Writing my last post got me to thinking about how the church refers to God as a father. I have to confess that I always cringe when I hear that. Maybe this makes me sacrilegious but to me the term father doesn't bring the kind of positive connotation that its supposed to. I loved my Dad but when I think of him I think of someone who wasn't always there and when we did see each other we usually stayed above the surface and never really connected in any deep level. I never fully trusted him with important issues in my life. So for me to think of God as a father is to think of a distant unreliable person. This could explain why my relationship with God is sometimes inconsistent and surface level. Maybe, I treat God the same way I did my Dad. Never fully letting him in or trusting him.
I wonder what other people, who have less than perfect relationships with their Dad, think when they hear God referred to as father. A lot of friends I grew up with had either judgmental fathers or no father at all. Is that how they view God? Judgmental or absent? It seems like the church could come up with a different analogy for God than referring to him as a father. Or maybe better yet, fathers should be aware of the influence they play on their kids in developing their image of God. Many of them must not realize the impact they have or they simply choose to ignore that responsibility.
I just worry that by using the father terminology, the church is losing out on communicating with a whole generation that carries such baggage in their relationships with their dads.
10 comments:
Wow Jeff, That is so awesome that you came out and said that. Sometimes i feel like dad isnt always there for me and will get mad at everything and i think that might be my problem too. Thank you so much Jeff. I cant wait to see you tomorrow. I think i might call ya later. I love you man! Your awesome!
Hey Jeff,
I kinda agree with what jake has to say. Sometimes i feel like dads not there for me, but i know he always is. I've never really thought about the whole analogy til now. but how you explain it makes it sound true. well, thx, and i think your blog is sweet and i'll see you tomorrow too. Love you!! and just like jake said...YOUR AWESOME, best uncle we could ask for!
I never Thought about it. I know the Psalmist a couple of time refered to God as my refuge in times of trouble or God as a fortress.
Where the Bible talks about the Battle is the Lords. Has always spoke to me as a man because I have a hard time with the sixties verson of Christ as tender loving, being meek never standing up to evil.
I have taken solice in the thought God is a God of second chances, redeption, and justice.
I was really blessed to have the dad I had.
I guess the reason that the Church refers to God as Father is because that the things I mentioned dads should inbody.
I guess it is just an outgrowth of a touchy-feely church.
Oh yeah great post
Why does the church talk about God as "Father"? Jesus did.
In Matthew 6 he says "you should pray like this: Our Father in heaven, Your name be honored as holy. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, Amen."
I see God as the ultimate Father - worthy of honor, perfect, in charge of the universe, our provider and deliver, one who has laid out the best way for us to live and then lets us choose to do things His way or do it our way.
I can totally understand why many people "cringe" when God is refered to as Father. I don't because I've been blessed with a father who has loved me unconditionally and shown that love with his actions and his words. It's easy for me to embrace God as Father because I know the comfort of my father's hugs and love.
When the Bible talks about us being adopted as children of God I think it's because God the Father wants to be our perfect dad. Always there for us providing for all our needs - and willing to discipline us for our good. A good dad knows your potential and expects you to reach it even if it's painful along the way. (see Hebrews chapter 12)
My husband and I watched The Passion again today and were reminded of how much God loves us. That He (The Father) would allow Jesus to suffer so that we could be reconsciled with Him. And that He (Jesus The Son) would lay down His life for His "friends" that we might become His brothers and sisters - part of the family with all of the benefits of being children of God. Wow! My Father in heaven and my Savior His son Jesus Christ love me and you.
I was thinking about the comment I just posted and wanted to clarify one thing. When I wrote "I can totally understand why many people "cringe" when God is referred to as Father." I shouldn't have written "totally". I may understand on a mental level the power of word association but I have not experienced a negative relationship with my father so I don't relate to those emotions. My relationship with my dad was and is positive. So the word association is a positive one for me. Anyway - just wanted to add that. Thanks.
Hello, Fezter-dear. A hardy "here here" to your post. I made the connection between earthly dad and misconstrued Heavenly Father at IWU. I didn't enjoy a good relationship with a kind father. My dad is legalistic, bombastic, abusive, and absent... but still a Christ-follower. Somewhere dads lost their way and forfeitted what God designed them to be in the home, especially with the errosions of marriages across the board. Christian home, non-Christian home, the chances of having the healthy, biblical relationship with a dad is slim, and getting slimmer. I believe God works to redeem a "bad reputation" when we have brokenness from our father figures. It's just a long (but worthwhile) process.
I have a hard time with that "father" concept as well. I don't see God that way so much either, and I don't really know if I want to see him that way. I almost look at God as "master" to my "servent". I know that I am told that is not the way God want's me to see him. After all he is called "abba", which means Daddy in hebrew I believe. But I have just always viewed God as a judge, right or wrong, thats how I have viewed him. The problem with that is it hard to then get close to him. If you are a serf in the middle ages, you didn't get buddy buddy with your king you know!!! My son Josh has some books my Max Lucado, they are childrens books, and they are basically written in such a way as to challenge that view of God and help us view him is Abba Father, not Judge.
I think studies have been done on this and I know a number of manuscripts have been submitted on the topic.
I echo many of the previous sentiments shared and too struggle with viewing God as Father. For a while after the Truth came alive for me I dealt with this by telling God "You were called Father first and it's your definition, not mine". I was glad to know that even if my father was lacking I had One that was complete. Then a little over a year ago I was in a group where a guy prayed "Abba, Daddy" and I wondered if I said that would I really mean it? If there is an endearing term amid the names we use for our Creator, it seems Father (and the like) would be it. It's the one that expresses the least distance. But, yeah, at the same time how do we get past thinking He is thinking the same things that our earthly fathers think? If the term that is least distant represents distance and misunderstanding for us, how do we reconcile it?
Like Lansing Mom, I consider that Jesus taught us to pray that way. He wants to be known as Father. If He is in the business of redeeming is this something that we need to let him redeem for each of us personally? What a worthwhile topic to explore, and I've realized that I need to spend some time on it. And, like others, I don't really want to right now.
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