FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE – July 16, 2006
CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA – Cherish the Children was
the theme as over 200 Lutherans gathered, July 14-16, from across the United States
and Canada for the national conference of Lutherans For Life (LFL), the
only pan-Lutheran pro-life organization in the nation. LFL has 15
state/regional federations nationwide, along with local chapters and
Life Ministry Coordinators.
Rev. Dr. Jeffrey A. Gibbs, Professor of Exegetical
Theology at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri, gave the Friday
night keynote address on the theme Why Are They Greatest in the
Kingdom? Jesus’ View of Children, based on Matthew 18:1-10.
Dr. Gibbs asked, "Why do we regard these children
unborn as so in need of protection? . . . In Matthew’s Gospel, as in the
rest of the Bible, to be ‘like a child’ is be to weak, in need of
protection, unlearned, unable to fend for yourself, small, vulnerable .
. . In God’s plan, the most important people are the least important
people."
Earlier, LFL President Diane Schroeder shared how,
through the pain of infertility, God had taught her and husband Carl
"that children are not ours by right, but truly a gift given by Him . .
. that children are not clones of parents, but unique individuals
created by God for His purposes." Diane and Carl are the parents of four
adopted children.
Chuck Asay, editorial cartoonist for the Colorado
Springs Gazette, opened the first of two plenary sessions on
Saturday. He said "We are supposed to warn the idle . . . encourage the
timid . . . help the weak—who’s weaker than an unborn child? . . . We
need to leave behind this idea that we are in charge and make the
rules." He encouraged those in attendance to "be a blessing along the
way. Get people engaged in a conversation" about life issues because
"it’s about God’s children—He wants lots of them!"
In a second plenary address, Roberta Bandy, author of
The Dance Goes On, shared her and her husband’s experience raising a
handicapped son, Rob, their first born child, along with four other
children. She said "each life has hope, meaning, and purpose" because
through Christ that life was "bought at a price." Rob lived for 29
years. "We know his life had value because we saw evidence of it each
and every day . . . to this day." "He made us stronger and wiser" and
taught "duty, humility, self-sacrifice, grace, peace . . . [Rob]
reflected Christ’s humility more than any other person I have ever
known."
Saturday’s workshops focused on caring for the
mentally and physically handicapped; engaging in conversation with those
opposed to the pro-life position; daycare, Creation, chastity and
relationships; building a culture of life; cherishing children in other
lands, through adoption, in families, through LFL; cherishing moms in
crisis, and post-abortion recovery.
LFL Executive Director Rev. Dr. James I. Lamb had
three main points in his Sunday sermon: Cherish means to care for in a
close, intimate way. The children we are to cherish are all those
vulnerable and in need. We cherish the children because God does. He
concluded his sermon this way: "The primary message we are to take back
to our family and friends and congregations is not that we need to start
pregnancy centers. The primary message is not that we need to promote
families and abstinence and adoption. The primary message is not that we
are to care for those with broken bodies or broken hearts. The primary
message is not that we are to cherish the children because they are
precious. The primary message is that we are to cherish the children
because they are precious to God. Everything else will flow from that."
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25th National Lutherans For Life
Conference in Omaha, July 6-8, 2007
