Here's to the generations of fathers who have led our families to this point in time ~ especially those men who emigrated to the United States so very long ago...

George Maizland from Scotland

Henry Sefton from Ireland

Christopher Howell from Germany

Stephen Hopkins from England

Nicholas Snow from England

William Kymes from England

William Walton from England

When God Made Fathers

When the good Lord was creating Father's, he started with a tall frame. A female angel nearby said "What kind of a Father is that? If you're going to make children so close to the ground, why have you put the Father 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 stooping" 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. The angel shook her head and said, "Large hands can't manage diaper pins, small buttons, rubber bands on pony tails, or even remove splinters caused from baseball bats." Again God smiled and said, "I know, but they're large enough to hold everything a small boy empties from his pockets, yet small enough to cup a child's face in them."

Then God molded long slim legs and broad shoulders, "Do you realize you just made a Father without a lap?" The angel chuckled. God said, "A Mother needs a lap. A Father needs strong shoulders to pull a sled, to balance a boy on a bicycle, or to hold a sleepy head on the way home from the circus."

When God was in the middle of creating the biggest feet anyone had ever seen, the angel could not contain herself any longer. "That's not fair. Do you honestly think those boats are going to get out of bed early in the morning when the baby cries, or walk through a birthday party without crushing one or two of the guests?" God again smiled and said, "They will work. You will see. They will support a small child who wants to ride to Banbury Cross or scare mice away from a 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 remains calm and tolerant. Finally, almost as an after thought, He added tears. Then he turned to the angel and said, "Now are you satisfied he can love as much as a Mother can?" The angel said nothing more.

~Author Unknown~

What Makes A Dad?

God took the strength of a mountain,
The majesty of a tree,
The warmth of a summer sun,
The calm of a quiet sea,
The generous soul of nature,
The comforting arm of night,
The wisdom of the ages,
The power of the eagle's flight,
The joy of a morning in spring,
The faith of a mustard seed,
The patience of eternity,
The depth of a family need,
Then God combined these qualities,
When there was nothing more to add,
He knew His masterpiece was complete,
And so, He called it ... Dad

~Author Unknown~

Quick History of Father's Day

Sonora Dodd, of Washington, first had the idea of a "father's day." She thought of the idea for Father's Day while listening to a Mother's Day sermon in 1909.

Sonora wanted a special day to honor her father, William Smart. Smart, who was a Civil War veteran, was widowed when his wife died while giving birth to 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.

After Sonora became an adult she realized the selflessness her father had shown in raising his children as a single parent. 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.

President Calvin Coolidge, in 1924, supported the idea of a national Father's Day. Then in 1966 President Lyndon Johnson signed a presidential proclamation declaring the 3rd Sunday of June as Father's Day.

More on the History of Father's Day

It is surprising when you look at the history of Mother's Day and Father's Day to realize just how long it took for us to come to appreciate our Dads! According to most reports, it took one special woman, Sonora Dodd of Spokane, Washington, to really start the push for a special day to celebrate and thank fathers.

Mother's have had an organized special day of honor since the 1600's and an organized Mother's Day was being celebrated in the United States quite a bit before Father's Day was. It was actually during a Mother's Day celebration that Mrs. Dodd came up with the idea of creating a special day just for fathers.

Mrs. Dodd, who was motherless, and had been raised by her widower father, William Smart, realized how much she wanted to honor her own father who had raised her and her five siblings in 1909. He was a civil war veteran and farmer who had forfeited much to raise the family all by himself. She decided that she wanted to show her love and affection for him and her appreciation for his sacrifices by creating a special day honoring him and all fathers on his birthday, June 5th.

Sonora Dodd approached the Spokane governing council to get an official holiday launched for June 5, 1910, which was the first Sunday of the month. In a not atypical situation, the local government did not approve the special holiday fast enough to use William Smart's birthday, but they did approve the holiday, deciding instead on the third Sunday of June. The holiday was quickly adopted across the country, with many other women advocating a special day for fathers and popularizing the holiday.

At that time the celebration was not the festive (and usually funny) occasion that it is today. Typically there was a special service in church during which fathers were honored. In general, the entire day was a solemn and respectful occasion. Women typically wore flowers to honor their fathers, and Sonora Dodd supposedly created another tradition by declaring that women should wear red roses to honor living fathers and white roses to honor those that were no longer with them. Later on white lilacs were used as traditional blooms to celebrate Father's Day, and both white lilacs and roses are typically used today.

The first real attempts by a president to organize a national Father's Day were made by Calvin Coolidge in 1924. He actively supported the idea of a Father's Day, but never made it an official holiday. It wasn't until 1966 when Lyndon Johnson issued a presidential proclamation designating the third Sunday in June as the official Father's Day.

