Dads are for ice cream and wrestling, of course.

Byline: FROM HEART TO HEART By Ken Henry For The Register-Guard

As an ordained Presbyterian pastor, I began my quest for inspiration to write a Father's Day article by first turning to rows of weighty theological books on my bookshelves. They speak so eloquently of a parental God of the universe who protects God's children like a father. At least, it was a place to start.

In the Christian context, we address God as Father, and yet other descriptive and meaningful names weave their way into our prayers and devotions: Creator, Mother, Author, Maker, Great Spirit, Lord, God of justice, God of forgiveness, God who is near and I AM. And while the use of God as father may evoke for some the kind of sexism in which women have been dominated and demeaned, no one can deny that Jesus in his deepest moments of distress in the Garden of Gethsemane called out for his "Abba" (tender Aramaic term for father).

But discovering the proper address of the God of the Universe is not what this article is about - although it appears to have started out that way. Indeed, this article is about a much larger and problematic question and that is: Why did God make dads in the first place?

For this answer, I would need some help. So, gathering up legal pad and pen, I headed up the street to interview some elementary school-age kids in our neighborhood, namely, Madeline, Reed, Tori, Ellie and Aaron.

I would ask these experts simple leading questions and conclude by springing on them my theological stumper.

So, what do you like to do with your dad?

``Wrestle.'' ``Play blanket monster.'' ``Go on walks.'' ``Take long bike rides to Toys R Us.''

What's the best thing about your dad?

"His playfulness." "He tickles me." "He's kind." "He wrestles with me."

And why do families need dads?

"We need someone to stay home and someone to work." "Babies." "Without dads, who would wrestle with me?" "To buy us ice cream when Mom's away." "I ditto that." "To help us."

Why did God make dads?

"God made dads to love and support us." "Didn't God make Adam? Wasn't he a dad?" "God made dads to love you." "Without dads, moms would go crazy." "To wrestle with me on the floor." "Ideally, to be an example of God's love for us."

To be honest, a mom, overhearing this interview, chimed in with this last answer. And while her insight on fathers being an example of God's love seems right, being a dad myself, I wondered after the interview if I shouldn't rush home, drape a blanket over my head, and become the blanket monster.

Why did God make dads? Good question. I think I will take my two girls out to Prince Puckler's for further research.

Ken Henry is pastor at Central Presbyterian Church in Eugene and wishes everyone a Happy Father's Day. This column is coordinated by Two Rivers Interfaith Ministries, a network of faith communities in the Eugene-Springfield area. For more information, call 344-5693.