Missional Fathers

"For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel."

Paul, 1 Corinthians 4:15

We live in an era of many "guides" and few "fathers", but in the midst of my own longing for "fathering" I must admit that I usually choose to seek a guide. A guide is someone you hire, let them lead you for a while, thank when you're done and then move on. You don't have to take the good with the bad. There's no relational connection, purely functional. Maybe that's why reading has replaced mentoring, the interaction is clean, easy, and one-sided.

Luke at Desiring Life has a thoughtful post on this topic, "Forgetting the Gandalfs", that I still think about. I do wonder if the bed we find ourselves in is not of our own making. That's not to say that there isn't responsibility on the part of older men to give their lives away to others. Paul is such a strong illustration of this. I usually view Paul as an evangelist verses a pastor, but these are pastoral words. Words of encouragement and life filled with sincere love. Wether they are received or not doesn't seem to bother Paul, he simply shares and trusts God with the rest.

So this morning I'm left with a few thoughts. First, missional living is not task-driven, but relationship-driven. While that is definitely harder and messier, it is also deeper and richer and that depth and richness is what fosters transformation. Secondly, I have to ask myself if I'm willing to become that which I seek. Just as it's easier relationally to follow a guide, I recognize it's easier to be a guide rather than invest as a father. Which leads me to my final thought, "fathering" begins with being a good dad in my own home. In my opinion there's nothing more missional than parenting. With that in mind...I'm going to go fix some breakfast and start following my own advice.