RESOURCES FOR FATHER'S/MEN'S DAY

Third Sunday in June

 

If you illustrations, stories, prayers, web links, sermons, whatever appropriate for

Father's/Men's Day, please send them to me at bass.mitchell@homiliesbyemail.com

and they will be added here with due recognition. God bless.

 

Stories & Illustrations

If Men Wrote the Rules

Worship Resources

Why Men Love Being Men

Sermon Starter: Pass It On

Sermon: The Sons of Zebedee

Ideas for Honoring

American Men Most Pagan?

news article

Fishing: A Father's Day Reflection

But God Looks on the Heart:

A Sermon

A Father's Day Sermon

Fodder's Day?

The Best Gift for Dad:

A Puppet Skit

 

 

 

 

STORIES, ILLUSTRATIONS, QUOTES

Father's/Men's Day

 

#1

My dad also loved me.  I've known that from my earliest moments of

awareness.  I'm told that when I was a small child, perhaps three years of

age, we lived in a one-bedroom apartment. My little bed was located beside

the bed of my parents.  Dad said it was not uncommon during that time for

him to awaken at night and hear a little voice whispering, "Daddy?  Daddy?"

He would answer quietly, "What, Jimmy?" Then I would reply, "Hold my hand!"

My dad would reach across the darkness and grope for my little hand, finally

engulfing it in his.  He said the instant he encompassed my hand, my arm

would become limp and my breathing deep and regular.  I had gone back to

sleep.  You see, I only wanted to know that he was there!

—Dr. James Dobson, Straight Talk to Men and Their Wives

 

#2

While Dr. J. Wilbur Chapman was conducting a prayer meeting a man gave this

testimony: "I got off at the Pennsylvania depot as a homeless person, and

for a year I begged on the streets for a living. One day I touched a man on

the shoulder and said, 'Mister, please give me a dime.' As soon as I saw his

face, I recognized my father. 'Father, don't you know me?' I asked. Throwing

his arms around me, he cried, 'I have found you; all I have is yours.' Think

of it, that I, a homeless person, stood begging my own father for ten cents,

when for eighteen years he had been looking for me to give me all he was

worth!"

 

#3

A father was watching his young son trying to dislodge a heavy stone.  The

boy couldn't budge it. "Are you sure you are using all your strength?" the

father asked. "Yes, I am," said the exasperated boy. "No, you are not," the

father replied. "You haven't asked me to help you."

 

#4

Perhaps you've seen the poster that pictures a dad and his seven- or

eight-year-old son in an old rowboat on a little lake.  It's early in the

morning, there's a faint mist still on the lake, and the father and son are

sitting there, quiet and still.  They're each holding little bamboo fishing

poles, and the two corks attached to their lines are floating motionless on

the placid water.  Underneath the picture are two words: "Take Time."

 

#5

A young boy was driving a  hayrack down the road, and it turned over right

in front of a farmer's house. The farmer came out, saw the young boy crying,

and said, "Son, don't worry about this, we can fix it.  Right now dinner's

ready.  Why don't you come in and eat with us and then I'll help you put the

hay back on the rack."  The boy said, "No, I can't.  My father is going to

be very angry with me."  The farmer said, "Now don't worry, just come in and

have some lunch and you'll feel better."  The boy said, "I'm just afraid my

father is going to be very angry with me."  The farmer and the young boy

went inside and had dinner.  Afterwards, as they walked outside to the

hayrack, the farmer said, "Son, don't you feel better now?"  The boy said,

"Yes but I just know that my father will be very angry with me."  The farmer

said, "Nonsense.  Where is your father anyway?"  The boy said, "He's under

that pile of hay."

 

#6

Fatherhood isn't brain surgery. I say this in defiance of the new

conventional wisdom that being a father is breathtakingly difficult, that it

creates tough dilemmas, and that fathers need a strategy for carrying out

their duties. I don't think so. Most men I know have an instinct for

fatherhood that is triggered the day their first child was born. They

instantly recognized the number one requirement of fatherhood: to be there.

