wfn.org | [LCMSNews] Kieschnick, on Obama's inauguration

["LCMS e-News" <LCMSENEWS@lcms.org>]

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>1.16.2009		
>	LCMS News	 	
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>THE LUTHERAN CHURCH Missouri Synod  	 	
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	January 16, 2009 .................... LCMSNews - No. 5

>Kieschnick issues statement
>as inauguration approaches

LCMS President Gerald B. Kieschnick today (Jan. 16) issued the statement
which follows, sharing his thoughts as inauguration day approaches.

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Barack Obama will be inaugurated January 20, 2009, as the 44th president
of the United States of America. As he said on election night, 'Change
has come to America.'

*	He is the first person of African descent to be inaugurated as
president. We acknowledge this fact with deep love and respect for all
African-American citizens of our country, including those who are
members of congregations of The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod.

*	His campaign for the presidency galvanized many of the young
people of this country to political action. Many of them voted for the
first time, exercising the wonderful privilege and freedom we have in
our great tradition of democracy.

*	People of all ages and backgrounds crossed traditional party
lines to cast their ballots for President Obama, hoping he will bring
about the changes he promised for our country.

President Obama assumes office at a time of great and grave
responsibility, including the national challenge of a deepening
recession in our country and the global challenges of war in Afghanistan
and Iraq, with conflict now occurring also between Israel and Gaza. It
is certainly our hope and prayer that these and other challenges will be
addressed successfully by all our elected leaders and that the result
will be many blessings of life and peace for the citizens of these
United States and for citizens of nations around the world. It is also
our hope and prayer that our leaders will honor and protect the great
blessing each of us has received from the hand of our gracious God --
the gift of life itself.

In this regard it is appropriate to add and to emphasize that as
Lutheran Christians we hold, on the basis of God's Word, that human life
has great intrinsic value, since God is the creator of life. We have
reason to be deeply concerned about possible changes in the laws of our
land that would lessen rather than strengthen legal protection for all
human life, from conception to natural death. Of special concern in this
regard is President Obama's stated views on abortion and embryonic
stem-cell research.

We will therefore continue as a national church body with 2.4 million
members and as citizens of this nation to present our beliefs regarding
the right to life for all people -- which is guaranteed by the
constitution of our country -- to the new president and his staff, and
also to the United States House of Representatives and the United States
Senate. We have both the responsibility and the privilege of proclaiming
to the world in which we live the Word of God that speaks to these
issues.

As we discover what changes might be considered regarding the sanctity
of life in our country, we will work to influence those changes. In
doing so, we must always endeavor to speak the truth in love, relying on
what Holy Scripture teaches (Rom. 13:1-7; Matt. 22:15-22) and praying
that, beginning with our new president, the executive, legislative, and
judicial branches of our government will make wise decisions on all
matters, including matters of life.

We pray for the safety and health of President Obama and his family. And
we place our trust in our everlasting God, who will continue to reign as
Lord over the nations (Is. 46:8-10), even when all human governments
have vanished.

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If you have questions or comments about this LCMSNews release, contact
Joe Isenhower Jr. at joe.isenhower@lcms.org
<mailto:joe.isenhower@lcms.org>  or (314) 996-1231, or Paula Schlueter
Ross at paula.ross@lcms.org <mailto:paula.ross@lcms.org>  or (314)
996-1230.

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