son of God to abide with you.   In fact, as we began the service tonight, our words and actions remind us of this truth as the candle entered this darkened sanctuary, and we sang…   “Jesus Christ is the Light of the World, the light no darkness can overcome.”   “Stay with us, [abide with us] Lord, for it is evening, and the day is almost over.”   “Let your light scatter the darkness and illumine Your Church.”   Remember these words and pray them when darkness in life surrounds you, when fear and terror grip your heart. Then recall how your Savior came to you through the waters of Holy Baptism. Remember how the light of His Word enters your ears just as it was brought into this sanctuary tonight and d

First Sunday in Advent November 30, 2025 Jeremiah 23:5-8 & Matthew 21:1-9   The lights sparkling on the homes around Tomah signal that Christmas is coming.    The number of emails you’re receiving is a warning to you that Christmas is coming.   The change in music on the radio alerts you that Christmas is coming.   The colors adorning the altar, the candles in the wreath, all announce, Christmas is coming.   But it’s not here yet.   It’s hard for us to understand because we live in a world that rushes everything. We’re in a rush to grow up, to get to the store, and to jump into relationships and the gifts that come with marriage before the vows have been said…   However, today we begin the season of Advent, a time for slowing down, prayer, and meditation. To review, the word Advent means “to come.”   The Old Testament reading from Jeremiah provides the well-known prophecy of God the Father raising a righteous branch, Jeremiah wrote,   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. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The LORD is our righteousness.’  (Jeremiah 23:5-6)   Then two verses later, Jeremiah says again,   Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when they shall no longer say, ‘As the LORD lives who brought up the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt,’ but ‘As the LORD lives who brought up and led the offspring of the house of Israel out of the north country and out of all the countries where he had driven them.’ Then they shall dwell in their own land.” (Jeremiah 23:7-8)   The thing about prophecies is that they are always looking forward; they focus on what is to come. As Paul wrote to the Colossians, “These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.” (Colossians 2:17)   The words of Jeremiah are a shadow of what will come, namely, the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ, born to the Virgin Mary in the little town of Bethlehem. He is the righteous branch, who will take the curse of sin and death, your sin and death, to the tree of the cross, so from it, His righteousness, His forgiveness might be extended and declared upon you.   In a way, the Christian is always hesitantly and slowly walking in the shadows of the cross; the cross guides you through this life, including the sadness you feel, the grief you experience, the anger filling your heart, the disappointment with family and friends, and the sense of abandonment.   While these instances are all emotions you feel, they are also the shadows surrounding you; they are the crosses you bear.   However, like the people of Israel, you lack patience as these crosses weigh on you. Israel was never patient. They wanted to save themselves. So you try to save yourself by taking the burdens of life into your own hands.    But if you reflect on the Old Testament readings today, the cross of Jesus is ultimately what will lead the offspring of Israel to dwell in their own land, the land of milk and honey, the new heaven and the new earth, paradise.   Yet, those who lined the streets that first Palm Sunday did not truly understand the prophecies of God; instead, they sought an earthly king, an earthly kingdom. This Jesus, the Messiah, was to come and fulfill their prayers and petitions of Hosanna, now, to save them from their earthly oppressors in a rather immediate manner.   Like you, they wanted to see instant gratification. They wanted instant relief. But can you rush God? Can you make Him work on your timeframe?   Looking back at Scriptures, the fulfillment of prophecies rarely happened instantly. This serves as a good reminder and lesson today, as the world rushes into Christmas without taking time to prepare for Christ’s coming and its true meaning. Christians learn and relearn th

Thanksgiving (Observed) November 26, 2025 Luke 17:11-19   In preparation for this week, we recently watched a Charlie Brown Thanksgiving in our house. It’s a classic, isn’t it?   You got Peppermint Patty inviting herself and others over to Charlie Brown’s for dinner.   Charlie Brown goes with the flow, being a good friend, and even though he has family plans to visit Grandma, he still tries to host his friends.   Who does that?   Amid everything, Charlie Brown enlists Snoopy’s help in preparing the meal.    Then, of course, there’s the scene where they all sit down around the Ping-Pong table to unknowingly enjoy a feast of popcorn, candy, and buttered toast prepared by Snoopy and Woodstock, the little yellow bird. (This is the part that gets the children laughing hysterically. What child wouldn’t want candy and popcorn for dinner?)   But this is also when Peppermint Patty’s expectations for a perfect Thanksgiving meal of turkey, mashed potatoes, and stuffing weren’t fulfilled. Peppermint Patty boils over, and her anger rises to the surface.   