Church news, 2/3: "God has known you and consecrated you from your beginning"

On Jan. 31, we considered the import of Jeremiah 1:4-10, which begins:

Now the word of the LORD came to me saying, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations."

"God loves us and He wanted each one of us to be born" Fr. David said. "Before we were formed He knew us and consecrated us for a holy purpose. Even though some of us may have been 'unwanted' by our parents, in knowing us as only God can know us, God is the One who wanted us to be born and to live!"

He mentioned the 37th anniversary of Roe v. Wade: Sometimes in anxiety and heartache lives are snuffed out. We have a choice and we bear the consequences of our choice. The dilemma is difficult -- the anxiety and heartache that comes from contemplating a difficult pregnancy and birth, or the heartache that follows an abortion. We need to consider what God shows us in what He is saying to Jeremiah: for He likewise looks upon each of us in His holy love as we are being 'knit together in our mother's womb' (Psalm 139:13).

Fr. David told of the life of Tim Tebow, Heisman Award-winning quarterback of the University of Florida Gators. His parents were missionaries in the Philippines when his mother-to-be was afflicted with amoebic dysentery severely enough to be in a coma for a time. Saving her life required a series of very strong medications, and while her treatment was still going on she learned she was pregnant.

This in itself was unsettling news, but the situation became even more challenging when doctors informed the Tebows that Pam's placenta had detached. An abortion was recommended but the family persevered in faith and Tim was born healthy and grew up to be a star athlete.

During the Superbowl, Focus on the Family will be running a pro-life message featuring Tim. Watch for it!

"We don't know how things will turn out, but our Lord does," Fr. David continued, then turning to the common response people give when the Lord reveals His divine purpose, a response similar to Jeremiah's:

Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth." But the LORD said to me, "Do not say, 'I am only a youth'; for to all to whom I send you you shall go, and whatever I command you you shall speak. Be not afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, says the LORD."

There are other people of the Bible who made similar responses thinking it cannot be possible for God's purpose for their lives to be true or to come to fruition. Moses had a raft of excuses: "What if they don't believe me? What if they don't listen? I'm slow of speech, let someone else do it." Mary could not understand how it was possible for what God was expecting her to be and do  could ever come to pass...

"It's not about you (alone)," Fr. David explained. "It's about God working His will in you. Trust God and ask the Lord to reign, and He will help you with all that He created you to be and to do. There's only one you   and God loves you for who you truly are   and for what you will become." May God be glorified as we live into who He has created us to be through faith in Him!

NOTES: We will be observing Ash Wednesday, Feb. 17, in a 7 p.m. Service with our brothers and sisters at Holy Cross Anglican Church, 615 Bay Road, Webster. Bon-Ton coupon books are again being offered for the Feb. 27 Community Day sale. See Sue Hemphill for the books, which cost $5 and contain a $10 coupon and many other percent-off coupons. All of the proceeds of the book sales and a percent of the sales on Feb. 27 directly support All Saints. Our parish directory is in the proofing stage; if you haven't yet reviewed your directory information, please do so next Sunday.