Starting a Family

June 21, 2026 Genesis 21:8-21 Starting a Family Father’s Day 4th Sunday after Pentecost Year A Greeting Prelude Call to Worship Come to God who gathers us in. We come to God who nurtures us like a father. Come to God whose arms are open and waiting. We come to God who welcomes and forgives us. Come to God who journeys with us. We come to God who sees us as we really are and loves us anyway. Come, praise our loving nurturing God! ~ posted on Worship Words. http://worshipwords.co.uk/prayer-of-intercession-for-fathers-day/ Opening Prayer Lord, We gather in Your sanctuary today to praise You, the ultimate Author of life and fatherhood. We thank You for the privilege of calling You our Father, and we praise You for Your perfect love, protection, and grace. Today, we honor the men in our community whom You have called to the vital ministry of fatherhood. We lift up the dads, grandfathers, stepfathers, foster fathers, and spiritual mentors who pour their lives into the next generation. Grant them Your wisdom to lead, Your strength to persevere, and Your patience to guide their households in truth and love. Bless our worship, our fellowship, and the teaching of Your Word. May everything we do today bring glory to Your name. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen. (Google) ________________________________________ Song Children of the Heavenly Father UMH 415 A Sermon for all Ages Children's Sermon: God Cares for Families Good morning, boys and girls! Today is Father's Day, a special day when we thank God for our fathers, grandfathers, stepfathers, and all the men who help take care of us. I brought something to show you today. (Hold up a family picture.) What do you see in this picture? That's right—a family! Families are important because they help us, love us, and take care of us. Our Bible story today is about a family. In Genesis 21, we hear about a boy named Ishmael. Things became very difficult for Ishmael and his mother, Hagar. They were in the desert, and they were scared and worried. Have you ever been scared or worried? Maybe on your first day of school, or when you were lost in a store for a moment? Ishmael and Hagar felt that way too. But God did not forget them. God heard their cries and showed them where to find water. God took care of them and promised to be with them. Today, as we honor our fathers, we remember that many fathers try to do what God does—they protect us, help us, teach us, and care for us. They may teach us how to ride a bike, help us with homework, or give us a hug when we're sad. No father is perfect, but we can thank God for the love and care they give. The Bible teaches us to honor our fathers and mothers. One way we honor our fathers is by saying "thank you," listening to them, helping them, and showing them love. And just as God cared for Ishmael in the desert, God cares for us every day. Even when our parents can't be with us, God is always with us. God is our Heavenly Father who never leaves us and always loves us. So today, let's thank God for our fathers and for all the people who help care for us. Let's pray: Dear God, thank You for our fathers, grandfathers, and all those who love and care for us. Help us to honor them with kind words and loving hearts. Thank You for always being with us, just as You were with Ishmael and Hagar. In Jesus' name, Amen. Affirmation of faith (from A Brief Statement of Faith) We trust in God, whom Jesus called Abba, Father. In sovereign love God created the world good and makes everyone equally in God’s image, p1 male and female, of every race and people, to live as one community. But we rebel against God; we hide from our Creator. Ignoring God’s commandments, we violate the image of God in others and ourselves, accept lies as truth, exploit neighbor and nature, and threaten death to the planet entrusted to our care. We deserve God’s condemnation. Yet God acts with justice and mercy to redeem creation. In everlasting love, the God of Abraham and Sarah chose a covenant people to bless all families of the earth. Hearing their cry, God delivered the children of Israel from the house of bondage. Loving us still, God makes us heirs with Christ of the covenant. Like a mother who will not forsake her nursing child, like a father who runs to welcome the prodigal home, God is faithful still. (Presbyterian Outlook, Terri McDowell Ott) Prayer of Illumination Savior God, your Word is a lamp to our feet on this discipleship road. Walk with us. Guide us with your wisdom and grace. Open us to discerning your will and your way. Amen. (Presbyterian Outlook, Terri McDowell Ott) Scripture Genesis 21: 8-21 Sermon Starting a Family Two very modern little girls were solemnly discussing the lesson while coming home after church one day. One asked, "Do you believe in the Devil?" The other promptly responded, "No, of course not. It's just like Santa Claus - he's your father." Hmm. Happy Fathers Day. David E. Leininger, Collected Sermons This little girl’s words sets the tone for my sermon for today. For our scripture lesson and and in some ways, for Father’s Day itself. One comedian pointed out that Mother’s Day is ranked as the 2nd most popular holiday behind Christmas – so we honor Jesus first and then mothers. Father’s Day is ranked 20th in popularity. Halloween and Arbor day are both more popular. So goblins and trees are more important than fathers. Even in worship prep, on mother’s day I can always find liturgy – or worship words that are meaningful and inspiring. There are even words that acknowledge mothers for going the extra mile. For Father’s Day I have to be very selective in choosing liturgy. I try to avoid liturgy which mentions fathers who were absent or who were not very nice. I try to avoid that language, because I think Father’s day is a time to acknowledge who fathers are, not who they are not. We have been acknowledging fathers since the beginning of time. But Father’s day was proposed a year after Mother’s day in America. In 1909. A young woman wrote the president proposing a day to honor men like her father – a civil war veteran who raised 6 children alone after his wife died. She held a local celebration for fathers on June 19, 1909. Eight years later, Calvin Coolridge the president, proposed a day on the third June to foster the relationships between fathers and their children. Mother’s day was already a flower holiday, so children were supposed to give their father’s roses. And in turn father’s were to remember their responsibility to their children. So on this day – we remember our earthly fathers, but we also remember the divine parent. __________________________ Don't Eat the Forbidden Fruit Whenever your kids are out of control, you can take comfort from the thought that even God's omnipotence didn't extend to God's kids. After creating heaven and earth, God created Adam and Eve. And the first thing he said was: "Don't." "Don't what?" Adam replied "Don't eat the forbidden fruit." God said. "Forbidden fruit? We got forbidden fruit? Hey Eve! We got forbidden fruit!" "No way!" "Yes way!" "DON'T EAT THAT FRUIT!" Said God. "Why?" "Because I am your Father and I said so!" said God, wondering why he hadn't stopped after making elephants. A few minutes later God saw his kids having an apple break and was angry. Didn't I tell you not to the fruit?" the First Parent asked. "Uh huh," Adam replied. "Then why did you?" "I dunno," Eve answered. "She started it!" Adam said. "Did not!" "Did too!" "Did NOT!" Having had it with the two of them, God's punishment was that Adam and Eve should have children of their own. Thus, the pattern was set and it has never been changed. Morgan Murray ______________________________ Genesis starts with the story of Adam and Eve, but it continues the story of the human family. With each unfolding chapter, we learn the earthly story of family – but we also see the presence of divine grace and divine intervention I chose this story in Genesis for our lesson today - thinking it was a great transition for us. We have been following the story of Abraham and how God’s promise extends to all of us today. As Abraham starts a family – I thought it was a great story of how the promise become real. I didn’t think about all of the family drama that was involved in the story. According to the bible, Abraham and Sarah went 60 years without any children. Sarah decides to give Abraham her servant girl, so that he would have a descendent. Hagar has a son and names him Ishmael. Abraham invest all of his time and energy into his son. His mother gets a little haughty because she has Abraham’s heir and Sarah does not. 13 years later – Sarah gets pregnant and has a son of her own. Our scripture is the story of Isaac’s weaning from his other at 3. At this point Sarah gets haughty and kicks Hagar and Ishmael out into the desert. Abraham and even God go along with that decision and they are both put into the desert to die. Instead of this being a story of starting a family – this is a story of complicated family bonds and poor parental decisions, of parents who make human mistakes and how God’s grace sustains us in the midst of it all. A little girl came home from Sunday School. "What did you learn today?" her father asked. She responded, "All I heard was that the children of Israel did this and the children of Israel did that. Didn't the grown ups do anything?" Abraham gets the blame, but in this story the grown ups makes decisions that put their children in danger. This is a two part sermon – this week it is Ishmael, next week Isaac is in danger until God’s wisdom intervenes. Ishmael means God hears. Ishmael is left out in the desert with no food and no water. As he is about to die – He cries and God hears him. He survives, gets married and lives a successful life. When he was born the community whispered that he would grow up to be a delinquent. Instead he honored his father and he honored God. In the end, even though he lived away from his brother and father -he honors his dad by coming back to join his brother in burying his dad. The story is told about a Sunday school class in which a particularly effective teacher was relating the story of Abraham taking his son, Isaac, off into the wilderness to sacrifice him. The teacher told the story so well that one child covered his ears and said, "This scares me. I don't want to listen." Another child reassured him, "Don't worry. This is one of God's stories and they always turn out all right." Isn't that the point? You are one of God's stories and things will turn out all right. Things may turn our right, but in life it is not always a happy ending. Ishmael may have turned out right, but he never got to see his dad again. His life like ours was a mixture of successes and failures, gains and failures. But he was able to look back in his life and see that whatever happened, God was present through it all. God intervened at the times that he needed him, God answered his prayer, and ultimately God’s grace carried him through everything in life. Today he is one of the three main religions Jewish, Muslim and Christian that call Abraham the father of their faith. Today the family drama continues. Genesis reminds us not only of God’s providence, but that our livelihood, our wellbeing, our faith heritage, our own wisdom comes from those in the faith who have gone before us. And Father’s Day is an opportunity to honor that heritage, and those giants of faith who have shown us how to live valiantly, and sometimes too how to die nobly and in the peace of Christ. Today, many of us need that kind of reassurance, that kind of steadiness of heart, and faith in God that could move mountains and shake cedars. Those disciples of the faith, those Fathers of Faith who came before you, are there to lift you up, so that someday, you can be that Father to someone else. And we can all recognize God’s grace that leads us all. Let us pray, A Father’s Day Blessing "Loving God, we give thanks for the men of virtue who have touched our lives. Those who have shown us kindness, courage, generosity, truth, compassion, faith, and love. Bless all sons and brothers and fathers and grandfathers who reveal a glimpse of your loving presence on earth. Amen." (Tradition Blessing of United Methodist Men) Song His Eye is on the Sparrow TFWS 2146 PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE (just print the title) Let us pray in the Spirit, who helps us in our weakness, interceding with sighs too deep for words. In the Spirit, we pray for the church . . . As we have been united in Christ’s death, let us be one in the joy of resurrection—set free to take up the cross and follow. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. In the Spirit, we pray for the earth . . . Spring up with your surprising grace in the wilderness and wasteland. Be merciful to the earth you have made. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. In the Spirit, we pray for all nations . . . Where old family feuds divide nations and close neighbors are worlds apart, give blessing; put an end to hate and fear. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. In the Spirit, we pray for this community . . . Redeem those who are mocked and mistreated. Restore those who are cursed and cast aside. Hold them in your hands and save them from evil. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. In the Spirit, we pray for loved ones . . . Draw near to those who are in distress; deliver those whose lives are sinking in despair. Answer them with the abundance of your love. