Many of you know that my dad was a pastor. He served 5 different congregations, the last one being in Dallas, where he served for 23 years. His name was Fred, and every now and then one of the more seasoned members of the Texas District will still call me “Fred” because they remember my dad. He’s been in heaven since 1991. Today would have been his 96^th birthday, so I’ve been thinking about him the last few weeks.

Like any child, there were plenty of times I rebelled against my father. There were times I was sure he was the dumbest man alive. And since I was called into the same vocation, I was often under a very large shadow. I remember leading chapel services at Concordia College in Austin during my sophomore year. It just so happened that the Board of Regents of the college was meeting on campus that day, so they attended chapel. That added to my anxiety when I walked in and saw all these leaders of our church sitting there with the professors and students. Carl Heckmann was our District President at that time. As he was walking out of the chapel after the service I heard him ask one of the professors, “Say, isn’t that Fred’s boy?” That is how I was known through college and seminary to many my professors: “Fred’s boy.” Even when I got to my first parish in Oklahoma, many of the pastors there knew Dad, including my circuit counselor, who had been dad’s classmate, so I was still “Fred’s boy.” And of course, coming back to Texas, I lived with that legacy. Early on I resented it, then endured it, and finally came to appreciate being known that way.

Over the years, I have attended various functions throughout our Synod. Many times when I’ve been introduced to people, they have said things to me like “Your father confirmed me … Your father married us … Your father helped us get our congregation started.” Earlier this year we attended worship on Ash Wednesday at a congregation dad served in Abilene, Texas, and a woman there were several members who remembered him. I once had a man tell me that he was a Christian because of my father’s witness to him. The same is true for me. God worked through him and mom to lead me to faith in Jesus.

It wasn’t always easy being my father’s child. I’m sure my daughters would tell you the same thing about me. Neither of us was perfect. We had our share of disagreements. But he was a Christian father to our family in the best sense of the term. He saw to it that we were brought up in the training and instruction of the Lord. He taught me to be a child of my heavenly Father, as well as his child. He is the one who baptized me, confirmed me, officiated at my wedding (with my father-in-law), and ordained me as a pastor. He is also the one who spanked me, although not as often as I deserved. He grounded me, loved me, cared for me, provided for me. But most of all, he brought me up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

Just as I sometimes rebelled against my being my father’s child, all of us at times rebel against being the children of our heavenly father. Sometimes we hear those in the world try to ridicule us by saying, “Oh, you’re a Christian” and somehow we resent it. We don’t realize just how good we have it! We are His Children. He is the one who loves us, loves us enough to do anything for us, even to the point of giving up His only-begotten Son to pay for our sin. Your heavenly Father’s love led Him to provide you a way to escape your deserved punishment for sin. He promises that if you put your faith in Jesus, you are forgiven. You will not have to die eternally. This is what your loving Father gives you.

Earthly fathers who follow Christ have been called to reflect that love in their homes. They are to give us the picture of our heavenly Father, who loves us to the end. There is not a single father who has ever done that perfectly. They all fall short. Yet those who are in Christ Jesus live under the same banner of forgiveness. They confess their sins to God, receive His pardon, and start over in their efforts to be the kind of father God wants them to be.

If you have not been this kind of father, it is not too late to start. God will forgive you and strengthen you to do this. Confess your faults to Him and put your confidence in Christ. Be like that bumper sticker that says, “REAL MEN LOVE JESUS.” Wouldn’t it be great if all children had that impression of their dads?