But look, she invited herself over, invited others without asking, set her own expectations for Thanksgiving, and then threw a temper tantrum when things didn’t go as she had thought they would.    In a way, there are parts of this story that you can all relate to at Thanksgiving, aren’t there?   The uninvited guests, the failure to achieve the perfect holiday, opinions on what food should or should not be served, the minefield, and arguments between family and friends.    Honesty, when Thanksgiving is presented like this, who wants it?   But isn’t this an image of your lives?   A challenge is how you handle unfulfilled expectations, not only today, but throughout life: do you lash out, yell, and scream, or do you learn to call out to God for His mercy, for His peace and forgiveness, His patience?   Look at the Ten Lepers in the Gospel this evening. The disease that covers their skin has not only rendered them unclean, but it’s also forced them to live apart from their family; there’s no holiday or feasting for them, just a realization they cannot help, nor heal themselves, as they dwell in isolation.   The only thing these lepers can do is cry out for mercy, and that is exactly what they do when they see Jesus; they cry out with every ounce of their hoarse voices, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.”   Interestingly, here, all ten lepers call out together, “Have mercy on us.” They see themselves as a collective community in their misery.   This is interesting because of the widespread American belief that the family’s togetherness is the main focus of Thanksgiving, even though we live as individuals the rest of the year.    Peppermint Patty confesses this idea after recovering from her meltdown, that what’s most important is spending time with friends and family.   Spending time with family and friends is good; it’s actually a gift from your Father in heaven.   But as you look at these Lepers, only one of them now returned to thank Jesus for the gift of being cleansed, forgiven, and returned to his family.   A Samaritan.   Someone who wasn’t even seen as a friend, much less a member of the family of Israel. Yet, he gets it and returns to Jesus to give Him thanks for the mercy, forgiveness, and new life he received in the Words of Jesus.   This is important because the Leper can now reunite with his family, eat and break bread with them, drink from the same cup, and be part of fellowship and community.    This is pretty cool.   Many of us have separated ourselves not only from our families but also from each other due to the leprosy of sin that goes well below the skin and penetrates the heart. We boil over when family and friends invite themselves over, we get upset when the menu for the big dinner isn’t just right, and we struggle to navigate the emotional landmines planted between us and by us during these days of family gatherings.     In light of this, we must once again le

Trinity 26 November 16, 2025 Matthew 25:31-46     Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.     We have firmly entered the final Sundays of the Church year. Just like last week, this week, and next, stay focused on the end times, the day of Christ’s second Advent, His return.    Our Gospel today began with these words, “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.”   Luther remarked regarding the second coming this way: “He will then not be bedded in the manger, nor ride on an ass, as He did in His first advent, but burst forth from the clouds in great power and glory.”[1]   This is a transcending image.   But it also raises the question: Do we regularly reflect and ponder these words of Jesus from the Gospel?   Honestly, if you are like me, you probably find it hard to stay focused on anything these days, especially the words we recite week after week, for many reasons. One reason is that our attention span keeps getting shorter every day. While technology can be helpful, it can also hinder our ability to concentrate on a single task. That’s why many now think public speakers should limit their talks to 18-20 minutes, so their message is fully understood. Some online platforms that share thought-provoking content, like TED Talks, try to keep their presentations within these time limits. I’ve had a cartoon on my office door in the past showing a congregation half asleep. The caption says, “There is a fine line between a long sermon and a hostage situation.”    Whether it’s true that goldfish now have a longer attention span than humans, the truth is that we are easily distracted and lack the patience needed to wait for the Lord's coming.    Except that’s precisely what the confession of the Creed invites and calls us to do daily as we will soon recite the words of the Nicene Creed, “And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead, whose kingdom will have no end.”[2]   But why is it so crucial for us to remain watchful for the second coming of Christ?   Because if you do not patiently stay watchful, you risk falling away from the Christian faith. In this context, staying alert means exercising your faith, confessing it with your words, and making sure you remain within the sheepfold. For those who do not practice this faith, their awareness of Christ’s return fades, they become less vigilant, and they are as cold as a log separated from the burning fire. As a result, they are now at great risk of falling away, like the goats in today’s Gospel.    Another reason we’re called to be watchful about preventing our faith from drifting comes from our Epistle today, as Peter wrote,  But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.   Did you catch these words, “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”   This leads us to the sheep and the goats…   We often find ourselves acting like goats—independent and stubborn people who may attend church, even appearing similar to sheep, but lack patience for the Gospel. Unfortunately, the goats do not understand or appreciate God’s patience and the ways He is giving you time to turn to repentance.   But the sheep are those who flock together. They know their Shepherd’s voice, they follow Him, and have taken the Psalmists’ words to heart,               I wait for the LORD, m