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. In the Spirit, we pray to you, O God, confident that all things work together for good for those who love you and are called according to your purpose. Above all, we give you thanks, O God, that nothing can separate us from your love in Christ Jesus our Lord. Let us Prayer the Prayer He taught us to pray… (Presbyterian Men’s Sunday) Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment Offertory Prayer Listening God, you hear the cries we whisper and the cries we cannot speak. In a world still marked by fear, abandonment, and unfairness, you remain the one who listens and who hears the voices of the outcast, the wounded, the overlooked. As we bring our offerings today, open our ears as yours are open. Make our giving an act of solidarity with those whose voices rise in need. Use these gifts to reveal your presence, to bring water into desert places, and to remind all your children that they are not alone. Shape us into people who hear because we have been heard. Amen. (Genesis 21:8-21) (United Methodist Board of Discipleship) Announcements Closing Prayer for YouTube Go forth, as God’s beloved children. God’s love surrounds us like a father’s love. Go in the knowledge of God’s comfort and protection. God’s strength empowers us to be the best we can be. Go in God’s grace, We go to share the love of God with all we meet! ~ posted on Worship Words. http://worshipwords.co.uk/prayer-of-intercession-for-fathers-day/ Community Time – Joys and Concerns Benediction (Based on Psalm 103) God’s love is from everlasting to everlasting, from generation to generation. Just as a father has compassion on his children so God has compassion on those fear him, who listen to his voice, and who do his will. Go out in the knowledge that the everlasting love of God goes with you. Amen. (Re-Worship.blogspot.com) Additional Illustrations God Is Like a Father For many of us the injustice of this world, combined with the love of the Father, is the best assurance we have of a world beyond this one. Someday, somehow, somewhere accounts must be settled. In Marjorie Rawling's beautiful novel, The Yearling, set in rural Florida, there is a scene in which friends and family gather around the grave of a little handicapped boy named Fodderwing. There was no minister present so one of the men of the community offered up this simple but moving prayer: "Almighty God, it ain't right for us to say what is right. But if we had been making this boy we would never have made him with his back bent and his legs crooked. We would have made him straight and tall like his brothers. But somehow you made it up to him. You gave him a way with critters. It comforts us to know that he is in a place where his being bent doesn't matter no more. We would like to think that you have taken that bent back and those crooked legs and straightened them. And Almighty God, if it ain't asking too much, we pray that you will give him some critters to play with maybe a few redbirds and a squirrel or two. Thy will be done. Amen." I don't know what heaven will be like. But I know what God is like. He is like a Father who notices a little sparrow fall from the sky and cares for us much, much more than he cares for sparrows. That means even though we still must face obstacles and crises, we do not face them alone, and someday, somehow all that which is hurtful will be turned into that which is helpful, and we shall live with joy in the Father's house forever.King Duncan, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com _________________________________________ God Is Like a Father For many of us the injustice of this world, combined with the love of the Father, is the best assurance we have of a world beyond this one. Someday, somehow, somewhere accounts must be settled. In Marjorie Rawling's beautiful novel, The Yearling, set in rural Florida, there is a scene in which friends and family gather around the grave of a little handicapped boy named Fodderwing. There was no minister present so one of the men of the community offered up this simple but moving prayer: "Almighty God, it ain't right for us to say what is right. But if we had been making this boy we would never have made him with his back bent and his legs crooked. We would have made him straight and tall like his brothers. But somehow you made it up to him. You gave him a way with critters. It comforts us to know that he is in a place where his being bent doesn't matter no more. We would like to think that you have taken that bent back and those crooked legs and straightened them. And Almighty God, if it ain't asking too much, we pray that you will give him some critters to play with maybe a few redbirds and a squirrel or two. Thy will be done. Amen." I don't know what heaven will be like. But I know what God is like. He is like a Father who notices a little sparrow fall from the sky and cares for us much, much more than he cares for sparrows. That means even though we still must face obstacles and crises, we do not face them alone, and someday, somehow all that which is hurtful will be turned into that which is helpful, and we shall live with joy in the Father's house forever.King Duncan, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com _________________________________________ Priceless Scribbles Rev. Richard Fairchild tells about a story that appeared years ago in the Christian Reader. It was called “Priceless Scribbles.” It concerns a father who touched his child’s life in an unexpected way. A young boy watched as his father walked into the living room. The boy noticed that his younger brother, John, began to cower slightly as his father entered. The older boy sensed that John had done something wrong. Then he saw from a distance what his brother had done. The younger boy had opened his father’s brand new hymnal and scribbled all over the first page with a pen. Staring at their father fearfully, both brothers waited for John’s punishment. Their father picked up his prized hymnal, looked at it carefully and then sat down, without saying a word. Books were precious to him; he was a minister with several academic degrees. For him, books were knowledge. What he did next was remarkable, says the author of this story. Instead of punishing his brother, instead of scolding, or yelling, his father took the pen from the little boy’s hand, and then wrote in the book himself, alongside the scribbles that John had made. Here is what that father wrote: “John’s work, 1959, age 2. How many times have I looked into your beautiful face and into your warm, alert eyes looking up at me and thanked God for the one who has now scribbled in my new hymnal. You have made the book sacred, as have your brother and sister to so much of my life.” “Wow,” thought the older brother, “This is punishment?” The author of the story, now an adult, goes on to say how that hymnal became a treasured family possession, how it was tangible proof that their parents loved them, how it taught the lesson that what really matters is people, not objects; patience, not judgment; love, not anger. Richard Fairchild, adapted by King Duncan Is God Like Daddy? Think of a four-year-old coming home one Sunday after a lesson that taught about God as our Heavenly Father. Sound theology would quickly note that God is neither male nor female, but youngsters do not concern themselves with theological niceties. A four-year-old hears "Father;" the only father he knows anything about is the one that lives with him and says, "Pass the biscuits, please;" so he asks..."Is God like Daddy?" Wow! What a heavy load! But a good load to consider on Fathers' Day...and a good one to consider when we realize that what Daddy is can become a role model for our children's concept of God. David E. Leininger, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com Especially for Father's Day, here is a short list of things that I believe to be true for dads: That the best way to love our children is to love and respect their mother, That the best gift we can give our children is a sense of safety and security as they grow up. I believe that it’s more important to give them our time, not our money, it’s more important to be respected by them than to be liked by them, it’s more important to encourage them in their interests than to require them to share our interests. That means, dads, that if you were a fullback but your son loves the violin, you better learn to love the violin! And I believe that our responsibility reaches beyond caring for our own children, and Jesus expects us to care for all children, everywhere. It was Dietrich Bonhoeffer who said “The true test of a society is how it cares for its children.” Taken to its logical extension, it means that we cannot just be proud that OUR kids received a great education when other children receive a poor education. We cannot be satisfied that our children get fully nutritious meals when some children go to be hungry at night. We can be proud that our child has a spacious bedroom, but shouldn’t we also be concerned that 4400 children are homeless in our state alone? Steven Molin, Yup, Them are Mustard Seeds __________________________ History of Father's Day Fathers Day occurs on the 3rd Sunday in June. The idea for creating a day for children to honor their fathers began in Spokane, Washington. A woman by the name of Sonora Smart Dodd thought of the idea for Father's Day while listening to a Mother's Day sermon in 1909. Having been raised by her father, Henry Jackson Smart, after her mother died, Sonora wanted her father to know how special he was to her. It was her father that made all the parental sacrifices and was, in the eyes of his daughter, a courageous, selfless, and loving man. Sonora's father was born in June, so she chose to hold the first Father's Day celebration in Spokane, Washington on the 19th of June, 1910. In 1924 President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed the third Sunday in June as Father's Day. Roses are the Father's Day flowers. Staff We Thought You Said Daddy! As we celebrate Father’s Day today, I would like to share the following story about the effect that one father had on his family. This particular family had three small children who were determined to have a puppy. Mom protested because she knew that somehow or other, she would end up caring for the critter. True to form, the children solemnly promised that they would take care of it. Eventually, she relented and they brought their little puppy home. The children named him Danny and cared for him diligently - at first. But, sure enough, as time passed, Mom found herself becoming more and more responsible for taking care of the dog. Finally, she decided that the children were not living up to their promise so she began to search for a new home for Danny. When she found one and broke the news to the children, she was quite surprised that they had almost no reaction at all. One of them even said rather matter-of-factly, "We'll miss him." "I’m sure we will," Mom answered, "but he is too much work for one person and since I'm the one that has to do all the work, I say he goes." "But," protested another child, "if he wouldn't eat so much and wouldn't be so messy, could we keep him?" Mom held her ground, "It's time to take Danny to his new home." Suddenly, with one voice and with tears in their eyes, the children exclaimed, "Danny? We thought you said Daddy!" Traditional When God Created Fathers When the good Lord was creating fathers, He started with a tall frame. And a female angel nearby said, "What kind of father is that? If you’re going to make children so close to the ground, why have you put fathers up so high? He won’t be able to shoot marbles without kneeling, tuck a child in bed without bending, or even kiss a child without a lot of stooping." And God smiled and said, "Yes, but if I make him child size, who would children have to look up to?" And when God made a father’s hands, they were large and sinewy. And the angel shook her head sadly and said, "Do You know what You’re doing? Large hands are clumsy. They can’t manage diaper pins, small buttons, rubber bands on pony tails or even remove splinters caused by baseball bats." God smiled and said, "I know, but they’re large enough to hold everything a small boy empties from his pockets at the end of a day…yet small enough to cup a child’s face." Then God molded long, slim legs and broad shoulders. The angel nearly had a heart attack. "Boy, this is the end of the week, all right," she clucked. "Do You realize You just made a father without a lap? How is he going to pull a child close to him without the kid falling between his legs?" God smiled and said, "A mother needs a lap. A father needs strong shoulders to pull a sled, balance a boy on a bicycle or hold a sleepy head on the way home from the circus." God was in the middle of creating two of the largest feet anyone had ever seen when the angel could contain herself no longer. "That’s not fair. Do You honestly think those large boats are going to dig out of bed early in the morning when the baby cries? Or walk through a small birthday party without crushing at least three of the guests?" And God smiled and said, "They’ll work. You’ll see. They’ll support a small child who wants to "ride a horse to Banbury Cross" or scare off mice at the summer cabin, or display shoes that will be a challenge to fill." God worked throughout the night, giving the father few words, but a firm authoritative voice; eyes that see everything, but remain calm and tolerant. Finally, almost as an afterthought, He added tears. Then He turned to the angel and said, "Now are you satisfied that he can love as much as a mother?" And the angel shutteth up! By Erma Bombeck ______________________________ Here Comes another Preacher Story Fred Craddock, while lecturing at Yale University, told of going back home one summer to Gatlinburg, Tennessee, to take a short vacation with his wife. One night they found a quiet little restaurant where they looked forward to a private meal-just the two of them. While they were waiting for their meal they noticed a distinguished looking, white-haired man moving from table to table, visiting guests. Craddock whispered to his wife, "I hope he doesn't come over here." He didn't want the man to intrude on their privacy. But the man did come by his table. "Where you folks from?" he asked amicably. "Oklahoma." "Splendid state, I hear, although I've never been there. What do you do for a Jiving? "I teach homiletics at the graduate