Thursday, June 16, 2011

Fathers are Shepherds

Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord (Eph 6:4).


By God's providence and grace, I am a pastor (or, a shepherd). Equally by God's providence and grace, I am a father... soon to be two times over, DV. Are these two related? Inextricably.

That point is the excellent observation made in this week's Kairos Journal, Fathers are Shepherds. Particularly, how the context of Paul's exhortations to families shapes their very function:
Paul did not separate private family life from public church life. Theologically, the health and unity of the Church is directly related to the health of the marriages and families within the Church. After all, local churches are simply congregations of everyday people: husbands and wives (5:22-33); children and parents (6:1-4); and, in the early church, slaves and masters (6:5-9). If these relationships are dour or unruly, the Church will suffer. Thus it makes sense in a letter where Paul is so concerned about Church unity that he would speak so directly to fathers.

... Furthermore, as every Christian father guides his own family, he will be helping his own church understand what it means to be in Christ. Indeed, every Christian father is a shepherd.
Exactly. Every dad is a pastor. And how every father pastors his home is not insignificant to how he contributes to the growth of the Gospel in the church of which he is a member. So this Father's Day, we Christian fathers are exhorted to take seriously our pastoral ministry among our family. Dads, shepherd your family for His Church.

2 comments:

  1. Congrats on the second kid, Meister! How exciting! Hope you're doing well.

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  2. Cheryl?! Wazzup?! How ya'll doin' in that there great republic of TX?

    Yes, we are approaching the "any day now" zone. Lord willing, by July I'll have TWO children to mold after my wayyyzzz... (Nacho Libre accent)

    We are doing well by grace. Do not worry, I am still difficult to work with, but the congregation and other Elders seem to be adjusting nicely.

    Send us an e-mail to update when you get a chance. Tell Mr. Mike hello... that brave husband.

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