Hey Father!

They’re Calling Me “Father”
Father Daniel Coffey
November 13, 2007 (revised)

A parishioner once asked me if I would ever use the title “father.” I explained to him that I am not opposed to it and that there is in fact a history of the usage of this title throughout the history of the Lutheran reformation even until today. Some Lutheran pastors now dead and buried, but still remembered and loved were given this title during their years of ministry. Others are earnestly and faithfully serving their flocks in America, Europe, and elsewhere around the world. Others are remembered only as notations in books. I further explained that if I was to be addressed by this title it would, number one, be originated by others and secondly, that it must be a humble reminder of my vocation to serve. I would not start it, but if others call me father I would be humbly reminded of their trust and confidence placed in my spiritual leadership. I finished off the discussion by saying, “If they call me father, then I will be called father.”
I was called at all hours of the day and night and I drove to meet “them” at hospitals, crash scenes, homicides, and suicides. I sat with tortured souls and listened to them, I prayed with them, wept with them, and encouraged them from scripture. I met the homeless and wandering pilgrims under a bridge. I found them blankets, clothing, and groceries. I met with a family looking for their runaway daughter as they were driving through the state on their last tank of gas; when we said good-bye they were well supplied with food and gas to drive the last 800 miles home. I even baptized a few babies on their deathbeds. All this I did in addition to my regular parish responsibilities. Before long I was hearing a curious word in front of my name. I thought, “Surely not me, he or she was addressing someone else, right?” It turned out I was the man they spoke to with tear filled eyes and smiles of appreciation. They’re calling me “father”.
I then had to wrestle with the theological implications of this title as it applied to me personally and my vocation. The words that I had told my parishioner echoed in my memory. As I struggled with the concept, I considered the universal usage of this title. First of all was the scriptural consideration, but for our discussion I will put that off a bit. Most frequently when we hear the title of father in the media it is attached to a Roman Catholic priest. Padre Pio, for example, was in the news a great deal this last decade throughout his elevation to sainthood. Along similar lines as the Roman Catholic Church is the Eastern Orthodox Church. They use an array of titles that essentially mean the same thing: father, pater, abba, batushka, abune, patriarch, etc.
The church bodies that proceed from the protestant reformation are also among the churches that utilize the title of father. The Anglican Church or the Episcopalian Church as we know it in the United States regularly uses the title of father in addressing their clergy. Also from the English reformation we have the Presbyterian Church which has a well established history in American Christianity. As a young boy I lived in Kansas and I had the pleasure of visiting, on a few occasions, the Native American Heritage Museum about 30 miles west of St Joseph, Missouri. The nearest city is Highland, Kansas. The history of this town, its community college and the local Presbyterian Church is very much intertwined. Highland Community College, along with it the city of Highland, started as a result of the Presbyterian mission effort to the Native American tribes of the Iowa, Sac and Fox begun in 1827. The museum, a portion of the mission which still stands today is 2 miles east of Highland. The pastor who established this mission was Father Samuel Irvin, a Presbyterian missionary from Pennsylvania. Father Irvin is referenced throughout the museum, in Highland and historical documents at the college. They give an account of his life and work in the pioneer era of Northeast Kansas. Additionally, I have heard of another Presbyterian pastor by the name Father Bracken who ministered in Glasco, Kansas about 45 years after Father Irvin founded his mission. From these examples and others I have learned that the Roman Catholic Church is not the only church body which retained or at least has seen the usage of this historic title among the clergy.
American Christians are starving for a substantial Christianity that will connect them to the historic church. Confessional Lutherans are no different; they want to connect to their historic theological roots. Resurgence of interest in classical Lutheran doctrine and practice is at the root of the increasing number of modern Lutheran clergy who are revitalizing historic and scriptural usages. (For a brief discussion on this cf. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Church_Lutheranism.)