—The New Republic

 

#7

Illinois Bell reported not long ago that the volume of long-distance calls

made on Father's Day was growing faster than the number on Mother's Day. The

company apologized for the delay in compiling the statistics, but explained

that the extra billing of calls to fathers slowed things down. Most of them

were collect.

 

#8

A church in Florida had been having monthly family events for the whole

community in an effort to reach new people. They were having a problem,

however, with some parents dropping off children but not coming themselves.

To combat this problem, they issued the following announcement: "The Magic

of Lassie, a film for the whole family, will be shown Sunday at 5 P.M. in

the church hall. Free puppies will be given to all children not accompanied

by parents."

 

#9

Carlyle Marney says that we need to take three trips home. First, we need to

go home to ask forgiveness for what we have done wrong. Second, we need to

go home to forgive our parents for what we feel they have done wrong. Third,

we need to go home and ask our parents to accept us the way we are.

 

#10

"The thing that impresses me most about America is the way parents obey

their children."

—Duke of Wellington

 

#11

Nervously preparing to meet her boyfriend's parents for the first time, a

young woman noticed that her black pumps looked dingy. So she gave them a

fast swipe with the paper towel she had used to blot her breakfast bacon.

When she arrived at her boyfriend's impressive home, she was greeted by his

parents and their much-beloved but rotten-tempered old poodle. The dog got a

whiff of the bacon grease on her shoes and followed the girl slavishly. At

the end of the evening, the pleased parents remarked, "Cleo really likes

you, dear, and she is an excellent judge of character. We are delighted to

welcome you into our little family."

—"Off the Record," Detroit News

 

#12

Parents often talk about the younger generation as if they didn't have

anything to do with it.

 

#13

Often, the difference between an emotionally strong child and a weak one is

how well parental expectations match the child's capabilities. A mismatch

can leave a child naked to misfortune. Psychiatrists Stella Chess and

Alexander Thomas studied a group of middle-class children from birth to

maturity. One child, Tim, could not do what his father wanted—stick to a

task for hours on end. "You have no character," the father raged, "no

willpower." Finally, the boy decided his father was right—he had no

character, nothing. So he simply gave up, dropping out of school and

drifting as an adult.

 

#14

Police received a complaint of a man and woman fighting. Officers questioned

the couple, who said they were arguing about which justice of the peace to

use when they got married.

—Democrat Herald

 

#15

When Lauritz Melchoir, the great Wagnerian tenor, was a young man studying

music, he was sitting in the garden of his boarding school in Munich.

Practicing a certain passage of a song he was learning, he sang out one of

the lines. It went, "Come to me, my love, on the wings of light." Scarcely

had he sung the words, when a young lady literally dropped out of the sky

and landed at his feet. The young lady was Maria Hacker, a Bavarian actress

who had been doing a stunt for a movie thriller. Part of her act was to

parachute from a plane. The winds had changed and she landed far from her

mark. Instead she landed in the garden of the music school. In a short time

Lauritz and Maria were married.

 

#16

When a couple come to see me about their wedding, they are always filled

with excitement and hope. They are so much in love! Do I ever say, "Come on,

settle down.  People get married every day!"?  Never! People do get married

every day, but for this couple it is new. Similarly, a couple always rejoice

at the birth of their first child.  Do I say, "Aw, settle down, children are

born every day!"?  Of course not.  Children are born every day, but for this

couple it is new!  So with the gospel.  Whenever this old, old gospel is

heard and believed, for the believer it is new.

—Dr. C. A. McClain

 

#17

Two ladies attended a fashionable brunch in Boston, where the local minister

gave an inspiring speech on the beauties of married life. The ladies left

the church feeling uplifted and contented. "That was a wonderful sermon,"

one of the ladies said. "Oh yes, it was," said the other. "I just wish I

knew as little about the subject as he does."

 

#18

A house without a roof would scarcely be a more different home, than a

family unsheltered by God's friendship, and the sense of being always rested

in God's providential care and guidance.

