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| When men step up to the plate |
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| Wednesday, 17 June 2009 | |
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Rev. John C. Blackford Religion Columnist Father’s Day is next Sunday (June 21). This column will be a special appeal to them, and will have a baseball theme. The ladies are invited to listen in and react, and it is hoped there will be more cheers than boos for those out in the playing field of a very important game. The writer is a four-time father, and has been at the plate many times in his 58 years of sharing in parenting. He confesses he has not always made a base hit, and that he has struck out more than once; but he stays in the game. The goal of every player is to be a major-leaguer, but most do not make it. In the game of being a father or a father figure, every man is in the majors, and, in the long run, this venue exceeds in importance the dreams of those who aspire to wear a Twins, Cubs, Red Sox, or some other major league uniform. The goal of every baseball hitter is to hit a homerun. The first and most important institution in society is the family, or the home, and the goal of every man should be to get a “homer” there. In the major leagues the pitchers are tough to hit, and in home-life there are many formidable obstacles to good home life. But the following suggestions will help us to accomplish it. Traditionally the man has been “the head of the home” (but definitely not “the boss”!). Centuries ago he protected his family from danger and hunted for food. More lately he was the breadwinner for his wife and children. In our times, with many women in the workforce, his functions in the home have changed, but there still remains for him a vital place of leadership. We are told in the Bible, “Husbands, love your wives” (Ephesians 5:25), a passage with deep insights about the marriage relationship. (Verses 22-33). There is the story of the man who never told his wife he loved her, but excused himself by saying that he acted like he did. Actions are essential, but it is a good thing to say, “I love you,” too. In this economy, when expensive gifts are not possible, doing the little extras around the home to make things easier for her will say a lot. Because women bring children into the world, they have emotional systems that require special consideration, whether or not they bear children. Thoughtful husbands will remember and respect this fact. Children look to us as role models more than we might realize, and our example is significant. The next generation will have its own strengths and weaknesses, but it will be much better if they build on the positives they see in us rather than the negatives. Part of the example we set involves our relationship to spiritual matters. As one has said, “It is good to send your children to church; it is better to take them.” If they see you take an active part in the life of a church, they will probably do so themselves when older. This article is being written on June 10, which happens to be the 64th anniversary of the writer’s ordination to the ministry of the Gospel, which took place in First Methodist Church, Duluth. Presiding at the service was Bishop Ralph S. Cushman, the “poet laureate of Methodism,” who wrote, among other inspirational works, the poem some will recall, “When I Met the Master.” Next Sunday, Father’s Day, it will be the privilege of the writer to perform the baptism of a child from the congregation. Although having done so on many occasions, it will be a joy to share with the family and congregants in this meaningful service of dedication. In the ancient words of the ritual the child will be baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Father, mother and church family will then, by teaching and example, seek to lead him in that life of faith that characterizes all true disciples of Jesus Christ. My hope and prayer is that we shall all “step up to the plate” on behalf of that dear child. And our desire includes all children. (For those who may wonder if there is any reference to the game of baseball in the Bible, I refer you to a mistranslation of Genesis 1:1 — “In the ‘big inning’ God created the heavens and the earth”). Social Bookmarking ...       |
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