Happy Father’s Day from Calvin and Hobbes!
Fathers, contrary to popular belief, we actually do listen to the things you say=)!
There’s a story about my father that I will never forget – a story of his character and actions that speak to me about life and ministry. This story was told to me in a leadership group by our previous senior pastor. Many years ago when my father was an oikos leader, he and a leader in training were sitting under a seminar/teaching from our then senior pastor. The topic was on care ministry and the role of the oikos leader and subjects as love, compassion, leadership structure were all being spoken on. There came a point in the seminar, where the senior pastor wanted to use his life as a personal example and how the people sitting under his teaching can relate to him. So he asked a simple question, “who is your pastor?” Thinking that all would point to him, since he was the pastor, there was a brief moment of silence, and with a quiet but confident voice the leader in training pointed to my father and said, “he is my pastor and mentor.” When I heard the story, I couldn’t help but beam with pride. You see, my father is not a pastor by title. In scripture, Paul talks repeatedly about gifts given to people from the Lord to admonish, encourage, and challenge the church. Often times the role or gifts of “pastor” and “shepherd” are limited to that of the elders or capital “P” pastors of the church. My father never told me this story, but what he taught me was that compassion, love, and care for the flock that the Lord (and no one else!) has placed under you is a serious responsibility and calling. He showed me that though he was “only” an oikos leader by title, he went the extra mile to love and care for his people as any Pastor or Elder would and should.
Friends, Jesus gave a new commandment (singular!) to his disciples during the last meal He would have with them – love God and love others. He said do this simultaneously, not one after the other. Fathers and future fathers, the greatest gift you can give to your children, wife, the people around you, the flock God has placed before you, is to love and care for them as Jesus loved and cared for us. We look to you to lead but more than that, we look to you to love as Christ loved the church. As Paul prayed over the church in Ephesus, I leave you with this prayer:
“I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”
God bless you and keep you. Amen.
From Pastor Keeyoung’s Heart
June 15, 2014