Horace Bushnell

 

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Subject: If Men Were to Rewrite the Rules

 

Rule # 1 - Anything we said six or eight months ago is inadmissible in an argument. 

All comments become null and void after seven days.

 

Rule # 2 - If we say something that can be interpreted in two ways, and one

of the ways makes you sad or angry, we meant the other way.

 

Rule # 3 - It is in neither your best interest or ours to make us take those

stupid Cosmo quizzes together.

 

Rule # 4 - You can either ask us to do something OR tell us how you want it

done - not both.

 

Rule # 5 - Whenever possible, please say whatever you have to say during

commercials or time-outs.

 

Rule # 6 - Christopher Columbus didn't need directions and neither do we.

 

Rule # 7 - When we're turning the wheel and the car is nosing onto the off

ramp, you saying "Is this is our exit?" is not necessary.

 

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From: Bass Mitchell bass.mitchell@homiliesbyemail.com

Worship Resources

Father’s/Men's Day

 

PRAISE SONGS

Father, We Adore You

God and God Alone

Honor Him

How Majestic Is Your Name

I Give All My Life to You

Lord of All

Love Runs in the Family

Love Will Be Our Home

 

HYMNS

Where Charity and Love Prevail

When Love is Found

Help Us Accept Each Other

Gift of Love

Happy the Home When God Is There

O Lord, May Church and Home Unite

Our Parent, By Whose Name

Children of the Heavenly Father

For the Beauty of the Earth

Faith of Our Fathers

 

GREETINGS/CALLS TO WORSHIP

LEADER: May the mercy and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be

          with you.

  PEOPLE: And with you also and with all who would call Christ

          Lord. 

  LEADER: Our God is merciful and loving and seeks only what

          is best for us.

  PEOPLE: Even when we were yet in our sin Jesus died that we

          might know God's love.

  LEADER: Then let our hearts be joined in praise for God's

          loving grace.

  ALL:    Blessed be the name of the Lord!

 

OR

 

L: We have gathered here to honor the One who created us.

P: The One who gave us life.

L: The One who sustains our lives each day.

P: The One who is our constant companion.

L: The One who loves us more than a father and mother.

ALL: The One who is worthy of our praise and of our service all the days of

our lives.

 

OPENING PRAYERS

O God, You are the power that moves and shapes the universe,

     yet You are so gentle and kind to us. Touch us, Lord,

     and use us, for we would be Your loving servants. in

     Christ we pray. Amen.

 

OR

 

Lord, how good it is to come together with our sisters and

     brothers, mothers and fathers, your great and wonderful

     family - all here to praise and thank you. Help us this

     day to be reminded of all your many blessings,

     especially the special people you bring into our lives

     to bless and love us. In the name of Jesus, your

     greatest blessing, we pray. Amen.

 

OR

 

We sing praises to you, O God; we raise a psalm in your

     honor. You clothe us in all goodness; we are draped in

     accordance with your design. As you have sent Jesus

     Christ to make your will known, you promise your Holy

     Spirit to guide us along your path. As your holiness

     fills this place, hear us as we worship your name.

     Amen.

 

PRAYER LITANY

(Silent prayers may follow each petition)

 

For our fathers, who have given us life and love,

 that  we may show them respect and love,

we pray to the Lord...

 

For fathers who have lost a child through death,

 that their faith may give them hope,

 and their family and friends support and console them,

we pray to the Lord...

 

For men, though without children of their own,

 who like fathers have nurtured and cared for us,

we pray to the Lord...

 

For fathers, who have been unable to be a source of strength,

 who have not responded to their children

 and have not sustained their families,

we pray to the Lord...

 

God, in your wisdom and love you made all things.

Bless these men, that they may be strengthened as Christian fathers. Let the

example of their faith and love shine forth. Grant that we, their sons and

daughters, may honor them always with a spirit of profound respect. Grant

this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

OR

 

Pastoral Prayer for Father's Day

 

Loving and Merciful God, whose power is beyond our scope

and whose wisdom is beyond our understanding,

We turn to you in faith assured that know our every emotion

and are aware of our every need. 

