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Fathers, Heroes, and Champs

WELCOME TO TODAY'S
WORSHIP SERVICE

 June 21,  2009

Fathers, Heroes, and Champs



Open your Bible





Light a candle




Opening Song

This is my Father's World

 


READINGS

 
FROM THE BIBLE

Galatians 4:6
 

6 And because we[a] are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.”[b] 

Footnotes:
  1. Galatians 4:6 Greek you.
  2. Galatians 4:6 Abba is an Aramaic term for “father.”
     

 

Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers.


 


FROM SWEDENBORG

[2] The whole natural order also in every single part has reference to what is good and what is true. In it, that is, the natural order, the celestial and spiritual goods and truths that belong to heaven are represented, and in heaven Divine Goods and Truths that are the Lord's are represented. From this it becomes clear that good is like the father and truth is like the mother, and that therefore 'father' in the internal sense of the Word means good, and 'mother' truth. Indeed they mean the goodness and truth in which lower or derived goods and truths originate, which in relation to them are as daughters and sons, and are also consequently called daughters and sons in the Word, 489-491, 2362. They are also in relation to that good and truth as brothers and sisters, as grandchildren and great grandchildren, as sons-in-law, fathers-in-law, and daughters-in-law; in short they are as every degree of blood relationship and relationship by marriage. And all these relationships stem from the marriage of good, which is the father, to truth, which is the mother. For all things - every single one - in heaven exist as in blood relationships of love to and faith in the Lord, or what amounts to the same, of good and truth, see 685, 917, 2739, 3612, and the most ancient people therefore compared all these things to marriages, 54, 55. See also 718, 747, 1432, 2508, 2516, 2524, 2556.   SH 3703





FATHERS, HEROES, AND CHAMPS


Erik Kernan’s is a sports writer for a small newspaper. His relationship with his six-year-old son, Teddy, is the most important thing in his life. It is so important, that he dare not be the person he really is around Teddy. He must create a persona that Teddy will be proud of. Kernan is ashamed of his own father, a well-known sports commentator who walked out on him when he was a child.





Kernan likes the person he has created for Teddy. He makes up stories about the famous people he knows, and about how successful he is at work.


Actually, Kernan’s boss is quite disappointed in Kernan’s work. It is nothing like that of his well-know father’s. It is shallow and boring. The boss knows Kernan can do better and keeps pushing him in that direction.
Kernan is not interested in becoming a better writer. He wants to be seen as a good writer – whether he is or not.


In a chance meeting, budding reporter Kernan (Hartnett) meets the Champ (Jackson,) currently the subject of ridicule and abuse in downtown Denver, Colorado. Having suffered various tragedies over recent months, like the death of his famed sports-radio father, the separation from his wife and loss of his son, and the humiliation of being "buried" deeper and deeper in the paper, Kernan sees this as an opportunity to tell the story of Battling Bob Satterfield as the Champ tells his story. Hollywood Jesus



Disaster strikes, threatening to ruin Kernan’s career. His first reaction is to cover up the mistake. Then, he is faced with how Teddy would look at him for taking the coward’s way out.

His discussion with Teddy about his mistakes, and the consequences that have resulted, is heart-wrenching.

Kernan at this point does not know who he is. He has a lot of decisions to make to figure that out.
 

 
Are there times when you have not wanted to live life as the person you are, but rather as the person you would like to be? How do you become the person you want to be? Perhaps it just begins when you start accepting who you are now.

How well do you accept who you are?

What gets in the way of that acceptance?

What would help you come to like yourself?

There are no easy or simple answers to these questions. But at the end of the movie, we see Kernan attempting to find them.
 
Discussion of movie; some scenes

This is good movie for all of us. It helps us ponder questions of what “truth” is in our lives, and how important it is.

Throughout the whole movie, there's a conversation interloping and woven in the fabric of the movie about truth, as some people want it and some people don't care. The message of the movie is tied up in it, and acts of forgiveness and admission of guilt are required to uncover it.  Hollywood Jesus


It helps us consider what it means to be what we are, rather than what we think people want us to be.

At the end of the day, who will you be? Will you sacrifice everything for glory, your family, friends, and faith to rise above the crowd? Or will you pursue truth so dearly, having faith in yourself and something greater than yourself, and realize that you've risen above the crowd through that pursuit?  Hollywood Jesus

It is also a particularly good movie for Father’s Day. It says a lot about fathers, and their relationship with their children. The primary characters in this movie are working through their relationships with their fathers, now deceased. Kiernan also struggles with how to be different than his own abandoning father had been.

How has your relationship with your own father impacted your life today? If you are a father, how does that impact your sense o f self?

I’ve talked with many people who grew up with a concept of God as father , and also grew up with an abusive father. Many of these folks struggle with a belief that God is abusive. It can become a deeply-rooted assumption that deeply impacts their spirituality.

For some people, God as “father” is very reassuring. For others, it gets in the way of their spiritual journey. What is God for you? – father, mother, friend, beloved, spirit, companion …. Or: .......................

What is particularly of intriguing about this movie is that it is based on a true story. It is about J.R, Meohringer, who struggled  to adjust to to the way his father abandoned him.

The real-life character does learn the truth about his subject during the meticulous research demanded by his editor. In the article, he struggles with facing the truth, as he moves in and out of reflections on his relationship with his father.

It is a great movie to watch with someone you love, and to ponder the question of who you really are. And what gets in the way of being fully that every day.


 
CLOSING SONG
It's Me, O, Lord 
 

 
Extinguish your candles

   



And close the Bible.            
 

 
Go forth; being fully present as your deepest self.