Father’s Day
See full series: 2025-sermons
Father’s Day
Sermon by Thomas Thornhill Jr
Passage: Ephesians 6:4
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LESSONS FROM THE CALENDAR (11)
Today, we continue our periodic 2025 theme, “Lessons from the Calendar”. In this lesson we want to address Father’s Day. It is a national holiday that takes place the 3rd Sunday in June. While this day does not receive the same recognition as Mother’s Day, it is a day where children (and spouses) pause to honor their fathers. While Mother’s Day was first observed in 1908, Father’s Day began to be observed in 1910 in the state of Washington. It is credited to a woman, Sonora Smart Dodd, one of 6 children of a widower, who sought to establish a day similar to Mother’s Day. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson wanted to make it an official holiday, but he was resisted by congress. In 1924, after the idea slowly spread, President Calvin Coolidge urged states to observe the day, but it still fell short of being nationally recognized. In 1966, Lyndon B. Johnson issued a proclamation honoring fathers and established it as the 3rd Sunday in June (which was unofficially recognized prior to that almost since its inception). However, it was not made officially until 1972 when Richard Nixon signed a proclamation making it a federal holiday. For decades it was resisted by many because of attempts to commercialize it (as had been done with Mother’s Day).
Like Mother’s Day, its commercialization, has caused resistance and concerns (according history.com[1]) However, the day is often recognized with gifts for fathers (ties, golf clubs, shirts, tickets to sporting events, gift cards, etc.) and phone calls or time with fathers. According to the National Retail Federation, last year, more than $22 Billion was spent on Father’s Day.[2]
A sad reality is that this day is not a good memory for many, because of broken or absent relationship with their fathers – whether abandoned, abused or absent, Father’s Day for many is a bitter reminder of broken relationships. According to Fathering advocate sites, about 25% of children in America grow up without their biological father in the home with alarming results[3]. HOWEVER, there are many fathers who are present in their children’s lives and the Bible has much to say about fathers.
NOTE: As with every other lesson in this series, it is NOT our intent to make this a special day for the church. We do not find such special observances in the New Testament among Christians and congregations. What we do today will be no different than any other Sunday. But the focus of our lesson will be about fathers, because that is a topic on our minds.