Father’s Day • June 19, 2005

Genesis 21:8–21; Psalm 86:1–10, 16–17 or Psalm 17 (UMH 749); Romans 6:1b –11; Matthew 10:24–39

Sermon by Michael R. Martin
First United Methodist Church of Saranac Lake, NY

Prayer for Families • Celebrations & Prayer

Gracious God, you created all of humankind and showed us the importance of relationships with one another. We commend to your care all the families of this congregation, community, and world. We pray that each home may be a home where love is felt. We pray for homes where, instead of love, there are households of hurt and abuse and suffering. We pray for children, youth, and adults, recognizing the importance of and the gift of every age as we grow. We pray for parents, stepparents, and foster parents. We pray for those who are single and for those who are married. We pray for those in loving relationships. May your grace be present to all. Grant us wisdom to know where there is no love, courage to act out of love for others, and peace to rest in your mercy. Help the commandments of love for you and love for others be our goal for life together. Amen.

Father’s Day Prayer of Petition, BOW 441 (invite congregation to add their own silent prayers between each petition)

End with Prayer for Homes and Families, BOW 437

Father's Day is a cultural holiday in the United States and serves to honor all fathers. It was first observed in 1920 in Spokane, Washington to honor William Smart. William’s daughter, Sonora, first proposed the idea of a "father's day" in 1909 because she wanted a special day to honor her father. William Smart, a Civil War veteran, was widowed when his wife (Sonora's mother) died in childbirth with their sixth child. Mr. Smart was left to raise the newborn and his other five children by himself on a rural farm in eastern Washington state. It was after Sonora became an adult, married and Mrs. John B. Dodd that she realized the strength and selflessness her father had shown in raising his children as a single parent.

The first Father's Day was observed on June 19, 1910 in Spokane Washington. At about the same time in various towns and cities across American other people were beginning to celebrate a "father's day." In 1924 President Calvin Coolidge supported the idea of a national Father's Day. Finally in 1966 President Lyndon Johnson signed a presidential proclamation declaring the 3rd Sunday of June as Father's Day. Father's Day has become a day to not only honor your father, but all men who act as a father figure. Stepfathers, uncles, grandfathers, and adult male friends are all honored on Father's Day.

Our first teachers are our parents. We pray for them in a special way this day. And on this Father’s Day, let us ask ourselves that difficult question that has been around for a very long time: "Was he a good father or was he a bad father?, Are you a good father or a bad father?" On one occasion when Jesus wanted to describe his understanding of the love of God for us all, he used the love of a father for his son. "Is there a father among you who will offer his son a snake when he asks for fish, or a scorpion when he asks for an egg? If you, then, bad as you are, know how to give your children what is good for them, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" (Luke 11:11)

The final test for parenting - the final test for fathering -- whether "good" or "bad"-- does not come with the cherished affirmation of a Father's Day card, but when two adult human beings who were once parent and child -- one young and one now old -- are friends. Good friends for life.
The relationship between a father and his children is based in great part on shared experiences and shared interests. It is a relationship built on specific moments -- moments that build a memory. Kite-flying and fishing, playing catch in the backyard, watching sports together. If you ask adult men or women to speak about their fathers, they are likely to talk first about experiences rather than feelings, about memories rather than attitudes or emotions. While I have many memories about my father, my best memories those hours spent fishing on Crystal Lake in Gilmanton, NH.

Matthew 10:24-39 (NIV)
²⁴"A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. ²⁵It is enough for the student to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebub, how much more the members of his household!
²⁶"So do not be afraid of them. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. ²⁷What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. ²⁸Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. ²⁹Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. ³⁰And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
³²"Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. ³³But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.
³⁴"Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. ³⁵For I have come to turn 'a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law— ³⁶a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.'
³⁷"Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. ³⁹Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

I find a lot of interesting and challenging language in this passage. One could develop many a sermon or message from this one reading, nearly a sermon per verse. I want to focus right now on one particular verse, verse 24, from the New Revised Standard Bible, the one you’ll find in your pew:

A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a slave above the master. It is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher, and the slave like the master. We, disciples, know that we are beneath the stature of Jesus, but our goal is to learn as much as we can from him and to absorb into ourselves his wisdom and ways of loving. The goal for us Christians is to be like Christ, to embody the wisdom and ways of Jesus into our being.

The United Methodist General Board of Disciples spends a lot of time in thinking and talking about what it means to make disciples of Jesus for the transformation of the world. In so doing, they come up with a paper entitled “[*]Fifty Characteristics of Disciple-Making Congregations.” I am not going to read all of them here but will give this copy to our Church Council chair to copy and share with the council. If you have access to the internet, you can go to GBOD.ORG and type “FIFTY CHARACTERISTICS” in their search box. Or, if you’d like, I can run and make you a copy after the service. But its definitely something we need to read and incorporate into our lives individually and as a congregation.

Speaking of the Church Council, I am pleased to say they have been reading and absorbing a good book entitled “44 Ways to Increase Church Attendance” by Lyle Schaller. The book focuses on ways to increase church attendance by increasing the frequency of attendance by “church regulars and members,” attract first-time visitors, and increase the probability that first-time visitors will return the following Sunday. Let me read a short passage from the book:

Read from 44 Ways to Increase Church Attendance here, marked passages on (p. 14 – 17)

I want to end with a quick look at verse 39: Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. This reminds of the popular thing in I believe the 1970s, going to find oneself. “I’m going off to find myself; Oh, she’s found herself.” So often it meant leaving most everything behind and focusing only upon one’s self – in retrospect, this was a very selfish practice. Perhaps that was what Jesus was referring to when he said “Whoever finds his life will lose it.” For Jesus taught that the self was of no value except in what it could do for others: love your neighbors, love your enemies, go forth in the world and proclaim the good news.

I believe we are facing a time of great and necessary change in our church, a time when we need to stop focusing inward and start looking outward, a time to reexamine why we are truly here – not to serve our needs but to bring Christ to others as disciples. We, as individuals and as a body of Christ, can no longer afford to sit on the fence and settle for status quo. We, as individuals and as a body of Christ, have a lot to offer to the world, blessings to share. So let us stop keeping the Good News selfishly to ourselves before we find ourselves very alone. You can start by making a pledge to come to worship regularly and a commitment to come to church council meetings and participate.

Michael R. Martin – June 19, 2005
First UMC of Saranac Lake, 8:30AM

[*] http://www.gbod.org/worship/default.asp?act=reader&item_id=11831&loc_id=17,

A Franciscan Blessing • Dismissal

(invite congregation to say “Amen” after each line)

May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart. Amen.

May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace. Amen.

May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation and war, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain into joy. Amen.

May God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done. Amen.

May the Blessing of God, who Creates, Redeems and Sanctifies, be upon you and all you love and pray for this day, and forever more. Amen.