Fearfully and Wonderfully Made - Devotion

February 11, 2025

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made - Devotion

In Psalm 139, David reflects on the intimate care and wisdom of God in creating each of us:

“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well” (Psalm 139:13-14).

In a world where many struggle to accept themselves, this truth is both comforting and challenging.

Imagine a young girl who looks in the mirror and sees a distorted version of herself. Although she weighs 51kg, she believes she is much heavier. Should we affirm her perception and encourage her to eat less? Of course not. We would seek to lovingly guide her toward the truth, helping her see herself as she really is. But what if she looks in the mirror and says, “I am actually a boy”? We may find voices in our society that handle this situation by affirming the perception rather than questioning it. Yet as Christians, we believe God’s Word, which tells us that He created us with intention and purpose. Psalm 139 reminds us that God is not mistaken. His design is perfect, even when we struggle to see or understand it.

This does not mean we respond without compassion. On the contrary, as followers of Christ, we approach such situations with love and understanding. We listen, care, and walk alongside those who need us. But love also means affirming the truth: that God’s design is good and His Word is trustworthy.

Through His grace, we can look in the mirror and say, “I am who I am by the grace of God.” By feeding on His Word and Sacrament, and trusting in His promises, we learn to live as the men and women He created us to be, witnessing to His salvation and reflecting His love into the World.

Photo by Taylor Smith on Unsplash

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Bio

I am a Canadian-Brazilian pastor living in Port Coquitlam BC, Canada. After graduating from Concordia Seminary in São Leopoldo, Brazil, class of 1998, I was ordained by my father, Rev. Curt Albrecht, in Curitiba, Brazil, in January 1999. My first call was to serve at Peace Lutheran Church in Campo Bom, RS, Brazil, from 1999–2004. Preaching, Divine Worship and Music, Youth, Member Visiting and Missionary Work were some of the highlights of that period. I started my work at Ulbra (The Lutheran University of Brazil) in 2004, where I served in different Calls: Canoas Campus Chaplain and church-planter of the Campus outpost of St. Paul's Lutheran Church(2004 to 2007). By late 2007, the new congregation called a full-time pastor. 2008-2011: Resumed campus ministry with a focus on communications, especially the “Toque de Vida” (Touch of Life) Project. This initiative began with a daily TV program and expanded to email devotionals in Portuguese, Spanish, and English; a blog; a radio program; and, in 2014, Toque de Vida Lutheran Church in Canoas./ 2012-2015: Head Chaplain for Ulbra Canoas and nationally. During this time, I continued my roles with Toque de Vida, served as assistant pastor at Celsp (2012-2014), volunteered in ministry (2014-2015), and taught high school religion./ 2016: I Became a professor at Ulbra’s Theology School and Campus Pastor in Canoas, while serving as a volunteer pastor at Toque de Vida Lutheran Church. In November, 2016 I accepted the call to be Associate Pastor at Mount Olive Lutheran, in Regina, Canada, being installed in February 2017. Teaching and Preaching, Music, Member Visiting, Youth, and Online Ministry are some of the highlights of this period. In August 2023, I accepted the Call to serve at Hope Lutheran Church in Port Coquitlam, BC, where I am serving since October, 2023, working with both Church(Active in Love, Growing in Christ) and School (Equipping each child to impact the world for Christ's glory). Educationally, I earned a Bachelor’s degree in Social Communications-Journalism in 2011, focusing on "The Lutheran Sermon from the Receiver’s Viewpoint." In 2014, I completed a Specialist degree in Human Resources, with a dissertation on "Institutional Values in Hiring in a Confessional Lutheran Institution." My second diploma in Theology from Ulbra came in 2015, alongside a Master’s in Theology from Concordia Seminary, São Leopoldo, with a dissertation titled, “Preaching for Everyone and for No One,” which explored the history and production of the Toque de Vida TV program. In the same year I finished the Masters in Theology at The Concordia Seminary, Sao Leopoldo. The dissertation, "Preaching for everyone and for no one" researched History and production process of the TV Program Toque de Vida. I am currently a student of the Doctor of Ministry Program of the Concordia Seminary St. Louis, USA. I was born in 1975 in Naviraí, MS, Brazil, to Rev. Curt and Ligia Madalena Albrecht, the fourth of nine siblings. I have been married to Djenane Hans since 1997, and we have two children, Charles and Rachel Sophie. My interests include family time, music, leadership, communication, digital ministry, and cooking.