Lutherans for Life
Our mission at Lutherans for Life is to witness to the sanctity of human life through education based on the Word of God. Learn More
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Comments on Healthcare (from the LFL Board of Directors)
While pleased to see the House of Representatives add the Stupak amendment excluding abortion coverage to the health care bill recently passed, the Board of Directors of Lutherans For Life urges caution.
It should be noted that if a nationalized plan become the law of the land, the federal government will be involved in health care as never before. All it will take is a simple amendment sometime in the near future for abortion to be part of the program again.
The battle for national health care now moves to the Senate. There are no exclusions for abortion funding at this point in the Senate versions. Even if one is added, there are other pro-life concerns that will remain.
For example, both the House and Senate versions establish centralized boards that would monitor costs and make decisions about which treatments could be used and under which conditions. This could lead to rationing, based on a quality of life ethic, and expand the perceived need for physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia.
Thus, the Board of Directors remains opposed to these bills and urges its constituents and others to do the same.
Call your senators to express your opposition. Urge them to vote against the bill even if abortion funding is excluded.
Above all else, pray that the Lord of Life will be at work through all of this to accomplish His will.
Posted 11/12/09
Life Quote for the Week:
"Words like ‘beget,’ ‘descendents,’ and ‘genealogies’ [in the Holy Bible] prove that life goes on! The enemy strikes at life; he steals, kills, and destroys, but he cannot stop the Creator’s hands from creating. Life—in the womb or out—is dealt constant blows by the enemy, but eyes focused on the promise of sweet life see victory." Linda D. Bartlett, former president of Lutherans For Life
Life Thought in the Church Year
"Eagerly waiting for him" (Hebrews 9:28) frames the context in which Christians face the realities of life while waiting. Knowing that Jesus dealt with sin once and for all in His first coming enables us to wait for His second coming with the assurance of His power and presence. Like the widows (1 Kings 17:8-16, Mark 12:38-44), in the bleakest of circumstances, we trust He is at work.
A good article (he has many) from Wesley J. Smith:
http://www.firstthings.com/blogs...
Life Quote for the Week:
"If human embryonic stem cell research does not make you at least a little bit uncomfortable, you have not thought about it enough." James A. Thomson, the first scientist to isolate human embryonic stem cells
Life Thought in the Church Year:
"You will be like God" (Genesis 3:5) started the sinful human race. "We shall be like him" (1 John 3:2) declares the victorious finish. But even in between, He who called us to be His children in Christ declares us saints. Words like "blessed" (Matthew 5:1-12) and "pure" (1 John 3:3) and "washed" (Revelation 7:14) apply to us now because they are applied to us now by our gracious God. Christians who sin against life particularly need to hear of their sainthood.
Sainthood
Greetings fellow saints,
When I was still in parish ministry, we put “All Saints” on the sign in front of our church when we were observing All Saints Day (November 1). The nun from our local Catholic church saw me uptown and said, “I noticed your sign. I didn’t know you guys had saints.” I replied, “At St. Paul, we are all saints.” She smiled a little half smile that politely said “Huh?” and continued walking.
Martin Luther helped us understand the Scriptural truth that sainthood is not something you earn by your deeds and prove by attesting miracles. Sainthood is God’s declaratory gift in Jesus Christ (Romans 3:21-26). Sainthood is not the result of holy living but of the holy life and death of Christ. Sainthood, however, does result in holy living as we declared saints strive to be obedient to the will of the holy One.
All Saints Day can fill us with comfort and hope as we remember the faithfully departed who have joined the saints triumphant in Heaven. All Saints Day can also fill us with comfort and hope as we think of our many sins, especially those that leave a burden of regret upon our hearts that just keeps nagging away. For we are reminded that sainthood does not depend upon the absence of regret or even feeling forgiven. It depends upon the presence of the abundant grace of God in Christ. Sainthood is the objective fact of forgiveness not a subjective feeling of being forgiven.
Such objective sainthood is a powerful message to share with those whose heart is wounded because of the sin of abortion. If that someone is you, please take this message to heart. If you know of someone who needs to be reminded of their sainthood, please share this message with them.
Lutherans For Life also has materials on post abortion that you may find helpful in reading or sharing. We also encourage you to find out more about LFL's Word of Hope ministry.
Happy All Saints Day. You are all saints!
Your fellow saint,
Jim Lamb
Life Quote for the Week:
"Being a Christian is not a spectator sport; following the Savior calls for courage and commitment … The Lord has entrusted us with the salvation story ... we are people of Christ with the one and only message of hope that can forgive sins and save souls. ‘Thus far, no further.’ Here is where we make our stand." Rev. Ken Klaus, speaker on The Lutheran Hour
Life Thoughts in the Church Year:
Luther’s slavery: No one righteous under the law, righteousness by works, accountable. Luther’s freedom: righteousness apart from the law, righteousness through faith, justified. (Romans 3:19-28) No matter what sins enslave us (include abortion in your list), Jesus Christ frees us.
On some church-year calendars, today is set aside to remember St. James of Jerusalem, brother of Jesus and martyr. With the Word of God and the culture of life under attack, it is also a good day to reflect on these words James wrote to the Church:
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion:
Greetings.
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full e ffect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who do ubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.
Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.