 

Our thoughts and prayers today are turned towards our fathers.

For those whose fathers have increased the joy in their lives,

  we give you thanks.

For those whose father's presence is greatly missed

  may we take time to gratefully recall all they have given to us,

  providing for us in our growing.

For those whose fathers have recently lost

  or who are facing the imminent loss of their own fathers,

may they find comfort in their grief, hope in their despair,

 courage in the love that their fathers have given them.

We give thanks, God, for these good men

  who sustain and support us in our living, who love us no matter

  what!

What a blessing they are to all who know them!

We give thanks to you, O God,

  for all those whose gift for fatherhood is so strong

  that their have allowed their caring to spill over into the lives of

  others providing the guidance and stability, the nurture and the

  love needed.

 

How distressing it is for us to consider

 that not all fathers have been good fathers. 

We pray, compassionate God, for those whose father has been

  a source of hurt and pain,

for all those for whom one or more members of their family

  has caused them to suffer. 

May their wounds be healed. 

May they find in you, in us, in others,

  the nurturing, sustaining love that is needed

  for their growth and well-being.

We recall with sadness fathers who are separated from their children

  though life choices made by them or others.

Give them the insight and wisdom, the courage and perseverence

  to parent in whatever creative and life-giving ways are open to

  them. 

Give them the courage to make the decisions which allow their children

to

  prevail.

We remember to you single fathers and mothers who struggle to be both

  parents to their children

  --to provide all the emotional, physical and spiritual needs without

  the constant support of a spouse. 

May they find the strength, the courage and wisdom for their task.

 

We pray for those fathers whose relationships with their children have

been

  difficult or disappointing. 

We pray, too, for those who have been denied a chance to be fathers,

  and for those whose years of parenting have been cut short by the

  loss of a child. 

We turn to You, most holy God, knowing trusting that you can console

where

  consolation seems impossible.  May these  receive comfort for their

  soul and peace and hope for living that their gifts may not be

  denied to others.

 

Finally, O God, we rejoice with you, O God, at the many fine men, who

in spite

  of confusing roles in a rapidly changing society, have taken their

  place as fathers with open hearts, with willingness and joy.

And we join all fathers everywhere in praying that their children may

be well

  and happy, a source of joy for years to come. 

Hear our prayers this day, O God,

  and give to us such assurance of your love

  that your love may spill forth from us into the lives of others. 

 

Amen. (FROM Gayle)

 

OR

 

Newspaper columnist Abigail Van Buren has composed a "Parent's Prayer" in

which she stresses the practical side of raising children. Says "Dear Abby":

"Oh, heavenly Father, make me a better parent. Teach me to understand my

children, to listen patiently to what they have to say, and to answer all

their questions kindly. Keep me from interrupting them or contradicting

them. Make me as courteous to them as I would have them be to me. Forbid

that I should ever laugh at their mistakes, or resort to shame or ridicule

when they displease me. May I never punish them for my own selfish

satisfaction or to show my power. Let me not tempt my child to lie or steal.

And guide me hour by hour that I may demonstrate by all I say and do that

honesty produces happiness. Reduce, I pray, the meanness in me. And when I

am out of sorts, help me, O Lord, to hold my tongue. May I ever be mindful

that my children are children and I should not expect of them the judgment

of adults. Let me not rob them of the opportunity to wait on themselves and

to make decisions. Bless me with the bigness to grant them all their

reasonable requests, and the courage to deny them privileges I know will do

them harm. Make me fair and just and kind. And fit me, O Lord, to be loved

and respected and imitated by my children. Amen."

 

OR

 

Let us pray:

 

Dear Lord, we who are fathers and mothers need your help.

 

You have placed in us the care of each other and of our children.

 

Give us the strength and patience to cope with the many ups and downs of

family life.

 

Grant us the grace to be deeply thankful for its laughs, joys and blessings.

 

Let our children come to know of your love through our love for them.

 

Help us as we try to make ours a home where love dwells, a home like that of

Jesus, Mary and Joseph in Nazareth.

