FATHERS DAY REFLECTION
This Father’s Day I want to recognize the kind, patient, sensitive, and caring men who serve as father figures and role models in our children’s lives. They are uncles, teachers, caregivers, cooks, drivers, security guards, and coaches. They are there every day in every way. They gently guide our children through their days, offering advice and wisdom – giving our children a model of what and how they can grow up to be … — Maggie Doyne, BlinkNow
It’s the most profound gift and the most daunting challenge. — Matt Bomer
It is not flesh and blood, but the heart which makes us fathers … — Johann Friedrich Von Schiller
I’d say, Buckle up!… It’s going to be a journey where half the time, you don’t know what you’re doing or what to expect, or how you’re going to bear the pressures, or as Blake put it, learn to endure the beams of love. I would say, it’s one day at a time … It’s Doctorow saying …[it] is like driving at night with the headlights on where you can only see a little ways in front of you, but you can make the whole journey that way. — Annie Lamott
Songs about fathers and parenthood:
- My Father’s Eyes by Eric Clapton (rock)
- Fathers (Friends Theme Song Parody) by Sesame Street (pop)/children’s music)
- Father’s Eyes by Amy Grant (Christian)
- Color Him Father by The Winstons (rock)
- Daddy Lessons by Beyonce (country)
- Grandpa by The Judds (country)
- Unforgettable duet by Nat King Cole with Natalie Cole
- My Old Man by Zac Brown Band (country)
- He Didn’t Have to Be by Brad Paisley (country)
- Glory by Jay-Z (rap)
- The House That Built Me by Miranda Lambert (country)
- Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone by The Tempations (jazz/rock)
- Father to Son by Queen (rock)
- Just the Two of Us by Will Smith rap)
- Father and Daughter by Paul Simon (folk pop)
- Cats in the Cradle by Harry Chapin (ballad)
- Song for Dad by Keith Urban (country)
- Butterfly Kisses by Bob Carlisle (country)
- My Father’s House by Bruce Springsteen (rock)
- Dance With Mu Father by Luther Vandross (pop)
- The Greatest Man I Ever Knew by Reba McIntyre (country)
- In the Living Years by Mike & The Mechanics (ballad)
- Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy) by John Lennon
- My Father’s House by Johnny McEvoy (Irish)
- Your Joy by Chrisette Michele (neo-soul)
- Daddy by Beyonce (pop)
- Father and Son by Cat Stevens (ballad)
- The Best Day by George Straiit (country)
- First Man by Camila Cabello (country)
- There You’ll Be by Faith Hill (country)
- Just Fishin’ by Trace Adkins (country)
- Daughters by John Mayer (ballad)
- Papa Don’t Preach by Madonna (pop)
- You Should Be Here by Cole Swindel (country)
- Winter by Tori Amos (pop)
- The Walk by Sawyer Brown (country)
- My Little Girl by Tim McGraw (country)
- THey Don’t Make Em Like My Daddy by Loretta Lynn (country)
- Daddy’s Hands by Holly Dunn (country)
The Longing and the Love (excerpt) — Brian Lundin
We long for the perfect protection of a father,
for strong arms that encircle us,
hold us tight to a broad chest, a beating heart.
Arms that toss us into the air,
screaming with laughter and a little fear,
even though we know those arms will always catch us.
From the moment we gasp our first breath of air,
we long for the perfect father.
We long for a father who sacrifices,
who lays down his time to play games,
read our favorite book one more time,
or take a long walk and listen.
Who reaches into his pocket and pulls out a dollar for ice cream.
Who reaches deeper to provide a good home, good food, and good gifts.
We long for a father who always protects,
always cheers, and always sacrifices.
Some of us are blessed to find
bits and pieces of these longings met in human form,
Like sun through stained glass—a brilliant picture,
illuminated by our Father who satisfies these longings.
We thank God for fathers who protect,
who encourage with strong words, and strong convictions,
fathers willing to sacrifice, striving to love.
But some of us are grieving.
Grieving the loss of a good father, or the lack of one.
Some never knew their father’s arms,
and some bear scars, on skin and soul,
dealt from a father’s swinging arms.
At some point, all of us are left longing.
Lacking.
No human father can perfectly satisfy.
Look up and know your Father in Heaven gave you these longings,
and only He can … fulfill them …
We celebrate our fathers on earth, and our Father in heaven.
We give thanks for the longing, and give thanks for the love.