seminary of Phillips University." "Oh, so you teach preachers, do you. Well, I've got a story I want to tell you." And with that he pulled up a chair and sat down at the table with Craddock and his wife. Dr. Craddock said he groaned inwardly: Oh no, here comes another preacher story. It seems everyone has one. The man stuck out his hand. "I'm Ben Hooper. I was born not far from here across the mountains. My mother wasn't married when I was born so I had a hard time. When I started to school my classmates had a name for me, and it wasn't a very nice name. I used to go off by myself at recess and during lunch-time because the taunts of my playmates cut so deeply. "What was worse was going downtown on Saturday afternoon and feeling every eye burning a hole through you. They were all wondering just who my real father was. "When I was about 12 years old a new preacher came to our church. I would always go in late and slip out early. But one day the preacher said the benediction so fast I got caught and had to walk out with the crowd. I could feel every eye in church on me. Just about the time I got to the door I felt a big hand on my shoulder. I looked up and the preacher was looking right at me. "Who are you, son? Whose boy are you?' I felt the old weight come on me. It was like a big black cloud. Even the preacher was putting me down. But as he looked down at me, studying my face, he began to smile a big smile of recognition. "Wait a minute," he said, "I know who you are. I see the family resemblance. You are a son of God." With that he slapped me across the rump and said, "Boy you've got a great inheritance. Go and claim it." The old man looked across the table at Fred Craddock and said, "That was the most important single sentence ever said to me." With that he smiled, shook the hands of Craddock and his wife, and moved on to another table to greet old friends. Suddenly, Fred Craddock remembered. On two occasions the people of Tennessee had elected an illegitimate to be their governor. One of them was Ben Hooper. Jamie Buckingham, Power for Living _____________________________ How We View Our Fathers 4 years: My daddy can do anything. 7 years: My dad knows a lot, a whole lot. 8 years: My father doesn't quite know everything. 12 years: Oh well, naturally Father doesn't know everything. 14 years: Father? Hopelessly old-fashioned. 21 years: Oh, that man is out-of-date. What did you expect? 25 years: He knows a little bit about it but not much. 30 years: Must find out what Dad thinks about it. 35 years: A little patience, let's get Dad's meaning first. 40 years: What would Dad have thought about it? 50 years: My Dad knew literally everything. 60 years: I wish I could talk it over with Dad once more. ______________________________ Kids Are Fun Kids are fun. Another one. The new baby came home from the hospital. The three-year-old met her new brother at the door and tagged along like a shadow as he was carried in and placed in the basinet. Big sister stood and watched in fascination and noticed that the new arrival was still wearing his ID bracelet. She asked, "Mommy, when are you going to take off his price tag?" Another Sunday School story. A very committed Christian was desperately ill. She spoke about a recent visit she had with her aged and equally ill brother. She realized that this would probably be the last time they would see one another before his or her death. "In recent years," she said, "I have noticed it really doesn't matter whether we get together for a fun family reunion or for a sad funeral. Both events feel the same. It is not the occasion that makes the day. It is the loving relationship we have. Therefore, a funeral feels the same as a party." That is the bottom line. What makes life go according to plan? Is it accumulating wealth? Achieving worldly success? Getting our own way? No, of course not. What makes life worthwhile are the loving relationships we make with God and one another. Everything else pales by comparison. This is the fact that makes a difference: You are one of God's stories and no matter how badly things seem to be going, you will turn out all right. Life may be unfair. Things may not go according to plan. No matter how many blessings God gives you, life may seem to come up short. You are one of God's stories and you don't have to worry about anything because you will turn out all right. CSS Publishing, Tenders of the Sacred Fire, by R. Robert Cueni Then Ishmael murmurs. God hears his crying. For the third time in this story, the Divine intervenes. Hagar opens her eyes and sees what seems to be an oasis. Could it be a mirage? Perhaps, but waving palm trees in the desert stand out against the stark desert background. Hagar gathers all her strength and goes to see. Sure enough, it is a source of water. She fills the goatskin and takes it back to Ishmael. The water slakes his thirst. His parched lips are healed. He regains his strength. This particular story ends by saying they continue to live in the wilderness. Ishmael becomes an expert archer. His mother finds him a wife from among the Egyptians who travel through the area. There is a tendency simply to conclude by saying, "And they lived happily ever after." We might even want to say things may not have worked according to the people's plan, but they worked out according to God's plan and that is even better. Frankly, that would miss the point. At several junctures in the story, God intervenes. Frankly, that doesn't solve everything. Sarah wanted her husband to have a son. She encouraged him to have one by the maid. God gave her the gift of a son, but she is resentful and bitter. Abraham loved both his sons. He wanted to raise them both. When that plan didn't work out, God promised to take care of Ishmael and to make him the father of another great nation. But Abraham still feels guilty about sending Ishmael away. That boy was his own flesh and blood. Every time Ishmael came to mind, a pain shot through the heart of Abraham. And do you think for a moment that Hagar and Ishmael were totally pleased with the way things turned out? Abraham had promised Ishmael half the family inheritance. They lost that and the life they had known. In exchange, they lived out their days in the desert. Even when God intervenes, life does not always go according to plan. Life is not always fair. Any expectations that it will be otherwise are met with disappointment. We must come to terms with that. Life simply does not come with a fairness guarantee nor with any assurance that everything will work out. We have plans about what we want to accomplish; what we want to accumulate; where we want to go. We may or may not attain those things. But even if we do, in the end, we discover it is not all that important. James Moore recalls a special memory from his childhood. When he was five years old he spent a day with his grandmother, who lived nearby. Toward evening, a fierce storm struck. "Oh, Jim," his grandmother said, "how in the world are we going to get you home in this weather?" And the answer came moments later, as his father walked in the front door. "He had come to get me," Jim recalls. The wind was blowing; rain was pelting down; lightning was flashing; thunder was rumbling behind the clouds. The storm showed no signs of letting up. It was dark and scary that night. "Our house wasn't far away," Jim recounts, "but the storm was nasty and getting worse." Jim's father was wearing a big blue weather coat, and as they prepared to leave, he said, "Son, come under here." He covered his young son with his coat, and out into the storm they went. "Even though it was raining hard, the wind was howling and I couldn't see a thing under that coat, I was not at all afraid," Jim remembers. "Because I knew my father could see where we were going, so I just held on tightly and trusted him. And soon the coat opened and we were home." (4) That's what being a father is all about. The loving father in the story of Abraham and his two sons is not Abraham. Abraham was no great shakes as a husband or a father. No, the Loving Father In this Story Is God. Earthly fathers may disappoint us ” as Abraham disappointed Ishmael. Our Heavenly Father never disappoints us. On this special day some of us can celebrate fathers who loved us and nurtured us. Others of us, perhaps, had fathers who were for the most part absent. All of us, though, have the same Heavenly Father who nurtured and cared for Ishmael. He never forsakes us. He is there for us always. A lady named Judy Harkness tells about being homeless. "I sat in my car with my six children, trying to sleep," she writes. The only home they had was their car. "We had no bathroom," Judy says, "there was no kitchen to cook a hot meal for my family, no living room to sit back and watch TV." Their meals came mostly from garbage cans in the back of markets. They also waited in soup lines for hours for a hot meal. Their only income came from collecting bottles and cans to return for deposit. "I felt so all alone and confused," Judy recalls. "I had no family that would let us stay with them and friends just seemed to disappear overnight...." It was a very difficult time for Judy and her six children. "When I felt myself slipping and giving way to my hate I grabbed my Bible and read," Judy recounts. "I talked to God as if He were sitting beside me." Once Judy heard God speaking words of comfort to her, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." Suddenly she felt the love of God in her life. "I saw Christ on the cross and I knew in my heart that He really loved me and my children," she wrote. "There were times I felt His arms around me as I cried and called on His name for help." Judy began attending church and felt the love of God through other people. Her life changed for the better. "I escaped the dark life of poverty," she claims "because people loved me as God loves us all." (3) In moments of despair God hears our cries for help. What a difference it makes in our lives when we realize how much God loves us and that we are never left alone. When people can think and act in that way, it can make a difference. A certain mother and father had two sons. Both of the parents were exceptionally intelligent people. They both had advanced academic degrees. The mother was a teacher and the father was an engineer. When the first son started elementary school, he excelled just as everyone expected the child of such parents to do. But two years later his brother started school, and he did not do so well. He appeared to be a very mediocre student. People invariably compared the two boys, always to the disadvantage of the second. Some teachers who knew both boys even suggested that the second son needed some special education. But the parents would have none of that. They told everyone who would listen that the two boys were not to be compared. It was not true that one was intelligent and the other was not. They were just different. They learned differently and at different rates. If they were both allowed to learn in their own ways, they would both turn out just fine. In fact, it did turn out just that way. Both boys graduated from excellent universities and did well in their careers -- and they stayed friends all of their lives. That story could have turned out very differently if the parents had not been wise enough to give each son his unique place. Can we imagine God feeling that way about all of God's children? What would it mean for all people to believe that it is the will of God for all people to have a place? What would it mean for us to live as if that is what is really right and to try to live according to it? That could solve many of the problems that tear apart families and schools and businesses and communities, couldn't it? Ishmael -- a Hebrew name meaning GOD HEARS. To be honest, what she hears next might make a woman expecting a child to change her mind. Hagar is told that the child will be a boy of whom God says, "He shall be a wild ass of a man, with his hand against everyone, and everyone's hand against him; and he shall live at odds with all his kin." Delightful. Then follows a scripture verse that became famous in it's King James Bible language - it was posted in cross-stitch on the walls of countless Christian homes, it was carved in wood above the pulpit of the first church in which I regularly preached [St. Luke's United Methodist Church, Pritchardville, SC], and my mother tells me it was the first Bible verse she ever taught me. Hagar listens to the divine voice, realizes that no matter where she might be, she is never beyond the sight of the Almighty, and says those words which have made her immortal: "And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, THOU, GOD, SEEST ME." It is a wonderful affirmation of faith. Obediently, she returns to the tents of mistress Sarah, the baby is born, Abraham's son. Today, I call on all of you to think of that “father” in your own life, who has guided you in times of trouble, has rescued you in times of need, has been present for you when you were lonely, has advised you when you needed direction, who has fed you when you were hungry, who has been there when you needed to know he was there. Send that “father” a message of thanks. And for those “fathers” of the faith who have inspired you, who have motivated you, who have set an example for you, who have led the way for you –pray that they stay well and safe in our current pandemic, so they can continue to lead the way for others. God saved Ishmael that day in the desert for a purpose. He knew, that someday, Ishmael would become a “Father” of nations. God has a plan for each of one of you. For each one of you too has a purpose in this world. Rely on God. Live in faith. Allow God to nurture you and guide you, to reside with you and within you, and you will live out that purpose. You too will someday become a “Father” (or Mother) of the Faith. Blessings to you on this Father’s Day, to you and yours, forever and always. ChristianGlobe Networks, Inc., by Lori Wagner

