Higher Things, Day 1 - The Drive

So drove to Fort Wayne, IN today. A mostly pleasant drive, though boring. Had torrential rains for a while in western PA, but otherwise not bad. When we checked into the Guest Dorm where we're staying tonight, I met an old friend - Marcia Lange, wife of the pastor who taught me Greek here at the Seminary and now 1st VP of Synod. We had a nice conversation catching up. Then met up with our new adopted seminary student and his family and some friends who live in town and went to dinner. Here are some pics . . .

Sleeping beauties! Can you tell they're brothers? :-)

Caleb, Delie, and little Hosanna

At Pizza Hut for dinner.

This morning we have some time, so letting the kids sleep a little, then having brunch, then off to Valpo. They're in the Central Time Zone which means we have an extra hour this morning, but lose an hour for the drive home. :-(

Thoughts After Dobbs #4

Pro-life means not only to speak against death, but to care for all life, from the womb to the tomb, no matter what it looks like, or how able or disabled, or how useful it seems or not to us. We are to love our neighbor as ourselves. We are to love as Jesus loved. A tall order! And one we will always fall short of. But one that the love of Jesus for us compels us to do.

That being said, those who are pro-abortion often accuse us of caring only for the yet-to-be-born baby and not for the mother. While I do not think that entirely true, maybe we need to look at ourselves and acknowledge the grain of truth here - that we need to be doing a better job at this. Encouraging fathers to be fathers, supporting mothers and families, providing the help that they need. Being there for the elderly, and helping those caring for the elderly. And much more.

The early Christians in Rome did this by going to the garbage dumps and rescuing babies who had been thrown away. You could do that then! But if all life is valuable, precious, and important, those early Christians knew that had to act like it, and they were compelled to act like it. And that opened the minds and changed the hearts of many Romans.

The Church (it seems to me) used to be much more active in this, but the government has taken over and because of all its rules and regulations has forced the church out. But maybe this is the time for the Church to step up again. And step in. If the government is not going to care for all - and not only allow, but also perhaps encourage assisted suicide, mercy killing, abortion, and other forms of death - then the Church will have once again rescue lives that are being thrown away; lives the world does not want. But lives that Jesus wants. Lives that Jesus died for. Lives that are worth our lives, too.

Thoughts After Dobbs #3

Language is a big deal. The words we use matter. I heard on the radio recently a commentator reflect on the phrases that someone "got" an abortion, or "received" an abortion. He asked: What exactly did that woman "get" or "receive" when she walked into the clinic? (Or took those pills?) Actually, nothing. But she lost and gave up an awful lot - a little boy or little girl. Someone in my Bible Class commented that actually, what the woman received was a trauma to her body, mind, and soul. Good point. And after that, what she needs in the Gospel! For yes, there is forgiveness for abortion, as there is for each and every sin. These women who have gotten abortions - for whatever reason - need our care and the care of their Saviour. And it is incumbent on the church to provide this care. This is what we have to give - forgiveness, hope, and life in Jesus. We don't just want to stop abortions (and other kinds of killing), but help and care for these mothers, the elderly, and all who are endangered these days. (More on this in another future post.)

But more on the words we use . . . I used them above. Perhaps we should stop using the language of "fetus" in describing the life in utero. How about baby? How about little boy or little girl? That might, in a slow and steady way, help to humanize these little lives and help people begin thinking a little differently. Language matters.

Thoughts After Dobbs #2

My second thought post-Dobbs . . .

While this ruling will certainly effect the number of surgical abortions performed in many states, and the grizzly dismemberment and painful killing will decrease, the number of abortions done by pill is on the increase. Some estimates I've seen claim that as many as 60% of all abortions are now done by pill. Perhaps some states will pass laws restricting the availability and distribution of these pills, though I'm sure there will be a whole raft of legal challenges to that, too. 

The problem with these pills are that the evidence shows they are not as safe as is often claimed, and that they are marketed as "preventing pregnancy," or an "emergency contraceptive" - so that many who take them probably do not even know they are killing their baby. The claim that they "prevent ovulation" may be accurate in some cases, but if taken after ovulation, (or perhaps too close to ovulation,) they prevent a fertilized egg from implanting, thus causing an abortion.

That's why my previous post said that Dobbs is a step in the right direction. Minds and hearts still need to be changed, to know that the life inside a woman is a little boy or little girl, in need of our love, care, and protection. Until we acknowledge that, the problem will go on. 

Tomorrow: More on the language we use . . .

Thoughts After Dobbs

For the next few days and posts, I am going to put out here some thoughts on life after the Dobbs Supreme Court decision. Not political thoughts, but what this means for us as the church. 

First, Dobbs is a step, not a victory. There is still much work to be done. The Law constrains behaviour but it cannot change hearts. We need to continue to proclaim the Gospel that each and every life is a life for whom Jesus died and who God loves dearly, whether that life is in the womb or in a nursing home, whether than life is a man or a woman, whether than life came about in loving ways or not. 

Dobbs returned the abortion debate to the states, which means that Christians in each state now need to step up their games on a state level. For the past 50 years the March for Life in Washington was a big deal every year. Now, a March for Life in each state will be more important. These are harder to get folks to come out for, but we need to put in the effort. The national political parties know that a local ground game is important in elections; we need to know that, too. 

Here in Northern Virginia, our local Lutherans for Life chapter is small. Good folks, but we've had trouble getting traction with many people and churches. We need to keep pushing on and proclaiming the Gospel of life. Many people think abortion and other life issues are political issues and so don't want to go near them. They are political. No denying that. But they are also theological. And we need to proclaim the truth of God's Word no matter what. No obnoxiously, but with clarity and charity, consistently and courageously. And trust the Word to do its work.

Cool Picture

 

Happy Independence Day everyone!

Vacation Bible School - Extra

A couple more pictures for you . . . the final day chalk art:

PS I also found out why the coins brought in on Tuesday were so few . . . the papers I asked be distributed to each child that day to take home never were! I found them all this morning as I was cleaning up a few things. So the families didn't know until Wednesday's offering! So that answers that question!