Greetings,
June 18, 2012, would have been the 101st birthday of Edward
J. Funk, Roberta’s father (he died on March 18, this year).
June 13, 2012, would have been my father’s 95th
birthday (he died in 1991). Not a day
goes by that I am not reminded of some blessing he brought me.
This Sunday is Father’s Day.
The following history of Father’s Day was
written by Joey Butler:
“To all you dads out there: While you’re relaxing in
your recliner and watching sports this Sunday, and your kids are on their best
behavior to honor Father’s Day, don’t forget to thank a United Methodist. That’s right. Not one, but two United
Methodist churches – with the same name, oddly enough – can lay claim to
originating the celebration of all things paternal.
“In 1909 in Spokane, Wash., Sonora Smart Dodd listened to a Mother’s Day sermon
at Central Methodist Episcopal Church. Dodd’s own mother had died 11 years
earlier, and her father had raised their six children alone. Dodd felt moved to
honor her father, and fathers everywhere, with a special day as well. She proposed her idea to local religious
leaders, and gained wide acceptance. June 19, 1910, was designated as the first Father’s Day, and
sermons honoring fathers were presented throughout the city. When newspapers across the country carried
the story about Spokane’s observance, the popularity of Father’s Day spread.
[Calvin Coolege acknowledged and
recommended the observance of Father’s Day in 1924. DED] Several presidents since then declared
it a holiday, and in 1972, Richard Nixon established it as the third Sunday in
June.
“Dodd’s
pivotal role in the creation of a national Father’s Day celebration was
recognized in 1943 with a luncheon in her honor in New York City. Central Methodist Episcopal is now known as Central
United Methodist, and holds a Father’s Day service every year. [However, that was not actually the first
Father’s Day service. DED]
“On July 5, 1908, a Father’s Day sermon was preached at Williams
Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church, South, thanks to the efforts of Grace
Golden Clayton. In December 1907, a terrible mine explosion in nearby Monongah claimed
the lives of more than 360 men. Most of them had families, and the tragedy left
1,000 children fatherless. Clayton was
distraught by the thought of all those children growing up without a father’s
guidance, and wanted to do something to honor the importance of fatherhood. She
asked her pastor to set aside a special day to commemorate fathers. She chose
the Sunday closest to the birthday of her late father, also a Methodist
preacher.
“However, unlike the Spokane service, the Fairmont event drew little attention outside the area.
Fairmont historians concede that Sonora Dodd deserves credit
for bringing the holiday to national prominence, but want it known that they
did beat her to the idea.
“’We don’t claim popularizing the day, but we have
proof we were the first to have a church service,’ said the Rev. D.D. Meighen,
retired pastor of the Fairmont church, which is now also known as Central
United Methodist. Seriously, what are the odds of that?”
Fathers—taken for granted even more frequently than
mothers—are remembered on this day. Even
if we should forget, large newspaper and TV ads remind us and suggest
absolutely necessary gifts (which will probably not be used). Obviously, not all fathers are perfect. This may be a day to forgive the sins and
short-comings of fathers, and to remember whatever good things were part of
your relationship.
We encourage you to include God, and God’s Word in
your Father’s Day celebrations today.
There are many scripture passages about fathers, but we would suggest
two which deal with the ultimate role of all men and fathers:
Isaiah 6:1-8—the call of Isaiah, a message for all
men “of unclean lips.”
Luke 15:11-31—traditionally called the parable of the
prodigal son, this is truly the story of the loving father, an example of how
all fathers should and can love, with an unconditional love.
Hymns you might want to sing or read together include:
The United Methodist Hymnal #
92 “For the Beauty of the Earth”
# 445 “Happy the Home”
# 447 “Our Parent, By Whose Name”
# 710 “Faith of Our Fathers”
As we have been considering the qualities
of leadership, it is important to remember that one of the most important ways
leadership is taught is in the home by effective mothers and fathers. Of course, one of the most devastating
effects on young people is when there is a woeful lack of leadership in the home.
Regardless of the configuration of the
family, one of the vital responsibilities of the parent is to ensure that
children have good, positive, strong mother and father role models. That is one of the reasons I was so
interested in starting and being the first President of the Big Brothers / Big
Sisters of the Alleghanies. Children are
entrusted to us by God, and providing for their care and Godly upbringing is
the most important responsibility we have as a parent.
Yours
& His,
DED
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