Dear Deacon, 40 Days for Life national director David Bereit and I
are in the process of visiting 40 Days for Life
locations, and that’s where we are -- on the road again. I was in Fort Collins, Colorado yesterday. Today and
tomorrow, David is scheduled to go to seven locations
in Minnesota. And just recently, he and I were both able to visit
40 Days for Life participants in Helena, Montana. Here are a few more highlights from local 40 Days for
Life events.
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MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE
------------------------------------------------------- At the kickoff event of the 40 Days for Life campaign
in Memphis, Stefanie met a young woman. "She said she saw us on the sidewalk," she said, "and
decided to walk on over." The girl had been staying with
a family that lives right behind Planned Parenthood --
she had been kicked out of her home. "I told her please do not enter that building," Stefanie
said, pointing towards Planned Parenthood, "and that I
could take her to a pregnancy center." She agreed to go. "Thank God we were all out there in numbers for our
kick-off rally"” she said. "She had fifty people praying
for her and the life of her baby!" To see a picture from the kickoff event in Memphis,
please go to: http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=2299
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SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA
------------------------------------------------------- Wynette in Sacramento says the abortion center where
40 Days for Life vigils are held has done something
special for this fall's campaign. The facility's owner has put up solid redwood fence
panels on their wrought iron gate. "The original wrought iron fence allowed us frequent
access to women who were considering abortion, enabling
us to speak with them and offer them assistance," she
said. "But apparently, the abortion business is not
really supportive of 'choice' as they do everything
they can to prevent women from changing their minds." The thing is, Wynette said, the power of prayer knows
no barriers. A couple explained to vigil participants why they had
come to this abortion center. "We already have a two-month-old baby at home and we
just can't handle another one so soon," said the young
mother. They had come the week before, but just couldn’t
go through with the abortion and left. "We came back today," she said, "but they just told us
the doctor isn't going to show up, so all appointments
have been canceled. We take this as a sign that maybe
we shouldn't go through with the abortion." To see pictures of the big fence -- and some of the
prayer team members in Sacramento -- please go to: http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=2299
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GERMANTOWN, MARYLAND
------------------------------------------------------- "The Germantown 40 Days for Life is off to a great
start," said Andrew, one of the local coordinators. There is a special feature at the Germantown location --
a candlelight vigil every Sunday evening outside the
abortion center. The abortionist there is Leroy
Carhart, who travels from his home in Nebraska to
perform late-term abortions in Maryland. "Carhart has regularly been coming on Sundays to
start the late-term abortion procedures," Andrew
explained. "We would like to be there to pray for
these women, their babies, Carhart and his staff.
Thank you to everyone for coming out to pray so far." I echo that thank you -- for YOU and for everyone
who has set aside time to pray for an end to abortion
during this 40 Days for Life campaign. And now here's today's devotional from Fr. Terry
Gensemer, the National Director of the Charismatic
Episcopal Church for Life...
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DAY 7 INTENTION
----------------------------------------------------- May we have a heart and a zeal to save the poor and
release the oppressed.
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SCRIPTURE
----------------------------------------------------- The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has
anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has
sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim
liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the
blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed. -- Luke 4:18-19
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REFLECTION by Fr. Terry Gensemer
----------------------------------------------------- This passage is a very familiar one. It has been
preached on many occasions, even made popular in
books and songs. Though the quote is about Jesus, all
Christians take this commission seriously as a
directive on how to reach the world with the gospel. We, like our Savior, are to bring the good news to
the poor, the brokenhearted, those in captivity,
those who cannot see, and the oppressed. The commission given to us in this passage is clearly
a charge to care for those for whom God cares the
most. I wonder though, whom do we look for to be
touched by the Holy Spirit as we go out into the
world? Who are the poor, if not those unborn children who
have been abandoned by their parents before they ever
leave the womb? Who are the brokenhearted, if not those unborn
children whose only example of love is having their
mother take them to an abortion clinic to be
destroyed, or the mother of a child who has been
deceived by everyone around her into believing that
what she is doing is best for her and her child? Who are the captives, if not those unborn children
who are bound over to death by the "choice" of
abortion? Who is more blind than an unborn child in the
darkness of a womb that has become a waiting room for
their death? And who is more oppressed than those unborn children
whose oppression has been legitimized by their
government, their church and even their family and
loved ones?
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PRAYER
----------------------------------------------------- Lord, You empower us with Your Spirit to do your will
in the earth. Send us to the poorest, the most
broken, the most captive, the most blind and the most
oppressed in the world, the innocent pre-born
children in their mother's wombs that are scheduled
for destruction. Help us to bring them healing,
liberty, sight and justice through Jesus Christ our
Lord, Amen.
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PRINTABLE DEVOTIONAL
----------------------------------------------------- To download today's devotional as a formatted,
printable PDF to share with friends: http://40daysforlife.com/docs/fall2011day07print.pdf ----------------------------------------------------- For Life, Shawn Carney
Campaign Director
40 Days for Life PS: What's going on with 40 Days for Life in your
community? Please leave a comment on today's
blog entry and let me know! Go to: http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=2299
40 Days for Life 10908 Courthouse Road
Suite 102229
Fredericksburg, VA
22408
US
