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

This is the family of God

June 22, 2014 Genesis 21:8-21 2nd Sunday After Pentecost Year A This is the Family of God Humor: What God Can’t Do A Sunday school teacher was examining her pupils after a series of lessons on God's omnipotence. She asked: "Is there anything God can't do?" There was silence. Finally, one lad held up his hand. The teacher, disappointed that the lesson's point had been missed, asked: "Well, just what is it that God can't do?" "Well," replied the boy: "He can't please everybody." Gary W. Houston, Cowherding Christians, CSS Publishing Company God can do anything. For the summer we read the stories of Genesis. Stories of families of faith. but they are also stories of jealousy, dishonesty,anger, disharmony. We hear these stories, because they are a testimony to how God can take even that negativity and make it a good thing. We can all name the members of our family, but we have to remember that God is a part of that family also. God is a part of what is going on. Thinking that she would never have a child of her own, Sarah allowed her servant to have a son with her husband. But we have to remember that nothing is ever set in stone when god is present. So she does have a son at ninety years old. She takes good care of the baby, and when he is about three years old, she has a special celebration after he has been weaned. She looks and sees that her son is playing with his older brother and it hits her. This is not going to work. As long as Abraham’s older son is a part of the family, her son will never get his just inheritance. She gave permission for the situation that bought this boy into her family, and now it was time to take action to get him out of her family. he and his mother have to go. Sarah speaks it, and Abraham agrees with her. But not only does Abraham agree with her, but so does God. God says that it is okay to just through these two people out into the desert. Sometimes in my life, I have had to ask God, if he knew something was going to happen. And why would he allow it to happen. Remember, in the story of Job. God gave the devil permission to bring bad luck to Job. Now stick with me, because I am going somewhere with this. Why would God allow bad things to happen to his beloved people? If we listen to the story – we will see it clearly. Sarah tells Abraham to send Ishmael and Hagar into the desert to fend for themselves. Now Sarah is having a big feast for her family and friends, but she sends Hagar off into the desert with just some bread and water. Have you ever felt that you were sent out into the desert of life to survive on your own? To come up with your answers? To an unknown future? It wouldn’t be so bad if you didn’t look over and see the people who banished you to the desert, in the midst of a feast- enjoying themselves, they have provided for themselves very well – but not for you. What Sarah, and a lot of people like Sarah could not see if the midst of her jealousy and hatred is that the desert is the place where God lives and God speaks. The story says that Ishmael cried and God heard his cry. Sometimes we have to separate ourselves from the problem in order to start to see God’s solution. It takes going out into the desert and thinking that we are all alone to realize that we are not alone. Being sent into the desert is the beginning of a new blessing for us. Abraham was not willing to provide an inheritance for is first born son, but God was. God said that is was okay for him to be banished from Abraham’s family, because he would be a great nation in his own right. His life would be okay. What Sarah did not realize, was just because God made a promise to her, that did not stop God from making a promise to others. Why is it that we tend to think that our blessings, precludes the blessings of others. When that is what God does – he blesses us all, in different ways. But sometimes we have to go out into the desert all alone, for us to truly hear what God has in store for us. The lesson in this story is that God’s grace abounds for all of his children. But sometimes he has to send us away into the desert for us to see our blessing. It is the times in our lives when we think God is not with us, that we see that God is not only with us, God is using that situation to make a difference in or lives. The second lesson is that God’s provisions are always enough. The bread and water given to Hagar and Ishmael sustained them in the desert, until they were able to get more. But God does not want any of us to just survive, God intends us to live. God’s provisions lead us to more. We may not ever be rich, but we will be satisfied. The third lesson of this story is that we have every reason to rejoice in God’s grace, but it is never a reason to brag. We can always be grateful for what God has done. But when you have been banished to the desert, and you have struggled, and prayed, and depended on god to bring you through. You are not sitting on your laurels. It was not an easy ride. And you know that God’s grace in the future, does not guarantee that things will be easy ahead. There is nothing to brag about. I really love this story. It reminds me that God’s grace is in the midst of someone else’s jealousy and resentment. Banishment and tough times don’t take away God’s blessing for you. Ishmael means God hears. Remember, God’s name is el - el ishma –God hears. God hears our cries, God hears our needs, God hears our situation, God hears what we need to move forward. This is a story about life, about families, about the good and the bad that happens in our families. That happens in life. The biblical writers wanted to make sure this story was included to remind us that God’s mercy is present in unexpected places. 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 ruralFlorida, 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 Amen. Extra illustration…… Your Hair The average woman with a thick head of hair will lose up to 100 hairs a day. Such losses are increased somewhat if the hair is long and becomes entangled in the brush or comb. The average man, shaving every day, removes a beard about one sixty-fourth (1/64) of an inch in length. This means that between the ages of 20 and 65, he removes 23 feet of beard! And to think God keeps track of all that hair! bibleline.org, "Hair," Children's Bible Ministry. Children’s sermon… Display a Hebrew Bible, Christian Bible, and Qur’an. Point out differences and similarities. They are written in different languages. The Hebrew Bible and Qur'an read from back to front while the Christian Bible reads from front to back. Hebrew and Arabic read from right to left. English (if that is the language in which you read the Bible) reads from left to right. Many stories, e.g. stories about Abraham, and Moses, appear in all three. Stories of Jesus appear in both the Christian Bible and the Qur'an. The writers of the stories understand and tell them differently, but all worship one God and consider themselves children of Abraham.