 

When we fail each other and when we hurt each other, soften our hearts so

that forgiveness and reconciliation comes quickly and easily.

 

Protect this family, Lord, and let it flourish in your light and in your

love. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen..

 

OR

 

Lord,

Keep my parents in your love.

Lord,

bless them and keep them.

Lord,

please let me have money and strength

and keep my parents for many more years

so that I can take care of them.

(Prayer from a young Ghanaian Christian)

 

BENEDICTIONS

Let us leave this place to go to our homes and live there the love of God.

Let us be God's love for and to one another. Let love dwell in our hearts

and overflow into God's world.

 

OR

 

Go, knowing God goes with you.

Go, knowing Jesus goes before you.

Go, knowing the Holy Spirit is within you.

Go, knowing that we, your brothers and sisters, walk beside you.

 

<><  <><  <><  <><  <><  <><  <><  <><  <><  <><  <><  <><  <><

Bass Mitchell, Hot Springs, VA

HOMILIES & BIBLE STUDIES BY E-MAIL

Check out my web site at http://www.homiliesbyemail.com

bass.mitchell@homiliesbyemail.com

 

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(Some of these you can use and others not!)

WHY MEN LOVE BEING MEN

 

1.  We know stuff about tanks.

2.  Only one suitcase required for a 5-day trip.

3.  We can open our own jars.

4.  We can go to the bathroom without a support group.

5.  The same hair-style lasts for years -- maybe decades.

6.  We can leave a motel bed unmade.

7.  We can kill our own food.

8.  We get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness.

9.  Wedding plans take care of themselves.

10. If someone forgets to invite us to

    something, they can still be our friend.

11. Underwear is $10 a three-pack.

12. If you are 34 and single, nobody notices.

13. Everything on our faces stays the original color.

14. Three pairs of shoes are more than enough.

15. We don't have to clean the house if the meter-reader is coming.

16. Car mechanics tell us the truth.

17. We can sit quietly and watch a game with a friend

    for hours without thinking "He must be mad at me."

18. Same work -- more pay.

19. Gray hair and wrinkles add character.

20. We can drop by and see a friend without bringing a gift.

21. If another guy shows up at a party in the same outfit

    you just might become lifelong friends.

22. Your pals will never trap you with: "So, notice anything different?"

23. We are not expected to know the names of more than five colors.

24. We almost never have a "strap problem" in public.

25. We are totally unable to see wrinkles in our clothes.

26. We don't have to learn to spell a new last name.

27. We don't have to show below the neck.

28. Belches are expected and tolerated.

29. Our belly usually hides our big hips.

30. One wallet, one pair of shoes, one color, all seasons.

31. We can do our nails with pocketknife.

32. We have freedom of choice concerning growing a moustache.

33. Christmas shopping can be accomplished for 25 people

    on the day before Christmas and in 45 minutes.

34. We know nothing about "dust" and we don't care.

 

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From: Bass Mitchell <bassm@va.tds.net>

Pass It On

Psalm: 78:1-4

 

Key Verse: We will not hide them from our children; we will tell to the

coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and God's might, and the

wonders that God has done (Ps 78:4).

 

(I use a ruler below. You could use something that belonged to someone

special in your life who passed along much that helped make you who you

are).

 

Laying on my desk right now is an old extension ruler. It's made of wood

with metal brackets holding it together. It extends to six feet. Some of the

markings and numbers are faded and others missing from years of use. Some of

the joints are loose, almost worn out. It belonged to my father who was a

carpenter. I saw him use it so many times on so many projects. It was the

only thing I have really asked for that was his. I think of him each time I

see it and wonder if I will ever measure up to the man he was, if I will

ever make as good a use of the tools God has given me as he did.

 

As a pastor, I have seen so many families torn apart after the death of a

parent because of arguments over the inheritance. Someone thinks they

deserve something but someone else gets it. Jealousy. Anger. Old sibling

rivalries come back to the surface. Why? Over things! We let things - pieces

of wood and metal - divide us, keep us from the best thing of all - love for

one another. To sacrifice a brother or sister for a clump of wood or glass

or even money does not make a lot of sense.

