This Sermon based on the life of Peter was preached on April 17, 2005. The
Scriptures used were from the Gospel of
John 1:35-42 and
John 21:15-18. It is a first person sermon.
How did the ministry of the Massapequa Reformed Church start? Many of you,
and certainly last week's Membership Class who heard the story told by our
Vice President of Consistory Gary Spero, know that the answer to that
question is contained in what we call: "The
Button Story."
As that story
goes, the Beardsley and Fahlbusch families, both of whom were Charter Members
of our Church, went to visit their good friend and former Pastor, the Rev.
Stanley Slingerland. In the course of their visit, they noticed a button
on Pastor Slingerland's floor, and they picked it up and gave it to him and
suggested that he might build a suit around that button. Pastor Stan
thought about their earlier conversation about their desire to find the
right Church in Massapequa having moved there from Brooklyn and he held up
that same button and said: "You know I have a better idea. Let's not build
a suit around this button, let's build a Church!"
Building a Church around
a button sounds like a crazy idea doesn't it? Yet, our presence here at
this Founder's Day Service is an affirmation that in that conversation a
dream and a vision was created and by God's grace and through the faith-filled
efforts of our Charter members and all who have followed in their
footsteps, a button has led to a ministry.
Now as we reflect upon that
story of our particular congregation's birth, let us consider another
question: How did the original Church get started? In truth, there are
many good answers to that question. Many different examples of how God's
grace and faith-filled people helped to begin the Church, but the example I
would like for us to reflect upon today is one that deserves the title:
"The Button Story-30AD."
For as we look at today's Gospel Lesson, we see
that it was a simple conversation and invitation from Andrew, Peter's
brother to meet Jesus that leads to the start of an amazing faith journey
for Peter, who Jesus later calls "the rock upon which I shall build my
Church."
Starting the Church of Jesus Christ around not a button but a
simple conversation between Andrew and Peter sounds like a crazy idea also
doesn't it?
Yet again, our presence here at our Founder's Day Service is also an
affirmation of the power of simple conversations and relationships to build
vision, create dreams and inspire us to fulfill our greatest God given
potential as individuals, as families and as a part of Christ's Church.
That sounds kind of awesome doesn't it? Some might even substitute the
word crazy for the word awesome, but I truly believe that God's grace is
often, if not always, experienced in the conversations and experiences of
our individual and common faith journey.
Let us consider that possibility
as for today's sermon I begin by offering a little non-scriptural, but I
believe faithful to the spirit of our Scriptures, first-person drama on how
Peter's conversation with Andrew led to the building of Christ's
Church. The setting for this drama is three years after the original
conversation. In fact, it is later in the day described in the 21st
Chapter of John's Gospel.
Peter, the rock, had deserted the Lord by denying that he even knew him three
times after our Lord had been arrested. It had been a horrible experience.
One that could have destroyed the relationship between Peter and Jesus but
as our Gospel Lesson indicates that was not the case.
And as Jesus allows
Peter to affirm his faith three times in this conversation by the shore of Lake
Tiberias, he is encouraging Peter and the other disciples who are listening
in to realize that his mistakes of the past are not only forgiven, they are
also forgotten and know he has the opportunity to resume his Leadership
role within the early Church. Let us listen in as Peter reflects upon this
opportunity for a new beginning:
What can I say or think about what has
happened today? Yes, it was my deepest desire to find forgiveness for my
cowardly behavior of denying the Lord, but what I have experienced today
goes far beyond that desire and hope. I know that John, my fellow disciple,
the one who should be called the rock because he was courageous enough to
stand by the Cross, has told me how the first words our Lord spoke from the
Cross were words of forgiveness for all who had hurt or disappointed him,
but I didn't think those words could include me.
After-all, others had not
had the great privilege of being a part of his ministry from the beginning,
but I had, and look what I did. If it was I who had experienced such a
hurt, I don't think I could forgive it, but look what has happened to
me. Not only forgiven, but also welcomed back with open arms as a
leader. That truly is love and grace that is divine and that demands my
all.
You know as amazing as it all was, I really should not have been
surprised. For as I think back to the days when this amazing faith journey
began with my brother introducing me to Jesus, the one constant that has
been a part of this faith journey is the experience of grace-filled
relationships. It began for me with the unbelievable fact that someone as
wonderful as Jesus could see in me a person of great worth.
Throughout my
life, I had been called a big oaf, a clumsy fisherman, a hothead and other
choice phrases that I can't repeat in a Church. But that's not how Jesus
spoke of me. Rather, he called me the rock and allowed me the great
privilege of serving as a leader among his first disciples. What great
days we shared until that day when the rock crumbled at a time of need. I
was frightened, but that's no excuse for what I did and that moment was
probably the lowest moment in my life.
