Dear Zion,

Thank you so much for all of the prayers and support you have shown us as we have welcomed our son, Aidan John Lund, into the world! It has meant so much to us that you – our future church family – would be so considerate, loving, and encouraging. From the bottom of our hearts… thank you!

With our newest addition to our family, I’ve been thinking a lot about being a dad to my son, and what fatherhood means. I was struck by how the Apostle Paul spoke about fatherhood in a prayer that I have been praying for you all at Zion from Ephesians 3:

“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father (πατέρα), from whom every fatherhood (πατριὰ) in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith- that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” – Ephesians 3:14 – 21

We say that the First Person of the Trinity is the Father, because He is the Father of the Son, Jesus Christ. We know that we can call upon God as our Father, our Abba, because He is a perfect Father to His Son, Jesus Christ. This is how Jesus taught us to come to God in the Lord’s Prayer: “Our Father, who art in heaven…” But what amazes me in Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians, is that for the Ephesians to know the full, rich, deep and fulfilling love of God, they need to know of God as their Father. It is not just any God who gives them love, power, and glory – it is the Father of Jesus Christ.

You see, it is not enough for me to know that God is a Father. It’s not even enough to know that God is the Father of Jesus. I need to know that through faith in Jesus Christ, God is now my Father also! When Jesus “dwells in us by faith,” we are adopted into the heavenly family (Romans 8:15 – 17). Jesus becomes our Elder Brother (Hebrews 2:14 – 18), and we have become children of God (I John 3:1-2).

I don’t know about you, but I am immensely encouraged to be reminded that I have none other than the Almighty, the Ancient of Days as my tender Abba, my Father. I’m reminded that my Father knows my needs before I know them (Matthew 6:32 – 33), that He will answer my prayers in Jesus’ Name (John 15:16), and that He will bring me to Himself (I Peter 3:15). I have been and will be a flawed, imperfect father, but every fatherhood and family in heaven and earth derives from our Heavenly Father (Ephesians 3:14 – 15).

O Zion, I pray you will know the deep, deep love your Father has for you! May you be filled with His fullness, with a love that surpasses knowledge! I’m praying Ephesians 3 for you!

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think,