This is dedicated to Rev. Gene Boutilier, Rev. Dr. Barry Sang, Rev. Dr. Bill McKinney, Pete Bellis and Rev. Dr. Jeffrey Kuan--fathers of my Spirit, fathers for the Earth. This is dedicated to Rev. William McGaughy & Rev. J.B. Schwartz--fathers of my body, may they both rest in peace. This is dedicated to Jaime Montenegro, Tom Ryberg & Corbin Tobey Davis--three friends and new fathers who give me hope for the generations to come. God is merciful.
Father’s Day Litany
We thank God for fathers, in body and spirit
inside this building and all over the earth
fathers who love and nurture their own biological children
and love and nurture children not of their blood line.
We thank God for fathers, in body and spirit
Who take time to see, hear, touch, nurture and provide.
Who take time to teach, discipline, support and strengthen.
Who take time to play, sing, dance, and walk alongside.
Who take time to be quiet, attentive, inquisitive and invested over the long haul.
We thank God for fathers who in body and spirit
show up faithfully,
put up with what’s hard, patiently,
who are willing to be changed themselves and
willing to make the world over through concrete acts of love.
We ask God’s forgiveness
for the conditions of evil and sin upon this Earth
that make fathering difficult and impossible for some:
conditions like poverty, unemployment, mass incarceration and war.
We ask God’s mercy and justice
confront and transform those fathers who
have hurt their families and children
because of dishonesty or selfishness or greed or fear.
We ask God’s peace and healing
be upon all those this day who are broken and pained
because they grew up fatherless without a choice.
God’s peace and healing
be upon men who wanted to but could not father children
with their bodies or spirits.
God’s Peace and healing be upon
fathers who lost children too soon to tragic death, miscarriage or abortion,
fathers who have living children lost to long-standing resentment or
addiction or untreated mental health disorders or
anything else that separates them.
We pray for all people living today and those unborn
for fathers everywhere to recognize the image of God
incarnated in their lives and we pray for their faithful response
in body, mind and spirit,
faithful responses of integrity and love whenever they are called
to be good stewards of the lives entrusted to their care.
Amen
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