Whiteboard: Father's Day

This coming Sunday is Father's Day and we'll be using Luke 11:1-13 as our scripture text. It is Luke's version of the Lord's Prayer, which means that on Father's Day we'll be talking about how Jesus taught us to pray by saying "Our Father..."

And that gives me a chance to tell the story about a church sign that I drove past hundreds of times on my way back and forth to the church I served in Northeast Ohio. No, it wasn't the church sign for the congregation I served, but rather the church sign for a congregation right up the street from where I lived.

This particular church had one of those signs with the moveable type, so they could write a different message every week to try and get the attention of drivers going by. And to be honest, I didn't always like what they written up on the church sign. The underlying theology of each message usually was, lets say, lacking.

Anyway, this week on the Whiteboard I have a rendering of one of those messages on a makeshift church sign that it might serve as a reminder to me and a teaser to you about what I'll be preaching on this Sunday.

So join us this Sunday at FCC Scottsdale as we lift up our Father's at the church and celebrate Our Father whom we worship. We'll have a special rendition of "Rise Up O Men of God" sung by our Fathers and Sons Chorus and we'll be awarding the Man of the Year Award as well. I'll see you Sunday!

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Luke 11:1-13 The Lord’s Prayer

He was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.’ He said to them, ‘When you pray, say:
Father, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread.
And forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us.
And do not bring us to the time of trial.’

And he said to them, ‘Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, “Friend, lend me three loaves of bread;for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.”And he answers from within, “Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.” I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs.

‘So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!’