Today, just before leading the pastoral prayer, I acknowledged my fellow Dads for Father’s Day (which I nearly forgot since today’s worship included confirmation of our 8th graders and recognition of our high school graduates). I shared a few words about fatherhood that came to mind early this morning as I was preparing for worship. Since a few people asked if I could make them available to read again, I decided to post them here.
True fatherhood is not merely about having progeny; it’s about providing.
To be a father is not merely to provide a house but a home.
It is not merely to provide stability, but steadfast love.
It is not merely to be strong, but to provide strength of character.
To father is not merely to help give birth. It is to bless
And always stand ready to welcome home.
©2014 by J. Mark Lawson
Mark,
A few years ago I led a Bible study on the Psalms, and to end the class, I invited the participants to share their favorites during our next session, and their reasons for choosing them. My parents were part of the class, and to my amazement, my father said his favorite had always been Psalm 15. Psalm 15? I'd known my dad for about 65 years by that time, and I'd never heard him say a word about Psalm 15. I asked him why he liked it, and he said, simply, "It tells me how to be a man."
Of course I read the Psalm immediately. And I understood my father's faith and daily habits better than ever before. It was a blessing.
Becky
Posted by: Becky West | 07/04/2014 at 12:06 AM