Pastoral Letter 27

Dear Members of St. Andrew’s Uniting Church, Friends and Adherents,

Grace and peace to you all in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

This is the first Sunday of September and according to our tradition we celebrate Father’s Day with our families and give thanks to God for our loving and caring fathers. At church we usually have a small celebration and a special morning tea with some goodies for the joyous occasion. Unfortunately, this year we will miss that little celebration, as we have missed so many other celebrations, because of the prevailing circumstances. I am sure you will agree with me that the year 2020 is and still will be a strange year for us, when we will miss doing so many things, including celebrations on special days, gatherings with family and friends, trips, concerts, holidays and so many other things. But we are hopeful that with God’s grace we will get through these difficult times and start fresh in 2021.

So, let us be hopeful and put our trust in the Almighty and be rest assured that things will be much better soon. As I have said earlier, we need to be a little bit more patient and believe that things will be good but different in the new year ahead.

The Church Elders and the Council met on Wednesday and dealt with a few items that were on the agenda and considered the matter of reopening of the church doors. The meeting unanimously decided to keep on doing the Sunday Services remotely. Also, the meeting decided to go ahead with the necessary maintenance to keep looking after our property. This includes cleaning the premises, disposing of the rubbish, mowing the lawns and cleaning the weeds. Special thanks to Frank who is always around to do the weeding. Thanks to Penny and Chris who are looking after the garden.

Thank you for praying with me yesterday for the suffering people of Lebanon. Much help is needed.

Join the other members tomorrow morning in worship, following the Order of Service. Please light a candle, have a small roll and a cup of wine ready for the Communion. Thanks to Mark for suggesting most of the hymns for this Sunday’s Worship. Sometimes some of the hymns are not familiar, but Mark is suggesting new hymns so that we learn a few new tunes.

Be well and safe and if you need any kind of help or support, please do not hesitate to ask and let me know.

Continue to pray and remember the following points in your prayers:

1. Pray seeking God’s help as we go through the difficult time of pandemic, here in Australia and around the world.

2. Pray for Lebanon as the country goes through a difficult time.

3. Pray for those who are struggling financially, those who have lost loved ones and are still in pain and for those who are not well and lonely.

4. Pray for world peace and ask for God’s blessings.

If you have any prayer points, please let me know and I will include them in the next week’s letter.

Krikor

The Value of a Father

Ephesians 6:4

Today we live in a confusing culture where we lose our understanding about the value of the human being. Our entire culture is entrapped in the most basic definitions of what a man is, what a woman is; and certainly, lost in all the confusion is the role of a man, husband and father. Hence, we see that the definition of man and woman has no meaning at all. People don’t want to see the difference between man and woman and their God given roles. We have difficulty distinguishing between right and wrong, the good and the evil and sadly people choose the wrong and the evil, over the right and the good.

The human being usually forgets that he/she is created in the image of God and he/she is indebted to personify Him in the world and represent the omnipotent God of creation and the Father of all. The Bible says: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27). We were made in the image of God and it is important to live out that identity.

This morning we want to look at these roles, in particular the role of the man, and to know what God says about this important question of identity, without being influenced by the culture. It is clear that our understanding about the identity of man and woman differs greatly from culture to culture. Different backgrounds and cultures define and identify the human being in different ways. This is understandable and should be accepted.

But in this respect, it is important to see how God has formed and modelled the human being and especially the male or the father. If we read the Scripture with care, we will see the value of man and what is the important role that he has to play.

The following points show the role of a father.

1. To be a man of character

The man, whether single, married without children or married with children, he should be a man of character. Paul tells us: “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2). A man of character does not conform to the world around him. Though he lives in the world, does what is expected from him to do as a living creature in the world, follow the rules and regulations put in place to keep the order and work for the good of the people around him. But he chooses to reflect the image of God and endeavours to imitate Christ and models Him. He longs to have the qualities and character of Jesus. He does not only want to avoid sin in his life, but he tries to concentrate on the quality of life that Jesus lived. He wants to transform his heart and tries to show His good in him. John wrote to the men of his day saying: “I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning” (1 John 2:13).

These are the kind of fathers, who make a difference in the lives of their children and wives, and in the world, because they know Christ and their character reflect it. They don’t care what everyone else is thinking and doing or how they try to act out their manhood, they live with integrity and strength. They show love and compassion to their family members and do that which is right and good. They care for them and do their best to keep them safe and provide their needs.

They pour out their heart and sacrifice everything for the wellbeing of their children, giving them a good example of the man, they are supposed to be. They live their character and show it in practice.