All Saints Day (Observed) November 2, 2025 Revelation 7:9-17       If you visit my mother-in-law’s house, you'll be greeted by a family tree that dates back over a hundred years. On one wall of the home, the names and dates of each person are carefully and meticulously written beside their photograph. The dates of birth and death are inscribed. The children from each marriage naturally branch out, along with all the vital information about their lives, captured and documented in the family history.   This journey into ancestry is not only a testament of love for family, but it also narrates the family story. It ensures no one in this long Lutheran heritage is forgotten. In a way, this family tree serves as a reminder of God’s faithful saints who now rest from the toils and labors of this earthly life.    I’m unsure how many of us try to remember, or even know, the story of our family’s long history: where they came from, where they lived, what they did for a living, what they believed, and how the Christian faith passed down to them the story of Jesus and provided the assurance of eternal life.    Despite all the technological advances in genealogy, it really seems that the learning of family heritage is fading with each passing generation.    While on vicarage in Palo Alto, CA, I was told one of the saddest quotes I had ever heard. The psychiatrist Irvin Yalon wrote,   Some day soon, perhaps in forty years, there will be no one alive who has ever known me. That’s when I will be truly dead - when I exist in no one’s memory. I thought a lot about how someone very old is the last living individual to have known some person or cluster of people. When that person dies, the whole cluster dies, too, vanishes from the living memory. I wonder who that person will be for me. Whose death will make me truly dead?” (Irvin D. Yalom, Love’s Executioner and Other Tales of Psychotherapy)   No doubt, we ordinary people might never become famous; our names may never be recorded in a history book or included in college course lectures. Our likeness will never be carved into marble, granite, bronze, or steel. But does this mean the memory of your life will vanish with future generations? Will their deaths truly wipe away the memory of your life?    To be sure, this is an incredibly heavy thought to ponder. Will someone else’s death make you truly dead?   While much of the world may sympathize with this idea or even embrace it in the culture of death we live in, where assisted suicide has become legal in many places around the globe, the Christian must stand on God’s Word and respond with an emphatic “No.”    No, I will not die. But I will live in my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.   And we should join Job as he faithfully wrote,            Oh that my words were written!               Oh that they were inscribed in a book!        Oh that with an iron pen and lead               they were engraved in the rock forever!        For I know that my Redeemer lives,               and at the last he will stand upon the earth.        And after my skin has been thus destroyed,               yet in my flesh I shall see God,        whom I shall see for myself,               and my eyes shall behold, and not another. (Job 19:23-27a)   Jesus’ death did not end your existence; it did not erase your life or the memory of it. Instead, the new life given to you through Holy Baptism guarantees you will never be forgotten, but that your name would be inscribed with an iron pen into the book of life.    You have been made members of the choir immortal, washing your robes in the blood of the Lamb as you enter this sanctuary, confessing your sins and receiving your Father’s forgiveness. In this way, you are being delivered from the trials and tribulations of this present life and prepared to be released from the great tribulation of this earthly life on the last day.   This is the image John speaks of in our first reading from Revelation this morning, as he wro

