Life Thoughts in the Church Year
Life Thoughts in the Church Year are designed to help pastors and congregations see the church year through the lens of the sanctity of human life. Life Thoughts are based on the appointed readings from Lutheran Service Book using the Three-Year Lectionary.
Also available:
Life Thoughts in the Church Year – One-Year Lectionary (Word)
Life Thoughts in the Church Year – One-Year Lectionary (PDF)
Audio: LifeMoments from Lutherans For Life and KFUO Radio
Life Thoughts in the Church Year – Three-Year Lectionary:
August 4 – Pentecost XI (Proper 13B) – Abortion and euthanasia require twisting words and redefining terms. With craftiness and deceit (Ephesians 4:14) they do not only protest laws and beliefs but ultimately grumble against God (Exodus 16:8). Jesus the Savior instead offers the truth and love that every life is His gift (John 6:33). And He enthusiastically invites Christian citizens to share His joy by speaking and showing it.
August 11 – Pentecost XII (Proper 14B) – Elijah the prophet once considered his life not worth the living. In love the Lord God did not affirm his autonomy but set about to convince him otherwise (1 Kings 19:4-5). Since Jesus imparts also unto us the relief of entrusting all things to our Almighty Maker (John 6:38), couldn’t our sanctity-of-life advocacy extend the same privileges to anxious and endangered neighbors?
August 18 – Pentecost XIII (Proper 15B) – The Word of the Lord quite clearly declares, “Do not become partners with the sons of disobedience” (Ephesians 5:6-7). It does not allow the luxury of concluding, “I wouldn’t abort, but I won’t tell anyone else what to do.” Our God and Father has commissioned us to expose the works of darkness and not to accommodate or compromise. Indeed, we get to displace these evils with the words of eternal life (John 6:68)!
August 25 – Pentecost XIV (Proper 16B) – The Gospel of Jesus Christ liberates us from living for ourselves alone. We reside in the hands of Almighty God like clay and potter (Isaiah 29:16). So we don’t have to settle for “my body, my choice.” Instead, we get to benefit from Him deciding life and death on our behalf. May our marriages and parenting replicate the magnificent way Christ and Church abandon themselves to one another (Ephesians 5:22-23).
September 1 – Pentecost XV (Proper 17B) – The Lord Jesus insists that visible qualities like age, appearance, and ability do not subtract value from life or impart worth to it (Mark 7:18-23). Rather, invisible sinfulness disqualifies us all from both bodily rights and spiritual privileges. But invisible forgiveness—and God’s grace in creating, redeeming, and calling—delivers sanctity to every member of our race. May this truth proceed forth from our hearts and out of our lips!
September 8 – Pentecost XVI (Proper 18B) – Almighty God makes the Prophet Isaiah solemnly proclaim, “Behold, your God will come … He will come and save” (Isaiah 35:4). Jesus demonstrates its fulfillment when He does not cast aside but cares for the burdened body of a neighbor with impairments (Mark 7:32-35). So why should we hold our tongues any longer when we could be dispensing the same hope to those facing surprise pregnancy or terminal diagnosis?
September 15 – Pentecost XVII (Proper 19B) – Promoting or even permitting abortion and physician-assisted suicide condemns precious human beings who are made in the likeness of God (James 3:9). Thanks be to God that in the good news of receiving every neighbor as gift and privilege, the Lord has given us a tongue to sustain with a word the one who is weary (Isaiah 50:4)!
September 22 – Pentecost XVIII (Proper 20B) – In Mark 9:36-37, Jesus explicitly instructs us to receive children as His own precious treasures. Sometimes this does indeed involve difficulty, but our God enlists both the Prophet Jeremiah (11:20) and the apostle James (4:7) to encourage us in resisting selfish ambition and committing this cause to the Lord. He will sustain the Gospel-motivated voice For Life until it succeeds!
September 29 – Pentecost XIX (Proper 21B) – The God of the Gospel leaves no one alone. So the Christian fellowship does not ignore or avoid its members in distress. We fetch cups of cold water for each other (Mark 9:41). We absolve and intercede for one another (James 5:14-16). We assist in preserving surprise pregnancies instead of abandoning them to abortion. And we serve in terminal diagnoses instead of dismissing them to assisted suicide.
October 6 – Pentecost XX (Proper 22B) – Our Almighty Maker carefully creates every human male or female (Genesis 2:21-22). Jesus Himself took on the same flesh in fertilization and gestation to redeem our entire race (Hebrews 2:14, 17). And the Lord our God calls even the littlest among us for His own (Mark 10:14). Could the Scriptures get any clearer about the sanctity of life? Can we?
