Ask Anything - Pastor's Pen for 6th Sept. 2026

My father, brother and uncle, back when we had old British cars or rusty Holdens.

On this Father's Day I remember my own father, and his unflinching mission that his two sons would have what they needed to succeed in life. Family was everything to Dad, but inevitably, things had to be done his way, or there would be trouble.

The passing of time time has allowed teenage resentment of his parenting approach to be tempered by insight provided by greater knowledge of my father's own early life and experience of fathering. My youngest uncle has helped fill in these gaps of knowledge. My own attempt at parenting tells me it's no easy task, so I developed an attitude of grace towards what had been, and hopefully, wisdom.

Most of our fathers tried their best, with the physical and spiritual resources they had at their disposal, at the time. In their own small way, they gave us a lens through which to view the heavenly Father. George Müller was a 19th Century Christian evangelist and the director of the Ashley Down orphanage in my home town of Bristol, England. A father to the fatherless, if you will. He wrote; "Our heavenly Father never takes anything from his children unless he means to give them something better."

I guess as Christians that's a good goal to have, a way to be seeking the good for others. Jesus said to his disciples; "Very truly, I tell you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete." (John 16: 23-24 NRSV)

Not all of us are parents, but we are all stewards of what God has given. We can be mothers and fathers in the faith to others, with the wisdom and grace we have received along the way. May the Holy Spirit guide us in this, softening our rough edges and leading us towards wholeness and completion of joy.