February 28, 2010
“Ringing Legacy of Faith” by Rev. Paul Kabo, Jr.
Did you hear the church bell ringing today? I hope that every time you hear a church bell, you
will remember this day and this church. One of the things a church bell does is to remind you to attend the services
of worship. And today’s service of worship celebrates the beginning of a year of celebrating 175 years of Presbyterian
witness in this community. I believe Jesus wants this congregation to fully celebrate its 175th anniversary and to celebrate
its 200th anniversary and its 300th anniversary and its 400th anniversary.
Anniversaries mark special events in history. You all have personal anniversaries, family anniversaries, school anniversaries,
country anniversaries, and religious anniversaries. Each one is special and calls forth particular remembrances and feelings.
I looked into the Bible to collect information about a special day of remembrance and discovered that such is the Biblical
description of the Passover and Easter.
The Hebrews did not celebrate many anniversaries. They
did not celebrate the day the Lord God appeared to Abram and Sara. They did not celebrate the anniversary of the year
that Abraham and Sarah reached the Promised Land and had a baby. They did not celebrate the anniversary of Moses receiving
the Ten Commandments, nor the year that Joshua crossed the Jordan river and the people returned home to the Promised Land.
They did not celebrate the anniversary of David conquering the Jebusite city of Jerusalem and making that city the headquarters
for the new empire. The Hebrews did not even mark the anniversary of the return from the Babylon captivity.
The one anniversary they did celebrate was the Passover. This event not only marked the escape
from Egypt but also the escape from death. The angel of death passed over them that dreadful night. Then, the
Lord God delivered them from the Egyptian army as they passed through the sea and onto the path to freedom and life with God.
The only other anniversary that the people of God celebrate is Easter when salvation and eternal life is embraced with worship
and praise.
Every year after these salvation events, the people of God take time to remember,
to worship and to celebrate. It is fitting that on this 175th birthday of the founding of this congregation, that you
take time to remember, to worship and to celebrate.
Earlier I mentioned that I believe
that Jesus wants you to celebrate this year and to celebrate your 200th anniversary and your 400th anniversary. What
will it take for this congregation to celebrate its 400th anniversary? There are some things from the past 175 years
that may point to that which is necessary in order for this congregation to make it to 400 years. I would like to mention
only a few of those things.
Back in 1835 the Rev. J. F. Cowan, minister of the Apple
Creek Presbyterian Church at Pocahontas, organized the First Presbyterian Church in Cape Girardeau with eight members on March
1, 1835, at the home of Capt. Ezra Dutch. Yes, I am aware that the current Book of Order says that it takes 12 members
to form a church, but with less than the required number, this congregation began and now celebrates 175 years. From
the Bible, you discover many places where God uses less than what seems to be needed and yet success happens. The moral
of the Biblical stories is that to God belongs the victory, the success, and the praise. Remember in all your future
successes, remember to thank God for the success and give God the praise. Make it a part of the ringing legacy of faith.
Another thing to mark with our founding is that sister churches are so very important. It
was Apple Creek Presbyterian Church that helped us get started. We need to support, pray for, and encourage the other presbyterian
congregations of this area. We are together in the Reformed expression of the Christian faith. We need each other.
We need to pray for each other. We need to do many things together, like mission, worship and celebrations. We
need to go to Presbytery together and General Assemble together. We need to remember that the Presbyterian witness to
Jesus Christ has value in this world.
I like that it was at the home of Capt. Ezra Dutch
that this congregation had its beginning. The homes of the faithful are essential. From those homes of the Christian
faithful come the prayers, the energy, the inspiration and the people who become the Deacons and Elders, who teach the class,
who assemble in committees, and who do the activity of Jesus Christ. Your home is to reflect the values of the Christian
faith, the symbols of the Presbyterian Church, and the inspiration of Jesus Christ. If this congregation is going to
be here for its 400th anniversary, your homes need to be strong in the faith today.
Another
story that I like from our history is about Dr. Rice. Dr. David Edward Young Rice, a Presbyterian minister, and one
of the Potosi commission members, was president of the Washington Female Seminary which stood near t he northwest corner of
Broadway and Lorimier Streets, present site of the Old Opera House. Under Dr. Rice's leadership, this lot was purchased
on Lorimier Street, at the approximate location of our present church office. On this lot, a two story brick building
was erected facing Lorimier. As was the case with many churches of that day, the sanctuary was on the second floor.
The first floor was used for Sunday School and during the week by the Cape Girardeau Academy for boys. That same ground
floor later housed for a number of years the first public school in Cape Girardeau.
What this
bit of history tells you is that Presbyterians value education. For you to make it to the 400th anniversary, you need
to advance Christian education. Not only provide a building for the Christian Education experience, but to attend the
classes. Christian education is never confined to the children, but adults need continuing education. Therefore,
attend the classes, support the seminaries, get the kids to Sunday School and youth group, and always talk positively and
faithfully about education, learning, and the acquisition of faith knowledge. It is a part of our ringing legacy of faith.
Our church bell has a marvelous history. Originally, it was not created
for this congregation. Another church in St. Louis ordered it in 1855. But after the bell was cast, the St. Louis
church could not handle it. The boat with the bell got as far as Cape Girardeau when Mrs. Addie McNeely bought the bell
for this congregation. The church bell was hung on a wooden scaffold to the south of the new building. It was
used not only to summon worshipers, but also as the community fire bell, as an alarm when prisoners from the nearby jail escaped
and to summon students to school. This bell today hangs in the bell tower and is rung each Sunday for worship services.
Folks that little piece of history is loaded with good stuff for you. The first
is that opportunities for this church come at unexpected times. Be ready for it whether it comes via the river or walks
down Broadway. The second is to have resources ready to act. Mrs. Addie McNeely used her resources for that purpose.
There are others like her in this congregation now who have the resources to enlarge our ministry. Those folks came
forward at many times in our past and I pray they will do so in the future. It is a part of our ringing legacy of the
faith.
As you read the history of the First Presbyterian Church, you will discover that this
congregation has profoundly shaped this city. It was the site of the first public school in Cape, as well as the first
public library. Presbyterians and Education seem to fit like hands and gloves. And you still need to advance
the high appreciation for education of all the people. Through multiple efforts like a site for public education and
a bell for public awareness, this congregation has been the location for many city events. Just last year, the Old Town
Cape, the Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Chamber of Commerce, the blood bank, and many other city functions met within
our buildings and on our campus. Keep on influencing this city.
This congregation has
seen membership rolls of a few and of a whole lot. One time, the membership was down to a few women who worshiped together
as their husbands, brothers and sons were off to the Civil War. Never did they cease to worship, to pray, to read the
Bible and to learn and to support each other in the faith. No matter how many members this congregation will possess
in the future, the message from our forebearers is that you are to meet together to pray, to worship and to support each other
in this life. No matter how many members this congregation has, remember you are a part of a large number of sister
churches, you have a mission in the name of Jesus Christ to do, and that you do influence the life of this city. It
is a part of our ringing legacy of faith. Amen.
