A Father’s Day Sermon; Things Fathers, and all of us, should know

In this week’s lessons, we get a good look at the nature of God the Father, and God the Son, and some things all fathers – for that matter – all of us should know.

Last week, our Scripture spoke of brokenness from the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, to Jesus casting out demons, and enlarging on what is considered family. Through all the brokenness, in the presence of God, and through His steadfast love, we have hope, as the Psalmist opined, and we are redeemed. As St. Paul says in his second letter to the Corinthians, we can give thanks that grace is extended to more and more people. In this week’s lesson, Paul tells us that in Christ, we are a new creation. Everything old has passed away. Everything has become new.

This week, we look at God choosing a young shepherd boy to be king, and Scripture compares the kingdom of God to a mustard seed – the smallest of seeds. Last week hope despite brokenness .This week redemption through the small and insignificant. I have to tell you a story about what I sometimes do when I am serving on the altar at the Peace. When Ray, our organist and choirmaster, who is fairly tall, comes over to exchange the peace, I stay on the altar until he comes over, and tell him as I exchange the Peace, “See, now I’m towering over you.” Of course, most people are tall to me.

I remember some of my first thoughts upon learning I would be a father, and I have been blessed more than I could have ever imagined, or deserved, with my wife, two sons, their wives, and our grandchildren.  Life truly began anew with a new creation in the blessing of children, and in realizing new responsibilities, and the beginning of many sacrifices, joyfully and willingly made, that the lives of our children would be full of love, and opportunities to grow, be healthy, and to flourish. That’s not to say that there weren’t problems, trials, and tribulations, worries, anguish, anxiety, and well – you know, life happens.

Like many young people, we had been away from the church for a few years. We were married seven years before we had our first child. When I learned Debi was pregnant with our firstborn, I promised God that I would see that he would be raised in the church. And God took over from there. We first started attending a church near our home, and I remember it was full to overflowing. I can still feel Andrew’s little legs dangling over my knees as we sat in a folding chair in the aisle. And Alex, of course is now an Episcopal priest, nurtured right here at St. Marks, thanks, in part, to your good graces and support.

Being a father teaches you many lessons. Like Jesus’ parables in today’s lessons, you learn what is necessary for a seed to grow and flourish. Unlike other parables of the sower, in today’s parable of the seeds, we learn we need help. It is not all on us. Somethings we cannot control. Somethings we have to trust in God, for the seed to sprout, and grow, and that the harvest will be good.

Today’s Scripture would have us be mindful that God’s wisdom is not exactly what we might expect. We see Israel crying out for a king so they can be like other nations. God told Samuel to warn them, but gave them their king, Saul, a strong and popular warrior, who turned out to be a disappointment. God sent Samuel to Bethlehem to anoint a son of Jesse. And we know what happened. God passed over the sons who came with Jesse to the feast. When Samuel asked if he had more sons, Jesse told him of David, a shepherd boy, who was left tending the sheep. David was summonsed and anointed king, and a mighty king he became. We know him as a great psalmist, warrior, and beloved king. But we also know him as an adulterer who sent Uriah to his death.

So God does not choose the obvious, the ones people might have expected God to choose. Sometimes - more than sometimes - he chooses the weak or the flawed, the small and insignificant. God chooses imperfect people to bring about his kingdom.

All good parents want to see their children grow and flourish. What good parent doesn’t want their children to have it better than they did? Jesus says, “Who among you does not know how to give good gifts to your children? And just as we do that, he says, think how much more God wishes to give us.

But the lessons of life come as dear and precious as life in all its ups and downs, triumphs and losses, joys and sorrows, gains and losses that we all experience. Sure, we want to sow good seeds, and in good soil, and do all things a good gardener would do. There may be weeds to hoe, things that need pruning, and all the time doing what we can to see that those seeds, seedlings and growing plants are nourished and cared for. But as one of today’s parables says we rise and sleep, and how the seed will grow, we do not know.

And it is hard to let go, and trust that all we have done, all we have taught them will fare them well. A good father, and mother, love their child enough to allow that child to try his or her wings, even though he or she may fall or fail, even though the parent’s heart may be breaking. Children need that to be able to grow. And especially when they fail or falter, or feel like they have, they need to know that the love we have for them is unconditional, that it is as steadfast as God’s love is for us. No matter what.

And that is not easy to do. It requires us to let go of pride, or shame, or anything which separates us from our love for that child. It’s something like what Jesus said when he says that whoever loses his life for my sake, shall find it.

More than words of wisdom, which are important, children need to know how much they are loved, and that we will be there for them. Especially in these days of the proliferation of social media, and nasty retorts we hear from various talking heads with 24 hour news. Bullying has taken on new forms, and is widespread. It is easy to make cruel and hurtful remarks, and call people names, and mock them over the internet, sight unseen, and at a distance.  We are not always able to protect our children. It’s not the same as when we would play outside until dark, and neighbors watched out for each other’s children. We need to prepare and equip our children to have the strength and courage to face these new challenges. We have to trust that the lessons have been learned, and instill in them that they can trust us with any problem they may have. That takes faith. That takes unconditional love.

That’s why children need to know, and fathers, and mothers need to show that they are like the father in another parable Jesus told us. The parable of the prodigal son. Children need to know that whatever the situation, no matter what they have done, or what has been done to them, that they will be received into our welcoming and loving arms.

And how does our garden grow? In Psalm 94, the psalmist tells us that the righteous flourish like the palm tree, and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. And Jesus brings it home, as he always does. He doesn’t talk about the tall and strong cedar tree. Instead, he gives us the parable of the mustard seed. He tells us the kingdom of God is like that of a mustard seed – the tiniest of seeds. And when it grows, it becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.

God starts with the small, seemingly insignificant seeds and imperfect people. He chose a shepherd boy to be king. And a legendary, brave and powerful king he was. But David sinned, and he struggled as a father. A beloved son rebelled and tried to kill him, and take his kingdom. Remember these words which have rung through the centuries, and in the hearts of parents who have lost children, "O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!"

In the depths of his despair, David wrote words which have survived over three thousand years in Psalm 51. We all have sinned, and fallen short of the glory of God. He had faith that God would redeem him, wash him and he would be whiter than snow. In the depths of his sorrow and despair, he learned and told us that a broken and contrite heart God will not despise. In spite of his humble, small beginnings, and his sin, and his brokenness, God loved David, and told him that his line will last forever. Through David, God’s anointed, for which the Greek word is Christos, Jesus the Christ came to redeem us. And God gave his own Son to live and die as one of us, that through Him, we might have eternal life. Such is the love of the Father.

And so, fathers, and all of us, take note, that in spite of our flaws, imperfections, and failures, we have been chosen to nourish and care for the smallest vulnerable seeds. And even though we have our shortcomings, and it is an especially daunting task to raise up children in today’s world, remember that we are all God’s children. And like the Dad who holds his breath when the training wheels are taken off the bike, and the child takes that first wobbly ride without them, we can be sure that God the Father loves us. God the Son is running alongside us on the journey. And God the Holy Spirit will sustain us in, and with, unconditional love. Let us embrace each other, as children of God, like the father of the prodigal son. Like God, the father; God, the Son; and God, the Holy Spirit. In this way, as we learned last week, God’s grace will be extended to all people. Amen.