Lutheran Family Service is working to activate and equip individuals, pastors and congregations to engage in supporting our elected officials to uphold the value and sanctity of all human life. We believe that life begins at the moment of fertilization and ends at natural death. Life is valuable, purposeful and meaningful at all stages and ages.
“Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.” (Proverbs 31:8-9)
Support the Life Advocacy work of Lutheran Family Service so that we may continue to equip others to Be a Voice for Life and stand up to defend the value of life through countless hours and efforts at the Iowa State Capitol.
Value does not come from what we are able to do or not do. It comes from what God has done. Human life has value because:
Through this positive and joyful God-breathed truth, God moves us to dispel the myths about life’s value such as:
This is a critical time in a “pro-death” culture to be the voice for those vulnerable to abortion and physician-assisted suicide. If we don’t stand up now to defend life, who will? Lutheran Family Service works with LCMS Pastors and Congregations in Iowa to inform, educate and call-to-action. One way to do this is to hold a “Kingdom of the Left” Sunday where you, or a representative from Lutheran Family Service, preaches and teaches about critical life issues. Another is to attend and encourage your congregation to attend the annual, Iowa Prayer Rally for Life. And, yet third way, is to attend and encourage your brother pastors to attend the annual, LCMS Pastors Day on the Hill at the Iowa capitol.
Jesus calls us to influence our culture. He tells us we are the light of His truth in this dark world (Matthew 5:14) and that we are to be like salt preserving this truth and defending it (Matthew 5:13). One of the ways we do this is in the public square is through our elected officials. Part of our Christian responsibility as citizens is to be a voice for God’s truth in the ears of those who represent us.
On the Day of Atonement you shall sound the trumpet throughout all your land. And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you, when each of you shall return to his property and each of you shall return to his clan. (Leviticus 25:9-10)
The fiftieth year was a grand year for God’s people Israel. It was a year of jubilee. Trumpets heralded liberty—liberty from debts, liberty of property sold because of debt, liberty of people sold as slaves.
January 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision. Thanks be to God the Supreme Court overturned that ruling in June of 2022. Therefore, Lutheran Family Service declares 2023 to be a year of Jubliee! Sound the trumpet! Proclaim liberty throughout the land!
And we have liberty to proclaim. We have liberty from living under a flawed and deadly ruling. We have liberty to make our voices count. We have liberty to joyfully do more to reach women and help women in a crisis pregnancy. Various reports have stated that there have been 10,000 fewer abortions since the overturn of Roe. The same reports predicts 60,000 fewer abortions in 2023. Planned Parenthood says this is thousands of women who had no place to go. For us it is thousands of women and thousands of babies we need to reach and help and be and share Jesus.
That is the bottom line for LFS. The Year of Jubilee always began on the Day of Atonement of that year. On that day two goats were selected. The high priest placed his hands on one of the goats and confessed Israel’s sins. This goat was then sent into the wilderness, the proverbial scapegoat. The other goat was sacrificed, and its blood sprinkled around the mercy seat in the Holy of Holies to atone for the sins of the people. This happened once every year.
But we have a Day of Atonement that happened once for all! God put our sins on a scapegoat named Jesus. His wilderness and forsakenness was a cross. The blood He shed there cleanses us from all sin. The blood He shed there was shed once and for all. LFS shares this liberating message in all we do.
For more information we offer the following articles:
A new legislative session begins! On January 10, the LFS Life Advocacy team met with our six LCMS Legislators. They are:
Also, Roby Smith of Trinity, Davenport was elected state treasurer.
We thank God for these servants of His in the public realm. Remember them in your prayers.
Heartbeat Law
This law never went into effect. It was declared unconstitutional in 2018. But since then the Iowa Supreme Court reversed its former ruling that the Iowa Constitution grants a right to abortion. In light of this, Governor Reynolds sought to have the injunction lifted. But the district court failed to do so. It has gone to the Supreme Court and a decision is not expected until June 2023.
Protect Life Amendment
This amendment declaring that the Iowa constitution does not guarantee the right to abortion is less critical now because of the reversal noted above. However, it is still important because, as we know, the make-up of the supreme court an change. The amendment must pass in two legislative assemblies. It passed in the 89th General Assembly. Most agree that a vote on this should wait until the second session of the 90th assembly in 2024.
Life at Conception
A Life at Conception bill will most likely be introduced. While all agree this is the “gold standard,” not all agree on the timing. Leadership in both the Senate and the House feel this should also wait until the Supreme Court rules on the Heartbeat bill. We will keep you posted.
Physician Assisted Suicide
With the current legislature this will not be introduced. However, it is always “in the wings.” One positive and proactive measure was discussed at our January 10 meeting with the legislators. Oklahoma passed a bill mandating that the death certificate of someone who dies by assisted suicide should indicate suicide as the cause of death. In states where it is legal, the terminal illness that prompted the use of assisted suicide is listed as cause of death. There was interest in considering such a bill for Iowa. Again, we will keep our eyes on this for you.
Lutheran Family Service is proud to be a member of the Coalition of Pro-Life Leaders. This group is indeed stronger together as we serve to be the voice for the little girl or boy in the mother’s womb. Each each year, together with the Coalition of Pro-Life Leaders, Lutheran Family Service helps to plan and organize a Prayer Rally for Life. To be notified when life advocacy events will take place, as well as other legislative action steps you can take, please sign-up using the form below.
Doctor Assisted Suicide: Is Death the Solution to the Problems of Life?
by Rev. Dr. Jim Lamb - Life Advocate
As long as God gives life, He gives life purpose. As long as God gives life, He is at work producing fruitful labor through that life. And death is not an acceptable solution to the problems of life.
