Are you eager to see Jesus? Simeon was. “And it had been revealed to [Simeon] by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ” (Luke 2:26). So was the aged Anna. “And coming up at that very hour [Anna] began to give thanks to God and to speak of [Jesus] to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem” (2:38).
Did you know that Lutherans For Life (LFL) serves many, many aged or ailing Lutherans who wait to see Jesus when death closes their eyes? A large portion of our materials helps these folks and their family members deal with the many end-of-life questions that arise for all of us—pain and suffering, advance directives, discontinuing treatment, whether or not to start a feeding tube, etc. One such person wrote:
Dr. Lamb, I just wanted to let you know that I have viewed the video, The Other End of Life, twice now, and it is beautifully done and the message comes across clearly. These issues are front and center for my family right now, and I have encouraged family members to watch this and gain an understanding of God’s plan for the end of our lives.
I just want you to know that your generous gift to LFL not only helps us speak up for those not yet born who cannot speak for themselves, it helps us speak for those at the other end of life who may not be able to speak for themselves as well. Your gift helps us offer support and guidance to their families.
From one end of life to the other, your gift will help us apply the Good News of a Savior conceived and born because of God’s great love for life at all stages of development.
So, I know you will not mind me asking for a special Christmas gift this year. Help those at both ends of life’s spectrum through your financial gift. And we can double your gift! See the challenge later in this article!
After Simeon saw the baby Jesus and held Him in his arms (Luke 2:28), he sang the song so many of us sing after communion. “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples” (Luke 2:29-30). We do not know when or how Simeon died. It does not matter. His dying in peace had nothing to do with the time or manner of his death. It had to do with Jesus, God’s salvation for him and for “all peoples.”
There is a great need both in our churches and in our culture to understand what “departing in peace” is all about. Many believe we have the right to determine the time and manner of our death. Physician-assisted suicide is now legal in five of our states. That number will grow if killing oneself continues to be seen as “departing in peace” or “death with dignity.”
On November 2, Brittany Maynard killed herself and called it dignified. Brittany had terminal brain cancer and moved to Oregon so she could qualify for assisted suicide. Her case received national attention when she produced an emotional video of her intentions.
Less well-known is a faith-filled and thoughtful response to Brittany’s case by Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod’s Life Ministries director, Maggie Karner, a dear sister to me in Christ, who also has terminal brain cancer. She wrote in part:
“Death sucks. And while this leads many to attempt to calm their fears by grasping for personal control over the situation, as a Christian with a Savior who loves me dearly and who has redeemed me from a dying world, I have a higher calling. God wants me to be comfortable in my dependence on Him and others, to live with Him in peace and comfort no matter what comes my way. As for my cancer journey, circumstances out of my control are not the worst thing that can happen to me. The worst thing would be losing faith, refusing to trust in God’s purpose in my life and trying to grab that control myself … Because our Savior, Jesus Christ, selflessly endured an ugly death on the cross and was laid in a borrowed tomb (no ‘death with dignity’ there), He truly understands our sorrows and feelings of helplessness. I want my kids to know that Christ’s resurrection from that borrowed grave confirms that death could not hold Him, and it cannot hold me either—a baptized child of God!”
It is this Simeon-like attitude that Lutherans For Life strives to instill by the things we say and do and by the materials we produce regarding facing life’s end with true dignity and peace.
What a great way to celebrate the birth of Christ by helping share the peace of Christ He came to bring! We may not be able to hold Jesus in our arms as Simeon and Anna did, but we can trust—and help others trust—that Jesus holds us in His. What a grand message this is, and not just for those facing the end of life. It speaks to the fears of that pregnant and unmarried college student. It speaks to the guilt and regret of that woman or man caught in abortion’s aftermath. It speaks to those hurting because of infertility or miscarriage or stillbirth.
LFL seeks to apply the message of God’s peace in Christ to all of these and more. We seek your help to do so.
This has been a tough year financially for the ministry. As you may have heard, Thrivent Financial decided that LFL would no longer receive funds from their Choice Dollar and Gift Multiplier programs. LFL chapters can no longer receive matching funds for events they sponsor.
In response, we’ve had two dedicated couples say they are willing to greatly increase their year-end gifts. However, they’d like other ministry friends to increase theirs, too.
They’ve offered to match your gift, dollar for dollar, up to a total of $20,000.
This is a wonderful opportunity for LFL. Would you please consider a special Christmas gift to help us qualify for these matching funds?
From all of the staff of Lutherans For Life, I wish you the peace of Christmas, a peace that passes understanding, a peace that allows us to both live and die in joyful hope.
Remember your gift will be help us receive $20,000 in matching monies to help make up for the loss of Thrivent funds. Please respond today.