Father's Day has now become a big business holiday. The sales of greeting cards, tools, T-shirts, baseball caps, and especially ties are the earmarks of the holiday. Many families celebrate with picnics, barbecues, and other functions and some communities organize special ballgames, parades, or other activities. Father's Day has actually really expanded to celebrate not just fathers, but all of the important men in our lives. It is the perfect occasion to show your gratitude and love to all men who influence your life, whether they be neighbors, grandfathers, mentors, husbands, brothers, uncles, stepfathers, friends, and even in some cases children.

Take the time on this special day to let your special guy know how much you care and how much you appreciate everything that he does for you and your family every day.

by Wen Zientek-Sico

ROOTS & WINGS

God s Gift of Love to His Children

Sermon given on June 16, 1996

A couple of weeks ago, I watched a National Geographic program on TV which showed the life cycle of aquatic seabirds called Muirs. Muirs are unique in that they spend most of their life either flying above or swimming under the ocean waters. At breeding time, they fly to a steep rocky island in the frigid Arctic to nest and raise their young.

The film showed thousands of these seabirds doing their best to scratch out nests on the sheer-faced cliffs, 1000 feet above the icy waters. Packed together they lay their eggs and raised their young. The female took primary responsibility for the chick in the nesting area, guarding it from marauding foxes and feeding it until the chick could walk. Then one day as if a bell had rung, the whole colony of Muirs knew it was time to migrate and fly south, for winter was fast approaching. But there was a problem, the fledglings could not yet fly. They would have to swim out of the Arctic to find safety and food.

The camera zoomed into the nest of one of the thousands of families and captured an amazing event. The father bird began pushing and prodding his youngster out of its nest. He then escorted the fledgling through the crowded nesting area, protecting it from the sharp bills of the other Muirs disturbed by their movement. When father and child arrived at the cliffs edge, 1000 feet above the icy waters, the papa Muir gave his fledgling a firm nudge sending it hurdling down into the sea. The father bird immediately took to the air and accompanied his chick into the water. Fortunately, nature had prepared the fledgling with a thick downy coat and it landed softly and safely into the gathering colony of birds. The camera stayed with the father and child as they swam together southward and we knew that it wouldn't be long before the young bird would fly, taking its place amongst the community of Muirs.

I share this story with you on Father's day because it helps me understand one of the unique gifts of fatherhood, a gift I call "father-love". I spotted a Father's Day greeting card last week which pointed out this gift superbly. It read:

"Parents provide their children with two gifts; The gift of roots and the gift of wings."

I am aware that there is much shared responsibility among parents, but the Muir family pointed out a parallel truth, that there is a fundamental division of parental love. Mothers do provide children with nests and roots, an embracing love which nurtures growth. As I shared with you on Mother's Day, when our daughter fell and skinned her knee the first word out of her mouth was.. Mommy! And it has been my experience that fathers are most likely to guide (or push) children out of their nest and teach them how to fly. I am aware that there is much shared responsibility among parents, but the Muir family pointed out a parallel truth, that there is a fundamental division of parental love. Mothers do provide children with nests and roots, an embracing love which nurtures growth. As I shared with you on Mother's Day, when our daughter fell and skinned her knee the first word out of her mouth was.. Mommy! And it has been my experience that fathers are most likely to guide (or push) children out of their nest and teach ;

In God's love for His creation, I also see these two sides of parental love, Roots & Wings. For example, in the creation story God is like a mother, creating and nurturing her new-born children. Like a good mother, God bears their pain and lives with great patience as the infant "first family" struggle out of Eden. God even sews their first garments, clothing Adam and Eve for their journey into life.

This nurturing Mother-Love is evident in much of Jesus ministry, as in today's Gospel in which Jesus goes about the villages of Galilee teaching and healing. "And when He saw the crowds of people Jesus had compassion for them because they were like children, like sheep without a shepherd." "And when He saw the crowds of people Jesus had compassion for them because they were like children, like sheep without a shepherd."

And so with a Mother's love, Jesus reached out to them healing every infirmity. Through His compassion he rooted them in God s divine love.

The other side of God's love is clearly evident in today s OT lesson from Exodus. Like a loving Father, God has pushed and cajoled His people out of slavery in Egypt and into a new world where they can grow and live in freedom. After crossing the Red Sea, they gather together at the foot of Mt. Sinai. God calls Moses up to the top and says, "Moses, you have seen how I bore you on eagles wings and brought you out of Egypt and slavery, and into a land of Freedom. Now Moses, they are all yours, and remember, I will be with you always." But this new found freedom is not easy for the Israelites, for they are like fledgling birds, (or in human terms, like teenagers), and Moses must become their father lovingly pushing, cajoling, and sometimes threatening them into adulthood. After 40 long years, they finally make it to the Land of Milk and Honey where they spread their new-found wings and fly.

