Happy Fathers's Day.

This past week I had the sad occasion of my Dad's funeral. The visitation/wake was Wednesday night and the funeral was Thursday afternoon.

Dad was a twenty year veteran-the first four years of his military career were with the United States Air Force. The next 16 were with the United States Navy. He was an "Airdale"-a plane mechanic on an aircraft carrier-the U.S.S. Bonham Richard I believe.

I had some special friends who traveled over six hours to be with me at his wake. Marshall Lively, Joel Trinidad, and David Frazier along with Dave's father John Frazier. It felt good to have my friends of 30 years (18 in Joel's case) by my side as I along with my family grieved dad's death.

It was a good service with an old time revival preacher-Diamond Willis. His name was Diamond honest to God. He was Pentecostal and the worship was lively.

I'll miss dad and wish I could phone him today to wish him Happy Father's Day-but he knows my love along with my sisters' love because of his enduring presence of spirit in union with God's Holy Spirit.

I pray that if you're a dad, of if your dad is still living that you get to tell him how much you love him-or that your kids tell you how much they love you.

My dad taught me to laugh at the absurdity of life. We were frequently watching farce comedies like the Three Stooges, or things like Don Knotts on the Andy Griffith show or in the movie with "Mr. Chicken" in the title. The ghosts and Mr. Chicken maybe.

One of dad's favorite sayings still makes me laugh to this day. "Her teeth we like the stars...they came out at night." I love it.

Dad was far from perfect-as am I. We had our arguments and major disagreements. Time had separated us from one another as well as my parents' divorce. But dad was always good to reach out to me even if I wasn't reaching out to him-he visited me during seminary, he called me frequently, and especially over the last ten or so years would say "You'll never know how much I love you. I'm so proud of you son."

Those words hold life. The live in my heart and mind. I hope you have someone in your life who tells you how much you are loved. God says these words to you even if you have no one physically present to say to you such words of affirmation and encouragement. God says "I love you and I'm proud of you."

Dad's words remind me of God's words to Jesus-"You are my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." That saying holds true of daughters as well-no gender specific love from God. All of us are God's children and as Scripture calls us in Colossians I believe we are "Joint heirs with Christ". This means we inherit the riches of Grace in our lives and the relationships that are shaped by Grace as well. So we can thank our heavenly Father today for loving us so much and for being proud of who we are-and also who we can become because of the transformative power of the Grace of God through Jesus Christ.

So Happy Father's day to all of us-the children of the Creator God also called our Father in Heaven, hallowed be God's name, God's kingdom come, God's will be done on earth as it is in heaven, God give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors for truly yours is the power and the glory and the power forever. Amen.