Meeting a good and perfect Dad Proper 18 A 2020 Father's Day

<ul> <li><strong>Heaven and Earth Meet in the life of a Christian</strong></li> </ul> <p><strong>At the heart of the traditional expression of Christianity</strong> and I think even some more liberal and progressive forms of Christianity which have been around since the 1800s is the belief that in some way heaven and Earth meet in the life of the Christian and in the church.</p> <p><img src="https://assets.libsyn.com/secure/show/27045/001.png" alt="Slide one dad and son" width="214" height="120" /></p> <ul> <li style="list-style-type: none;"> <ul> <li><strong>God as the Dad of Jesus</strong></li> </ul> </li> </ul> <p>I begin by saying even though it's not in today's readings perhaps <strong>one of the most powerful expressions of this is the Christian practice of calling God "Father"</strong>. Jesus in his teaching including the <strong>Lord's prayer</strong> calls God Father or to be more precise "Dad"... Instead or perhaps as well as God being a stern Judge and a mighty King holding court, God is revealed as a good and perfect Father, who we can relate to as our Dad, in the same kind of warm and personal way that Jesus speaks of him.</p> <p>                 Those of us who are Dads and those of us who are Children know that <strong>we mere mortal Dads are far from perfect</strong>. Indeed we know stories, perhaps some here even have personal experience of Dads who are terrible, hopeless or are absent. Our divine Dad is however one who cares for all creation, <strong>even the sparrow</strong>, he knows every hair on our head. He rejoices and runs to meet his wayward child. He provides for us even more wonderfully than the birds of the air and the lilies of the field. His is merciful, compassionate, forgiving and makes all things new.</p> <ul> <li style="list-style-type: none;"> <ul> <li>Not “Super Dad” - Jesus’ Dad</li> </ul> </li> </ul> <p>                 Now I believe that we are not meant to imagine God as being a super version of our own Dads. <strong>We know God as our Dad because Jesus knew him as Dad.</s