A Good Image of God's Kingdom

Father’s Day June 16, 2024 Mark 4:26-34 4th Sunday of Pentecost Year B A Good Image of God’s Kingdom Prelude Greeting Call to Worship One: Our relationships with our fathers are complicated. Many: For some of us, our father's love is like God's love -- too deep, too long, too wide, too strong to measure. One: Some of our dads are here; some were never here. Many: For some of us, God's love fills in the empty spaces our fathers left behind. One: All of us are shaped by the relationship or lack of relationship with our fathers. All: On this day when we remember what it means to have a father or be a father, we recognize the importance of fathers in our communities. We pledge as a congregation to love and nurture the fathers among us so that they will manifest the love of God in all that they do. ( United Methodist Discipleship Ministries, LaGretta Bjorn) Opening Prayer Mighty Lord, Today we lift our voices to praise you, for our pride is not in wealth or weapons, but our pride is in your name! Like the Hebrews of old, we ask you to answer us. Help us find victory over the challenges which surround us. Grant us confidence in your presence among us both here and in all the places we go this week. AMEN (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Song This is a Day of New Beginnings A Sermon for all Ages Have an apple, extra apple seeds, a knife, and a cutting board prepared in advance. Once the children are gathered around, ask them to describe the apple (e.g., taste, shape, colour, texture, smell). As you cut the apple open while separating out the seeds, ask them what you can make apples into (e.g., pies, applesauce, apple crumble). Talk about how those things are different from the original apple—they are transformed. Then give them each an apple seed to dissect once they get home to discover what is inside. (You might wish to provide a small envelope or bag for transporting the seed.) Invite them to discuss with their family the wonder of God’s design that the seed transforms into an apple tree big enough to climb and produces apples for us to eat. (Gord Dunbar, United Church of Canada) 1. What’s the best activity that you do/or have done with your Dad? 2. What do you think is your Dad’s best talent? 3. If you could give your Dad any gift in the world (no cost of course) what would it be? 4. What’s the most important thing that your Dad has taught you? Prayer for Transformation and New Life: Pastoral Leader: As we gather in worship, let us take this moment to consider our needs for transformation and forgiveness. I invite you to quietly reflect on our need for grace. (Allow a short moment of silence.) People: Dear God, the creator of all things based on love. You created us in your image of love and there have been times we have fallen short of that love, not only to you but to each other and all of creation. I ask for your forgiveness and from you, present today, my siblings, sisters and brothers in Christ. I thank you for the comforting strength and compassion of the Holy Spirit to do better in bringing love and grace and all I do. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. Words of Grace Pastoral Leader: Scripture tells us that we have been shown the way to reconciliation by the Christ which is within us whenever we turn to God for guidance and strength to transform our lives for a better kindom here on earth. Know the peace of the Divine grace that is always there for you in the name of Jesus. Amen. (United Church of Christ, Roberto Ochoa) Passing of the Peace God calls us in surprising ways, inviting us into a new creation. Share the good news with one another: The peace of Christ is with you. The peace of Christ is with you. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Peter Bankson) Scripture Mark 4:26-34 Sermon A Good Image of God Mortals Only See the Beginning All their lives the two young brothers had lived in the city behind great stone walls and never saw field nor meadow. But one day they decided to pay a visit to the country. As they went walking along the road they saw a farmer at his plowing. They watched him and were puzzled. "What on earth is he doing that for!" they wondered. "He turns up the earth and leaves deep furrows in it. Why should someone take a smooth piece of land covered with nice green grass and dig it up?" Later they watched the farmer sowing grains of wheat along the furrows. "That man must be crazy!" they exclaimed. "He takes good wheat and throws it into the dirt." "I don't like the country!" said one in disgust. "Only crazy people live here." So he returned to the city. His brother who remained in the country saw a change take place only several weeks later. The plowed field began to sprout tender green shoots, even more beautiful and fresher than before. This discovery excited him very much. So he wrote to his brother in the city to come at once and see for himself the wonderful change. His brother came and was delighted with what he saw. As time passed they watched the sproutings grow into golden heads of wheat. Now they both understood the purpose of the farmer's work. When the wheat became ripe the farmer brought his scythe and began to cut it down. At this the impatient one of the two brothers exclaimed: "The farmer is crazy! He's insane! How hard he worked all these months to produce this lovely wheat, and now with his own hands he is cutting it down! I'm disgusted with such an idiot and I'm going back to the city!" His brother, the patient one, held his peace and remained in the country. He watched the farmer gather the wheat into his granary. He saw him skillfully separate the grain from the chaff. He was filled with wonder when he found that the farmer had harvested a hundred-fold of the seed that he had sowed. Then he understood that there was logic in everything that the farmer had done. The moral of the story: Mortals see only the beginning of any of God's works. Therefore they cannot understand the nature and the end of creation. Brian Stoffregen, Exegetical Notes, quoting from A Treasury of Jewish Folklore: Stories, Traditions, Legends, Humor, Wisdom and Folk Songs of the Jewish People, Edited by Nathan Ausubel Copyright, 1948, Crown Publishers, Inc., New York We only see the obvious things about life, But God is able to see the bigger picture. We know what happens when you plant seeds, but the mystery of God’s kingdom and our place in it, not so much. That is why Jesus uses parables, or metaphors from every day life to help us to get a bigger picture. Mark 4 is the sharing of parables that help us to understand spiritual growth. Ordinary Objects To what ordinary object would Jesus compare the reign of God today — an object that we would recognize without having to have two minutes worth of explanation before we understand? How about these: The reign of God is like a tiny pebble. It doesn't look like much, but it can bring the strongest man to a stop if it's in his shoe. The reign of God is like a wasp. A wasp is a tiny insect that can be crushed with a fist. You wouldn't think that it's very strong. But introduce one into a crowded room and see how disruptive it can be! The reign of God is like a grain of sand. It can be so small that you can hardly see it. It's entirely insignificant, unless it gets in your eye. Traditional Illustration, ChristianGlobe Networks, Inc. Two other metaphors that I want to focus on today to help us think about what it means to grow spiritually are seeds and people. In Mark 4 Jesus uses the metaphor of seeds in 4 different stories. Sermon Opener – The Kingdom and the Seed - Mark 4:26-34 Most of us have planted a garden or lived on or near a farm. In my case, I grew up in Chicago where they have to put cows in zoos because so many city people are shielded from agricultural life and would never otherwise get to see one. But for eleven years I served as the pastor of a church in the agriculturally-oriented community of Davenport, Iowa. Davenport is located in Scott County which is Mississippi River land. It is reported to be some of the richest soil in the world. I learned a lot about farming while living there. I learned about soil and seeds. I learned about the need for cooperation and balance between the various parts of nature - the sun, the soil, and the rain. Having returned recently from a trip to Iowa, I was very mindful of the soil. As we drove along the highway we saw some fields which were completely washed away, others that were too dry. For all farmers, life is intricately linked to the soil. Having some agricultural background is helpful when it comes to looking at the three parables of the soils and the kingdom in the fourth chapter of the Gospel of Mark. The first such parable is called the Parable of the Sower (4:4-20). There are four different kinds of soil, Jesus said, • hard soil (a path); • rocky ground; • thorny ground; and • good soil. People, Jesus said, are like those four kinds of soil. The Word of God is the seed which falls into four different kinds of soil. The second parable in the fourth chapter of Mark is the parable of the harvest (4:26-29). The seed grows as the farmer goes about his work day by day. The day comes when the grain is ripe. Then comes the harvest. We must live with a knowledge that for each of us there will be a harvest day, a time of death, and a time of astounding change. Who would guess the wonders of heaven having seen the original seed of life? The third parable about soil is the parable of the mustard seed (4:30-32). The Kingdom of God, like the mustard seed, starts small, but grows into a large shrub with many branches. These parables of the soil are designed to take the familiar and use it to show something new. New perspectives are thus encouraged. New Kingdom participation is encouraged... Here in Illinois, we may not know a lot about mustard seeds, but we do know corn. A Seed for the Whole World In the Midwest, they plant more corn than mustard seed. One variety of corn is called Golden Bantam. Apparently, all the Golden Bantam corn in this country came from one stalk discovered on a Vermont hillside. How it got there is anybody's guess. But appreciating its special qualities, the person who discovered it carefully preserved its seed and planted it year after year. Now it is available to the whole world. That's how the kingdom of God works. Kristin Borsgard Wee, Sermons for Sundays after Pentecost (First Third): Do You Love Me?, CSS Publishing Company, Inc. What seeds in life have you planted lately? Not all seeds that we plant go into the ground. Everything that we do in life today is a seed planted for the future. We don’t always know