Our Father Who Art in Heaven

Third Sunday after Pentecost
The Lord's Prayer - The Introduction
"Our Father Who Art in Heaven"

"Hey, Dad, it's me. I know it's been awhile since we talked. Things are OK, I guess... well, not really... that's what I wanted to talk to you about. I messed up - again. I know that last time I said that I wouldn't anymore - and I'd been doing pretty good for a stretch there after you helped me out - but here I am, again. I'm sorry. You told me that I could call you whenever - not just when I felt that I needed you - though I admit that I haven't been very regular in that. But I'm calling now. I need your help..."

Maybe you've had a conversation like this with your father. When it comes to our families, our histories with the people who have raised us, every one of us has had a unique experience, and our memories shape our image of fathers - who they are, what they should be. One thing that seems universal, though, is that we have at times let our fathers down. Calling home for college for more money for "food." Getting into trouble at school. Giving up when the going gets tough.. Taking what seems to be the easy road, not living up to our potential. So when it comes to Father's Day, how do you see your father?

Over the past couple of weeks, if you'd been looking for a Father's Day gift on Amazon.com, you may have noticed they'd been running a poll for their shoppers: which fictional father reminds you most of your dad? When you think of "dad," does Darth Vader comes to mind? An emotionally distant father, he was never really there for you and your sister. You might feel like you were raised by your extended family, like your aunt and uncle. Although it seems that you've disappointed him by not following in his footsteps, you feel like you've got some deeper, unseen connection with him - that you might be more alike than either of you realize, and that, in the end, there might be a new hope for your relationship.

Perhaps, and especially if he's fond of donuts, your father might remind you of Homer Simpson. You never know what kind of wacky adventures are going to happen when he's around. He worked a job or two that didn't seem really fulfilling, but made sure that you and your sisters had food on the table. Though he doesn't seem to bright all the time, he's generally loving - but it may have seemed like he was going to strangle you when you were giving him grief.

Or maybe Atticus Finch best personifies your father's attributes. You have a close relationship, small family, where he tried to raise you the best he knew how, sometimes against strong odds as a single parent. He encouraged you and your brother to be independent thinkers. He really cared about you, even though he wasn't always able to express that in words. It's possible that you've learned that there was a lot more to him than you'd ever expected.

It could be that Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable brings your father to mind. You dad, even though he didn't seem to have the best taste in clothes, was always there for your large family. Both he and your mother worked well-paying jobs, but he tried to make sure that you didn't take anything for granted. And you knew that you couldn't go wrong buying him some shiny gadget as a Father's Day gift, since he could never seem to get enough of those. But most of all, he always seemed to be able to give you the right advice for the situation, using humor to teach a lesson.

None of these fictional fathers are perfect, however; they each fall short in some way. And before we start to think about how our fathers have fallen short of our expectations, remember that we have fallen short, too, especially when it comes to God's expectations for our lives. How are we supposed to come before our heavenly Father, knowing that have failed to honor Him in the choices that we have made, or even in how we have treated members of our own family?

During the Lenten season this year, our congregation learned about why prayer was an essential part of our life as Christians. Today marks the beginning of a series of sermons in which we explore the Lord's Prayer: we move from "Why Pray?" to "what to pray" and "how to pray." In this, the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples, God teaches us how we should come before Him. In your worship bulletin, you'll find a Take Away sheet each week as we walk through the parts of the Lord's Prayer together. On the top half of the sheet, you'll find the segment of the Lord's Prayer on which we'll be focusing, along with Luther's explanation from the Small Catechism.

Today, on this Father's Day weekend, we learn more about who God is in the introduction to the Lord's Prayer. Take a moment to read those words from the Small Catechism. What do we learn about God in these opening words of this great prayer?

God our heavenly Father invites. Here Jesus tells us that we are to address the God of all Creation as "Father," in much the same way as young children call out to their earthly fathers. When we think of the older English translation of the Lord's Prayer (i.e., "Our Father who art in heaven"), we might suppose that this is a formal address, since those terms seem rather stuffy to our present-day hearing; however, that's how one would have spoken to a family member. This is the sense that Jesus expresses, and this is how we should think of God the Father: as One whom we can approach in prayer as a child would ask something of his loving "papa."

God our heavenly Father cares for us. He commands us to pray, not for His benefit, but for our own. In the weeks ahead, we will explore the various, specific needs that God tells us we should lift up before Him in prayer. But when we begin to reflect on our needs, considering both the physical and the spiritual, we might wonder how anyone could take care of all of them.

God our heavenly Father holds power. We shouldn't overlook that "in heaven" portion of the introduction: He not only hears our prayer for Jesus' sake, but He is also able to answer prayer. This is why we can pray with confidence, knowing that prayer is not in vain.

God our heavenly Father is merciful. In our Scripture readings today, we see that mercy in action. God forgives the sins of those who can claim no right to forgiveness. With his life's blood, Jesus reconnected sinners, reconnected us who have failed to honor God in our lives, with his Father, and the Father has forgiven our failing and welcomed us back.

This is the Father to whom we pray.

Let us pray: Our Father in heaven, thank you for teaching us to call upon your Name as children do a loving father. Guide us as your children that we might always come to you as our Father in every need and thanksgiving, trusting that you hear us for Jesus' sake.

Amen.