‘Life Magnified’: Lutherans march, rally in Austin

Lutherans sing hymns while marching for the sanctity of life in Austin, Texas. (LCMS/Frank Kohn)

By Frank Kohn

There has been much rejoicing among Christians in Texas following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade on June 24, 2022. A month after the reversal, a trigger law passed by a majority pro-life Texas legislature went into effect, banning all abortions in the state except under limited circumstances such a life-threatening condition to the mother. Texas is now the most populous state with an abortion ban.

But despite the gains made and the lives saved, the need to proclaim the sanctity of God’s gift of life continues. On Jan. 27, more than 150 Lutherans participated in the Texas Rally for Life at the State Capitol in Austin. Many of them also gathered that morning at St. Paul Lutheran Church, Austin, for the “Life Magnified” conference, which included a Matins service of prayer and repentance and a presentation from the Rev. Dr. Laurence White, senior pastor of Our Savior Lutheran Church, Houston.

This was the third year for the conference, which was created for attendees to hear God’s Word and to help them think rightly about why they march.

“We said, ‘Let’s do something to set the stage and to rightly divide Law and Gospel, to speak the Lord’s wisdom but also His compassion into the midst of all these issues,’ ” said the Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller, St. Paul senior pastor, after the conference. “We want to speak very clearly about how bad abortion is, and we also want to speak very clearly about how the Lord forgives all sin, including that sin [of abortion]. That’s … almost always overlooked — having compassion on the people who are being murdered by the guilt of their own abortions. We want to be able to speak the Lord’s compassion especially to them.”

Following the conference, the group headed downtown for the march, in which Lutherans wore the customary green hats and carried banners and signs provided by LCMS Life Ministry. Representing all ages, they were blessed to be joined by many young people and college students, including those from the LCMS U chapter at Texas A&M University in College Station. “Incredible — I think the average age was 30,” Wolfmueller said. “So many young people are really excited to stand up for life, and that’s a good sign for what’s to come.”

Young parents also pushed their children in strollers. And while marching, Lutherans were equipped with 12 hymns to sing, including “Children of the Heavenly Father,” “Let Us Ever Walk with Jesus” and “Beautiful Savior.” St. Paul, Austin, also created a QR code that linked to the hymns, allowing marchers to use their phones.

Sharing the hope of Christ

Perhaps surprising in Austin — a city known for its secular progressivism — was the lack of counter-protestors. The most opposition the marchers received was from disgruntled drivers who were stopped by Austin police to allow marchers to walk through. Other drivers, however, honked their horns in support.

In his homily for Matins, the Rev. Peter Kolb, pastor of St. Mark Lutheran Church, Waco, and life coordinator for the LCMS Texas District, offered counsel in case marchers were confronted.

“Today as we march around the Capitol, we will have opportunity to be together with thousands of others who have come to take a stand for life,” Kolb said. “But you will encounter others out there today. We might call them counter-protestors who also have a word to say.

“But these are folks, too, that Jesus died for — that Jesus loves. Perhaps they’ve never had a chance to speak to a pro-life person. Perhaps they have their opinions of us. But let us go with love this day as we desire to protect life from the very beginning to the very end and everywhere in between.

“The hope that we have inside of us — that Christ has forgiven us and brought us His forgiveness — we want to share that with a world that is so desperately in need of a Savior. The Savior has come; let us share that news, and let us rejoice in God our Savior.”

Champions of life

White’s presentation at the conference was titled “Reclaiming Our Squandered Heritage: The Lutheran Doctrine of the Two Kingdoms.” Comparing the current moral landscape to that of totalitarian regimes — in that a category of human beings is declared less than human — White lamented how the American church hasn’t been an effective witness in a culture that “can’t say no to anything.”

“The doctrine of the two kingdoms could be God’s gift to Christendom if Lutherans understood it, practiced it and advocated it, but sadly, in my opinion, we do not,” White said. “The average Lutheran congregation equates the doctrine of the two kingdoms with the absolute separation of church and state. And so our churches fail to play the critically important role that they could play in the urgent debate that is raging about morality in our homeland. …

“If we will trust in our God and the power of His Word — if we will, as Christian congregations, actually take that Word and apply it to the ugly reality of the lies in which our people live every day — then we can present to them the power and the possibilities of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. You won’t be popular. Your church may not grow. But the name of our Lord and Savior will be glorified, and His Gospel will do what His Gospel always does when we dare to use it. We must trust in Him. We must ignore all the lies that surround us.”

White concluded: “We must recognize that abortion is just the bloody tip of this iceberg of immorality. Beneath it is a culture that doesn’t know the difference between a boy and a girl and gives you the option of changing your view. And in the face of all that, what does the church do? It retreats. It is afraid to demonstrate the biblically defined role of the relationship of men and women. We retreat because we are afraid, and we don’t trust the Gospel. The power is there. Unsheathe the sword. Put on the armor, and we will be champions of life in a culture of death.”

Watch White’s presentation on Facebook.

‘Equipping the people’

While most abortions may not be legal in Texas, there still are troubling issues to contend with, including women who desire abortions traveling to New Mexico and other states where they can obtain them.

Wolfmueller said he’s noticed a drop in overall attendance at the march, but he’s very encouraged that the attendance of Lutherans — who came this year from all over Texas, some at great distances — is rising. He’s already thinking about the next conference, to be held Jan. 25, 2025.

“The presentation might be ‘Making the Case for Life,’ ” he said, “equipping the people who come to make the simple arguments to support the Lord’s gift of life in all different circumstances — online and in-person arguments and with the family. … How do you make these arguments in a loving, winsome way? It’s a great opportunity to preach and think about these things.

“The congregation [of St. Paul] wants to be a rally point for the congregations of Texas,” he said. “It’s so nice that we’re right here, looking down on the Capitol of Texas, so we can be a gathering point for all of the Lutherans in Texas, to come and to pray, to preach and to consider what it means to be a Christian in these dark days. The congregation loves that we can be the tip of the spear of these arguments and for this biblical work.”

More regional Lutheran life marches and rallies are planned in 2024. For more information, visit lcms-life.org/need. Also, visit lcms.org/life for apparel and gear, a pre-march liturgy and many other life resources.

Posted Feb. 27, 2024