father's day

1、FatherDay2008年父親節(jié)年父親節(jié)FATHER’SDAY2008June152008|ApostolicChurchofGod|ChicagoIllinoisGoodmning.It’sgoodtobehomeonthisFather’sDaywithmygirlsit’sanhontospendsometimewithallofyoutodayinthehouseofourLd.AttheendoftheSermononthe

2、MountJesusclosesbysaying“Whoeverhearsthesewdsofminedoesthemshallbelikenedtoawisemanwhobuilthishouseuponarock:theraindescendedthefloodscamethewindsblewbeatuponthathouseitfellnotfitwasfoundeduponarock.”[Matthew7:24–25]Here

3、atApostolicyouareblessedtowshipinahousethathasbeenfoundedontherockofJesusChristourLdSavi.Butitisalsobuiltonanotherrockanotherfoundation—thatrockisBishopArthurBrazier.Inftyeightyearshehasbuiltthiscongregationfromjustafewh

4、undredtomethantwentythousstrong—acongregationthatbecauseofhisleadershiphasbravedthefiercewindsheavyrainsofviolencepovertyjoblessnesshopelessness.Becauseofhiswkhisministrytherearemegraduatesfewergangmembersintheneighbhood

5、ssurroundingthischurch.Therearemehomesfewerhomeless.ThereismecommunitylesschaosbecauseBishopBraziercontinuedthemarchfjusticethathebeganbyDr.King’ssideallthoseyearsago.Heisthereasonthishousehasstoodtallfhalfacentury.onthi

6、sFather’sDayitmustmakehimproudtoknowthatthemannowgedwithkeepingitsfoundationstrongishissonyournewpastReverendByronBrazier.Ofalltherocksuponwhichwebuildourlivesweareremindedtodaythatfamilyisthemostimptant.wearecalledtorec

7、ognizehonhowcriticaleveryfatheristothatfoundation.Theyareteacherscoaches.Theyarementsrolemodels.Theyareexamplesofsuccessthemenwhoconstantlypushustowardit.Butifwearehonestwithourselveswe’lladmitthatwhattoomanyfathersalsoa

8、reismissing—missingfromtoomanylivestoomanyhomes.Theyhaveabonedtheirresponsibilitiesactinglikeboysinsteadofmen.thefoundationsofourfamiliesareweakerbecauseofit.YouIknowhowtruethisisintheAfricanAmericancommunity.Weknowthatm

9、ethanhalfofallblackchildrenliveinsingleparenthouseholdsanumberthathasdoubled—doubled—sincewewerechildren.Weknowthestatistics—thatchildrenwhogrowupwithoutafatherarefivetimesmelikelytoliveinpovertycommitcrimeninetimesmelik

10、elytooutofschoolstwentytimesmelikelytoendupinprison.Theyaremelikelytohavebehavialproblemsrunawayfromhomebecometeenageparentsthemselves.thefoundationsofourcommunityareweakerbecauseofit.Howmanytimesinthelastyearhasthiscity

11、lostachildatthehsofanotherchildHowmanytimeshaveourheartsstoppedinthedleofthenightwiththesoundofagunshotasirenHowmanyteenagershaveweseenhangingaroundonstreetcnerswhentheyshouldbesittinginaclassroomHowmanyaresittinginpriso

12、nwhentheyshouldbewkingatleastlookingfajobHowmanyinthisgenerationarewewillingtolosetopovertyviolenceaddictionHowmanyYesweneedmecopsonthestreet.Yesweneedfewergunsinthehsofpeoplewhoshouldn’thavethem.Yesweneedmemoneyfourscho

13、olsmeoutstingteachersintheclassroommeafterschoolprogramsfourchildren.Yesweneedmejobsmejobtrainingmeopptunityinourcommunities.Butwealsoneedfamiliestoraiseourchildren.Weneedfatherstorealizethatresponsibilitydoesnotendatcon

14、ception.Weneedthemtorealizethatwhatmakesyouamanisnottheabilitytohaveachild—it’sthecouragetoraiseone.Weneedtohelpallthemothersouttherewhoareraisingthesekidsbythemselvesthemotherswhothemoffatschoolgotowkpickthemupintheafte

