Sunday, June 15, 2008

DJ Boyd, Guest Lectionary Liturgist
Assistant Director of Music & Arts, Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, Charlotte, NC

Worship Planning Notes
A. You may want to print the Father’s Love Letter as a greeting card and distribute it throughout your congregation. It can be used with permission of Father Heart Communications as long as it given away free of charge.
http://fathersloveletter.com/English/#7

B. Father Heart Communications also offers a Father’s Love Letter Community Tract. It can also be printed and can be a great evangelism tool when coupled with other tangible efforts to reach men in your community for Christ.
http://www.fathersloveletter.com/English/FathersDay_Tract_Letter.pdf

C. Consider inviting college men to your church on Father’s Day. You may even plan a college fraternity step show as part of a week of activities for men. Whatever you plan, make sure that it concerns the needs of men and involves activities that men enjoy. Consider activities that can be held at the church, and some that can be held away from the church such as a Men’s Night of Bowling.

D. Many churches offer meals for dads prior to Father’s Day celebrations. This year, why not conduct activities that do not require food, but rather encourage good health among the men in your church and community. In fact, this is a great occasion to hold a Father’s Day Health Fair. Get your local Department of Health involved; partner with sister churches; invite men from the community; advertise on the web, on television, and in your area newspaper; make it a major event. Set goals for the Health Fair: 100 men will get their blood pressure checked; 100 men will sign up for colonoscopies; 100 men will get tested for diabetes; 100 men will receive advice on how to eat healthier; 100 men will receive advice on how to lose weight without pills or supplements; etc. Then celebrate it all with a concluding worship service using some of the music and worship resources provided below.

1. Responsive Reading               Father’s Day

God of our fathers and Creator of us all, we treasure our Christian fathers who are guardians of your creation. They have endeavored to be models of faith, freedom, and strength for our families.

God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, we thank you for our fathers and for the care they have given your creation.

As the Father of Jesus, you, God, are the model of perfect love and nurture. We will ever look to you for guidance and direction. We celebrate Joseph, Jesus’ earthly father, who assumed unexpected responsibilities with grace and dedication.

Abba Father, Great Teacher, instruct our fathers in the ways of perfect love.

We mourn the many fathers lost in the Middle Passage, and those who were ripped away from their families during slavery. We vow to continue the process of reconciling black families, binding them together in love.

O Great Physician, teach us how to mend the family ties that have been severed.

We remember the weathered lands and gentle spirits of our own fathers. With proud yet humble hearts, they were cast down but not destroyed.

In the name of the fathers who have loved and raised us, we give thanks.

Our fathers have been warrior kings, leaders of nations, and pillars of faith in church and society.

Strengthen their minds, bodies, and spirits so that they may faithfully serve you. Help today’s fathers, O God, to become wiser managers of their households.

Black fathers have distinguished themselves in every profession, at home and abroad. They have taught us strength in adversity and have led us in work and at play, in sports, in fishing, in building and trades.

“Faith of our fathers, living still in spite of dungeon, fire and sword. Faith of our fathers, holy faith. We will be true to you till death!”

2. Hymns and Congregational Songs
Hymns
(a) This Is My Father’s World. By Malthie D. Babcock. Tune, (TERRA BEATA), by Franklin L. Sheppard

(b) Faith of Our Fathers. By Frederick William Faber. Tune, (ST. CATHERINE), by Henri Frederick Henry

3. Spirituals or Traditional Songs
(a) Give Me Jesus.

(b) You’d Better Mind.

4. Gospel Songs for Choirs, Ensembles, or Praise Teams
(a) We’ve Come to Praise the Lord. By Clark Joseph

(b) Hold On, Don’t Let Go. By Richard Smallwood

(c) Be Right. By Keith “Wonderboy” Johnson

(d) More Than Anything. By Rick Robinson

5. Liturgical Dance or Mime Group Music
The following YouTube videos provide examples of male mime and liturgical dance selections.

(a) God Is Here. By Israel Houghton and Melissa Munizzi

(b) Don’t Let. By J. Moss

(c) Stand. By Donnie McClurkin

(d) Perfect Peace. By Rudolph Stanfield

(e) Run to You. By Darlene Zschech

6. Anthems
These selections are suitable for a male chorus.
(a) Eternal Life (A Prayer by St. Francis of Assisi). By Olive Duncan

(b) Crown Him with Many Crowns. Arr. By J. Harold Moyer

(c) With a Voice of Singing. By Martin Shaw

7. Modern Songs
(a) Heavenly Father. By Deitrick Haddon and Tim Kelley Robinson

(b) Our Father. By Fred Hammond

8. Song or Instrumental for the Offertory Period
Thank You Lord. By Richard Smallwood

9. Song or Instrumental for the Period of Prayer
(a) Father, I Adore You. By Terrye Coelho

(b) Father, I Stretch My Hands to Thee. By Charles Wesley. Tune, (MARTYRDOM), by Hugh Wilson

(c) Gloria Patri. Text, second century. Tune by Henry W. Greatorex

10. Sermonic Selection
How Deep the Father’s Love for Us. By Stuart Townsend

11. Invitational Song or Instrumental
Songs
(a) Only Trust Him. By John Stockton

(b) We Offer Christ. By Joel Britton

(c) Falling in Love with Jesus. By Jonathan Butler. For choir and solo instrument.

