Calling Home
SEPTEMBER 24, 2016
Dr. Keith Newman serves in many roles at IWU, including mentor, story teller, CEO of Residential Education and Executive Vice President. Last week, he took on a new role for a member of the IWU Men's Basketball team--"Dad". Dr. Newman blogged about his experience at the 2016 Father/Son Retreat on his popular blog 'Curious Sojourner.'
Walking through our Student Center a few weeks ago I was stopped by one of our newest students who wanted to know what I was doing on the weekend of September 16th. Uncertain about my calendar or his request I inquired to learn the reason for his question. His response was short and simple:
“I need you to be my Dad for that weekend.”
My young friend is a member of our basketball team and each year in preparation for their season the coaches lead a father and son retreat, complete with the coaches’ fathers in attendance too. These adventures provide a time for the guys to eat unhealthy food, compete in a variety of games, take on some crazy undertaking (this year it was paintball), and make some lifelong memories. Without checking my calendar, I knew that I was in. Whatever the conflict, I would cancel, whatever the obstacle, I would find a way to remove. How can one say no to the opportunity to stand-in for a young man whose father lives on another continent with no possibility of joining this annual expedition?
For the past 5 years I had heard powerful stories that came from these retreats but I had never experienced one. Now I have and the experience was even better than the stories. What a privilege to have a ringside seat to something very seldom seen or heard in our cyber-world of text messaging, social media, and the Velcro-like attachment of our “smart” phones. As a guy who grew up without a father, the weekend created all sorts of emotions for me and reminded me of how grateful I am that God sent some wonderful men along as “borrowed Dads” along the way.
Over the course of a few hours this past weekend I witnessed earthly fathers doing their best imitation of their heavenly Father. Their prayers, their words of affirmation, and their hugs and high fives gave me hope and encouraged me to wish that for every boy and girl, regardless of their age.
The weekend also reminded me of those opening words from the most famous prayer ever offered:
“Our Father which art in heaven…”
If you study the life of Jesus’ time on earth you will discover that He was a son that liked to call home. On a regular basis, we find Jesus calling home to talk to His Father. When his disciples asked him for help in learning how to pray, He offered the model prayer that most of us know as the Lord’s Prayer. Jesus didn’t teach His disciples this prayer to be used as some kind of packaged devotional or a “Get Out of Jail Free Card.” He wants it to be a model for regular calls to our heavenly home.
I confess to you that I understand prayer about as well as I understand how a “smart” phone works or any phone for that matter. It makes no sense at all to me that I can pick up a phone and dial some numbers and instantly be connected with someone on the other side of the world. But my lack of understanding does not prevent me from using a telephone nor does it prevent me from praying.
Jesus, in these first few words of the Lord’s Prayer, was offering a completely new image of God to His listeners. Read the Old Testament and you will find that God was almost always referred to as YAHWEH and was rarely spoken because of the awe and reverence associated with the name. Only seven times in the Old Testament was God referred to as Father and those references were indirect, and rather remote. It is difficult for us to understand the significance of calling God: Our Father. What is a common practice today was revolutionary in Jesus’ day. The word for Father is the word “Abba” – it was an everyday word, completely common. It can easily be translated: DAD. It was a term of endearment. No Jew would have ever dared address God in this manner. But Jesus did, every time He prayed with one notable exception: when He was hanging on the cross.
More than 200 times in the Gospels, Jesus refers to God as Father. In His very first recorded words, Jesus explained to His parents where He was when they thought He was lost by saying:
“Didn’t you know I would be in my Father’s house?”
An accident? I don’t think so. Jesus understood that your image of God would have a major impact on your willingness and eagerness to call home.
I love it when my kids call home. It makes my day. Whether they need something or just want to talk I’m always eager to hear from them and I believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that the same is true for our heavenly Father. So if you haven’t talked to Our Dad in a while, I hope you will call home today!