 

Yes, Dad's ruler is special to me, but if my brother or sister wanted it, I

would gladly give it to them. For the greatest inheritance I have received

will never be things but his love, his example, his gentle spirit, his

wisdom, his faith - all these and more live within me. He passed along a lot

of who he was to me. This I value above all material things. These no one,

not even time, can take away. You can't put them in a bank but they have

made me wealthy. And he also passed along a brother and three sisters who

mean the world to me, so that I will not let things come between us. He

would not want that.

 

I know. This is not the experience of everyone, perhaps even you. What you

inherited from your father or mother - internally - you may well wish you

could get rid of. But like it or not, our parents brought us into the world

and are a part of us. They passed along much of who they were to us - for

good or ill. I hope it was for  good, at least some of it. But they were not

perfect and neither are we. God help us to forgive them as our children may

well need to forgive us.

 

I pray today that I might pass along more good than ill; more wisdom than

foolishness; more faith than fear; more love than neglect; more pride than

judgment; more understanding than impatience. I pray that when they see a

ruler, or a book, or a sermon, or a pen left to them from me, that they

might have more good memories than bad. I will work hard to pass those

higher things along to them, those things that matter more than money and

material things.

 

What are the most meaningful "possessions" that have been passed down to

you - material and spiritual? (Share them or ask people in the congergation

to do so).

 

What are you passing along to your children and grandchildren?

 

Prayer: God of love, you give us so much. You pass along so many blessings

that we cannot count them all. Thank you for our parents, imperfect as they

are. Thank you for those who have been like parents to us. Help us to daily

pass along to our own children and to children we have adopted as our own,

those things that matter most, that last for all time. Amen.

 

Might use the chorus, "Pass It On," as part of this.

 

<><  <><  <><  <><  <><  <><  <><  <><  <><  <><  <><  <><  <><  <><

Bass Mitchell

HOMILIES BY E-MAIL/BIBLE STUDY BY EMAIL

bassm@va.tds.net

visit our web site at

http://www.homiliesbyemail.com

toll free number 1-877-681-3349 (for USA, Canada)

 

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Here's a wonderful and moving sermon which I think is most appropriate for

Father's/Men's Day. Thanks to Peter for allowing me to share it with you.

Bass

 

From: Peter K. Perry

<pkperry@cableone.net>

 

Sons of Zebedee

Mark 1:16-20

January 22-23, 2000

Prescott United Methodist Church

 

(Mark 1:16-20)  As Jesus passed along the

Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and

his brother Andrew casting a net into the

sea--for they were fishermen. [17]

And Jesus said to them, "Follow me and I

will make you fish for people."

[18] And immediately they left their nets

and followed him. [19] As he went

a little farther, he saw James son of

Zebedee and his brother John, who were

in their boat mending the nets. [20]

Immediately he called them; and they

left their father Zebedee in the boat

with the hired men, and followed him.

 

James and his brother John were called by

Jesus to become fishers of men.

They were part of the inner circle of

disciples.  They were close to Jesus.

The tradition says that they were

tempestuous, like when they tried to

summon fire from heaven as punishment for

a village that rejected Jesus.

They sometimes seemed selfish, like when

their mother sought a special

position for them in Jesus’ kingdom.  But

they were faithful disciples,

present along with Peter at the

transfiguration and the crucifixion.

John was the beloved disciple, the

traditional writer of the fourth gospel.

And James was the first of the twelve

martyred for the faith, executed by Herod

Agrippa about 44 AD.  There is a lot more

we could say about James and John.

But today I want to lift up simply that

they were the sons of Zebedee.

 

"As Jesus went a little farther, he saw

James son of Zebedee and his brother

John, who were in their boat mending the

nets.  Immediately he called them; and

they left their father Zebedee in the

boat with the hired men, and followed

him."

