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Sanctity of Life Sunday, 2006 "Abortion: Why Are We Here?"

Genesis 1

by The Rev. Clancy Nixon

Church of the Holy Spirit

January 15, 2006

Let's cut to the chase about Judge Samuel Alito, nominee for the U.S. Supreme

Court. What everyone really wants to know about him is how he thinks about Roe v.

Wade. Through accusations and evasions, threats of filibusters and nuclear options, at the

bottom of all this hubbub is - abortion. Why does this one issue arouse such passion in so

many people?

Here is why. Abortion strikes at the heart of our understanding of who we are and

why we are here. It's literally an issue of life and death. When we hear "It's a boy!" or,

"It's a girl!" this is very good news. Conversely, a miscarriage, infertility, abortion, or

the death of an infant - these can bring guilt, shame, and grief. Sometimes that grief

seems inconsolable; and other times, that grief is deeply buried beneath layers of denial

and avoidance. Life events like these are incredibly powerful because they touch our

highest hopes for ourselves and our children, our hopes for a legacy and a future.

Listen to the story of a doctor named Joe Wheeler. He begins: "Several years

ago, a pregnant woman came to my office. Her baby was in a breech position. I knew that

the death rate of breech babies is high, because they must be delivered very quickly.

During the delivery, I gently drew down one little foot. I grasped for the other,

but I discovered that the entire thigh from the hip down was missing. I knew what a

dreadful effect this would have on the mother. The family would probably impoverish

itself in taking the child to every famous orthopedist in the world. I saw this little girl

sitting sadly by herself, while the other girls danced and played. I could slow my hand; I

could delay those few short moments. No one in this world would ever know. The mother,

after the first shock of grief, would be glad she had lost a child so handicapped. But I

couldn't do it. I delivered the baby.

Every foreboding came true. The mother was in the hospital several months with

her girl the mother looked like a wraith of her former self. As the years went on, I

blamed myself bitterly for not having had the strength to yield to my temptation.

This past year, three young musicians played at our hospital Christmas party. I

was fascinated by the young harpist. She played extraordinarily well. Her face looked as

if the world were a wonderful and holy place.

When the program was over, a woman ran towards me. She cried, "That was my

daughter who played the harp - the girl you delivered with only one leg 17 years ago.

Now she has a whole artificial leg on that side. She learned to use her hands so

wonderfully. She is my whole life and she is so happy . . . here she is!" Impulsively, I took

the girl in my arms. In my mind I saw the clock of the delivery room 17 years before. I

lived again those awful moments when her life was in my hand, and I finally rejoiced. I

found the comfort I had waited for so long."

Dr. Wheeler found forgiveness in a wonderful way. But not all stories end quite

so happily. One in five women in American today has had an abortion, and many others,

both men and women, have encouraged them. Many who have been touched by abortion

have indeed gone to our Heavenly Father and found love, healing, restoration of

relationships and complete forgiveness. Thanks be to God, we serve a God of grace, a

God of second chances, a God of forgiveness. Amen? I thank God for that. There's

more good news: As a community of God's grace, we at Holy Spirit also forgive one

another their sins. All of us need forgiveness, and we give it freely to all who confess.

None of us stands in judgment over others who have sinned. Amen? We are forgiven,

but knowing that in your head is one thing; receiving forgiveness in your heart is another.

We still need healing. There are some among us who have never fully come to terms

with what they have done. Some have encouraged another to have an abortion; others

have silently acquiesced in that tragedy. If that describes you, there is healing here today.

We've been looking at Jesus' infancy narratives these last weeks, and after the

Magi escape by another route, the story takes a tragic turn. King Herod orders the killing

of all the baby boys around the town of Bethlehem because he fears any other claimant to

his throne. He kills indiscriminately, showing his contempt for life. Matthew tells us that

the mothers wept and wailed in the streets, in fulfillment of the prophet Jeremiah. They

refused to be comforted; they were inconsolable, because their sons were disposed of by

another's will. This tragedy contrasts with the tragedy of abortion not in scale, but in

visibility. Grieving over abortions is usually done in secret, and is rarely discussed.