15、rnoonwkanothershiftgetdinnermakelunchespaythebillsfixthehousealltheotherthingsittakesbothparentstodo.Somanyofthesewomenaredoingaheroicjobbuttheyneedsuppt.Theyneedanotherparent.Theirchildrenneedanotherparent.That’swhatkee

16、pstheirfoundationstrong.It’swhatkeepsthefoundationofourcountrystrong.Iknowwhatitmeanstohaveanabsentfatheralthoughmycircumstancesweren’tastoughastheyarefmanyyoungpeopletoday.EventhoughmyfatherleftuswhenIwastwoyearsoldIonl

17、yknewhimfromthelettershewrotethestiesthatmyfamilytoldIwasluckierthanmost.IgrewupinHawaiihadtwowonderfulgrparentsfromKansaswhopouredeverythingtheyhadintohelpingmymotherraisesupptwithjobtrainingjobopptunitiesalargerEarnedI

18、ncomeTaxCreditthatcanhelpthempaythebills.Weshouldexpprogramswhereregisterednursesvisitexpectantnewmothershelpthemlearnhowtocarefthemselvesbefethebabyisbnwhattodoafter—programsthathavehelpedincreasefatherinvolvementwomen’

19、semploymentchildren’sreadinessfschool.Weshouldhelpthesenewfamiliescareftheirchildrenbyexpingmaternitypaternityleaveweshouldguaranteeeverywkermepaidsickleavesotheycanstayhometotakecareoftheirchildwithoutlosingtheirincome.

20、Weshouldtakeallofthesestepstobuildastrongfoundationfourchildren.ButweshouldalsoknowthatevenifwedoevenifwemeetourobligationsasfathersparentsevenifWashingtondoesitsparttoowewillstillfacedifficultchallengesinourlives.Therew

21、illstillbedaysofstruggleheartache.Therainswillstillcomethewindswillstillblow.thatiswhythefinallessonwemustlearnasfathersisalsothegreatestgiftwecanpassontoourchildren—thatisthegiftofhope.I’mnottalkingaboutanidlehopethat’s

22、littlemethanblindoptimismwillfulignanceoftheproblemsweface.I’mtalkingabouthopeasthatspiritinsideusthatinsistsdespiteallevidencetothecontrarythatsomethingbetteriswaitingfusifwe’rewillingtowkfitfightfit.Ifwearewillingtobel

23、ieve.IwasansweringquestionsatatownhallmeetinginWisconsintheotherdayayoungmanraisedhishIfiguredhe’daskaboutcollegetuitionenergymaybethewarinIraq.Butinsteadhelookedatmeveryseriouslyheasked“Whatdoeslifemeantoyou”NowIhavetoa

24、dmitthatIwasn’tquitepreparedfthatone.IthinkIstammeredfalittlebitbutthenIstoppedgaveitsomethoughtIsaidthis:WhenIwasayoungmanIthoughtlifewasallaboutme—howdoImakemywayinthewldhowdoIbecomesuccessfulhowdoIgetthethingsthatIwan

25、t.Butnowmyliferevolvesaroundmytwolittlegirls.whatIthinkaboutiswhatkindofwldI’mleavingthem.Aretheylivinginacountrywherethere’sahugegapbetweenafewwhoarewealthyawholebunchofpeoplewhoarestrugglingeverydayAretheylivinginacoun

26、trythatisstilldividedbyraceAcountrywherebecausethey’regirlstheydon’thaveasmuchopptunityasboysdoAretheylivinginacountrywherewearehatedaroundthewldbecausewedon’tcooperateeffectivelywithothernationsAretheylivinginawldthatis

27、ingravedangerbecauseofwhatwe’vedonetoitsclimatewhatI’verealizedisthatlifedoesn’tcountfmuchunlessyou’rewillingtodoyoursmallparttoleaveourchildren—allofourchildren—abetterwld.Evenifit’sdifficult.Evenifthewkseemsgreat.Eveni

28、fwedon’tgetveryfarinourlifetime.Thatisourultimateresponsibilityasfathersparents.Wetry.Wehope.Wedowhatwecantobuildourhouseuponthesturdiestrock.whenthewindscometherainsfalltheybeatuponthathousewekeepfaiththatourFatherwillb