the consequences of what we do, but whenever we do a positive act it makes a difference. When you do plant seeds in the ground, you have no control over the growth. When Paul talks about faith he says the he planted, another person watered and God gave the increase. Martin Luther said the whenever he preached a sermon, he would give it his all, and then go home drink a beer and let it settle in the minds of other people. What seeds of faith are you planting in the world? The second important metaphor for growth is people. It is said that Queen Victoria was fascinated by the brilliance of the scholars who made up England’s Royal Society. On one occasion she whispered to Prime Minister John Bright, “Where do all these learned men come from?” Bright replied, “From babies, your Majesty, from babies.” Every time a baby is born into the world a potential mustard seed of greatness is planted. It’s like a small church in rural Kentucky which over the years has produced several outstanding clergy. While interviewing a new slate of pastoral candidates, a member of the search committee mentioned the former pastors from that small church who had gone on to serve in prominent church positions one as president of a seminary and pastor of a large city church, another also as a seminary president, and a third as president of two denominational conventions and an international alliance. “How in the world did you find that many potentially great men in this little church?” the astonished candidate asked. “Find them!” said the committee member. “We didn’t find them. We made them!” (3) Growth Is in Our Reach A third-grader taught the teacher an important truth: The teacher asked, "How many great people were born in our city?" "None," replied the pupil. "There were no great people born. They were born babies who became great people." Greatness may not be within the reach of every one of us, but growth is. We are each capable of being a more mature person today than we were yesterday, and tomorrow can find us further along than we are today. And when we forget this vital truth, we lose sight of the essential meaning of life and the sources of its deepest fulfillment. If a seed in its dark, restless journey underground is not content until it breaks through the mountain of soil and strains ever higher toward the sunlight, will we human beings be content to have our faith remain simply a seed full of potential? Merritt W. Ednie, God’s Program In Process The job of planting seeds in the lives of others is the responsibility of us all. It has been said that the responsibility of all communities is to raise the children to become great. The bible says that directive comes to us straight from God. Don't Eat the Forbidden Fruit Whenever your kids are out of control, you can take comfort from the thought that even God's omnipotence didn't extend to God's kids. After creating heaven and earth, God created Adam and Eve. And the first thing he said was: "Don't." "Don't what?" Adam replied "Don't eat the forbidden fruit." God said. "Forbidden fruit? We got forbidden fruit? Hey Eve! We got forbidden fruit!" "No way!" "Yes way!" "DON'T EAT THAT FRUIT!" Said God. "Why?" "Because I am your Father and I said so!" said God, wondering why he hadn't stopped after making elephants. A few minutes later God saw his kids having an apple break and was angry. Didn't I tell you not to the fruit?" the First Parent asked. "Uh huh," Adam replied. "Then why did you?" "I dunno," Eve answered. "She started it!" Adam said. "Did not!" "Did too!" "Did NOT!" Having had it with the two of them, God's punishment was that Adam and Eve should have children of their own. Thus, the pattern was set and it has never been changed. Morgan Murray ______________________________ It was Dietrich Bonhoeffer who said “The true test of a society is how it cares for its children.” Taken to its logical extension, it means that we cannot just be proud that OUR kids received a great education when other children receive a poor education. We cannot be satisfied that our children get fully nutritious meals when some children go to be hungry at night. We can be proud that our child has a spacious bedroom, but shouldn’t we also be concerned that 4400 children are homeless in our state alone? In our lesson from Mark, Jesus is describing the kingdom of God: "This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how . . ." Now Jesus is not talking about fatherhood in this passage, but isn't this the very first area in which we participate in the coming of God's kingdom to earth? It is in the raising of our children. Raising good children is like scattering seed upon the ground…. Today as we honor the fathers in our lives, we should point out that our most endearing metaphor for god is life a father. Jesus called God abba, or daddy. Jesus looked to God for constanat advice about what to say to the people. Later today when we pray the prayer the Jesus taught us to pray – we will pray our father. Is God Like Daddy? Think of a four-year-old coming home one Sunday after a lesson that taught about God as our Heavenly Father. Sound theology would quickly note that God is neither male nor female, but youngsters do not concern themselves with theological niceties. A four-year-old hears "Father;" the only father he knows anything about is the one that lives with him and says, "Pass the biscuits, please;" so he asks..."Is God like Daddy?" Wow! What a heavy load! But a good load to consider on Fathers' Day...and a good one to consider when we realize that what Daddy is can become a role model for our children's concept of God. David E. Leininger, Collected Sermons, When you think of your father for father figure in your life. Let’s talk more about fathers and what they mean to us. • What are some words you’d use to describe your father? It’s true, of course, that some fathers weren’t so good, but think about someone you love who acted like a good father in your life, such as an uncle, grandfather, friend, a friend’s father, or an older brother. What was that person like? What qualities did he have? o strength, integrity, care, love, providing for family, discipline, power • What sorts of things did your father or father figure teach you? • What did your father do for work? Around your home? In your community? • Why do fathers sometimes say “no”? How can we pass the seeds that have been planted in us on to others? The message for us to remember to today: God gives us a glimpse of heaven in the people that we meet and to work that we do. When we plant seeds of faith, we don’t always know the process in which they grow, we don’t make them grow. But in life we partner with God, and when it comes time for the harvest, we celebrate with God for bringing new and exciting things into the world. God's Garden Inch by inch, row by row Gonna make this garden grow All it takes is a rake and a hoe And a piece of fertile ground That's the way a wonderful children's song by David Mallet starts. It's entitled "Garden Song" and continues this way: Inch by inch, row by row Someone bless these seeds I sow Someone warm them from below 'Till the rain comes tumbling down. Grain for grain, sun and rain, Find my way in nature's chain Tune my body and my brain, To the music from the land. Plant your rows straight and long, Temper them with a prayer and song. Mother Earth will make you strong If you give her love and care. Those words from the chorus which say, "Inch by inch, row by row, Gonna make this garden grow." remind me of our text for today. Jesus made clear that the Kingdom of God grows the same way. He says, "The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head." Mickey Anders, God's Garden, ChristianGlobe Networks, Inc. Amen Song This is my Father’s World UMH 144 Pastoral Prayer Lord, in this season of growth, open our hearts to grow in your love. Help us to truly trust in your creative process in our lives. We look around and we see the beauty of your world, the blossoming flowers and plants, the growth of children, the joy of celebrations of graduation and marriage, of receiving new life, the honoring of Fathers. And we also see the sadness and sorrow that has invaded the world when systems of injustice and hatred lay claim to people’s lives. Prepare us, O Lord, to become ambassadors of peace and hope. Help us to place our trust in you, so that when we are serving others, they may come to know your abiding love and power. Give us courage and great joy as we serve you. AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment Mark’s Gospel includes many parables, including the ones in Mark 4, known as the parable of the growing seed and the parable of the mustard seed (Mark 4:26-32). Even for people who are not farmers, we understand it takes planting before anything can be harvested. Today we have the opportunity of planting “seeds” as we receive our morning offering. Do you remember the old song “Bringing in the Sheaves”? The images are there: “sowing in the morning, sowing seeds of kindness…we shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves” What we share, what we SOW, becomes the means by which we come to a time of harvest after our ministries grow into maturity. We especially see this in our ____________________ (name a particular ministry, such as: ”support of our choir”, “food pantry outreach”, “funding our youth group’s activities and minister”. Or, on this Father’s Day, highlight the congregation’s support for families, the men’s organization, or your counseling for men). Let us joyfully share our offerings, and rejoice when we come to a time of “bringing in the sheaves”. Prayer of Thanksgiving Gracious God, we offer these gifts as symbols of all we yearn to harvest. May these checks, coins and on-line gifts come vital seeds which will grow into a bumper crop of good as we seek to partner with you in the coming of your Realm. AMEN ( Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook Life is a mystery. We walk by faith. God calls us when we least expect it, inviting us to be in Christ. Walk out into the world, knowing that you are part of God’s life-giving new creation. Life is a mystery. We walk by faith. Amen. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Peter Bankson) Community Time ( Joys and Concerns) Acknowledgement of our Graduates Benediction Pastoral Leader: Dear friends, we have been nourished and renewed this day, go out and spread the seed of God’s kindom and love to all you encounter in the Divine name who created us, who redeems us, and who sustains us. Go in peace in Jesus’ name. Amen. (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Roberto Ochoa) Additional Illustrations

