Stephen asked us a poignant question this morning at Cherry Tree Court: ‘when was the last time you spoke to your father?’ For some people, bereaved many years ago, it may be difficult to recall that last conversation; for others who have never really known a father, it’s a bittersweet question to face. But whatever our experiences of conversations with fathers (mine was, at that point, yesterday, to let him know we had returned safely from our holiday!), we are able to think about our last conversation with our heavenly Father.
Today is Fathers’ Day, but the wonderful truth is that as a Christian, every day can be ‘Father’s Day.’ Our conversations with our heavenly Father are fuel for our lives, and in Matt 6:9-15, Jesus gives us a framework, a template, for prayer. That prayer, often know as the Lord’s Prayer or the ‘Our Father’, reminds us that we can talk to our heavenly Father about absolutely everything. No subject is off limits. We can also talk at any time: we don’t have to wait for special occasions. We can talk anywhere: just as with telephones, computers and mobile phones, we are no longer limited to a specific place to have a conversation with people, so too we are not restricted in where (or how) we can have those heavenly conversations we call prayer.
Our conversations with God can be personal, intimate and involve us listening to God as well as talking. Let’s take the opportunity to have conversations with our heavenly Father on this special day as well as with our earthly Dads if we are able.
