On June 21, the morning of Father’s Day, Grace Baptist Church of Christ will be hosting her annual Father’s Day Breakfast. All fathers, male leaders, and their families are encouraged to attend a truly blessed morning of spiritual, emotional and physical encouragement to continue the tall task of being a father during the trying times that our community faces on a daily basis.
But how did Father’s Day make its way onto our yearly calendars?
The history of the day is an intriguing story. In June 1910, just two years after Mother’s Day became an official holiday, a Sonora Smart Dodd was inspired by a sermon about fathers at her Knox Presbyterian Church in Spokane, Washington. Her own father, a Civil War Veteran for the Union who raised her and her five siblings after her mom died while giving birth to the sixth child, was born on June 5. With the support of her pastor, Dodd and her church celebrated the first father’s day on June 19, 1910. After years of criticism, jokes, and rejection, President Lyndon Johnson finally made a 1966 presidential proclamation dedicating the third Sunday of every June to fathers — the rest is history.
But Johnson’s proclamation is not necessary for us to recognize how vital fathers are for the well-being of a people. In fact, the Lord makes it explicit throughout the Holy Bible. By no coincidence, we call the Lord “our Father in Heaven” because he is the perfect manifestation of what a father is supposed to be for his children, his Israel. God tells the Israelites "do not be terrified; do not be afraid of them. The LORD your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, and in the desert. There you saw how the LORD your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place (1 Chronicles 29:17)." The Lord, our father, leads his flock and comforts us with the assurance that we have nothing to fear, for he has led us through trying times in the wilderness before and can certainly lead us today and tomorrow.
Like the perfect father He is, He also establishes that the sincere discipline that we receive from our father is out of love and not to be taken as spiteful. “My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline and do not resent his rebuke, because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in (Proverbs 3:11-12).”
The Lord made the blueprint for fathers millenniums ago; Dodds made the day a holiday about a century ago; Grace members recognize it today. Some of our very own men of Grace shared their thoughts on Father’s Day and its significance to them:
Deacon Alfred Osbourne: Father’s day is a very special day for me because it’s a time for me to sit back and step aside and reflect and reminisce on what it is to be a father. I take that responsibility very seriously, being a father not only physically, but also spiritually. Being the spiritual father for my family and many others who look up to me is important.
The youth should just spend some time with their father, please call them,, and let them know that they care. And the most thing about it is to show love. To show them their love for him.
Bro. Jason Casey: I think a lot of times, we forget about dads and tend to focus more so on the moms. So I think Father’s day is very important. My father taught me how to be a real man. He’s a provider, protector, just an all-around good person to be around. He’s never down, he’s very circumspect.
[Celebrate father’s day by] just acknowledging that dad is there. By telling him all the things that you appreciate him for, and just treat him like a king for that day. Not just that day, but be extra nice to him on that day.
Deacon Bolden: Father’s Day is a time to remember that, although my father had his flaws, he provided for me and my mother. Me, being the youngest one, I can say that he really provided us. I’m just sad that he’s not here to see the things that are going on. I just hope that I can be some kind of role model for others. It’s good to see others trying to do the right thing.
Look up to your fathers; it’s not easy being a father. Especially in this day and age with everything going on, the pressures that are involved.
May every man who is a father figure or looks up to one celebrate and enjoy their Father’s day!
By Jerome Nathaniel
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