Put God into Fathers' Day

Put God into Fathers' Day


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Published: 15 June 2009

Lost for Words this Fathers’ Day? Put God in your card

The Church of England is making a bid to put God into Fathers’ Day with a prayer for children to include in their cards on June 21, asking God to help dads grow in love and wisdom.

The Bishop of Worcester, the Rt Revd John Inge, said, “Let’s celebrate Fathers’ Day in our churches, honouring those fathers who have shown us something of God’s love, and remembering that our ‘Father in Heaven’ loves us and watches over us, always.”

Children ‘lost for words’ this Fathers’ Day are encouraged to paste or write in their cards a prayer specially written for the occasion, thanking dads for their love and support and asking God to support and guide them.

“I have always believed in my head,” said Bishop John, “that God loves me unconditionally but it was only when I became a father myself that I began to understand it with my heart.”

Churches are offered: a sample service to customise for Fathers’ Day; and a link provides a gateway to the WhatDadsAdd website created by the Church or England and the Mothers’ Union.

“I have never known a love quite like the love of being a father and I rejoice in the great gift of fatherhood,” said Bishop John Inge. “I rejoice in it because of my children, to whom I am devoted. But I also rejoice in it because it helps me to understand how God loves me, and how nothing can separate me from that love.”

Prayer for Fathers’ Day cards:

I thank God for all the love and support you offer me,
and I ask for God's blessing on you this Father's day:
may God our heavenly Father keep you in his care,
support and guide you each day
and help you grow in love and wisdom.
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Resources

What Dads Add www.whatdadsadd.co.uk

The Fathers’ Day section of the CofE website www.cofe.anglican.org/fathersday 

Bishop John’s podcast, where he talks about his experience of fatherhood.

Church services on Fathers’ Day
To support Bishop John’s call to “Add God to Fathers’ Day”, the Church of England has published some resources for you to use in your church.

New Patterns of Worship contains a sample Service of the Word for Fathers’ Day that can be customised for local use. Click here for the service.

Download Fathers Day Q&A below.


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