Reformation (Observed) October 26, 2025 John 8:31-36   What is truth?   Truth is understood as the opposite of what is false. However, in today's world, it is common for people to develop their own ideas of what is true and what is false.    We refer to this perspective as subjective truth because the individual acts as the judge of what is right and wrong.   The concept of subjective truth becomes clear when a child is confused about their sexuality, questioning whether they are a boy or a girl.    This discussion is settled not only by science, which has determined that there are only two sexes — male and female — but also by the Word of God, as we learn how our heavenly Father created Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.   When considering the conception of life, is it simply a clump of cells or a human being growing and developing in the mother’s womb?   While science declares that there is truly human life from the moment of conception, scripture also affirms this truth: God creates life through the union of a man and a woman.   Interestingly, when we hear the word science, we think of chemistry sets and microscopes, but the origin of the word “science” comes from the Latin word “Scientia,” meaning knowledge or to know.   To know or to learn what?   What is to be true.   The great endeavor for truth can be heard in the words of Pontius Pilate as Jesus stood before him that first Good Friday.   Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”   There’s a lot packed into these verses.   First, Jesus says that the purpose He came into this world and took on human flesh — your flesh — was to bear witness to the truth. In other words, to confirm what is true. And for this reason, Jesus says that everyone who is in the truth listens to His voice.    You should hear in the back of your mind these words of Jesus, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)   Jesus is the truth, and He reveals through His voice the knowledge and wisdom that now leads you to eternal life.   So, for this reason, to be a disciple, a student of Jesus, begins with hearing His Word.    And we call this objective truth, because His Word does not change. Jesus does not change, as we learn from the book of Hebrews, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8)   Now, as it’s Reformation Day, when you really think about it, on the surface, the Reformation started because the Roman Catholic Church took a subjective approach to interpreting Jesus’ words to serve its needs. The Pope became the only interpreter of Holy Scripture, thus undermining how Scripture interprets Scripture, how Scripture interprets itself, and not only establishes divine truth but also reveals it to you.    This was the reason Luther nailed the 95 theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg. Luther didn’t do this to create a new church; he did it because he wanted the church to return to the objective and unchanging divine truth of Jesus Christ, the One who went to the cross and died to set you free from sin, death, and the pesky devil.   Now, take a moment to reflect with me on the word “Reformation.”   At the heart of “Reformation” is the word “Form” or “Formation.”   But, to reform is not to look forward in this instance, but to look back. The “re” in reformation means to return to the original form or substance. One word that comes to mind in the Church is “redeem,” which means to buy back.   The use of “form” for reform should indicate a past similarity or state once experienced. Therefore, the goal of the Reformation is to return or restore the Church to its original resemblance or condition.    The point of the Reformation is to point and lead the C

The Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity October 19, 2025 Matthew 22:34-46     Questions have been part of humanity since the beginning of time. The world’s chief doubter, Satan, asked the first question. The serpent said to the woman, Eve, “Did God actually say, you shall not eat of any tree in the garden?” (Genesis 3:1) Here, the trickery, deception, and leading away from the will of God by the serpent began.   It started with a question.   The result of Adam and Eve’s actions brought mankind into sin by disobeying the command of God not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The question by Satan ultimately was a test of Adam and Eve’s faithfulness and obedience to God’s command, a test they failed.   Now, it is not wrong to ask questions. Quite the contrary, it is good to ask questions. Hang out with a child for more than a few minutes, and you'll get more than a few questions.   "What does that word mean?”   “When’s lunch?”   “Are we there yet?”   Questions, of course, come in many forms; most often, they seek to gather information and knowledge, but they are also used to test the respondent. The question posed by the Pharisees in today’s Gospel was meant to trap Jesus, and not in a good way. They weren’t genuinely interested in learning about the commandments, God’s will, or the kingdom of God. The Pharisees were insincere in asking, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” They hoped to catch Jesus off guard.    Yet, Jesus answers their question by quoting the Old Testament, Deuteronomy 6:5: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind.” This means they are to love God in a way that reaches the core of who they are. This love encompasses every part of their being—heart, soul, and mind. To expand on that, their heart should always be turned toward God and His Word; the soul represents the life of a person, which should be focused on God and His will every year, day, hour, and minute. The mind is the seat of intellect and reason, along with all of a person's senses. Together, the whole person should always depend on and be focused on God.    However, the Pharisees were not interested in learning what the great commandment was, any more than being dependent upon God or loving God.   