One of the holidays in the United States not celebrated in Korea is Father’s Day. Whereas Korea celebrates May 8 as Parents’ Day, the United States celebrates Mother’s Day and Father’s Day separately. Father’s Day returns every third Sunday of June each year, but this time it was very meaningful to our church. This is because many people gathered and worshiped at the church, which we haven’t been able to do for a few months. As of June, Pierce County of Washington State allowed churches to resume indoor worship services with fewer than 50 people. On this Father’s Day Sunday, 18 of us gathered, including children. It was a big group for us and it was a happy and thankful Lord’s Day.
However, there was a reason that I could not enjoy it fully. In this small group, there were individuals and families who attended the service without a father or husband for a variety of reasons. In fact, there were only two fathers, including me, on Father’s Day. In attendance there was a widow who lost her husband years ago, a family who lives separately from the father who works in Korea, and a family who came without the father who has no faith yet, a wife whose husband has no faith, and a divorced lady. Lastly, the family with a father, other than my family, has a three-year-old son with autism. You will know that prayer is essential for every family and individual in our church, including my family, a missionary who plants a church. I know that all of them are the apple of God’s eye. So, I thank God for giving me the privilege to tend and feed the Lord’s sheep.
Please pray the fathers of these families to be leaders of family worship. Please pray that these wives will be able to pray with their husband in one heart. Please pray for the children of these families to grow into good Christians. Please pray for the child with autism and his parents. Please pray for male officers to be firmly established in our church. Thank you very much for your prayers.
“I do not write these things to shame you, but as my beloved children I warn you. For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.” —1 Cor. 4:14-15
