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East End Fellowship, Richmond, Virginia
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Co-Pastors Widmer and Coleman
By Barbara A. Parrish
Father’s Day worship took place at East End Fellowship in Church Hill where a community of neighbors worship and fellowship each Sunday.
Co-pastors Corey Widmer and Donald Coleman served up some delicious food for the soul as they articulated facts about Jesus, the father. "His name is Lord, he is father to the fatherless," said Pastor Widmer.
Pastor Coleman presented the Father’s Day message to a full and awaiting congregation. "What makes a father is not the ability to have a child, but the courage to raise one," he iterated. "Some people are pretenders. If you go into a garage, it does not make you a car." Obviously being a true father requires more than just bringing a child into the world.
"There is a father who will father you even if your father doesn’t step up," said the pastor. His name is Jesus. Quoting from the holy bible, referencing the scripture of Isaiah 9:6, Pastor Coleman shared the written word, "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father."
Pastor Coleman captivated his audience as he so eloquently spoke directly to all fathers in attendance, saying, "Those of us who know God have to step up and be men, and be fathers to the fatherless. We must let God father us so we can father others." He asked, "Have you found somebody who is fatherless to father other than your children?"
If you are father to a fatherless child, God will bless you with your children. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge…my son, hear the ‘instruction’ of your father. If there is no natural father around, God’s word is our father. God’s word is ‘instruction’ to us.
Pastor Coleman said if you read your bible everyday and do what it says, pray daily, God will bless your life. "Your law must come from the law of God. We have access to our heavenly father through his word and through prayer. We should live our lives in such a way that people who are following us are following Christ."
As the pastor adamanty shared the importance of the role of fathers, he distinctly said , "I’m calling out to fathers today who will ‘invest’ in the lives of some other people to help father them and help people get to where they need to go in life. We need people in our lives that will help us go forth. Part of what’s missing in our world today is fathers to actually help the fatherless follow them as they (themselves) follow Christ."
We are not perfect but are perfected through Christ, he said. "So by faith, we can say 'follow me' -- because 'I follow' Christ." He spoke from a personal perspective, "I want to live my life in such a way that I can father others as Christ fathers me. I don’t go to church, I am the church." He said the bible tells us to "be ye holy even as I (Jesus) am holy."
He said, "The perfect will of God for fathers is through the marital bed." During the service, he prayed for all young men to hear the instructions of God. These men must hear and be obedient to the direction given them of the Holy Father. Pastor Coleman also asked for God's grace upon fathers that they would be fathers at "the appointed time. According to the holy scripture, the bible says "He that findeth a wife finds a good thing. We need fathers more than we need just "baby daddies," Pastor Coleman said.
Members, Percy and Angie Strickland who started the faith-based non-profit organization called "Church Hill Activities and Tutoring (CHAT)" attended worship service with two of their four children (two of which are adopted) invited guest, Susan Schmidt who is Angie’s mother from Cleveland, Ohio. Percy and his wife are demonstrative of good stewards. Percy is also an excellent example of the key point that resonated throughtout the sermon this Father's Day. He (Percy) first became a believer and follower of Christ, then became a father to the fatherless when he and his wife adopted two children. They were later blessed with a girl and a boy who were born into their family.
Both Percy and Angie are graduates of Duke University and manage home life, careers, continue their church fellowship and support youth aided by CHAT non-profit organization. CHAT was formed "to create and sustain intentional communities that are dedicated to transforming the lives of at-risk youth in Church Hill." More about CHAT can be found at www.chatrichmond.org
On this special Father’s Day, the East End Fellowhip church musicians performed several harmonious songs, including lyrics appropriate for the day’s message: "I have a maker, he formed my heart. I have a father, he calls me his own. He’ll never leave me no matter where I go. He knows my name." As these lyrics fall from the lips of fathers today and link hearts and minds, for a common purpose, we too may see the magnicant beauty of relating true fatherhood to the Heavenly Father. He never leaves nor foresakes his children, no matter where they go.
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