The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the single most important event in the history of the universe! And you can take that personally! It validates Jesus’ payment on the cross for the sins of the world—and for your sins. It guarantees the certain hope of resurrection from the dead and eternal life for all who believe—including you. Yes, take it personally! The Apostle Paul did. He begins 1 Corinthians 15 by listing Jesus’ resurrection appearances. Then he continues in verse 8, “Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.”
Paul was unique in the list. Everyone else followed Jesus. Paul persecuted Jesus. “For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God” (vs. 9). Yes, Paul was unworthy. But he knew he had a worthiness that came from Christ because of those two words, “to me”!
We at Lutherans For Life (LFL) pray that you will have a blessed Easter and that you will take the Resurrection of our Lord personally and know the worthiness and hope that comes from those words, “to me.” He appears to you in His Word of Life. He appears to you in His Water of Life, Holy Baptism. He appears to you in His Meal of Life, Holy Communion.
I also pray that you will understand the power of this message for those who feel unworthy today. A woman with an abortion in her past wrote, “I didn’t feel worthy of anyone’s love, and I went through life wishing that I were dead.”
Or like the college freshman, unmarried, pregnant, afraid. “I was raised to be ‘good.’ How can I tell my parents I’m not so good anymore?”
Or the ailing, elderly woman in the nursing home who says, “What good is my life? Why am I still here?”
One way to look at the ministry of LFL is that we want to help people take the Easter message personally, especially those who feel “untimely born” or unworthy or burdened. We want people like those I mentioned above to know the mercy and hope in the words “to me.”
We need your help to do so. Please help us share the Easter message with those dealing with difficult issues of life and death. Your gift may help someone take Easter personally!
So what exactly do we do with your money to accomplish this? Many things! We are a multifaceted life ministry that seeks to equip Lutherans to connect the Easter message to the whole range of life issues in a wide variety of ways.
We produce written materials—brochures, booklets, Bible studies, downloadable posters, bulletin inserts, worship services, sermons, and curricula. (You can order them from the Sanctity of Life section at www.cph.org.) And people take them personally.
A pastor wrote, “I always thought the biotechnology issues like stem cell research, cloning, and in vitro fertilization were too complicated to deal with in my congregation. But your resources on these were easy to understand and based solidly on the Scriptures. I use them extensively.”
Another pastor sent a note to Lori Trinche, our mission and ministry director, and said, “My kids are still talking about how much they enjoyed your visit and the Owen’s [Mission] babies. I’m glad you were able to make such an impression on them and the importance that every life matters!” Later he wrote, “I’m amazed at and thankful for all the topics Lutherans For Life covers.”
LFL offers DVDs, PowerPoint sermon outlines, and online audio. People take them personally.
“Your DVD on end of life issues gave me a whole new perspective on how Christians face these issues and helped me and my family through some difficult times.”
LFL hosts a website that abounds in Word-based information. Many of the items above can be downloaded from the website. People take it personally.
A Lutheran school teacher said, “You have a fantastic website. I use it all the time when teaching on these issues.”
LFL maintains the only Lutheran post-abortion hotline in the country. Through Word of Hope (www.word-of-hope.org; 888.217.8679) we provide Christ-centered counseling to hundreds of women and men who feel “unworthy” because of an abortion decision in their lives. They take it personally.
“I will never forget talking to the director [of Word of Hope], Grace, for the first time. She loved me unconditionally, and with her help I accepted the reality of what I had done and began to accept God’s forgiveness for my sin of abortion.”
LFL has a full time staff person dedicated to helping the younger generation address the life issues and giving them avenues to DO something about them. Y4Life touches many young lives every day. They take it personally.
One student in particular has been so touched by her experiences with Y4Life that she has attended Y4Life in Washington D.C. twice and attended a Y4Life Servant Event. She said of her latest trip to Washington in January, “Being surrounded by so many people at the March for Life, who support the same thing I do, makes me believe that our generation has the potential to change the world.”
LFL makes use of social media such as Facebook and Twitter as well as YouTube and Vimeo—along with a frequently updated blog on our website. People take it personally. About our Facebook presence, an LFL member wrote to say that it was a “beautiful page full of all things Life. I look forward to keeping up more easily with LFL and its marvelous message.”
LFL oversees a frontline structure of people resources—state affiliates, chapters, life teams—all over the country. These people are involved in a vast array of practical, hands-on activities. People take it personally.
I pray that you can see that a gift to LFL does more than “fund an organization.” It funds a ministry that touches people’s lives with the message of the single most important event in the history of the universe—the resurrection of Jesus Christ! AND people take it personally. Lives are changed and lives are saved.
Easter is a great time to commit to such a ministry. Your gift will do more than either of us could imagine.
Once again, allow me to wish you a blessed Easter celebration and Easter season. And remember, take it personally!
In addition to your gift, whatever size it may be, I also ask for your prayers for LFL that the Lord may continue to use us to make a difference in people’s lives.