The early church fathers are studied by Lutheran seminarians in preparation for their call and ordination. We read and discuss St. Cyril, St. Athanasius, St. John Chrysostom, St Gregory the Great, St Augustine, St Ambrose, St Jerome, St Ignatius, St Irenaeus, and the Cappadocian Fathers among the others. The Lutheran church did not begin at the reformation; it is a continuation of the one holy, catholic and apostolic church. The theology, history, liturgy and practices of the church have been passed down to us for our benefit, to do what Christians have done for thousands of years. The reformation was merely about stopping corrupt and unscriptural abuses which had developed over time. Luther and the Lutheran reformers had no intention of scrapping the ship and building a new one. That is why in a many Lutheran Churches, with the crucifix, statuary, icons, candles, vestments and liturgy, you might think that you were standing in a Roman Catholic Church. Although other protestant reformers had the scrap it – start new mentality; Lutherans did not, but we were and still are incorrectly lumped into that group. The true Lutheran criterion for any church practice is whether it stands according to Holy Scripture. If a practice or usage did not violate scripture it is therefore considered allowable. Therefore, let us turn to the Bible and find out what the source and norm of all truth would hold about this topic.
In Matthew 23:8-12 didn’t Jesus say, “Call no man father.”? Yes, Jesus also said call no man teacher. If we take a literalistic view rather than a literal view we will get bound up in our own confusion. If this were the case then we would be going against the very words of Christ Jesus when we call our educators and the instructors for Sunday school, “teachers”. Almost every protestant denomination uses the terminology “Sunday school teacher” without hesitation. Furthermore, nearly every Theological Seminary calls their instructors “Professor”. There is more to this text than a simplistic rule which is only half-kept at best. In this text, Jesus was instructing against pride and arrogance; the kind of arrogance that takes self gratifying pleasure in showing off to others how good one’s literalistic interpretation of God’s Word can be kept. If one seeks prideful recognition through titles then titles such as Sunday school teacher, professor, doctor, philanthropist, Mother and Dad, Mr. and Mrs. or even chief bottle washer are wrong. However, if one receives a title to denote one’s servitude in his or her office following in the example of Jesus, who received the title of Christ - coming not to be served but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many, then it is well and good. The title then serves as an adjective to describe one’s office and work to the glory of God. Sunday school teachers can sigh with relief. Their job description and titles need not be modified.
From the era of the ancient Hebrews we can read of the succession from the Prophet Elijah to the Prophet Elisha. In 1Kings, Elisha had been chosen to follow Elijah. Upon hearing this shocking call he went back and said goodbye to his Father and brothers. After this he followed Elijah and underwent a period of preparation. When that was completed he walked with Elijah across the Jordan River to the location where Elijah was to be taken up in the chariot of fire. 2 Kings 2:11-14 tells how the Prophet was being taken away in the chariot of fire and Elisha cried out to Elijah saying, “My Father - My Father!”
St Paul’s writings tell of a father child / children relationship that he nurtures with his followers. He states, “I am not writing to shame you, but to warn you, as my dear children. Even though you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel…For this reason I am sending to you Timothy, my son whom I love who is faithful in the Lord…” (1 Cor. 4, 14-17NIV) Elsewhere, St Paul speaks four more times of Timothy as his beloved son and twice of Onesimus as his son. It is clear from these texts and from history that there is no filial relationship between St Paul and these men other than the obvious pastoral / spiritual father quality that St Paul possessed. (cf. 1Timothy 1:2, 18; 2Timothy 1:2; 2:1; Philemon verse 10) For further exploration of Scripture read the letters written by St John. He also writes to his readers in a fatherly manner.
Having assessed the viewpoint of Holy Scripture on this topic, let us zero in the discussion to consider what little the Lutheran Reformers had to say about it as a reformation issue. Well frankly, the absence of material speaks to what degree of a non-issue it truly was. I would direct your attention to the Book of Concord also known as the Lutheran Confessions. The Book of Concord is the official book of doctrine agreed upon by Lutherans as the proper explanation of Holy Scripture and sets forth our doctrine in systematic fashion. One of the smaller books among others that comprise the Book of Concord is Martin Luther’s Large Catechism, in which he writes pertaining to the 4th Commandment. After explaining how we are to honor our own Fathers and Mothers and along with them the fathers of our country (Here he is using language much as we idiomatically speak of our city fathers, the mayor and council members.) and employers, he explains about the honor that is owed to spiritual fathers as well. He writes,
“158] Thus we have two kinds of fathers presented in this commandment, fathers in blood and fathers in office, or those to whom belongs the care of the family, and those to whom belongs the care of the country. Besides these there are yet spiritual fathers; not like those in the Papacy, who have indeed had themselves called thus, but have performed no function of the paternal office. For those only are called spiritual fathers who govern and guide us by the Word of God; 159] as St. Paul boasts his fatherhood in 1 Cor. 4, 15, where he says: In Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospel. Now, 160] since they are fathers they are entitled to their honor, even above all others. But here it is bestowed least; for the way which the world knows for honoring them is to drive them out of the country and to grudge them a piece of bread…” (paragraph 158ff., Triglot Concordia 1917)*
In this citation he clearly says that those who guide and govern by the Word of God in their paternal office are indeed spiritual fathers. He scourges the western Church as it was before the reformation and as the Roman Church was, until after his death when the Church of Rome underwent a reformation of sorts of its own and sought to correct some of the abuses to which the Lutheran reformation objected. He then draws upon the 1 Corinthians 4:15 text that was considered a moment ago.
