Here's a responsive reading that can be used to honor the fathers in your congregation. During worship have an appointed leader (preferably a child, youth or woman) read the bold type and invite the congregation to recite the lighter text..

We give thanks for the love of fathers and the love of God, our Heavenly Father.
Honor your father and your mother as the Lord your God has commanded you, so you may live long; that it may go well with you.

We give thanks for fathers who love and enrich us with friendship.
Have you not called to me, my father, my friend from my youth!

We give thanks for fathers who are generous providers.
Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him.

We give thanks for compassionate fathers.
As a father has compassion for his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him. He knows how we are formed; He remembers that we are dust.

We give thanks for fathers who are wise teachers.
You, O Lord, are our Father; we are the work of your hand. You train and teach us.

We honor the character of fathers who are generous toward others.
I was father to the needy; I took up the case of the stranger, a father to the fatherless, defender of widows.

We give thanks for fathers who love us.
We dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children—encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God.

We honor fathers who treat their children tenderly.
Fathers, do not embitter your children or they will become discouraged.

We honor the Father of us all, who is not willing that any of his little ones be lost, who is even now providing our future home.
In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.

God will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers.

Selected Scripture compiled by Audray Johnson. At the time of this article's publication, Audray was Family Ministries Director for the Southeastern California Conference.