12. Benediction Song or Instrumental
Song
(a) We Must Work. By Keith C. Laws. Arr. By Nolan Williams

Instrumental
(b) God Be with You Till We Meet Again. By Jeremiah E. Rankin. Tune, (GOD BE WITH YOU), by William G. Tomer

13. Audio Visual Suggestions
By going to YOUTUBE and entering the appropriate key words the video titles listed below can be located. These video clips may be played prior to service, during the offertory, or during classes:

(a) Tears of a Father is a short film on the statistics of fatherless America.

(b) Fatherless Statistics—This is a 5-minute video that presents statistics on fatherlessness in North America and the impact that fatherlessness has on the culture.

These video clips may be used in special Father’s Day Sunday School classes or mid-week Bible study classes.
(c) Where Have All the Fathers Gone? Part 1—This 9-minute clip can be used as part of a special Sunday School class for fathers.

(d) A Fatherless Documentary—There are fathers who are not part of negative statistics. This 5-minute clip chronicles some of those fathers. It can be used as part of a special Sunday School or Bible Study class for fathers.

14. Other Recommendations

The following prayer and quote can be shown on screens and or placed in bulletins.

(a) Two Prayers
Last night my little boy confessed to me
Some childish wrong;
And kneeling at my knee
He prayed with tears--
Dear God, make me a man
Like Daddy--wise and strong;
I know you can.

Then while he slept
I knelt beside his bed,
Confessed my sins,
And prayed with low-bowed head.

O God, make me a child
Like my child here--
Pure, guileless,
Trusting Thee with faith sincere.

(b) Bringing Up Father
When I was a boy of 14,
my father was so ignorant
I could hardly stand to have
the old man around.
But when I got to be 21,
I was astonished at how much
the old man had learned in seven years.


1. Responsive Reading—Father’s Day, used with permission.
Location:

2. Hymns and Congregational Songs
(a) This Is My Father’s World. By Malthie D. Babcock. Tune, (TERRA BEATA), by Franklin L. Sheppard
Location:

(b) Faith of Our Fathers. By Frederick William Faber. Tune, (ST. CATHERINE), by Henri Frederick Henry
Location:

3. Spirituals or Traditional Songs
(a) Give Me Jesus.
Location:

(b) You’d Better Mind.
Location:

4. Gospel Songs for Choirs, Ensembles, or Praise Teams
(a) We’ve Come to Praise The Lord. By Clark Joseph
Location:

(b) Hold On, Don’t Let Go. By Richard Smallwood
Location:

(c) Be Right. By Keith “Wonderboy” Johnson
Location:

(d) More Than Anything. By Rick Robinson
Location:

5. Liturgical Dance or Mime Group Music
See #5 above for YouTube videos featuring male liturgical dance and mime groups.

(a) God Is Here. By Israel Houghton and Melissa Munizzi
Location:

(b) Don’t Let. By J. Moss
Location:

(c) Stand. By Donnie McClurkin
Location:

(d) Perfect Peace. By Rudolph Stanfield
Location:

(e) Run to You. By Darlene Zschech
Location:

6. Anthems
These selections are suitable for a male chorus.
(a) Eternal Life (A Prayer by St. Francis of Assisi). By Olive Duncan
Location:

(b) Crown Him with Many Crowns. Arr. By J. Harold Moyer
Location:

(c) With a Voice of Singing. By Martin Shaw
Location:

7. Modern Songs
(a) Heavenly Father. By Deitrick Haddon and Tim Kelley Robinson
Location:

(b) Our Father. By Fred Hammond
Location:

8. Song or Instrumental for the Offertory Period
Thank You Lord. By Richard Smallwood
Location:
Adoration. New York, NY: Zomba Recording, 1996.

9. Song or Instrumental for the Period of Prayer
(a) Father, I Adore You. By Terrye Coelho
Location:

(b) Father, I Stretch My Hands to Thee. By Charles Wesley. Tune, (MARTYRDOM), by Hugh Wilson
Location:

(c) Gloria Patri. Text, second century. Tune by Henry W. Greatorex
Location:

10. Sermonic Selection
How Deep the Father’s Love for Us. By Stuart Townsend
Location:

11. Invitational Song or Instrumental
Songs
(a) Only Trust Him. By John Stockton
Location:

(b) We Offer Christ. By Joel Britton
Location:

(c) Falling in Love with Jesus. By Jonathan Butler. For choir and solo instrument.
Location:

12. Benediction Song or Instrumental
Song
(a) We Must Work. By Keith C. Laws. Arr. By Nolan Williams, Jr.
Location:

Instrumental
(b) God Be with You Till We Meet Again. By Jeremiah E. Rankin. Tune, (GOD BE WITH YOU), by William G. Tomer
Location:

13. Audio Visual Suggestions
See #13 above

14. Other Recommendations
(a) Two Prayers. By Andrew Gillies

(b) Bringing Up Father. By Mark Twain