Another year, another Father’s Day. Like all our regular rhythms, I’m sure all those planning worship services have their go-to songs which mention the Father to help them plan something out. No harm: ‘Good Good Father’, ‘Father of Kindness (Yes and Amen)’, or stone-cold classics like ‘The Father’s Song’ or ‘Father Me’ might fit the bill nicely. Perhaps you want to include a hymn to the Father. There are a lot of options.

But there is only so far you can get with songs that explicitly mention the Father. The Fatherhood of God is a many-faceted revelation; there is much that could and needs to be said about who he is. The songs that explicitly mention the Father may say some of those things, but don’t just pick them because it’s Father’s Day. Rather, think about what aspects of the Fatherhood of God you feel should be brought out this year, this Sunday.

Is it about his love? ‘Here is Love, vast as the ocean’ expresses it beautifully. Is it the love of the Father as seen in the Son? ‘God So Loved’ has it well covered. We are expressing the loving nature of the Father even if not mentioning the Father specifically. Because this is a fatherly aspect of God.

Is it about God as Protector? Provider? Comforter? (Fathers play a role in comfort as well as mothers; and singing motherly songs may be no bad thing either, as God’s parenthood is as much about his nurturing and caring as about his authority and protection). Think about which songs express something fatherly, something of our Heavenly Dad, not just those that explicitly mention the Father.

From our Ichthus Worship offerings, ‘Come to Me‘ is an invitation into his rest, and ‘Compose My Soul‘ comes closer into that rest in intimate connection with the motherly nature of God. ‘God be Gracious‘ mentions the Father and us as his children, and moreover expresses his joyous graciousness over his household. ‘Comforter and Counsellor‘, an invitation to the Spirit to come, nevertheless captures the Father’s heart both as comforter and inspirer; the Spirit carries that heart to ours. And ‘I Believe in a God of Love‘ brings us the message of the Father’s love as we are encouraged to take it to the world.

Whatever you’re planning for worship this Sunday, I hope you and your congregation have a wonderful encounter with the truth and the presence of the Father God.