Rogness On Tap

***This note was included in the weekly newsletter of my congregation.*** Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, This Monday is Memorial Day. For many, it is a day off from work and spent with family or with friends for picnics. For some, it remains a sad day to remember those who have worn a military uniform in service to our country and laid down their lives in defense of their fellow man.   There is no way around it; war is an ugly endeavor that no one should ever desire. St. Augustine writes regarding war and peace: “Peace is not sought in order to provoke war, but war is waged in order to attain peace. Be a peacemaker, then, even by fighting, so that through your victory you might bring those whom you defeat to the advantages of peace. ‘Blessed are the peacemakers,’ says the Lord, ‘for they will be called children of God’ (St. Mt 5:9).” The peacemakers are those individuals called into the battles of this world, not for glory or the rush of adrenaline, but the peace of fellow man. T

Texts: John 16:23-33 & James 1:22-27 Jesus says, “You will have tribulation…” The world is full of tribulation.   Tribulation is seen as the inward infliction of distress, affliction, or oppression. Many Christians believe we are living in unchartered times and experiencing oppression like no other moment in history.   In Finland, Rev. Dr. Juhana Pohjola, Bishop Elect of the Lutheran Church in Finland was charged by the government for incitement against a group of people. Similarly, Päivi Räsänen, a member of Parliament (also a Lutheran) is facing charges of hate speech for comments made on a television show regarding her belief in traditional marriage. What did these two Lutherans do wrong? They confessed – they confessed what God’s unchanging Word says regarding marriage.   Should we be bracing for similar fates as the world surrounding us evolves?   The nature of the pending Equality Act in the United States, the repeal of laws protecting the unborn, the aged, and the orphaned