Afterwards, even after I had heard the glorious news of our Lord's
resurrection, I felt ashamed because of what I had done. I had almost
decided to leave the area for fear of running into him or one of the other
disciples, when I remembered a story he had told us about a son who had
deserted his father and yet still been welcomed back with open arms when he
returned to his home. I couldn't hope for the open arms, but I prayed for
a new beginning. And as I prayed for this gift, I thought about the many
times during his ministry when Jesus had astounded us with his grace-filled
ways. It was the combination of my prayers and reflections upon his
amazing grace that finally gave me the courage to come back and seek a
relationship with him and the other disciples.
And then came this
morning. At first, I thought that he might be angry with me and doubting
my abilities when he asked me the same question three times. But then I
realized what he was doing.
He was telling me that my sin of denying him three times was forgiven, and I was
welcomed back fully and with open arms.
Friends, there is a chill that
goes down my spine as I think about it all. It started with a simple
conversation and with Andrew inviting me to meet Jesus. My life has been
changed forever because someone cared enough about me to welcome me to be a
part of this wonderful faith journey.
Friends, as we reflect upon the faith journey of our Charter members, Peter
and all the other disciples we know that all of our stories include grace-filled
relationships and an invitation to be a part of our own unique and
grace-filled faith journey. Today, as we thank God for members of our
family or friends who have been instruments of God's grace in our lives and
who have welcomed and encouraged us in our faith journey, we have the
opportunity to continue that same tradition in our lives.
In today's
bulletin, you will find an insert that is entitled: Operation Andrew. As
you read it you will see that it is focused on encouraging us to pray for
the people in our lives who we want to experience God's grace. It also
encourages us to welcome these people to attend our Worship Services and,
if they would like to also be a part of the group that will go from our
Church to attend the Billy Graham Crusade that will be held in New York
City. This is my suggestion for how we can celebrate our Founder's Day
Week this year.
It is a suggestion that is based upon the wisdom of our own heritage
contained in our "Button
Story" and the experience of Peter, the Rock whose
faith journey began with his brother Andrew's invitation to meet Jesus.
I
would like each of us to take this Operation Andrew Card home and find a
quiet time and place to reflect upon it in prayer. Then, I would invite
you to join with me in writing down the names of family or friends that you
will continue to pray for each day. And in that process to also think
about family or friends or neighbors who you might want to invite to hear
Doctor Caliandro speak this Friday, or to one of our Sunday Services or for
our trip to hear Doctor Graham.
And in this process of prayer, reflection
and encouragement let us remember this simple but profound truth: Our
Church, all of the Churches before our Church and all of the Churches of
tomorrow are filled with people who have experienced the grace of God
through the caring and grace-filled relationships that are possible in all
of our lives and through our commitment to continue to be an instrument of
God's grace in the lives of our loved ones and others!
Members
of our Church, went to visit their good friend and former Pastor, the Rev.
Stanley Slingerland. In the course of their visit, they noticed a button
on Pastor Slingerland's floor, and they picked it up and gave it to him and
suggested that he might build a suit around that button. Pastor Stan
thought about their earlier conversation about their desire to find the
right Church in Massapequa having moved there from Brooklyn and he held up
that same button and said: "You know I have a better idea. Let's not build
a suit around this button, let's build a Church!"
power of simple conversations and relationships to build
vision, create dreams and inspire us to fulfill our greatest God given
potential as individuals, as families and as a part of Christ's Church.
That sounds kind of awesome doesn't it? Some might even substitute the
word crazy for the word awesome, but I truly believe that God's grace is
often, if not always, experienced in the conversations and experiences of
our individual and common faith journey. 
story he had told us about a son who had
deserted his father and yet still been welcomed back with open arms when he
returned to his home. I couldn't hope for the open arms, but I prayed for
a new beginning. And as I prayed for this gift, I thought about the many
times during his ministry when Jesus had astounded us with his grace-filled
ways. It was the combination of my prayers and reflections upon his
amazing grace that finally gave me the courage to come back and seek a
relationship with him and the other disciples. 
it you will see that it is focused on encouraging us to pray for
the people in our lives who we want to experience God's grace. It also
encourages us to welcome these people to attend our Worship Services and,
if they would like to also be a part of the group that will go from our
Church to attend the Billy Graham Crusade that will be held in New York
City. This is my suggestion for how we can celebrate our Founder's Day
Week this year.
It is a suggestion that is based upon the wisdom of our own heritage
contained in our "