Many of these mothers also refuse to be comforted. Maybe it's because they are in

denial, or because they are too ashamed to tell anyone, or because they can't forgive

themselves for disposing of their child. The young mother, typically 18-23 years young,

believes the lie that her plans, her convenience, or her reputation are more important than

the life of her baby.

Healing begins when we know the truth about ourselves and about God. It is with

our mind that we believe, and faith is key to healing. When we believe a lie about

ourselves, about our sins, or about God, that lie is a barrier to wholeness in Christ. So

let's look at the truth about who we are, and why we are here.

The Biblical worldview says that God is in charge, and human life is sacred, so it

should be protected from conception to death. By contrast, the worldview of popular

culture today says that we are in charge, human life is fleeting, so we should not be

saddled with unwanted responsibilities. In this secular view, those at the margins of life,

the unborn and the aged, have little claim on those in the prime of life, because they are

too heavy a burden to bear.

Let's look at these two questions.

Who are we, anyway? Let's turn to the book of Genesis, chapter 1, page 2 of your

blue pew Bibles. Genesis answers so many questions for believers about who we are,

and who God is. It is so good to study Genesis! This is truth for us today, not fanciful

stories, not just myths, but real truth. Let's chew on verse 26: God says he made Adam

and Eve in His image; He says, "in our image, in our likeness," which hints at the

Trinity. God made us to be like Him. What does that mean? We bear the image of God

in many ways, but look at the primary meaning here in this text. Right in the same verse

26, it says God gave us rulership, dominion over the earth, over the fish, birds and

livestock. We know that God rules over all; He created it; everything belongs to him.

God rules the universe, and in his image, we rule over the earth as his regents, his

stewards. Rulership implies responsibility, doesn't it? If God is the Lord of all, that

means He is responsible to sustain it all. The psalmist wrote that God sustains the whole

universe with his mighty power. If we are to rule responsibly like God rules, in His

image, we must know our responsibilities, and discharge them. Dr. Wheeler

misunderstood his responsibility to protect life, and almost failed to discharge it. By the

grace of God he was spared. Are you with me?

What are our responsibilities? Let's say part of verse 28 together, from the screen:

"Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it." Our mandate in

Creation is first, to have children and grandchildren, and fill the earth with the fruit of the

womb; and second, to be fruitful in character and industry, cultivating the earth, shaping

it for the next generation. Look at the creation mandate: Our life mission does not center

on ourselves. First, it's for the glory of God, because he created us and gave us this

mission; and second, it's about our children, our spiritual children, and all the ones who

come after us. The harpist's mother knew that. Whether you know this Scripture or not,

you have that same mandate deep in your heart; God wrote it there in Creation. Even if

you never raise children, you can have spiritual children; you can be fruitful in character,

and bring glory to God.

Why are we here? Our mandate today goes beyond the Creation mandate. Our

responsibilities are shaped by the rest of the Bible: the law, the prophets, the writings and

the New Testament. Christians have the commands of Christ himself: the Great

Commandment, and the Great Commission. The commands to love God, to love your

neighbor, and to make disciples, all say that our concern is not to center on ourselves, but

on God and others. We are here to glorify God, and to love others. We are made to bear

one another's burdens. That is who we are; that is why we are here. We are about the

vertical and the horizontal, the shape of the cross: We glorify God the vertical

movement; and we love our neighbors the horizontal movement. We live cross-shaped

lives.

Those characteristically Christian answers to these big questions of life also

explain why Christians say that babies in the womb should be protected. First, the

Creation Mandate: All human life bears the image of God, and is sacred. That is why it

must be protected. Babies are the future, the fruit of the Creation mandate. If we cut off

the future generation, we cannot increase in number. Second, the Law of Moses: The law

says not to kill. The first Great Commandment: If we love God, then we obey his

commands to protect the weak and vulnerable. The second Great Commandment: If we

love our neighbor, the very minimum requirement in loving our children ought to be to

give them life. The Great Commission: We have no greater influence than we have on

our own children. Our children are the best opportunities to make disciples we ever have.

All these witnesses testify that for the Christian, abortion is not a godly option.

I'd like to invite Marilyn Heigl to come forward now to tell you her story.

Marilyn?

Good morning. My name is Marilyn Heigl, and I live in Leesburg. Most of you

don't know me, but I do know several of you through various Christian connections.