The Creativity of Father

June 15, 2014 Genesis 1:1-2:4 Father’s Day First Sunday After Pentecost Year A Difference between mothers day and fathers day We just celebrated mother’s day a few weeks ago, and today we celebrate our fathers. Some have said that there is a big difference in the way we celebrate our mothers, and our fathers. On mothers day the restaurants are full, on fathers day, it is not too late to get a reservation. Mother’s get flowers, candy, thoughtful presents. Father’s get socks. Kevin Hart even mentioned this week, that on Father’s Day his son will go into his closet, wrap one of his shirts, and say Dad, I know that you will like this gift, because I saw you wear it already. Neither holiday is a sacred holiday for the church. But if you look at every major religion, honoring your mother and your father is a major tenant. We don’t choose out parents, but it is important for us to acknowledge the gifts that they have given us, and the lessons that they teach us. If they were not who they were, we would not be who we are today. We get out identity from our parents. God created fathers And I would say that the gift of fathers is no different from the gift of mothers. It is just that we honor them differently. God created them differently. On Mother’s Day I shared the story of how God created mothers. So I thought I would share the story of how fathers were created. This is a story by Erma Bombeck. . In one of her humor columns Erma Bombeck described what the scene must have looked like when God created fathers. She writes: When the good Lord was creating Fathers he started with a tall frame. And a female angel nearby said, "What kind of Father is that? If you're going to make children so close to the ground, why have you put Fathers up so high? He won't be able to shoot marbles without kneeling, tuck a child in bed without bending, or even kiss a child without a lot of stooping." And God smiled and said, "Yes, but if I make him child-size, who would children have to look up to?" And when God made a Father's hands, they were large and sinewy. And the angel shook her head sadly and said, "Do you know what you're doing? Large hands are clumsy. They can't manage diaper pins, small buttons, rubber bands on pony tails or even remove splinters caused by baseball bats." And God smiled and said, "I know, but they're large enough to hold everything a small boy empties from his pockets at the end of a day...yet small enough to cup a child's face in his hands." And then God molded long, slim legs and broad shoulders. And the angel nearly had a heart attack. "Boy, this is the end of the week, all right," she clucked. "Do you realize you just made a Father without a lap? How is he going to pull a child close to him without the kid falling between his legs?" And God smiled and said, "A mother needs a lap. A father needs strong shoulders to pull a sled, balance a boy on a bicycle, and hold a sleepy head on the way home from the circus." God was in the middle of creating two of the largest feet anyone had every seen when the angel could contain herself no longer. "That's not fair. Do you honestly think those large boats are going to dig out of bed early in the morning when the baby cries? Or walk through a small birthday party without crushing at least three of the guests?" And God smiled and said, "They'll work. You'll see. They'll support a small child who wants to ride a horse, or scare off mice at the summer cabin, or display shoes that will be a challenge to fill." God worked throughout the night, giving the Father few words, but a firm authoritative voice; eyes that saw everything, but remained calm and tolerant. Finally, almost as an afterthought, he added tears. Then he turned to the angel and said, "Now, are you satisfied that he can love as much as a Mother?" Erma Bombeck concludes, “The angel shuteth up.” While it is obvious to us that God created Adam and Eve, we don’t readily consider the fact that the differences between men and women are God made and purposely suited to the task of raising a child. This is why father’s need to be connected to God. Men, fathers, dads: Your eyes, your hands, your strength, your heart, your mind, your soul have been given you not only for your pleasure but for the pleasure and well being of your children. Fathers and creation I thought that it was important for us to look at the creation story on Father’s Day. God created the earth and all of the creatures on it. God created male and female. God even had a plan for what we should do with our lives while here in the midst of creation. We should care for all that God has given us. The bible makes it clear that God is a spirit. God is neither male nor female. And yet when we think about all that God has done for us. When we think of the role that God plays in our lives, we think of the role of the father. When Jesus speaks of his relationship with God, he calls the almighty father. I thought that it was interesting that the verb – to father, means to create, to be the foundation, to author into existence. The definition of fatherhood If, as C.S. Lewis wrote, "fatherhood must be at the core of the universe," then disrespect for a father means engaging in some very dangerous vandalism. That is true culturally, but also personally. Gordon Dalbey writes, "We had better teach our sons mercy. A man who curses his father...curses his own manhood." Being a father is an awesome responsibility. And makes an awesome difference in the life of our children. The father plays a very important role in the identity of our children. We know the familiar story of Jesus being taken to the temple in ordered to be names and circumcised eight days after he was born. What we may not have realized that it was his father’s Joseph’s responsibility to present him to the public, to claim him and to give him a name. Giving a child identity It is important for fathers to be present at the baptism of a child. Baptism in some ways is that naming ceremony, where the child is introduced to the community. The child is bought into the family of God. But most important the father promises that he will be present in the life of the child. But that he will make sure that the child had a relationship with God. The child will be raised in the ways of God. In a relationship between father and child, the child will pick up in anything that a fathers does. But when we are reminded that our relationship with our children is an extention of our relationship with God. We cant help but to do what is best for our children. Being a father means being connected to our child, our family, our God and our church. All four roles are equally important. So today we honor our fathers for all that they have done for us, all that they have taught us, and all of the places that they have led us. a father’s greatest creation is always present in the life of he child. Father’s may your footsteps lead your children to a place close to God. Amen. Children's Message for Father's Day Lectionary: : • Lectionary: Item 15 of 17 | Back to Results Object: Basket/box full of items such as hammer, frying pan, book, sales receipt pad, Bible, sewing materials, dental/medical item of equipment, small flower trowel, telephone. Be sure to have more than enough for the highest number of children anticipated and avoid sharp or overly heavy objects. Good morning, young people! Today is Father's Day. Today we are going to give God thanks for the things our fathers do for us, and the things they do to make a living. Would you all take turns and find some tool or item in the basket that you think a father/your father might use in helping your family - or you - or at work? (Supervise this experience, being sure that all have a chance to retrieve an item.) Could you explain what item you have and how fathers might use these in their work or around our homes? (Be prepared for anything! Especially help each contribution to be heard, unless a microphone is available, by repeating for those too soft-spoken to be heard.) (You have chosen some items that might not be picked to be included. Knowing your young people is essential here, for they are often very "liberated" and very "traditional.") What about this ___________? (etc.) Can anyone think of how Dad might use this? (Be prepared again for almost anything! Seek to mold the comments into a constructive understanding of the differing roles/jobs of fathers.) How do you feel about what our fathers do for us? (Pause long enough to get some good comments that might be shared.) Let's let our fathers know how we feel. All together now, let's say, "Thanks, Father! We love you!" 1-55673-106-X Back to Results | Item 15 of 17 Illustrations not used in sermon Some of you are familiar with William Raspberry, a syndicated writer with the Washington Post. In a recent column he made this analogy: Some years ago, South Africa's game managers had to figure out what to do about the elephant herd at Kruger National Park. The herd was growing well beyond the ability of the park to sustain it. And so they decided to transport some of the herd to a nearby game park. A dozen years later, however, several of the young male elephants (now teenagers) that had been transported to the game park began attacking the park ‘s herd of white rhinos, an endangered species. They used their trunks to throw sticks at the rhinos, chased them over long hours and great distances and stomped to death a tenth of the herd all for no discernible reason. Park managers decided they had no choice but to kill some of the worst juvenile offenders. They had killed five of them when someone came up with another bright idea. They brought in some of the mature male elephants still residing in the Kruger Park and hoped that the bigger, stronger males could bring the adolescents under control. To the delight of the park officials, it worked. The big bulls quickly established the natural hierarchy and reduced the violent behavior of the younger bulls. "The new discipline, it turned out, was not just a matter of size intimidation," says Raspberry. "The young bulls actually started following the Big Daddies around, yielding to their authority and learning from them proper elephant conduct. The assaults on the white rhinos ended abruptly." (3) Raspberry's point was that young males whether they are wild animals or human beings need Dads. And, it is only possible to use these gifts to their good purpose when God is allowed in. When we allow Him to define who we are who we can be for our families. Text Illustration: B. Charles Francis Adams, the 19th century political figure and diplomat, kept a diary. One day he entered: "Went fishing with my son today--a day wasted." His son, Brook Adams, also kept a diary, which is still in existence. On that same day, Brook Adams made this entry: "Went fishing with my father--the most wonderful day of my life!" The father thought he was wasting his time while fishing with his son, but his son saw it as an investment of time. Text Illustration: HONORING OUR FATHERS I believe there is something in us--a law written on our hearts--that says, "Honor your father and mother." That’s how it’s stated in the Bible, but you’ll find it in all of the world’s religions. The ancient Chinese Analects advise, "surely proper behaviour to parent and elder brothers is the [tree] trunk of goodness." We must consciously attempt, first of all, to find the good in our fathers, no matter how badly they seemed to have fathered us. To put a spin on Marc Antony’s cry: "We have not come to bury our fathers under the dirt of our accusations; we’ve come to praise them for what we have discovered in them, and for what they have given us." What our fathers did right is every bit as important as what they did wrong. SOURCE: Ken Canfield, PH. D. The Heart of a Father. Chicago: Northfield Publishing, 1996. Pg. 30. His little arms crept round my neck, And then I heard him say, Four simple words I can't forget, Four words that made me pray. They turned a mirror on my soul, On secrets no one knew, They startled me, I hear them yet, He said, "I'll be like you."(5) What an awesome responsibility! Fatherhood. We present our children in baptism and promise to raise them in the knowledge and love of God, then too often we forget that as our sons and daughters grow and learn, they come to that question, "Is God like Daddy?" Are you sure you would like to hear the response to that one, Dad? If you are not certain, then this Father's Day can be the day, by the power of the Spirit of a loving Heavenly Father, to make a new start. Do you know why God commands us to honor our fathers? Well .. one reason is because of the meaning of the word "father." In the verb form .. the word "father" means "the founder .. to be the foundation .. to author." . Those of us who grew up in families in which Dad was a positive influence will quickly agree. It doesn't always work out like that, of course. There are some families in which Dad is absent, and it cannot be helped. There are other families in which Dads do more harm than good, but fortunately that's true in only a minority of families. Most Dads do the best they can. And we're proud to be able to honor them. Fathers are important. A conscientious father can do wonders in the lives of his children. Many of us have observed this in our own families. A conscientious Dad can have a wondrous impact on the lives of his offspring. Well, of course, Father’s Day is technically not a religious holiday; it is a secular day. But, it is not, for that reason, less appropriate for our consideration. We also don’t simply want to give equal billing to fathers this morning because we gave homage to mothers a month ago. We want to recognize dads for another very important reason. The message that is going out to so much of society today is that fathers are simply not needed. While the number may numerically be small there are some women who actually chose to be single parent mothers. And there are far too many men in America today who father children that they have no intention of raising. The church, therefore, needs to send out the message loud and clear that fathers play a critical role in the life of the family, that they are needed, and that God expects something of them. Fathers, you will have a powerful impact upon your family if you connect in three crucial areas. How is that father’s play such a huge role, whether they are willing or not, in the development of a child? I believe it is by design The role of a father, to connect with his family, cannot be ignored. Ten years ago statistics showed that from 1960 to 1990 the percentage of children living apart from their biological fathers more than doubled from 17% to 36%. It was estimated that by the turn of the century 50% of all American children would go to bed at night without being able to speak to their father. So, here we are. At the turn of the century. How are we doing? The good news is that it’s not as bad as they had predicted. The bad news is that 4 out of every 10 children live in a fatherless home. The tide may have been stemmed a bit but it’s nothing to gloat over. The effects of this are horrendous. Here’s what happens when dads walk out on their children. You won’t believe what you are about to hear. 63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes (Source: U.S. D.H.H.S., Bureau of the Census) 90% of all homeless and runaway children are from fatherless homes 85% of all children that exhibit behavioral disorders come from fatherless homes (Source: Center for Disease Control) 80% of rapists motivated with displaced anger come from fatherless homes (Source: Criminal Justice & Behavior, Vol 14, p. 403-26, 1978.) 71% of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes (Source: National Principals Association Report on the State of High Schools.) 75% of all adolescent patients in chemical abuse centers come from fatherless homes (Source: Rainbows for all God’s Children.) 70% of juveniles in state-operated institutions come from fatherless homes (Source: U.S. Dept. of Justice, Special Report, Sept 1988) 85% of all youths sitting in prisons grew up in a fatherless home (Source: Fulton Co. Georgia jail populations, Texas Dept. of Corrections 1992) What an awesome responsibility! Fatherhood. We present our children in baptism and promise to raise them in the knowledge and love of God, then too often we forget that as our sons and daughters grow and learn, they come to that question, "Is God like Daddy?" Are you sure you would like to hear the response to that one, Dad? If you are not certain, then this Father's Day can be the day, by the power of the Spirit of a loving Heavenly Father, to make a new start. Amen! ____________________