Father’s Day Prayer — Maren Tirabassi
God, I’m praying for fathers –
fathers, up at night with newborns,
fathers, bent under college debt,
fathers who are good with one age of child
and haven’t a clue with another.
I’m praying for fathers balancing self
and home and work and parenting,
especially when no one seems to notice.
I’m praying for fathers of adolescents,
and for those who are adolescents themselves,
as well as many who prop up their elbows w
hen their hands slip on the gift of accountability.
I’m praying for grandfathers and transfathers.
godfathers and grieving fathers,
foster fathers and adopting fathers,
solo fathers and step-fathers,
fathers-in-law and fathers-in-neighbor,
more grandfathers – tiptoeing around divorce,
and also teachers, pastors, coaches, counselors
who mix a tiny bit of what they know
from fathering into relationships
with dozens of children, and l
earn the rhythm to step back.
I’m praying for those living
with their mistakes as fathers—
small thoughtlessnesses that call for self-forgiveness,
or deep damage needing repentance, transformation.
I’m praying for those who want to be fathers,
and those who have wanted, but it never happened.
I’m praying for those who miss
their fathers because of death or distance,
deep difference or disappearance,
and I’m praying those who miss their children
because of death or distance,
deep difference or disappearance.
Be a parent to them, O God,
on this day and all the days of the year.
I am praying for those who have been
so violated by men in relationship to them,
that the very name “father” is a wound.
Heal them with time and anger,
memory, love and support.
As we approach this civic day
with its tangle of knotted emotions,
draw out for each of us from
your fathoms of tenderness, care, and strength,
for our most intimate needs – named here,
barely whispered to ourselves, or
still hidden in the cave-rooms of our souls.
Amen.
For a New Father (excerpt) — John O’Donohue
As the shimmer of dawn transforms the night
Into a blush of color futured with delight,
The eyes of your … child awaken in you
A brightness that surprises your life …
… You feel the full force of a father’s desire
To protect and shelter.
… May your heart rest in the grace of the gift
And you sense how you have been called
Inside the dream of this new destiny.
May you be gentle and loving, clear and sure.
May you trust in the unseen providence
That has chosen you all to be a family.
May you stand sure on your ground
And know that every grace you need
Will unfold before you
Like all the mornings of your life.
Extraordinariness of Daily Acts: Just Showing Up
My father didn’t tell me how to live. He lived and let me watch him do it. — Clarence Budington Kelland
Dads are most ordinary men turned by love into heroes, adventurers, story-tellers … and singers of song. — Pam Brown
A good father is one of the most unsung, unpraised, unnoticed, and yet one of the most valuable assets in our society. — Billy Graham
I believe that what we become depends on what our fathers teach us at odd moments, when they aren’t trying to teach us. We are formed by the little scraps of wisdom. — Umberto Eco
When you’re young, you think your dad is Superman. Then you grow up, and you realize he’s just a regular guy who wears a cape. — Dave Attell
Sometimes the poorest man leaves his children the richest inheritance. — Ruth Renkel
The biggest lesson for my kids is that they know they are the most important things I have. No matter what is going on in my life, your kids are forever. — Lin Manuel Miranda
I talk and talk and talk, and I haven’t taught people in 50 years what my father taught by example in one week. — Maria Cuomo Cole
I remember a very important lesson that my father gave me when I was twelve or thirteen. He said, ‘You know, today I welded a perfect seam and I signed my name to it.’ And I said, ‘But, Daddy, no one’s going to see it!’ And he said, ‘Yeah, but I know it’s there.’ — Toni Morrison
A good father is one of the most unsung, unpraised, unnoticed, and yet one of the most valuable assets in our society. — Billy Graham
He adopted a role called being a father so that his child would have something mythical and infinitely important: a protector. — Tom Wolfe
On Loving Our Children
My greatest creation was you.
— Jay-Z
In my career, there’s many things I’ve won and many things I’ve achieved, but for me, my greatest achievement is my children and my family. — David Beckham
When my father didn’t have my hand, he had my back. — Linda Poindexter
Prayer — Maya Angelou
Father, Mother, God,
Thank you for your presence during the hard and mean days.
For then we have you to lean upon.
Thank you for your presence during the bright and sunny days,
for then we can share that which we have with those who have less.
And thank you for your presence during the Holy Days, for then we are able
to celebrate you and our families and our friends.
For those who have no voice, we ask you to speak.