This story is for me an archetypal example of what I know as Father-Love, that side of parental love which sets us free and gives us wings. I remember reading a news clip one day about a father who had given his daughter a special T-shirt to wear in her first marathon race. On it was written in bold letters:

Isaiah 41:31

I quickly pulled out my bible and read these wonderful words:

"The lord is an everlasting God, He gives power to the faint hearted. Those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary."

What a beautiful and appropriate gift from a father to his child.

During his ministry, Jesus often sent his disciples out into the world to practice their ministry and develop wings. At one point, " Jesus called to Himself the 12 and sent them out, two by two. He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff, sandals and a tunic." Like a good father, He was preparing them for the tough years of evangelism which lay ahead. Indeed, His final words to them were GO! "Go out into the world, make disciples of all nations, baptize and teach them." And then, just as God had said to Moses at Sinai, Jesus said to his disciples, "Remember - I am with you always."

And that s the bottom line isn't it, for throughout these biblical stories of parental love, whether Roots or Wings, the promise is always there, often stated clearly, always implied, "Remember, I am with you always!"

I'll close now with a story which makes this point so well. It's a fascinating story that comes out of the 1989 earthquake which almost flattened Armenia. This deadly tremor killed over 30,000 people in less than four minutes. In the midst of all the confusion of the earthquake, a father rushed to his son's school. When he arrived there he discovered the building was flat as a pancake.

Standing there looking at what was left of the school, the father remembered a promise he made to his son, "No matter what, I'll always be there for you!" Tears began to fill his eyes. It looked like a hopeless situation, but he could not take his mind off his promise.

Remembering that his son's classroom was in the back right corner of the building, the father rushed there and started digging through the rubble. As he was digging other grieving parents arrived, clutching their hearts, saying: "My son! "My daughter!" They tried to pull him off of what was left of the school saying: "It's too late!" "They're dead!" "You can't help!" "Go home!" Even a police officer and a fire-fighter told him he should go home. To everyone who tried to stop him he said, "Are you going to help me now?" They did not answer him and he continued digging for his son stone by stone.

He needed to know for himself: "Is my boy alive or is he dead?" This man dug for eight hours and then twelve and then twenty-four and then thirty-six. Finally in the thirty-eighth hour, as he pulled back a boulder, he heard his son's voice. He screamed his son's name, "ARMAND!" and a voice answered him, "Dad?" It's me Dad!" Then the boy added these priceless words, "I told the other kids not to worry. I told 'em that if you were alive, you'd save me and when you saved me, they'd be saved. You promised that, Dad. 'No matter what,' you said, 'I'll always be there for you!' And here you are Dad. You kept your promise!"

The Rev. G. Bradford Hall

Wanted: Fathers

Immediate openings for an honorable job

Long hours - no time off

Must be willing to work all hours including the middle of the night, weekends, holidays & vacations

Requires survival traits like strength, patience, imagination, humor, flexibility, intelligence & understanding and, above all, a good heart.

Must be a human being - kind and gentle - with basic goodness & fearlessness

Leadership qualities are necessary and the ability to instruct & guide is a requirement

Receive on-the-job training with no pay

Unpredictable surprises & rewards guaranteed - joy, love, pain, fun & more

Want a challenge?

Be a DAD!

~author unknown~

When I was:

Four years old: My daddy can do anything.

Five years old: My daddy knows a whole lot.

Six years old: My dad is smarter than your dad.

Eight years old: My dad doesn't know exactly everything.

Ten years old: In the olden days, when my dad grew up, things were sure different.

Twelve years old: Oh, well, naturally, Dad doesn't know anything about that. He is too old to remember his childhood.

Fourteen years old: Don't pay any attention to my dad. He is so old-fashioned.

Twenty-one years old: Him? My Lord, he's hopelessly out of date.

Twenty-five years old: Dad knows about it, but then he should, because he has been around so long.

Thirty years old: Maybe we should ask Dad what he thinks. After all, he's had a lot of experience.

Thirty-five years old: I'm not doing a single thing until I talk to Dad.

Forty years old: I wonder how Dad would have handled it. He was so wise.

Fifty years old: I'd give anything if Dad were here now so I could talk this over with him. Too bad I didn't appreciate how smart he was.

I could have learned a lot from him.

~ Don't Wait ~

If you're lucky enough to have your Dad alive today, CALL HIM!