The other location to refer for our discussion is found at the end of the Smalcald Articles, another component of the Book of Concord, also written by Martin Luther. It is not so much the text of this marvelous document that I point to, but rather the last page to which those who read it and agreed signed their names. Brixius Northanus affirms Martin Luther with the following words, “I, Brixius Northanus, Minister of the Church of Christ which is at Soest, subscribe to the Articles of the Reverend Father Martin Luther, and confess that hitherto I have thus believed and taught, and by the Spirit of Christ I shall continue thus to believe and teach. (Triglot Concordia 1917)*
From this subscription we can read that the honorable title of Reverend Father was attached to Martin Luther the author of this document. Quite astoundingly it serves as a time capsule to reveal that the title was in usage during the reformation era among the Lutheran Reformers themselves.
The usage of the title of Father did not dissolve throughout the post reformation era. In fact it survived and appears attached to a well known, respected and loved pastor and missionary by the name of Father Heyer. John Christian Frederick Heyer (7/10/1793 – 11/7/1873) served as a missionary in the pioneer American Midwest and as a missionary to India. Father Heyer Missionary Society of the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Mount Airy in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and also the Father Heyer Degree College in Deenapur in Andhra Pradesh, India seek to remember his name and honor his work. Interestingly he was a contemporary of the Presbyterian ministers Father Irvin and Father Bracken.
Another surprising twist and a topic for another paper is St Augustine’s House located in Oxford, Michigan. At St Augustine’s House, a Lutheran Monastery begun by Father Arthur, and the work being continued by Father Richard, is an example of Lutheran pastors desiring to live out their vocations in humble and dedicated service. These were the first Lutheran pastors that I personally knew who comfortably used the title of Father. Calling them such was as natural and right as addressing my own Dad. For these men did care for me and my friends as true spiritual fathers. I still hear from Fr Richard via newsletter and I pray for him regularly.
From these two last examples we see the usage of the title of Father in early American History and modern day Lutheranism, and the strain can be followed back through the reformation era through the middle ages and the era of the early church fathers and the apostles all the way back to the time of the great prophets of the Old Testament. The next time you sit in Church and you observe the Pastor conducting the liturgy, look at his vestments. Notice the stole. It symbolizes the presence of the Holy Spirit. When Elijah went up in the chariot of fire he dropped his cloak to Elisha as a sign of the double portion of God’s Spirit which descended upon Elisha. This symbolic vestment has been worn by clergy since time immemorial so to speak. Chances are that the pastor will have fringes or tassels on the ends of his stole. Those fringes are not merely decorative; they symbolize the spiritual children of that pastor.
Regardless of whether one recognizes the symbolism of the fringes on my vestments, my spiritual children are continually being birthed through the ministry of Word and Sacrament. By virtue of my call and ordination into the Office of the Holy Ministry to teach and preach and to administer the regenerating and nurturing Sacraments; I as a minister am indeed a spiritual father. Thereby my spiritual children are multiplying daily. When I am called Father, I am reminded of the sacred duty that I hold. I am not the housekeeper, groundskeeper or cook. When you call me Father I feel newly admonished to care for, protect, nurture and rear the children of God, young and old, whom He has placed in my trust. They call me, “Father.” It’s a title of honor and endearment that is Scriptural, universal, historic, and Lutheran.
*
TRIGLOT CONCORDIA
The Symbolical Books of the Evangelical Lutheran Church,
German-Latin-English,
Published as a Memorial of the Quadricentenary Jubilee of the Reformation anno
Domini 1917 by resolution of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio,
and Other States.