For those who feel unworthy, we ask you to pour your love out in waterfalls of tenderness.
For those who live in pain, we ask you to bathe them in the river of your healing.
For those who are lonely, we ask you to keep them company.
For those who are depressed, we ask you to shower upon them the light of hope.
Dear Creator, You, the borderless sea of substance, we ask you to give to all the world that which we need most—Peace.
God Is for Us — Richard Rohr (full article: https://cac.org/daily-meditations/god-is-for-us-2016-09-30/)
Love is just like prayer; it is not so much an action that we do, but a dialogue that already flows through us. We don’t decide to “be loving”; rather, to love is to allow our deepest and truest nature to show itself. The “Father” doesn’t decide to love the “Son.” Fatherhood is the flow from Father to Son, one hundred percent. The Son does not choose now and then to release some love to the Father, or to the Spirit. Love is the full modus operandi between all three of them! (Remember these classic names are just placeholders. You can replace them with any form of endearment that works for you, but make sure something works!)
… Love is not something you do; love is Someone you are. It is your True Self … Love is where you came from and love is where you’re going. It’s not something you can attain. … It is the living presence of God within you, often called the Holy Spirit, or what some theologians name uncreated grace.
You can’t manufacture this by any right conduct. You can’t make God love you one ounce more than God already loves you right now.
You cannot make God love you any less, either—not an ounce less. You could do the most terrible thing and God wouldn’t love you any less. (You would probably love yourself much less, however.)
You cannot change the Divine mind about you! The flow is constant and total toward your life. God is for you!
You can’t diminish God’s love for you. What you can do, however, is learn how to believe it, receive it, trust it, allow it, and celebrate it, accepting Trinity’s whirling invitation to join in the cosmic dance.
Catherine LaCugna [writes] “The very nature of God, therefore, is to seek out the deepest possible communion and friendship with every last creature on this earth.”
That’s God’s job description. That’s what it’s all about. The only things that can keep you out of this divine dance are fear, doubt, or self-hatred. What would happen in your life—right now—if you accepted being fully accepted?
- It would be a very safe universe.
- You would have nothing to be afraid of.
God is for you.
God is leaping toward you!
God is on your side, honestly more than you are on your own.
All Kinds of Fathers: Honoring the Men in Our Lives
There are many different types of Dads. Father figures come in all shapes and sizes, and being a parent can sometimes lie with a less-traditional role-model. — MensLineAustralia
It is not flesh and blood, but the heart which makes us fathers and sons. — Johann Friedrich Von Schiller
But a role model in the flesh provides more than inspiration; his or her very existence is confirmation of possibilities one may have every reason to doubt, saying, yes, someone like me can do this. — Sonia Sotomayor
You can honor the day by acknowledging someone who made a difference in your life … — James Van Praagh
Role models set goals for you and try to make you as good as they are. Role models are important. — Kasey Zacharias
My role model didn’t tell me, he showed me. — Unattributed
By being a living role model of what you want to receive from others, you create more of what you want in your life. — Eric Allenbaugh
Be the flame of fate, that torch of truth to guide our young people toward a better future for themselves and for this country. — Michelle Obama
We tend to become like those we admire. — Thomas Monson
Children need role models rather than critics. — Joseph Joubert
A role model can teach you to love and respect yourself. — Tionne Watkins
To change bad habits we must study the habits of successful role models. — Jack Canfield
As a leader, it’s a major responsibility on your shoulders to practice the behavior you want others to follow. — Himanshu Bhatia
God / Holy Love as Parent & Creator
There is something gratuitous about creation, an unnecessary abundance of beauty, and through its blossoms and pleasures we can revel in the sheer largesse of the Father. ― Michael Reeves
[About Prodigal Son parable] … he’s a parent who loves both his children more than anyone can measure. And that’s when counting breaks down. When you love so much there is no scale adequate to calculate your devotion. The elder son, he counts … But the … father – doesn’t. Can’t. Love like this, you see, cannot be measured, tracked, or managed. … God’s immeasurable love. Period. — David Lose
Right from the moment of our birth, we are under the care and kindness of our parents, and then later on in our life when we are oppressed by sickness and become old, we are again dependent on the kindness of others. Since at the beginning and end of our lives we are so dependent on other’s kindness, how can it be in the middle that we would neglect kindness towards others? — Dalai Lama