Just as Satan tested and tempted Adam and Eve in the Garden, so these Pharisees set out to test and tempt Jesus. As in the world today, these Pharisees were not interested in the will of God; they were more interested in how to wash their hands, what they were to wear, and how their own works would achieve righteousness or good in their lives. In this way, they would never truly love God with all their heart, soul, or mind. In turn, they would never truly be able to “love their neighbor as themselves.” All because their life was focused on their works and their own wills.   How do you ask questions of God? Do you ask to test God? Or do you ask to learn the will of God?   Martin Luther, in his wisdom, laid out the Small Catechism in a question-and-answer format. He keeps things simple, so the head of a household may teach the children and family the will of God plainly. In the Ten Commandments, you are taught that there are two tables of the Law. Jesus summarizes the two tables in today’s Gospel, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”    This is God's will for you.   However, the sinful nature you inherited from your first parents prevents you from doing good apart from Christ. You are unable to love God as you should, but instead create your own gods of this world. You become frustrated with your children, your spouse lets you down, and your neighbors abandon you. Moreover, you find yourself asking God, what is the love you command me to give? Why have you placed these people in my life?    God’s response to you, love your neighbor.   Paul write

The Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity October 12, 2025 Luke 14:1-11   As we observe LWML Sunday, I am reminded to reflect on our Thursday morning Bible study on the Pastoral Epistles. In the letters to Timothy, the Apostle Paul reminds him of the faith he received from the faithful women of his mother, Eunice, and grandmother, Lois, who taught him the Christian faith.   We learn here how the faith is handed down to God’s children throughout the ages. What a precious gift these women were to Timothy.   Who was instrumental in handing down the faith to you? Was it a mother or a grandmother? Or was there someone else who was instrumental in your life?   My guess is that whomever it was, one of the main reasons you are here today is because this individual brought you to church each Sunday.   Now, why is Sunday so important for the Christian faith? Wasn’t Saturday the seventh day of Creation, the day of rest?   It was, but move ahead to Holy Week and you’ll see how Jesus completes His salvific work of redemption and new creation on the cross on Good Friday. As the women, along with some disciples, removed His body from the cross and placed it in the tomb, Jesus rested from all His work—the work of saving you, of securing forgiveness and eternal life for you that Holy Saturday.    And so, after Jesus rested from His saving work on the cross, He rose again on the first day of the week, on Sunday. As an aside, the first person to see the risen Jesus was a woman, Mary Magdalene, as she exclaimed to the Apostles, “I have seen the Lord!” (John 20:18)   However, because of the resurrection of Jesus on that first Easter Sunday, the church now gathers on the first day of the week for Sabbath rest.   But what does the word Sabbath mean?   Luther defines the word, Sabbath in the Large Catechism, “To rest.”   In the Old Testament, the Third Commandment was given to the Jewish people to stop laborious work, allowing both man and beast to rest from their endless toil. But in the New Testament, this day shifts its focus toward resting the spirit and soul of man, finding peace and renewal in Christ. For this reason, Luther asks in the catechism, “What does it mean by keeping the [Sabbath] holy?” he says, “Nothing else than to be occupied with holy words, works, and life.”   So, how are you to be occupied with holy words, works, and life?   You come to the Divine Service to remember the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. You come to hear the Word of the Savior, and worship Him, to receive His forgiveness and a foretaste of the life to come.   This is a pattern of faith, the pattern of keeping the Sabbath that has been ingrained in many of us because it’s a faith handed down by a mother, grandmother, or family member.   But if we’re honest, this pattern of life was given to some of us with a little more of a heavy hand, wasn’t it?   Because of this heavy hand, attending church became more of a box to check for some, simply the fulfillment of a duty. And this use of the law isn’t always a bad thing; it can help us form the good habit of coming to church. However, if coming to Good Shepherd is seen as accomplishing something, as checking the box, then you have missed the whole point of remembering the Sabbath Day and keeping holy, or what the Sabbath of Christ is all about.   This is evident in our Gospel today, where the lawyers and Pharisees fail to understand the true meaning of the Sabbath. For them, the Sabbath is a work, tradition, and law to be done by them. It was not about God’s Word and receiving His mercy.   Jesus exposes this truth as He asks, “Which of you, having a son or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?”   What a sad situation, the lawyers and Pharisees just sat there, silent, hardening their hearts towards Jesus and His Word of mercy.    Do you do this when one of the readings convicts you of a particular sin in your life?   If you step back, you’ll see that one of

In this episode of the Shepherd's Voice, we sit down with Dillin and Deb Lafftery and learn how they came to Good Shepherd and why this church is important to them and their family. 

The Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity October 5, 2025 Luke 7:11-17   What an incredible sight this Gospel must have been, as the Lord of Life encountered a procession of death.   A widow and mother follow the bier that now carries her son’s body in procession to the grave. It’s a sorrowful journey, filled with many tears and an uncertain future.    The woman must have been asking, is this it? Is this all I’m left with, a slow walk to the grave?    In ancient times and throughout early Christian history, the funeral procession started at the deceased’s home and ended at the grave, usually a tomb or cave. Due to purification laws and health concerns, the body was taken outside the city.   Of course, this was before the rise of funeral homes and similar establishments. The cosmetics of dressing up a corpse or the removal of death from our lives reflect how we have commercialized the process today. Historically, families were responsible for caring for the body and preparing it for their loved one’s final resting place. This process, along with the journey to the grave, served as a way to mourn – it was part of the grieving process.    One thing that might seem unusual to us is that it was also common to hire professional mourners, people who would lead the procession in wailing and crying. When the mourners reached the tomb, prayers, Scripture readings, and hymns would be offered.   Another aspect of burial traditions in the early church was the celebration of the Eucharist, commonly referred to as the Lord’s Supper. In this way, it served as a family meal and a foretaste of heaven. The final step was to place the body in the grave with its feet pointing east, in hope and anticipation of Jesus’ return for the living and the dead.    But that wasn’t the end; it was tradition for the family to return on the third, ninth, and fortieth days after the burial, where family and friends would again sing hymns, read scripture, and offer prayers as they rejoiced in thanksgiving for Christ’s victory over death.   The third day represented Christ rising from the dead. The ninth symbolized fulfillment and judgment. The forty days served as a time of testing, trial, and completeness.    This description reflects an intention and a ritual that were not only present but also designed to facilitate the grieving process and affirm the resurrection of Jesus at the time of death.    And this is an important point for us to remember as we live in times when funerals have become less about ritual, less about grieving, and less about the Lord of Life.   So, how should we prepare for the Christian funeral today?    Well, Luther has a helpful insight regarding this matter. He says, A Christian is a person who begins to tread the way from this life to heaven the moment he is baptized, in the faith that Christ is henceforth the Way, the Truth, and the Life. And he holds to this way until his end. He is always found on this way and is led in the truth to obtain life, as one who already sees the shore where he is to land. He is prepared at all times, whether death comes today, tomorrow, or in one, two, or ten years; for in Christ he has already been transported to the other side. We cannot be safe from death for a minute; in Baptism all Christians begin to die, and they continue to die until they reach the grave.   If you step back, the funeral dirge of life and the confession of what is received in death begin the moment you’re baptized – it’s at this moment we begin to prepare for our funeral.   For this reason, baptism begins to influence not only your journey to the grave but also how you mourn.    Think about that for a moment…   The font of Holy Baptism becomes the ongoing battlefield of life and death. It involves confessing the sins that have consumed and isolated you in grief and sorrow. It includes confronting the fears of death that fill your mind as you endure ailments and aging. It also involves the struggle with Satan himself.    In Ba