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Hernando Today

What Is Fatherhood All About?

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By MAUREA SLEESMAN Hernando Today correspondent

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 14, 2008

SPRING LAKE - There is a high number of young families and children and youth attending the many services and ministries at Spring Lake United Methodist Church. Men of the church collectively represent father figures to all in this busy, faith community.

Fatherhood is a topic the pastor, the Rev. Todd Stube, is fond of. He wrote about fathers and sons in his column in the church's June newsletter, and leads a Wednesday evening ministry to help build responsible fathers and Christian manhood, called Ironmen.

To celebrate Father's Day tomorrow, fathers are invited to check out the "tent," and participate in the "Spiritual GPS System," that will attach to a "prayer-view-mirror" for Dad's car, van or truck. "A little hands-on fun for the guys," Stube said.

Because there are so many fathers at the church, Stube was asked to ponder the word father. His own writing - and wisdom - is worth quoting to honor tomorrow and fatherhood ideals.

What's In a Father?

- by Pastor Todd

"What's the image that comes to mind when you hear the word "father?" Is it the image of a "parent," a "man with kids," the "provider" of the household, or perhaps the "one who plays ball with the children ... and we could continue to name a myriad of roles that would fall under the category of a father. But is there an image that both upholds the traditional roles of a father while at the same time lifting it above and beyond the shallow stereotypes of our day? This is something I've been wrestling with for years, as both a father and a pastor of men, and all that in the midst of a continually changing and confused culture.

"If we're to discover what's in a father, we first have to uncover that which is in the heart of a man. In other words, what does it mean to be a man today? - Now, since I'm writing from a worldview that sees life through the lens of God's revelation in Christ Jesus I'd reframe the question by asking, what does it mean to be a masculine Christian male - or father - who lives at the level of his heart.

"One of my heroes, John Eldridge, has become most effective at getting at the heart of a man through one of his books called 'Wild At Heart.' At the level of the masculine heart, Eldridge describes three intrinsic desires that are always looking for fulfillment within every man: an adventure to live, a battle to fight, and a beauty to rescue.

"Outside of God's reality the attempt to fulfill these masculine desires often ends in shallow, limited, temporary, aberrant, addictive or immoral ways. However, if a man is willing to uncover his heart and permit the Living Spirit of Christ to move in, clean up shop, and flow through his life ... then these intrinsic masculine desires will be fulfilled at their highest level. We see this pattern fulfilled through those ordinary men, now called heroes of the Bible, even Jesus, that man described as the 'lion of Judah.' Now there's a new and powerful image of a man for our day, a man in Christ aggressively pursuing the advancement of God's Kingdom on earth, as it is in heaven. He is then fulfilling his heart's desire by living out ... an adventure of faith, a battle for holiness, and the beauty of God's Kingdom advancing.

"In light of these desires within the heart of a Christian man, I believe we have the context for a powerful image of what's in a father. It's the visionary, healthy, honorable and noble and inspirational image of a modern-day knight. So what's in a father, and son? The ideal chivalry of a knight."

Pastor Stube then goes on to write about two more writers he admires regarding the topics of fatherhood and knighthood: Robert Lewis and C.S. Lewis.

Again, quoting from Stube: "Robert Lewis, in his book 'Raising a Modern-Day Knight' believes we must supply our young men with healthy, noble visions of manhood, and the figure of the knight in this regard is without equal. We find a conception of manhood who can lift, inspire and challenge our young men to new heights of achievement and nobility.

"C.S. Lewis, in his essay, 'The Necessity of Chivalry,' agreed. He writes that the genius of the medieval ideal of the chivalrous knight was that it was a paradox. That is, it brought together two things - forbearance and humility - which have no natural tendency to gravitate toward one another.... It demanded valor of the urbane and modest man because everyone knew he was not likely to be a milksop.

"So I invite you to purchase the book 'Raising a Modern-Day Knight' and let it stir within you an ancient-future image of what's in a father, and a son. The lack of connection between fathers and sons in our culture, made worse by broken homes and the busy-ness of our lives, has left many young men with a masculine identity crisis.... This book provides answers and guidelines for this search.

"From the example of the knight, fathers will have a way to point their sons to manhood with clear ideals: a vision for manhood, a code of conduct, and a transcendent cause. And the numerous suggestions for ceremonies will equip dads with a variety of means to celebrate and validate their sons' achievements.

"And as you celebrate a Happy Father's Day, may the Spirit of Almighty God continue to uncover the noble knight in the heart of every father. HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!"

When do they meet?

Sunday Traditional Services: 8:15 and 11:15 a.m.

Sunday Praise Service: 9 a.m.

Adult Sunday school: 9:15 and 10:30 a.m.

Sunday Kingdom - Kids: 10:20 a.m.

Wild Word Wednesday: 5:45-8 p.m. (see web)

Life Groups for men, women and couples (see web)

Ironmen: Wed.nesday at 6 p.m.

Vacation Bible School: 6:15- 8:30 p.m. July 7-11

Spring Lake United Methodist Church is located at 4191 Spring Lake Highway, (two miles south of S.R. 50), Brooksville. Phone: 799- 7028 E-mail: slumc@bellsouth.net Web site: www.springlakeumchurch.com.

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