The child asks of the Father whom he knows. Thus, the essence of Christian prayer is not general adoration, but definite, concrete petition. The right way to approach God is to stretch out our hands and ask of One who we know has the heart of a Father. ― Dietrich Bonhoeffer
God attaches no strings to His love. None. His love for us does not depend on our loveliness. It goes one way. As far as our sin may extend, the grace of our Father extends further. ― Tullian Tchividjian
Most of us were taught that God would love us if and when we change. In fact, God loves you so that you can change. What empowers change, what makes you desirous of change is the experience of love. It is that inherent experience of love that becomes the engine of change. ― Richard Rohr
I am always struck when I reread the parable of the merciful Father. … The Father, with patience, love, hope and mercy, had never for a second stopped thinking about [his wayward son], and as soon as he sees him still far off, he runs out to meet him and embraces him with tenderness, the tenderness of God, without a word of reproach. … God is always waiting for us, He never grows tired. Jesus shows us this merciful patience of God so that we can regain confidence and hope — always!— Pope Francis
Committing myself to the task of becoming fully human is saving my life now… to become fully human is something extra, a conscious choice that not everyone makes. Based on my limited wisdom and experience, there is more than one way to do this. If I were a Buddhist, I might do it by taking the bodhisattva vow, and if I were a Jew, I might do it by following Torah. Because I am a Christian, I do it by imitating Christ, although i will be the first to admit that I want to stop about a day short of following him all the way. In Luke’s gospel, there comes a point when he turns around and says to the large crowd of those trailing after him, “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple” (14:26). Make of that what you will, but I think it was his way of telling them to go home. He did not need people to go to Jerusalem to die with him. He needed people to go back where they came from and live the kinds of lives that he had risked his own life to show them: lives of resisting the powers of death, of standing up for the little and the least, of turning cheeks and washing feet, of praying for enemies and loving the unlovable. ― Barbara Brown Taylor
Wed, June 12 – Sun, June 16 (Father’s Day Weekend) with JCC and Around Town
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June 9 Worship
Presentation on Abbe Pierre (TONIGHT), June 7th and events around town June 7th-9th
ABBE PIERRE will be the subject of a presentation by Dr. Anthony DeLuca on Friday, June 7 at 6pm at Jackson Community Church in the Parish Hall. Co-hosted by Bartlett Congregational and Jackson Community Church.
FRI, June 7
- FITNESS CLASS with Laurie McAleer
9:30am • Jackson Community Church- Free to all participants.
- Gentle, chair-based stretch and fitness for all levels of ability
- Community Resource: LIBRARIES
2-5pm • Jackson Library (more info: https://jacksonlibrary.org/) - Community Event: FIRST FRIDAY – Jane O’Brien and Mikey Levine
1pm • Majestic Cafe- Tickets: https://mountaintop.ludus.com/index.php?step=seats
Jane O’Brien, vocals, with Mike Levine, guitar, treat you to some classic jazz favorites and more! The Majestic Cafe opens at 11:30 for charcuterie, fresh paninis and all your favorite beverages: beer, wine, spirits, craft cocktails and mocktails, soft drinks and bottled water. First Friday performers include Mountain Top faculty and staff, as well as other Mount Washington Valley musicians, who share their music with the community without compensation. All First Friday concerts are open to the public by donation, in keeping with Mountain Top Music Center’s mission of “enriching lives with music.”
- Tickets: https://mountaintop.ludus.com/index.php?step=seats
- HEART & SOUL: Presentation by Dr. Anthony DeLuca on Abbe Pierre
6pm • JCC Parish Hall- Refreshments available (cookies & hot beverages)
- Event is free and open to the public
- Co-hosted by Bartlett Congregational and Jackson Community Church
- Any donations to benefit the Way Station in honor of the lifework of Abbe Pierre
- Dr. Anthony DeLuca serves as a guest preacher at the Bartlett Church. He will focus on the global impact of the inspirational life and legacy of a 20th century cultural hero whose name is Abbe Pierre. Pierre’s remarkable journey began when he followed in the footsteps of Saint Francis of Assissi and entered a monastery at age 17. There, he committed himself to spreading a global message of giving and good will. During World War II, he joined the French Resistance and risked his own life in saving the lives of Jews who faced the prospect of being sent to labor camps inside Gemany, or worse yet, being arrested and sent to their death in concentration camps.After the war, he focused his efforts on the creation of an international network of community centers to serve the needs of the poor, the hungry and the homeless around the world.
