Pastoral Letter 81
Dear Members of St. Andrew’s Uniting Church, Friends and Adherents,
Grace and peace to you all.
I wrote the previous Pastoral Letter with some hope, as I began to see some rays of sunshine on the horizon and heard promises of easing the lockdown restrictions in mid-September, for those who have been fully vaccinated. Regardless of the four digits of infection cases again this week and number of deaths surpassing 100, I still believe we are on the right track with the number of vaccinated reaching seven million in NSW, over 40% fully vaccinated and promising hopes that we will hit the 70% and the 80% by the end of October and early November. These figures are promising, and I am hopeful that soon we will start emerging out of the current circumstances and the stressful COVID times and come together to worship God and share some good fellowship that we miss a lot, before Christmas.
Continue to pray and be sure that God will change the course of life we are in according to His will. Our hope is in the power of God, being certain that He is in control and taking care of us as we go through this difficult time. He is our hope. He is our refuge. He is the source of all good. And He is the loving Good Father.
We are glad to hear and give thanks for Frank’s and Virginia’s younger son, James, has been inducted as Vicar at All Saints Anglican Church Eastbourne, UK. I am sure that Frank and Virginia are proud and happy parents, and praise God that he has led James to this place. They only wished they could have been there. If anyone would like to watch this is the link: https://youtu.be/9G_gmT1fwpc
Unfortunately, we will not be able to celebrate Father’s Day this Sunday and share some time together. But all the fathers in our congregation have received on Saturday the goodies that we usually have on every Father’s Day. The Lucky Father of the year will receive a special gift, but I cannot reveal the name, as the draw will be held on Saturday morning, after I have sent this 81st Pastoral Letter.
As the lockdown goes on, please pray and join the rest of the members on Sunday morning for worship from home following the attached Order of Service, light a candle, sing along to the hymns chosen, read the Bible Readings and the Message, have a small roll or piece of bread and a small cup of wine or juice for communion.
Another piece of good news I would like to share with you all on this Father’s Day, is that I will be receiving a wonderful and amazing Father’s Day gift of becoming a grandpa very soon. My and my family’s joy is double, God willing my son, Varak and Regina are having twins in early November. Having grandkids is indeed a great news for me and Dee and for Lori and the extended family as well. Please pray for the safe arrival of the babies.
Thank you to those who have contributed to sponsor the Demirchian family in Artsakh. We have raised $2300 of the total $3000. We believe with a few more donations we will be able to achieve our goal. Please give and provide some support to cover the needs of this needy family.
Continue to pray. Here are some prayer points for this week:
1. Pray for tomorrow’s service and hope that before or by Christmas we return to our face-to-face services.
2. Pray for the fathers and ask God to bless them all.
3. Pray for those who are under stress because of the COVID-19 restrictions and are struggling financially.
4. Pray for Afghanistan, as they go through difficult, tough and dangerous times.
5. Pray for Lebanon as people are in desperation and have lost all hope and don’t know how they will emerge out of this catastrophic financial and political situation.
6. Pray for James Knowles, as takes the position of Vicar at All Saints Anglican Church Eastbourne, UK.
Please let me know if you or anyone else has prayer points.
Krikor
MESSAGE
The Good Father
Ephesians 6:4
Today we live in a confusing culture where we lose our understanding about the ideal and the value of man. 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 from the evil. 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.
This morning we want to look at these roles and to know what God says about this important question of identity, without being influenced by the culture. 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.
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 good father.
But before looking into that, let me first touch on the concept of God being a Good Father. In our recent Lower North Shore Zone Uniting Churches Study Series, we walked with the renowned Biblical scholar and professor Rev. Dr. Kenneth Bailey on a thousand-year theological journey from Psalm 23 to the New Testament, studying the Good Shepherd, who cares, loves, protects and even puts His life to save us, His sheep. In one of the eight sessions, Bailey gave a quick glimpse of Luke chapter 15, where we find three parables put together under the same theme of being ‘good’: the Good Shepherd, the Good Woman and the Good Father. For Bailey, this chapter 15 in Luke is in itself the Gospel within the Gospel, where we find the concept of the demonstration of unexpected costly love. The highlight of this is found in the third parable, which was not part of the study series at this stage, but it demonstrates and pictures God in the character of the loving father in the story of the Prodigal or Lost Son, who accepts, welcomes and forgives his son, who returns home after spending all he had and sinning against heaven and his father. The father in the parable that Jesus told, represents the Good Father, the Father God, who loves, forgives and accepts the sinner who repents and returns to him.
This brings us to the words of Paul registered in the epistle to the church in Ephesus, where he wrote: “Father, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord”. These words by Paul are words of instructions but formulate and present the kind of man a father should be and express it the way he deals with his children and bring them up.
In this verse we see the following three things that are expected to be found in a good father. A good father is expected to be:
1. A man of character
Whether single, married without children or married with children, the man 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. 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 reflects it. They don’t care what everyone else is doing or how they try to act out their manhood, they live with integrity and strength.
When people look at our life, what characteristics do 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. It also helps people to see in us the picture of the Good Father, who loves and cares for His children, regardless of what they do and how they act, even if that brings shame and lostness in their lives. God’s character is such that He always does what is good for his children, whom He loves and protects.
2. 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.
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 proved 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 fathers to be consistent, in other words, men of their word.
Our Good Father has always been consistent in His promises and actions. He has done what He had promised to His people, the people of Israel. Regardless of their unfaithfulness, rejection and ignoring His commandments, God, as a Good Father, continued to provide their needs, went with them in their struggles and manifold challenges. He kept His promise and delivered them from slavery and led them to the promised land and patiently walked with them, in spite of their rejections and came after them, as the good shepherd goes after the lost sheep, to rescue them, carry them on His shoulders and bring them home rejoicing for they were lost and now they are found.
As the Good Father, our God, acts consistently, so should a good father be consistent by doing as he says. There is nothing worse than saying something or making a promise and not keeping it. Consistency.
3. A man of faithfulness
Being 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. God has made every cell in his body a male cell. He is not a little bit different; he is a lot different. 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. Unfortunately, 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 the role of the father is 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.
It is very important for children to have the figure and the example of a faithful father before their eyes, to follow in their footsteps and become good man and woman, faithful and loyal human beings with a good character. Fathers and mothers have an important role to play in the upbringing of their children. If for some reason they are absent and don’t give what they are supposed to give, naturally there will be a missing link, which will be very difficult to fill in.
Sadly, I didn’t have that father-son relationship when I was young. I lost my father at the age of three, when he was forty-one years old with ill health. I don’t have any memory of spending time with my father. I don’t even remember a word that he has said to me, which I am sure he did. But I don’t recollect any. Oh, how I miss that and still feel that gap in my life, even now when I am over sixty. The only few memories I have are still pictures of him, sitting on his chair in his small shop making shoes, mincing meat for our Sunday traditional lunch, lying down in bed very ill and lastly in the hospital bed, a day before he passed away.
I have tried my best to be a good father to my children, as I am sure you have done the same, spending time as much as I can with them, when they were young and even now when they have grown and have their own lives to live and do their own things.
Being a good father is a must. We are called by God and given the great responsibility of raising our children, training and instructing in the words of Paul. Exasperation is necessary when raising children, but it shouldn’t be without training, instruction and giving good counsel and advice.
Dear fathers let us be sure that we have to play our important role in our homes. Let us be a man of character, consistency and faithfulness. These and many other similar things are expected from a good father, who loves his children and does his best for their good.
Amen!