When people look at our life, what characteristics they see?

Do they see a person of character who shows the genuine spirit and heart of Christ?

We should be a man of integrity and faithfulness. This is what pleases God and makes our life pleasant as well.

2. To be a man of consistency

A man’s value should be seen in his consistency. It is not acceptable to give advice to others, but not practically demonstrate them. A man should be the one who talks the talk and walks the walk. In other words, it means to show the faith in action and practice what they preach. It does not make sense to say something and do something else. It’s like giving promises to do such and such, but when the time comes to fulfill the promises and act, they are not consistent.

The perfect example of consistency is found in the Scriptures. God says and promises something, and He does and fulfills to the point. We find many examples where we see God making a promise and fulfilling them with love and compassion. The greatest of all was and is the promise of sending His Son, the Messiah, to save His people. He did and will do again when the Lord, His Son, comes again to fulfill the promise of eternal life for all His children, for us the believers.

God has been and will always be consistent with His word, expressed in action.

Timothy was a man of consistency. Paul said about him: “I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. I have no one else like him, who takes a genuine interest in your welfare. For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel” (Philippians 2:19-22).

Paul says that Timothy has proven himself, the word in Greek means something that has been proven by testing. Its genuineness has been proven by trying it over and over again. It is consistent. Timothy had proven himself because he was consistent in his life through the various trials he faced with Paul.

It is expected from the father’s to be consistent as well, in other words men of their word.

3. To be a man of faithfulness

Meaning, to be true to himself and his nature. He doesn’t try to be someone he is not. He lives his God-given masculinity. He understands that God has made him a male for a reason. Every cell in his body is different from a woman, without discriminating the woman that God has created in His image, but for a different purpose. God has made every cell in his body a male cell. He is not a little bit different; he is a lot different from the woman. God has made him that way. His value is in being a man. He has to provide for his family, take on responsibility, and protect and nurture the family. But we know that the woman and the mother do the same in different ways and in todays world sometimes equally or even more than the male does. In the case of the woman, even if she has to and does provide the needs of the family the way the male does, but she will always do and be in the character of the mother and naturally the faithful mother.

Yes, as today we look to the man, who was created in the image of God, he should be a man of faithfulness and be there for his family and his children. Unfortunately, at the present the man’s absence from home is felt. Time magazine article says: “Studies of young criminals have found that more than 70% of all juveniles in state reform institutions come from fatherless homes.” Children from broken families are nearly twice as likely as those in two-parent families to drop out of high school. This picture shows how important is the role of the father in the family and nothing can take its place.

Therefore the role of the father in the family is important especially for the good of the children. The psychological problems caused by absent male figures in the formative years of a child’s life are enormous. This proves that men are valuable. No one can take their place.

Fathers are not only important for the physical welfare of the children, but they are important for the psychological welfare. Fathers should spend time with their children. They may give them many things, but if they are not giving them their time it won’t mean much. Children deserve to live in a home where the man of the house is a living example of the life and love of Jesus Christ.

To do this, the fathers need to know the Lord and believe in Him. Paul puts this clearly in the passage he wrote to the church in Ephesus under the section the relationship of parents with the children. After instructing the children to obey their parents, because it is right to do so. And then instructs them to honour their father and mother, which is the first commandment with the promise that everything will go well with them and they will enjoy long life on earth (Eph. 6:1-3). Then he addresses the fathers and says: “Do not exasperate your children; instead bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4).

The instruction that Paul gives here is crystal clear. Fathers are not to annoy and irritate their children but to love, nurture, instruct and train in the Lord, which means with the instructions given by the Lord. This does not mean that they will keep silent when children do the wrong thing and go in the wrong path, which could annoy the children. But on the contrary, to discipline and instruct them in love and care.

In the book of Proverbs, we have many wisdom sayings. Just to take one example, let us read Proverbs 6:20-23:

“My son, keep your father’s commands and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. Bind them upon your heart forever; fasten them around your neck. When you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; when you wake, they will speak to you. For these commands are a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the correction of discipline are the way to life.”

Dear fathers, let us be sure that we have to play our important role in our homes and be a good example for our children.

Let us be a man of character, consistency and faithfulness.

Let us live our life and try our best to personify and exemplify our loving Heavenly Father, who loves and adores us. For He so loved us and the world that He even gave His son as a ransom to save us.

Let us try our best to reflect the perfect image of God the Father.

Amen!

On the happy occasion of Father’s Day, as we celebrate and honour our fathers, I wish them all a healthy, wealthy and blessed life. May God bless more all the fathers and give them many more years with His grace.

Let us join together and say:

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!