October 13 – Pentecost XXI (Proper 23B) – Even in Christian congregations, some promote death as a solution. Sin’s deceit has hardened hearts (Hebrews 3:12-13). But Jesus loved the rich young man enough to welcome him with truth and love (Mark 10:21). Let us not keep His courage and compassion to ourselves. We can warn neighbors about abortion and euthanasia. We can win them over with the sanctity of every human life!
October 20 – Pentecost XXII (Proper 24B) – The Lord Jesus sees and knows the hardships of life issues because He lives among us (Hebrews 4:15). And He promises that His atonement and resurrection bring blessing and deliver delight not only after but amid these difficulties (Mark 10:29-30). May we comfort and encourage one another with thoughts of gift rather than talk of rights (Ecclesiastes 5:15,19).
October 27 – Pentecost XXIII (Proper 25B) – Bartimaeus’ neighbors found his disability inconvenient and even burdensome. But Jesus drew near to affirm, support, and even restore his humanity and sanctity. All humankind suffers sin’s brokenness, but the Lord our God does not allow this to disqualify anyone. We get to receive every life as special, precious, and priceless, no matter what age, appearance, or ability.
November 3 – Pentecost XXIV (Proper 26B) – Almighty God has given us solemn privilege and responsibility to instruct children about their Heavenly Father (Deuteronomy 6:7). This absolutely includes recognizing Him alone as Lord over life-and-death decisions as well as receiving every neighbor as a blessing (Mark 12:29-31). They need to know the power and presence and compassion of Christ Jesus is sufficient (Hebrews 9:14), even in surprise pregnancy and terminal diagnosis.
November 10 – Pentecost XXV (Proper 27B) – The God who abides among us in both incarnate body and Holy Spirit knows our material needs. He remembers how we cannot provide for ourselves, much less for each other or anyone else. So, He who sends mouths also sends meat. Whether surprise pregnancy, terminal diagnosis, or any other circumstance, He will surround with jars that do not run empty and jugs we cannot exhaust (1 Kings 17:16).
November 17 – Pentecost XXVI (Proper 28B) – The heart broken by abortion may be sitting beside us in church. This one desperately longs for the relief and healing only God’s forgiveness affords (Hebrews 10:22). We have no right to refuse them this Word because we fear political controversy. Instead, we have the privilege to proclaim abortion as sin and explicitly identify it as atoned for in Christ.
November 24 – Pentecost XXVII (Proper 29B) – The Scriptural Ancient of Days has gray hair (Daniel 7:9). The Word of the Lord pictures Him as aged. And while the world idolizes youthfulness, the Bible speaks flatteringly of getting old. “Elder” is a compliment, long life is blessing, and advanced years embody wisdom and honor, even though they often also entail weaknesses. The Gospel of everlasting life in Christ leaves no room for physician-assisted suicide.
December 1 – Advent I – Abortion and assisted suicide arise out of panic. The Advent Gospel offers something better: promise and patient anticipation. During surprise pregnancy or terminal diagnosis, Jesus Christ means that better days are coming (Jeremiah 33:14), redemption is drawing near (Luke 21:28), and none who wait upon the Lord shall be put to shame (Psalm 25:3). Sufferings will end, but blessings accumulate. Breathe, trust, hope, and rejoice.
December 8 – Advent II – The people of Christ do not sit still or stay silent. We shout, sing, praise, and bless (Psalm 66:1-2, 8). We get to testify after the fashion of the Baptist and loud like the Lord who has opened our lips. May we raise our Gospel-motivated voice For Life to encourage and advocate for those vulnerable to the deception of using death as a solution.
December 15 – Advent III – Gospel-motivated voices For Life bring reasonableness to the cultural conversation about life issues (Philippians 4:5). It means a message of joy and hope instead of just another angry and fearful demeanor. The sanctity of life proclaims good news to neighbors made poor (Luke 7:22) by pressures toward abortion and physician-assisted suicide. God remains mighty to save (Zephaniah 3:17), even in surprise pregnancy and terminal diagnosis.
December 22 – Advent IV – Whether the hamlet of Bethlehem (Micah 5:2) or gestating babies (Luke 1:41-44), the God of Christmas loves to elevate what seems insignificant. Indeed, the heart of the Gospel consists in exalting those of humble estate (Luke 1:52). Rejoicing in the Lord who creates, redeems, and calls regardless of size, skills, or circumstances, the sanctity of life delights to declare nothing less!
December 29 – Christmas I – The Old Testament ritual of redeeming firstborns clearly declares that the Lord lends us our children, but they belong to Him (Exodus 13:11-12). Little ones are gifts and privileges, not property, preferences, accessories, or rights. The coming of Christ extends this designation to every neighbor, including those of advanced age (Luke 2:25-26, 36-38). Let us not neglect to teach and admonish one another about it (Colossians 3:16)!