A Word From the Pastor
Rev. L. David Mortenson, Senior Pastor
Kids say the darndest things. How about this story. Father's Day was near when I brought my three-year-old son, Tyler, to the card store. Inside, I showed him the cards for dads and told him to pick one.
When I looked back, Tyler was picking up one card after another, opening them up and quickly shoving them back into slots, every which way. "Tyler, what are you doing?" I asked. "Haven't you found a nice card for Daddy yet?"
"No," he replied. "I'm looking for one with money in it."
Oh the love of the father. You know, Father's Day is the 4th largest card spending holiday in the US. Behind Mother's Day, Christmas and Valentines Day.
A Babylonian youth named Elmesu carved the first known Father's Day card in clay nearly 4,000 years ago. His special message wished his father good health and a long life.
Did you know that the origin of Father's Day is linked to Christianity? Like other important holidays filled with Christian themes and events, Father's Day, too, was founded to celebrate the ideals of fatherhood set forth in Scripture.
Father's Day was first promoted in 1910, in Spokane, Washington. But it took 62 years for it to become an official holiday in the US. Fatherhood is strong in the bible. The Christian God is portrayed as a loving Father. God gave His own Son for the salvation of all the people in the world.
It is shown that when the Christian ideal has prospered, fatherhood has taken on a deeper meaning. According to data collected by Promise Keepers and Baptist Press, if a father does not go to church, even if his wife does, only 1 child in 50 will become a regular worshiper. If a father does go regularly, regardless of what the mother does, between two-thirds and three-quarters of their children will attend church as adults.
Here's the point of all these statistics: Dad's impact on the kids' faith and practice is HUGE. So, let's get the dads in church. Let's show the dads they are important.
God bless. Stay safe this summer. I will see you in church.
God bless.
Pastor David