A Quiver of Arrows

June 16, 2013 Father’s Day Deuteronomy 6:4-9 Psalm 127:3-5 “Quivers of Arrows” Year C For me, Psalm 127 serves a very important message, it is especially for fathers. Unless the lord build the house, the builders labor in vain. Fathers are the foundation of our household. It goes on to say that children are a heritage from the lord. They are a gift from God. The last verses say blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. It was believed that not only were your children, a gift from God, but in many ways the children were an important blessing from God. Your children were the ones who took care of you when you could no longer take care of yourself. Your children were the ones who carried on the family name, and who represented your legacy once your were gone. That is why the psalmist says –“Blessed is the man whose quiver was full of them. The more children that you had, the better off your inheritance.” Without the children there would be no fathers. Today we honor the fathers in our life, for how they treat their children. For that they are to their children. What are the qualities that make a good father? Faith, adversity, teaching, helper, encouragement and reputation. How do we spell father? F-A-T-H-E-R. Faith, adversity, teaching, helping, encouragement and reputation. I want to go through each letter that spells out for us what a father should be to his family and his church. The first letter F stand for faith, the foundation of any good father. Studies show that families where the father has a faith, are 80% more likely to go to church and to demonstrate the faith of the father. The letter A stands for adversity. It is in the fires of adversity that our characters are shaped. When we learn to overcome obstacles we become a stronger person. Story of the farmer…. Many years ago, a farmer and his family, after a hard year of typical farm work, were rewarded with an unusually fine crop of grain. There were happy days ahead. Just a few days before harvest, there came a terrible wind and hailstorm. The entire crop was destroyed! After the storm was over, the farmer, with his wife and little boy at his side, went out to the back porch to view the field and the damage. The little boy looked at what was formerly a beautiful field of wheat, and tearfully looked up at his dad expecting to hear words of despair. All at once his father started to sing softly, "Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee...." Years later, the little boy now grown said, "That was the greatest sermon I have ever heard." The farmer had lost a grain crop, but because of his faith, manifested in great trial, he had gained forever for the Lord the soul of his son. The son saw the faith of a godly man in practice! The letter t stands for teacher – the scripture for today says to study the bible and to learn the commandments. But it goes on to say that what you learn and understand about God you should teach to your children. “Talk about the commandments when you sit at home and when you talk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” The father is a child’s greatest teacher. Their learning begins at home. They can only go far in school if they are nurtured at home. H stands for helper 1. A father helps with the homework, he helps with school projects, he attends the little league and soccer games, he takes time to be involved--he's always there with an arm to lean on. ILLUS: Ken Canfield, in his book, The Seven Secrets of Effective Fathers, said, "Effective Fathers are: Committed to their children. Know their children. Are consistent in their attitudes and behavior. Protect and Provide for their children. Love their children's mother. Are active listeners to their children. Spiritually equip their children. E stands for encouragement. We have to encourage our children in everything that they do. In order to encourage them, we have to be present to them. MY DADDY IS HERE! David Elkind, a psychologist, tells the story of visiting his middle son's nursery school class, at the request of his teacher. She wanted him to observe a "problem child" in the class. While he was there, he caught a conversation between his son and some other boys. There conversation went like this. Child A: "My daddy is a doctor and he makes lots of money and we have a swimming pool." Child B: "My daddy is a lawyer and he flies to Washington and talks to the president." Child C: "My daddy owns a company and we have our own airplane." Then David Elkind's boy said, "My daddy is here!" And he proudly looked in his father's direction. (James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited, p.197) Dads, your presence means more than anything else to your children - more than your money, more than your position at work, more than the toys you buy them. Your time means more to them than anything else, because it says, "I care." (From a sermon by C. Philip Green, Loving Leadership, 6/17/2010) The final ingredient to being a father is reputation. Proverbs 22:1 says a good name is rather to be chosen then great riches and loving favor rather than silver and gold. Our good name comes from who we are in the eyes of God. Who is it more important to impress? Other people or God. How do you spell father? Faith, adversity, teacher, helper, encouragement and reputation. A father is a father in the way in which they treat their children. And in the way they are able to honor the ways of God in their lives. One of the ten commandments tells us that we should honor our mother and father. We honor them for giving us life. Some can see these characteristics very clearly in the men in their life, some are striving to – but have work to do. Some men attempt to be father’s without the guidance of God. But we honor them today – because they are the father God gave us. Just as children are a blessing to a father’s soul, they are a gift from god. The fathers we were given by God are also a blessing. We honor them because we love them. But we also honor because God reminds us that honoring our fathers is the beginning of our faith journey. September 2007 in Hampshire Rosemary Edwards left home without leaving any word or taking her things and has been missing all week. It was as a result of a her losing her job and her dads word which came to her explaining she would no longer be able to continue horse riding as a result the girl has run away from home – the Father since that day as been seeking his daughter on national radio and TV with an emotional appeal for the safe return of his daughter. We can be like Rosemary with God – God may say something, do something, expect something and we don’t like it we want things how they are (comfort zones) and so we run. But like the love of the father who is pursuing his daughter. God will pursue you, as he pursued Jonah because when it comes to the will of God in our lives we can run and spend our whole lives running but we cannot hide from God. By Aubrey Vaughan Jonah chapter1:Hide and seek. sermon c