- Community MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT around town:
- Wildcat Tavern: Al Shafner • 7-9pm – $5 cover
- Red Parka: TBA • 8-11pm
- Shannon Door: Sheehan & Holden • 6-9pm
- Ledge Brewing: Powerline • 6-8pm
- Shovel Handle Pub: Don Pride • 6-9pm
- Community Event: MAJESTIC CAFE FRIDAY: TBA
7pm • Majestic Cafe, Conway- Walk-ins are always welcome, but space is limited; reservations are available to guarantee your seat and to indicate a seating choice.
- The Friday Night jazz series has a $10 per person cover charge.
- Doors at 6 pm; music at 7pm.
- Come in early and grab a panini before the music starts
- Info and tickets:: https://www.conwaymajestic.com/cafe
SAT, June 8
- Community Resource: LIBRARIES
- 10am-2pm • Jackson Library
Contact the library for additional help: 603.383.9731 or by email: staff@jacksonlibrary.org - 11am-3pm • Bartlett Library
More info: https://www.bartlettpubliclibrary.org/
- 10am-2pm • Jackson Library
- Community Event: KENNETT HIGH SCHOOL COMMENCEMENT
10am • KHS Millen Stadium - Community Event: DACAPO Concert
7pm • Majestic Theater, Conway- Under the direction of Mary Bastoni Rebmann and John Waldie, the program will feature music from The Rolling Stones, Smokey Robinson, Stephen Sondheim, Christopher Cross, Cole Porter, The Beatles and many more
- Other performances: Sun, June 9 @ 4pm at Whitney Community Center; Thurs, June 13 @ 7pm at Brick Church for the Performing Arts, Lovell, Maine.
- Tickets: https://mountaintop.ludus.com/index.php?step=seats
- Community Event: OPEN HOURS @ Jackson Historical Society
1-3pm • Jackson Historical Society- Also open by appointment.
More info: https://www.jacksonhistory.org/
- Also open by appointment.
- Community MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT around town:
- Wildcat Tavern: Face to Face with George Mallory • 7-9pm
- Shannon Door: Dan Aldrich • 7-10pm
- Ledge Brewing: Diana’s Bath Salts • 6-8pm
SUN, June 9
- INTERFAITH SERVICE
8am • Old Red Library (or outside if weather permits)- Come for poetry, conversation, and prayer
- WORSHIP
10:30am • Jackson Community Church & Livestream to Facebook & jxncc.org – which also appears on jxncc.orgwebsite).Worship through zoom is discontinued, watching livestream is now the way to connect.- Music by Sharon Novak
- Message by Rev Gail Doktor
- HOSPITALITY following church
11:30am • Parish Hall - Community Event: DACAPO Concert
4pm • Whitney Community Center- Da Capo will be performing at the Whitney Community Center
- Under the direction of Mary Bastoni Rebmann and John Waldie, the program will feature music from The Rolling Stones, Smokey Robinson, Stephen Sondheim, Christopher Cross, Cole Porter, The Beatles and many more
- Other performances are: Saturday, June 8 at 7:00 pm – The Majestic, Conway Thursday, June 13 at 7:00 pm -Brick Church for the Performing Arts, Lovell, Maine.
- Community Event: OPEN HOURS @ Jackson Historical Society
1-3pm • Jackson Historical Society (Also open by appointment.)- More info: https://www.jacksonhistory.org/
- Community MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT around town:
- Shannon Door: Jeremy Dean • 6-9pm
- Red Parka: Becca & Mike • 4-7pm
- Ledge Brewing: Bakery Band • 6-8pm
June 6th Boots n Bling Event is Postponed
From Starting Point to ticket holders and public:
With heavy hearts we have made the difficult decision to postpone Boots ‘n Bling due to a COVID outbreak amongst Starting Point staff. We want to ensure that our community is safe and do not wish to expose others.
The limited staff that remains standing is working hard to reach out to all those involved, while also remaining available to our clients. We ask your patience as we unravel all the details of postponement while still managing direct service needs!
If you booked a room at the Fairbank Inn you can cancel it without fees. The staff there look forward to the new date and offering room discounts at that time.
All registrations will carry over to the new date but if you wish a refund, please contact community@startingpointnh.org
Please stay tuned for a late summer early fall rescheduling of our beloved Boots n Bling fundraiser!
Follow us on Facebook for more updates as we have them.
Thank you for your support and patience.