June 21, 2026 Father’s Day St. Andrew Church Rev. Anne McAnelly
From the Proverbs passage we might think this is Parent’s Day, with father and mother
represented. But did you know that “the idea for creating a day for children to honor
their fathers began in Spokane, Washington. A woman by the name of Sonora Smart Dodd
thought of the idea for Father’s Day while listening to a Mother’s Day sermon in 1909. Having
been raised by her father, Henry Jackson Smart, after her mother died, Sonora wanted
her father to know how special he was to her. It was her father that made all the parental
sacrifices and was, in the eyes of his daughter, a courageous, selfless, and loving man.
Sonora’s father was born in June, so she chose to hold the first Father’s Day celebration in
Spokane, Washington on the 19th of June, 1910. In 1924 President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed
the third Sunday in June as Father’s Day” (Sermons.com).
When I was looking for a good Father’s Day gospel lesson, I decided on The Parable of the
Father’s Love, where a loving father allows one son to strike out on his own and cares deeply for
the son who works hard and stays home. Listen for the actions of the father in the story, rather
than the sons. Of course, we know this story as the parable of the Prodigal Son, but what it truly
is, is a testament to loving Fathers. READ Luke 15:11-32.
Hearing this familiar story through the father lense; the father divided his property, ran to his
returning son with compassion, kissed and celebrated him. Later when his older son heard of the
party, the father came and pled with him declaring “you are always with me, and all that is mine
is yours.” “In one sentence, the father affirms the closeness of their relationship and gently
reminds his eldest son that he loses nothing by welcoming his own brother home and joining in
the celebrations. Neither son deserves a party. The younger son breaks all the rules and violates
his relationship with the father, while the older son lives in joyless resentment. Neither deserves
a party, but both are welcomed” (Working Preacher, Audrey West). The father forgives both of
his sons. This loving and forgiving father celebraters what is lost and is now found. He loves
his sons where they are!
As you know Parker graduated from college last month, something I have hoped for and
dreamed of for both of my sons since before they were born. I was amazed that once that
milestone was met, I had a new thought, “Can I help my sons buy their first home?” Once one
goal was achieved, the next one emerged. That is my way of loving my sons where they are. I
don’t know if I can help them. Yet seeing them where they are on life’s journey is how I can be
a loving parent. It is how this mother rejoices in her sons.
Last week I officiated a wedding in the Aptos Mountains. In my preparations I asked the bride if
her father would be giving her away. She replied, “I’m too old and my dad is dead, so…” I felt
awful. It took me back to not having my father at my wedding. A similar feeling of missing my
dad happens on his birthday, June 6 th and on Father’s Day. As we age missing our fathers has
become more common.
Max Lucado, American author and minister, writes of missing his father.
“Today is Father’s Day. A day of cologne. A day of hugs, new neckties, long-distance phone calls, and Hallmark cards.
Today is my first Father’s Day without a father. For thirty-one years I had one. I had one of the
best. But now he’s gone. He’s buried under an oak tree in a west Texas cemetery. Even though
he’s gone, his presence is very near–especially today.
It seems strange that he isn’t here. I guess that’s because he was never gone. He was always
close by. Always available. Always present. His words were nothing novel. His achievements,
though admirable, were nothing extraordinary. But his presence was. Like a warm fireplace in a large house, he was a source of comfort. Like a sturdy porch swing or a big-branched elm in the backyard, he could always be found…and leaned upon.
During the turbulent years of my adolescence, Dad was one part of my life that was predictable.
Girl friends came and girlfriends went, but Dad was there. Football season turned into baseball
season and turned into football season again and Dad was always there. Summer vacation,
Homecoming dates, algebra, first car, driveway basketball–they all had one thing in common:
his presence.
And because he was there, life went smoothly. The car always ran, the bills got paid, and the
lawn stayed mowed. Because he was there, the laughter was fresh and the future was secure.
Because he was there my growing up was what God intended growing up to be; a storybook
scamper through the magic and mystery of the world. Because he was there we kids never worried about things like income tax, savings accounts, monthly bills, or mortgages. Those were the things on Daddy’s desk. We have lots of family pictures without him. Not because he wasn’t there, but because he was always behind the camera.
He made the decisions, broke up the fights, chuckled at Archie Bunker, read the paper every
evening, and fixed breakfast on Sundays. He didn’t do anything unusual. He only did what dads
are supposed to do–be there.
He taught me how to shave and how to pray. He helped me memorize verses for Sunday school
and taught me that wrong should be punished and that rightness has its own reward. He modeled
the importance of getting up early and staying out of debt. His life expressed the elusive balance
between ambition and self-acceptance.
He comes to mind often. When I smell Old Spice aftershave, I think of him. When I see a
bass boat I see his face. And occasionally, not too often, but occasionally when I hear a good
joke, (the kind Red Skelton would tell), I hear him chuckle. He had a copyright chuckle that
always came with a wide grin and arched eyebrows.
Daddy never said a word to me about sex or told me his life story. But I knew that if I ever
wanted to know, he would tell me. All I had to do was ask. And I knew if I ever needed him,
he’d be there. Like a warm fireplace.
Maybe that’s why this Father’s Day is a bit chilly. The fire has gone out. The winds of age
swallowed the late splendid flame, leaving only golden embers. But there is a strange thing
about those embers…stir them a bit and a flame will dance. It will dance only briefly, but it will
dance. And it will knock just enough chill out of the air to remind me that he is still…in a special
way…very present” (Sermons.com).
If you are missing your dad this Father’s Day, I pray you can sense the warmth of his presence,
his forgiving love, and his unique character. Because today we honor our father’s, we miss
them, we love them, we forgive them and we celebrate them. One day God will welcome each
one of us home. God, your eternal Father, will throw you a party and your dad will be right there
with you.
“Rejoicing Father, You celebrate when one of your lost children is found because no one is
worthless to you. We stand humbled and in awe that you would count us among your
most prized possessions. Give us eyes to see the priceless value of every living soul, for the sake
of the one who became human for the sake of our souls, Jesus Christ our (pursuer). Amen”
(Working Preacher, Audrey West).
