Royal wedding preacher leans on lessons learned from Buffalo dad

From Buffalo-

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry knew immediately what his message ought to be.

Curry is the spiritual leader of the Episcopal Church in the United States. Representatives of Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby in Great Britain made contact with Curry's office last February.

There was going to be a royal wedding in May, with Prince Harry marrying Meghan Markle, an American. After discussions with Welby, the couple wondered if Curry – whose church is part of the England-based Anglican Communion – would offer a sermon at the ceremony.

This was an extraordinary moment. That meant a guy who used to say pretend Masses in front of his sister Sharon's dolls and stuffed animals in a Buffalo attic would be preaching in front of not only British royalty, but for a projected 2 billion – 2 billion – worldwide television viewers.

Curry said yes. He called his 14-minute sermon "The Power of Love," and he offered it in the passionate, cascading nature of the black American preaching tradition he embraced while growing up. A descendant of slaves, he quoted an old American spiritual called "There is a Balm in Gilead," and he spoke of how "unselfish, sacrificial, redemptive love changes lives, and it can change this world."

More here-

http://buffalonews.com/2018/06/17/sean-kirst-royal-wedding-preacher-relies-on-lessons-learned-from-dad-while-growing-up-in-buffalo/

 

Reverend revs up, rides out

From New Zealand-

A "silly random idea" from Oroua rural dean David van Oeveren gave six members of the congregation a day to remember.

Looking for a way to mark Father's Day for all the fathers who attended St John's church in Feilding last Sunday, Mr van Oeveren contacted his friend Andrew Hodgetts of ANZA motorcycles and asked if he would bring his Harley Davidson to church.

Funeral director Peter Beauchamp also took his bike along and they enlisted the help of several of their friends, who also own the big bikes.

The men who attended services on Father's Day were invited to put their names into a hat and names were drawn for rides on the bikes.

Ros and Tony Chapman also provided complimentary tickets for two men to join them in their corporate box at Manfeild that afternoon, for the final round of the United Travel Racing Winter Series.

"The men all had a great day, and I can't thank everyone enough for going along with my random idea," Mr van Oeveren said.

He was also treated to a ride on a Harley, but not until he had changed out of his robes.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/news/feilding-herald/2855327/Reverend-revs-up-rides-out

Recognition fathers deserve (First Father's Day came from an Episcopal Church)

From the Walton Tribune-

I recently joked with my dad about how we (the whole country) are going to skip Father’s Day this year.

It is all in great fun, as I believe it is great we celebrate the men who sacrifice everyday to give their children something they never had. Fathers deserve a little recognition for the hard work they endure.

We as Americans celebrate the holiday each year, though I doubt very many actually know the origins of Father’s Day, and why it means so much.

It was on July 5, 1908 in Fairmont, W. Va., at an Episcopal church that the very first known celebration of Father’s Day occurred. It is said that Grace Golden Clayton suggested the memorial idea to the pastor after a mining explosion in Monongah, W. Va. killed 361 men in December 1907.

In a Mother’s Day sermon in 1909, Sonora Smart Dodd was inspired to also create a holiday recognizing fathers. She wanted to honor her dad, William Jackson Smart, a Civil War veteran, for raising her and her siblings after Sonora’s mother died. Smart was born in June, hence the reason she worked to celebrate the holiday on June 19.

I wonder if our intentions on Father’s Day even come close to those of Clayton and Dodd. We need to get back to the reason Father’s Day was created in the first place — to honor and be thankful for dads, whether alive or deceased.

More here-

http://www.waltontribune.com/story.lasso?ewcd=ff4b3fc761ed26ea

Oklahoma ministers follow God, Dad’s footsteps

The Rev. George Back often jokes that he will fire one of the younger priests at his church if the man starts "preaching too well.”

But Back, dean of St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral, would never really do that. He’d miss his grandchildren too much.

That younger priest is his son, the Rev. Luke Back, an associate pastor at the cathedral, 127 NW 7.

George Back is among clergymen whose children followed their dads into the ministry.
"I just love to watch him preach and do the liturgy,” he said of his son. "It’s a joy to watch him, especially to have him in the same congregation.”

The adage that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery seems to hold true for these families.
"I think it’s natural for a son to want to be like his daddy,” said the Rev. Alan Day, senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Edmond.

Luke Back agreed.

He said his father encouraged him to cultivate his own relationship with the Lord.
"He has shown me a lot about who the divine parent is through his parenting,” Luke Back said.

More here-

http://newsok.com/ministers-follow-god-dads-footsteps/article/3379405