James 1:1-12 ESV
Life Quote for the week:
"What is taking place in America is a war against the child … And if we accept that the mother can kill her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill one another." Mother Teresa
Life Thought in the Church Year (for this week):
As Christians, we rest from our work and work toward our rest. Our great high priest, Jesus, (Hebrews 4:14) accomplished for us the work of salvation. But we have works of obedience to the living Word to do as we move toward our final rest (4:11). Promoting the value of human life is part of that obedience. Pointing those who have sinned against life to a Savior who can "sympathize with our weaknesses" (4:15) is part of that obedience as well.
In our devotions this morning, we included this prayer from the LHM Daily Devotion:
"Dear Lord for giving me a teacher, a parent, someone who imparted the story of salvation to me, my thanks. Now, in my time, may I pass the message of salvation to those who come after me. In Jesus' name. Amen."
Life Thought in the Church Year:
(Based on Mark 10): The rich man’s question seemed mixed up. "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" (Mark 10:17b) You can’t do anything to inherit something. Eternal life is a free gift from God to His children in Christ. That’s disheartening news for those secure in their sin. It is very heartening news for those crushed under the impossible weight of their sin.
Life Quote for this week:
"Above all things, my faith motivates me to do as much as I can and strive to do more in the pro-life movement. As a child of God, I know a truth that is stronger than anything the world can throw at me—the power of eternal life through Christ. I cannot, because of who I am as a child of God, keep silent as my own generation is denied the chance to exist." Janice Nihill, a 17-year-old senior and student pro-life leader at the 2008 March for Life in Washington D.C.
Life Sunday resources for 2010 went online today! Our theme is "Speak the Truth of Life." Spread the Word! Go to:
http://www.lutheransforlife.org/...
Our "GOD'S WORD for Life" Bibles went on sale today! You can find out more at: http://www.lutheransforlife.org/...
Our staff meeting devotion for today (from "Meditations" published by Northwestern Publishing House) included this verse from a hymn by Paul Gerhardt (reflecting on Easter morning):
This is a sight that gladdens--
What peace it does impart?
Now nothing ever saddens
The joy within my heart.
No gloom shall ever shake
No foe shall ever take
The hope which God's own Son,
In love for me has won.
(CW 156:3)
The devotion closed with this:
"Face deadly guilt and the daily grind with the calm confidence of knowing that since Jesus lives forever, you will too. The reality of the resurrection, both Christ's and ours, fills each day with living hope!"
Life Quote for this week:
"Look at your hands. They are now Christ’s hands of blessing in this world. Use them to be a blessing because there are so many who are treated as insignificant, of no value, and are in danger of being trampled upon. Yes, Christ’s big hands of blessing are right here in His Church and in this world." Rev. Dr. Glenn A. Nielsen, Concordia Seminary, St Louis, Missouri
LFL has added a new online gift shop. Check it out at:
http://lfl.gigabitprint.com/
I have posted a media link on this page to a video from CitizenLink.com titled " Family Chooses Life Knowing Baby Will Die." As the mother of a stillborn child, the idea of providing comfort and support to parents in this very difficult situation has always touched my heart. I'm wondering if there are stories out there that could be shared with others through this website. Anyone out there that has comments or support ideas for others?
You can add to the thread started on the "discussion board" or post comments here.
Thank you, Dawn, for reminding us that the life issues cover a broad spectrum of concerns at all stages of life.
"Life is not ours to give nor is it ours to take … Indeed the cross of Jesus Christ makes the difference in facing and living through our end-of-life issues. Thanks be to God!"
Rev. Dr. Eugene Boe, Lutheran Brethren Seminary
Lutherans For Life's Life Resource Catalog offers many resources to help you deal with end-of-life issues.
Bible Studies: Life Studies – Volume One
Booklets including The Basics on Advance Directives: Thy Will Be Done; Before I Die – A Practical Guide for End-of-Life Issues; Ventilators, Feeding Tubes, and Other End-of-Life Questions
Brochures including Euthanasia and the Christian; God's Love in Human Suffering (or why I didn't housebreak my cockroach); A Christian Guide for End-of-Life Decisions; The Right to Die – Rhetoric, Reality, and Response; What About … Death and Dying
Bulletin Insert: Life Under the Cross
Manual: Living with Dying (a three-ring binder with over 60 items addressing the medical, historical, spiritual, legal, and ethical questions arising at life's end.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the most positive and powerful For Life message in the universe!
You can find all of these resources at www.lutheransforlife.org .
Life Quote for this week:
"Your loved ones who died trusting Christ are at home with the Lord. They have been moved from poverty-stricken lives to be possessors of a wealth that cannot be measured. We too can know that, as the years fly by, we have an eternity before us that knows no end." Rev. Homer Larson, speaker on the Christian Crusaders radio program
Life Quote for the Week:
"Sarah, and all children with Down [syndrome], are human persons. But we live in a culture that is rapidly losing its capacity to recognize human personhood where it is to be found. We well have reason to fear that, in our technical sophistications and narcissistic obsession with the unimpeded pursuit of every personal preference, there is very little separating us from a new barbarism." Father Thomas Berg, L.C., executive director of the Westchester Institute for Ethics and the Human Person, from his article "Eliminating Down Babies"
Life Thought in the Church Year:
The freeing promise of God cannot be over emphasized for those who bear the weight of the sin of abortion, "I will remember their sins their lawless deeds no more" (Hebrews 10:18). It is good to have a forgiving and forgetting God!