Sanctity of Human Life Sunday

Today is Sanctity of Human Life Sunday. As part of its observance of this day, my congregation will kick off its annual Coins for CareNet campaign, in which individuals take home baby bottles, fill them with spare change and bills, and return them to church several weeks later. The money is then donated to our local chapter of the national Christian pro-life organization CareNet, which works to assist those in crisis pregnancies by helping them to see the value of the life that they have been given to protect and by assisting them in the work of providing for that precious life.

In your prayers today, please consider including this one:

"Lord of life and Judge of all, You alone give life. Protect the weakest among us from the ruthless violence of our day. Guard the unborn babies and their mothers from all harm. Give hope and faith to the suffering and dying that they may never be seduced into taking their own life. Frustrate the ways of those who intend to murder—turn their hearts to You. Cause us to surround the fearful and the suffering with Your mercy. Give health and godly wisdom to George, our President; William, our Chief Justice; the Congress; our Governor; and all who make, administer and judge our laws that they may defend the lives of all. O Lord of light, whose Word conquers darkness, hear our prayer." (Source: LCMS Commission on Worship)

By the way, here are the latest abortion statistics. I hesitate to call it good news, considering the number of babies that continue to be daily sacrificed on the altar of convenience, but I give thanks that of late the direction has been downward and pray that that trend would continue.

"The Lord called me from the womb; from the body of my mother he named my name." (Isaiah 49:1b)