 

James and John we know, but who was this

Zebedee, and why does Mark bother

to say anything at all about him?  Is he

important?  Is he significant in

any way? Was he famous?   Maybe some of

those who heard the gospel story

told by Mark and Matthew, Luke and John,

maybe some of them might have known

Zebedee.  Maybe they bought their fish

from him.  Maybe he was a member of

their synagogue.  Maybe they were related

by marriage.  Maybe not.

 

On January 5th of this new year a man

died in Fullerton, California.  His

name was Thomas Clifton Perry, and he was

my father.   Not many here in Prescott

had met him.  You knew him only through

his son, and maybe you knew him better

than you might because Dad made for some

pretty good sermon illustrations over the

years.  He wasn’t famous, though he had

many friends. He worked hard all his

life, and in his own way he made the

world a better place.  And I am proud to

be his son.  You see, here in Prescott

Tom Perry is just the father of Peter…but

back home Peter is just the son of Tom

Perry.

 

Zebedee.  In Hebrew tradition, one was

known as the son of one’s father.

James and John were the sons of Zebedee.

James bar Zebedee.  John bar Zebedee.

One’s last name was the name of one’s

father.   I would be Peter bar Thomas.

Centuries later in our European

tradition, I would still bear my father’s

name and I would be Peter Thomason.

Today, I almost wish we still followed

those naming customs, for those I believe

reminded people of from where they’d

come.

 

I wonder if James and John looked like

Zebedee.  Or did they more closely

resemble their mother?  I wonder if they

sounded like Zebedee?  I wonder if

they walked like him, shook hands like

him, laughed like him?  While Zebedee

was teaching his sons to mend the fishing

nets, what else did he teach them?

Did he tell them about how a man should

love and honor a woman?  Did he

instruct them in the wise use of money?

Did he encourage them to believe in

themselves and live for a high purpose?

Did he ever talk with them about

God?  Did Zebedee have any daughters?

What lessons did he teach them?  What

gifts did he give them?

 

What does a father give to his children?

What lessons do we learn from our

fathers?  In the Proverbs of Solomon, it

is written…

 

"Listen, children, to a father's

instruction, and be attentive, that you

may gain insight; for I give you good

precepts: do not forsake my teaching.

When I was a son with my father, tender,

and my mother's favorite, he taught

me, and said to me, "Let your heart hold

fast my words; keep my commandments, and

live. Get wisdom; get insight: do not

forget, nor turn away from the words of

my mouth." (Prov.4)

 

James and John, the sons of Zebedee, grew

up, and God in Christ called them

away from their father and his life’s

work.  When Jesus called, Mark says

they immediately dropped their nets and

followed him.  But I guarantee you

that the lives of James and John were

shaped by the life of Zebedee, just as

my life has been shaped by my father, and

your life has been shaped by your

father.

 

Not everyone has a loving father.  Was

Zebedee a loving father?  I don’t

know.  No father is perfect.  Zebedee was

a just a man, with all of limitations

that go along with being human.  So too

with my father.

 

Tom Perry had his share of problems in

life.  He had a horrible childhood,

abandoned by his father, passed off by

his own mother as her little brother,

raised alternately by his mother, his

aunts, his grandparents…he never had a

stable family.  And so that became my

father’s driving purpose in life…to

create the kind of family he never had,

to provide for his children the kind

of father he only dreamed of having.

Most of the time he did a pretty good

job of doing that.  And two weeks ago,

all five of his children gathered

together to say by our presence together

as a family, that he had succeeded

in instilling in us the importance of

family.  Each of us has left home,

followed our dreams, created our own

families, and without realizing it, we

have furthered our father’s ambition.

 

As you sit here today, I want you to

think of your own father.  I hope you

knew him.  I hope you loved him.  I hope

he was a good father, as mine was.

But even if you didn’t know your father,

even if you didn’t love your father, your

father has still helped make you,

negatively or positively, who you are

today.   Some people spend years in

therapy trying to figure out if

that’s a good thing or a bad thing. :-)

But good or bad, it is true.  James

and John and Zebedee, Peter and Thomas,

even Jesus and Joseph.  You and

your father.  There is a bond between

father and child that nothing can

break, not even death.