Call to Worship and Lord's Prayer

One - We come and worship, not because we are holy and perfect people, 
                  but because God is Holy and Great.

All - "Yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the Clay, you are the potter;
                  we are all the work of your hand." (Isaiah 64:8)

One -How fragile clay is.. .how breakable we are. The creator must have
                  infinite patience working with such earthen vessels!

All - "Yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the Clay, you are the potter; 
                  we are all the work of your hand."

One - The potter s hand knows his clay. By his touch it is transformed from
                  mud to beauty. When broken, it is remolded and restored.

All - "We have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that the transcendent
                  power belongs to God and not to us." (2 Corinthians 4:7)

One - We come and worship the One who is Powerful, Great, and Holy.
                  But we also come to rest in the hands of the potter who,
                                    as Father and Mother, knows us and loves us.

All - "Our Father, which art...
    

For Children
"Da-da"
Galatians 4:1-7

         Question. When you first learned how to talk, when you wanted your Daddy, what did you call him? Anybody remember? (Receive and value every answer).

         Actually, a word for a mommy or a daddy is often the very first (or one of the very first) words a baby learns to say. In the language that we speak, it’s often something like "Da-da" or "Mo-ma." Why do you think that is? Yes, children love their parents... Yes, those are easy words to say - "Mo-ma," "Da-da" - very simple... I think you are right, it may be because if a baby needs something, "Mo-ma" or "Da-da" will be the ones who will help. Sometimes, "Mo-ma" means "I’m hungry." Sometimes, "Da-da" means "I’m scared." Sometimes these words mean, "my diaper is wet." Or, to put it differently, those words mean, "feed me," "hold me," "change me." Or, to say it all in one phrase - "Love me."

         At the beginning of worship this morning, all of us prayed a prayer which started out how? "Our Father which art in heaven..." Jesus taught his disciples to pray that way. The word in the language they spoke, however, wasn’t a formal "Father." It was "Abba," which is the same as "Da-da." Why do you think he used that word? (Receive and value every answer).

         We are God’s children. When we pray "our Father," (or, as Jesus put it, "Abba," which is similar to "Imma" - a word that back then was like "Mo-ma") it’s kind of like when a baby cries out "Da-da." Sometimes it means, "I’m hungry, feed me." Other times it means, "I’m scared, hold me." And there are times it means, "I stink, change me." Or, to say it all in one phrase - "Love me." Of course, our heavenly Daddy loves us before we even ask to be loved.

         Yes, we grow up. But, you know, if we grow so big that we thin we’re too big to come to God as our "Abba," our "Da-da," maybe we’ve got some more growing to do.

         Well, today we are celebrating what? "Father’s Day!" Of course, we’re thinking about our earthly Dad’s, not God. Every day is God’s, our heavenly Father’s day. Today we honor the fathers who raised us. For some of us, this may be a grandfather, or some other man who has loved us, to whom we could turn and be loved. As a "Daddy" myself, I try to keep in mind that the real "Father" of my children is God. Their and my heavenly Father, blessed me with them to care for. They learn something about God from me. Sometimes, I forget. All Fathers do. But being a Dad is a wonderful thing.

         Right now, we want to do something to show love to our earthly Fathers. For better or worse, we have cookies to give them. What I want you to do is make sure everyone who looks like a Father or a Grandfather gets some. When you give them their cookies, why don’t you also give ‘em a hug. Let’s go.... [As the children go forth, mention to the men that their are sugar free cookies in the back for those who need to exchange them for health reasons].
    

Pastoral Prayer

         Heavenly Father, who gathers us, protects us, feeds us, upholds us, tends us, empowers us, sends us... to you we turn in this moment, conscious of your steadfast love and faithfulness, how you are always near, even when we forget how close you really are. Forgive our forgetfulness, O Lord, and forget how often we fail to forgive. We fall far short of your glory - what you created us to be. Through your Holy Spirit, live in us that we might grow in our ability to do and to be what you have shaped and called us to be and to do.

         On this day we thank you for the blessing of earthly fatherhood, how you place a child into a man’s hands and entrust us with a treasure far more valuable than any worldly wealth. We thank you for those who lived up to your calling in our lives, to the best of their ability; how they "fathered" us, and in the process revealed to us a glimpse of you. We will remember their example, whether it was their seed which brought us into this world, or their choice to adopt us as their own - as a father or as a mentor. Thank you, God, for all those men in our lives who have lived up to your calling, who took us to heart and respected us, thus teaching us how to love and respect others. I pray, O Lord, that your promised Spirit will continue to fashion us of the male gender to become the best men that we can.

         You have heard what we have shared, and are already at work in the lives of those whose names we have mentioned. You have also heard what we have not spoken, whether it be a concern for another person, or a cry of our own heart to which we cannot give voice. You know us better than we know ourselves, so continue to grow us according to your Word. Help us to be ever more open to your work in us. Even right now, as we listen for you to speak - in scripture, in message, in music - in that still, small voice heard in as well as beyond the words that are said.

         Heavenly Father, gather us, protect us, feed us, uphold us, tend us, empower us, send us... in Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.
     

Prayer
(after offering)

         May the works of our hands, the words of our mouths, and the thoughts of our hearts, be pleasing to you, O Lord, our rock, and our redeemer. Amen

(based on Psalm 19:14)