I can still feel the emotion of the moment. I was maybe 14 years old and it was Father’s Day. My family was at church and the announcement time was filled with lazy dad jokes going on about the aloofness of some men. My dad, who was the head elder of the that church at the time, stood up and as briefly and graciously as possible, yet firmly, rebuked the American cultural opinion of the role of father. The room was silenced, apologies were made, and Father’s Day was never the same after that and neither was I.
Because of my father’s great example, I had a high respect for fathers. He never belittled the role of father. He knew that his God given position was entrusted to him by the Lord in order to reflect the character and nature of our Heavenly Father and my father’s labor to that end in my life displayed the weight that such a calling places on a man.
I am blessed to have such a wonderful father who would wake me up before he went to work and read scripture with me and pray. Who would pray with me whenever we got in the truck and headed down the road. Who would advise me to take my stress and decisions to the Lord. Who was always available (and still is) for counsel no matter what the issue may be.
What I am most grateful for as I write this is how my father taught me to worship. He is a man who sings with all his might. A man who unashamedly raises his hands to a God worthy of praise. He is a man who wrestles with God in prayer in the difficult times of life, frequently going on walks with the Lord in the woods; putting aside all distractions to seek the Lord. He is in God’s word daily and it is likely that he has partaken of God’s word as often as he has food in his adult life.
We all in one way or another will display who God is and be an example of how to worship a holy God. None though posed to do so as much as our earthly father’s. Let us give thanks to the Lord for them and worship God in all of life, as my father showed me all of his.
IAN WEBSTER
If you have any questions about the topic of worship or would like to learn how to get involved with the worship ministry of North Avenue Church you can email Ian at websterian11@gmail.com.