He who calms the Storm

Father’s Day June 17, 2012 2 Corinthians 6:1-13 Mark 4:35-41 Year B The difference between fathers day and mothers day Bill Cosby captures the difference between mothers day and fathers day perfectly. In a comedy routine some time ago, Bill Cosby related his understanding of the difference between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. He insisted that Mother’s Day is a much bigger deal because mothers are more organized. “Mothers say to their children: Now here is a list of what I want. Go get the money from your father and you surprise me on Mother’s Day. You do that for me.” And then he waxed eloquently on Father’s Day: “For Father’s Day I give each of my five kids $20 so that they can go out and by me a present——a total of $100. They go to the store and buy two packages of underwear, each of which costs $5 and contains three shorts. They tear them open and each kid wraps up one pair, the sixth going to the Salvation Army. Therefore, on Father’s Day I am walking around with new underwear and my kids are walking around with $90 worth of my change in their pockets.” Now that’s funny stuff! There are other ways in which father’s day is different from mothers day. Expected church attendance is the third highest on mothers day, right after Christmas and Easter. Attendance on fathers day is the seventh highest, right after 4th of july and friends and family day. Father’s day is the 4th biggest day for sending cards. And here is one that you may not know – father’s day is the biggest day for making collect calls. Mothers day is the busiest day for the phone company. But on father’s day 27% of all calls made on that day are made collect. Even the graphics are different for father’s day – for mother’s day I was able to find a nice bouquet – the only graphic I could find for father’s day was a tie. It seems we get nice gifts for our mothers, and practical gifts for our fathers. Does that mean that we love our fathers any less than our mothers. I would think that we don’t love our fathers less, we love them differently. We depend upon them differently, so we honor them differently. Fathers as superheros When I was younger I would think of the men in my life as superheros. They were the ones who had all of the answers, who could fix anything that was broken, who could tackle any problem, and had the strength to protect me from anything. There was nothing that my dad or my uncles could not handle. On the news one day there was a story of a soldier going off to Afghanistan and leaving his family. His three year old son would not have understood the reality of war – but the son understood that his dad was a superhero- because he was going off to slay dragons and to fight for justice. The things that dads do for us are always amazing, One thing that even Bill Cosby admitted was that everyday was fathers day – because a father is always present. Every day is father’s day, because just as the work of our earthly father is never done, which is why we sometimes take it for granted, the work of our heavenly father is always with is too. A son who paid it all One Summer I was scheduled to speak at Ocean City, New Jersey, and he begged me to go down a day early so we could catch the last day of this huge card show. We got there in time and Doug entered that large hall with all of the money that a little guy could have saved from recent chores and allowances. And as we strolled along the displays together something caught my eye, it was the baseball card I had tried so hard to get as a little boy, and I never could. You see, growing up in Chicago, my hero was the second baseman of the Chicago White Sox, Nelly Fox. He was the hero of a lot of kids. I bought tons of cards. I had the whole team but I could never get Nelly Fox. Well, there on that table was one of those very Nelly Fox cards I could never find as a kid! Doug said, "Are you going to buy it Dad?" I said, "No, it's nice to see it but I'm just going to keep looking around." So we went our separate ways for a few minutes until I felt a tug on my pants. It was Doug looking up at me with eyes I think I'll never forget,"Here Dad, I love you," he said. He reached up and he handed me a piece of cardboard protected in plastic. It was that Nelly Fox baseball card. My son had basically spent everything he had on that gift for me. That card is on my desk right now next to me, in a big plastic protector. There are few times in my life when I have ever felt so loved as I did that moment. Now, I could tell how much my son loved me, he showed it by how much he spent on me that day. Everything he had! You can tell how much God loves you, He spent everything He had on you! No one has ever loved you like this. Why this price tag of the shed blood of God's Son? Well, the Bible reveals the answer in these words, "... without shedding of blood there is no remission." Forgiveness means erasing our sins from God's Book. The penalty is clear, it is death. My sin can only be paid for by dying. If you've ever wondered if God really loves you, here is His overwhelming YES! He sacrificed His Son to die your eternal death penalty on the cross. He spent it all on you. A father who paid it all Our heavenly father sacrificed all that he had so that we could know him and his love, through the love of his son Jesus Christ. This summer, as we come back to the gospel of mark, we will be looking at the miracles of Jesus. Mark wants us to realize that just as dads can be superheros because of who they are for us – that they get their real power from Jesus Christ. They are dads, because whether they believe it or not, Jesus supplies all of our needs. As we look at the miracles of Jesus – Mark wants us to realize – not so much that Jesus has superpowers, but that every things that he did and every miracle that he performs points us to – the power of God in our lives. God is the superhero in all of our lives. Jesus calms the storm Jesus has taken the disciples out to sea in order to travel on and to get away from the people. His disciples were the fisherman – familiar with the sea. Jesus was a carpenter – with no knowledge of how to sail a boat. Ironically, it is the fishermen who are afraid of the sea. And feel that they have to awaken Jesus in order to be saved. Perhaps they are remembering the words of psalm 44 – which say awake Lord, why do you sleep, rouse yourself, do not reject yourself forever. They are not asking Jesus to control the boat, they can do that themselves – they are asking Jesus to calm the sea. We often do that when we are in trouble. Not so much ask God to take away the trouble – but to give us peace in the midst of the situation so that we can get through it. The disciples ask Jesus a question of faith – don’t you care about us – if you did you would do something. He not only calms the sea, but he calms their fears. The real miracle in all of this is that they come to understand jesus and they calm down enough to realize that as long as Jesus is with them, everything will be okay. And they ask the question who is this that even the wind and the rain obey. – they come to realize that the teacher that they are following is the son of God. That he has power and authority which can only come from God. He has power and authority to not only make the storm go away – but to give us peace in the midst of the storm. He gives us peace in the storm of sorrow – reminding us that we have nothing to worry about, that God will take care of what is important and give us the strength to do our part. Nik Wallenda gets peace in the midst of anxiety He gives us peace when there is doubt all around us. Friday I watched the television show – where Nik Wallenda walked across Niagra Falls on a tight rope. He came from a family of 7 generations of tight rope walkers, many who like his grandfather fell to their death on a tight rope. I watched with interest as he talked about his preparation for the trip. He needed to be perfectly quiet, to stop listening to all of the fear talk of what would happen if he fell. He said that if for one minute, if he believed that he was going to fall all was lost. In the face of wind, rain, and the constant rush of gallons of water calling him down, he was able to walk on and complete his task. I could imagine Peter in heaven, being totally jealous of the calmness he showed in walking across the water. He was an inspiration to me, because I felt that he showed what living in the peace of God can do. It can get us through any storm. Before he walked – he gathered his team in prayer, and after the walk he gathered the first thing he did when he made it was to praise God. His dad was in the control room talking him through each moment- but he knew that the one who calmed the sea for the disciples was able to calm his mind to complete his task. Jesus calms us whenever there is anxiety in our lives. He reminds us that as long as we put our hope in God- that eventually everything will be okay. The greatest miracle of God is not in what he does in our lives, but what he does in our spirits in order to handle to storms of life. One young woman said of her dad, He can’t climb buildings. He can’t read minds. And he can’t fly. Frankly, I think there were many times in my life I wished he was invisible, so I didn’t have to see him and be frustrated or hurt. But he lacked that superhero quality, too. But superhuman strength? Now we’re talking. He’s not a body builder, or even athletic. His strength comes from the inside. Unfathomable strength. Strength to change. Strength to fight for life. Strength to truly live. Strength that is, without a doubt, inhuman. That strength makes my dad my superhero. What is it that makes your dad a superhero to you? The greatest gift that a father can give is the give of faith. A faith in God and a willingness to obey the example that Jesus Christ gave to all is us – that the real power in life comes from the Father above. Father stands for one is forever faithful, always there, the only one who loves us , hero to an end, encouraging, and really truly there for us. Let us honor our fathers that God has sent into our lives. Let us pray this father’s day prayer…..

God and daddies

Is God Like Daddy?
Think of a four-year-old coming home one Sunday after a lesson that taught about God as our Heavenly Father. Sound theology would quickly note that God is neither male nor female, but youngsters do not concern themselves with theological niceties. A four-year-old hears "Father;" the only father he knows anything about is the one that lives with him and says, "Pass the biscuits, please;" so he asks..."Is God like Daddy?" Wow! What a heavy load! But a good load to consider on Fathers' Day...and a good one to consider when we realize that what Daddy is can become a role model for our children's concept of God.
On this fathers day, that is the question that we are faced with, is God like daddy? Or is daddy like God?

Today scripture was the story of creation, and the great commandment – to go make disciples of all nations.

We read of the magnificence of God in all of God’s glory. The father, the son and the holy spirit.

We read of what was present before creation. God did not create out of nothing, God created out of chaos and confusion. He created order first. Scripture says that the spirit brooded over chaos and pondered on what to do about it. You may not realize that there are actually two creation stories in genesis, and this is the second. In the first God created adam first and then eve out of adam’s rib. In this one God created male and female together at the same time, and intended them to be equal. He created them with the other animals, and yet humans are the only creature that was blessed. Blessed to do more, blessed to take care of all of the rest of creation. He created them in our image, in the image of heaven.
Is Daddy like God? yes he is. He is created in the image of God.

Science spends a lot of time explain what creation is, the bible helps us understand why creation is. Why did God create the world in that way – because he wanted to. Creation is God’s vision for the future. Creation is the beginning of order. Creation is also the beginning of a promise of hope. Creation is the revelation of God’s nature – it shows us all that God is predictable, dependable, promise filled, progressive, and bigger, stronger, more powerful than anything in our lives.

At the end of each of the six days of active creation, the bible says In the beginning, God created… and it was good. Everything in God’s creation was good, even daddys and mommies. God created the world to fulfill his plan for redemption of our times today.

The life of Jesus Christ adds an even greater dimension to the magnificence of God. the trinity. Jesus tells his disciples to go and baptize all nations of the world in the name of the father, the son, and the holy ghost. God the creator, the son the redeemer, and the spirit the sustainer.

In the despair of what to do after Jesus death, Jesus appears to his disciples. He tells them to go home, back to gallilee. Back where their ministry began. He tells them to go to the top of the mountain, for mountain tops are the place in our lives where we experience the presence of God. He tells them to go out into the world and to baptize and to tell everyone the good news of the father the son and the holy ghost. The creator, the redeemer and the sustainer.

The good news is that creation is still going on today – and God wants us all to be a part of it. If we are a part of creation and it is good, then we all need to be good for something. We all have a job to in the name of the father the son and the holy ghost – the full magnificence of God. Is daddy like God? daddies are a part of creation, daddys have a job to do. And a role to play in the world.

But how important Christian fathers are! A study of church attendance sometime back showed that if both Mom and Dad attended church regularly 72 percent of their children remain faithful to the church. If only Mom attended regularly, only 15 percent remained faithful.
According to Dr. T. Berry Brazelton, a father's involvement with a child increases the child's IQ, the child's motivation to learn, and the child's self-confidence. In addition, children with involved dads are more likely to develop a sense of humor as well as an "inner excitement."


Is daddy like God? A pastor had to hold 2-3 jobs in order to take care of his family. On Sundays of course, he was always very clean. But during the week, when he would return home from work he would be dirty. He never thought anything of it until he saw his two young sons cleaning the car, and his one son started to put gravel and dirt on his pants. The son replied that he wanted to be dirty like his dad. Children pick up who we are and what we do like sponges – what are we passing on the them, what model do we present to them to follow.

In the jewish home it is the father’s job to provide religious teachings for their children. Jesus would have gotten his image of what a father does from his earthly father – Joseph. What kind of model must Joseph have been for Jesus to experience God as a father. TO describe the entire magnificence of God – as God the father? Jesus teaches the entire world to pray – Our father – not just our father, but our abba – our daddy.
Is God like Daddy? Jesus seems to think so.

A father had always taught his 3 year old to live life with his all. To try as hard as he could to do anything. So he watched with fascination out the window as his son tried to lift this very heavy rock out of his sandbox. The boy struggled, but he just couldn’t lift the rock. The little boy sat on the edge of the box with his head in his hands frustrated. That father came and sat next to him. Youre having a hard time with the rock I see, said the dad. The boy didn’t really answer. Did you do everything that you could the boy asked? Yeah the boy responded? Are you sure the dad asked? The boy looked puzzled. Did you come to ask me to help?

Is God like daddy?

Our magnificent God saw fit to bless us amongst all creation. Our magnificent God saw fit to send his son to us to teach us what it means to be a part of the family of God. Our magnificent God saw fit to make us a part of creation by becoming disciples and preaching the good news to all nations, Our magnificent God cares about every hair on our head, and our magnificent God in involved in our lives enough to answer our prayers – if we just ask.
Is God like daddy?

I think that we spend so much time in the black community talking about the dads that are absent, are not around, are not helping. When there are many dads who are doing their job, and helping with our faith.

I would invite anyone who would like to share a story about their dad.

Let us pray this prayer…..