As I walked about in my yard this week, pondering some spring plantings, I

couldn't help but notice that this mild winter weather we're having has brought some

new green growth to our rose bushes. I was immediately taken back in my thoughts to a

spring day fifteen years ago when God used a single perfect pink rosebud to change my

life.

No one can fully know the pain and suffering of losing a loved one unless they

have been through the same experience. The same is true in the case of abortion. My

abortion was thirty six years ago, and I didn't grieve or suffer at that time. To the

contrary, I was relieved and even happy that I had "solved" the problem so easily and so

quickly. I buried the experience down deep inside of me and tried to forget about it

entirely. I never talked about it again with anyone, not even my husband, who was my

fiancé at the time.

I actually convinced myself that it had never happened. Until, during fertility

testing some years later, my doctor asked the question, "Have you ever had an

abortion?" That question riveted me to the core of my being. I had to admit, for the first

time, that I had. My scar tissue was severe. That was the beginning of many

gynecological problems for me. Though I pursued many medical options, I was never

able to conceive a child again. God, in His mercy, had a different plan for my husband

and me. He blessed us with two beautiful children through adoption, and I praise Him

every day for His goodness.

I once again "forgot" about my abortion, and even believed the "pro-choice"

rhetoric that had become so prevalent, as it seemed to me so logical and righteous. I saw

myself as a modern woman: super wife, super mom, and active church-goer. My life was

good and I was happy.

Then one day, quite unexpectedly, through some women in a Bible study group I

was attending, God began to speak to me about something in my past that He wanted me

to relinquish to Him. Even though He showed me what it was, I refused to believe that

my abortion could be cause for His concern. With the prayers of my friends and counsel

of a pastor, God showed me the sinfulness of my abortion and led me humbly to the foot

of His cross, where I was finally able to confess my sin, forgive myself and in so doing,

receive His forgiveness.

His cross, for me, was in my rose garden on a beautiful spring morning. The

Lord had shown me the way by asking me to take a rose as it was beginning to bloom, cut

it in half and then bury it. He asked me to finally, once and for all, give Him the pain and

suffering that I had for so long kept inside and tried to deny. He assured me of His

forgiveness and He assured me that my baby was with Him in heaven. As hard as it was

for me, I obediently did as He asked -- and for the first time in all those years, I was

able to grieve for my child. As I cried tears of sadness, God turned them into tears of

unspeakable joy. As I did, I found that I was able to relinquish all that I had held back,

and to receive Jesus as the Lord of all my life for the first time.

I share this personal story with you today as a witness to the healing power of

Jesus Christ, through whom I have been cleansed and given new life. Psalm 30:11-12

says "You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me

with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O Lord, my God, I will give you

thanks forever."

Almost immediately after that morning in my rose garden, the Lord began

bringing women into my life who desperately needed to know of His unconditional love

and His forgiveness. Women who were suffering the same pain that I had suffered. God

also placed me in many different positions of ministry over many years where I could

minister to such women. For a time, I led National Episcopalians for Life, which had its

offices at Truro in Fairfax. I rejoice that I can remember every single woman whose lives

I have seen transformed by His amazing grace and healing power.

Currently, I lead a Bible Study for women who are seeking spiritual healing from

the pain of abortion, called "Forgiven and Set Free." One thing I know for certain:

when the Lord healed me, that healing was not just for me alone. He wants me to share

His forgiveness, goodness and mercy with everyone I can, for His glory and purpose. I

praise God for the opportunity to share my story with you today.

Thank you, Marilyn. Ushers, please pass out the rose petals now. These flowers

are reminders for us of how fragile life is, how beautiful, and how sacred. As you receive

a petal, look at it, touch it, and smell it, let God minister to you about the sanctity of life.

Perhaps the rose petal represents for you a loss you have suffered; a gift you have been

given. Let God speak to you as we sit in silence. [Pause]

After many years of denial and suppressing the truth about her past, Marilyn

finally was able to grieve her loss, confess her sin, and receive God's complete

forgiveness. Perhaps God is speaking to you this morning about a loss you have not yet

fully grieved, or a sin you have not yet confessed, a time when you didn't choose the

godly option. Perhaps you have been living for yourself, and not for others. In praying

for this time, I believe that