For Pete's Sake
Stories
56 Stories For Preaching
"My name is Peter and I'm an alcoholic." That's how you always
introduce yourself at meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous. Pete
O'Meara had been attending AA for about six months. His
alcoholism had probably started way back in high school, lasted
through college and the first years of his marriage. Six months
ago, however, his wife, Delores, along with Pastor Bartlett, had
staged an intervention on her husband's behalf. She staged it and
it worked. Pete went into treatment. He was doing better now. AA
helped a lot. He attended weekly meetings. He did have to make a
couple of calls to his AA friends when his urge to take a drink
was ready to overpower him. But, by and large, Pete was doing
okay. That, at least, is how it looked on the outside.
On the inside, however, Peter O'Meara was living through hell.
He would just about die for another drink. And how was he going
to stop himself? He didn't feel that he had the willpower to
resist his need for alcohol indefinitely. He just wasn't strong
enough. It helped that at AA you began the recovery program
acknowledging that only a higher power, or God, could help you.
Pete believed that. He had been a churchgoer on and off during
his life and he thought maybe God would help him. It just all
seemed so vague to him. A higher power is someone or something
out there somewhere that is going to help you. Peter needed a God
that was more real to his life. He needed a God that he could
sink his teeth into, so to speak.
One of the Sundays that Pete did go to church was a communion
Sunday. "I'm Pete and I'm a sinner," Pete mumbled to God
imitating his AA confession as he approached the table. Then he
knelt quietly to receive the sacrament. He knelt
down quietly to receive the bread and the wine. He knelt down to
receive the body and blood of Christ. It struck him in a way that
it never had before that this Jesus of the sacrament was not a
vague God who was someone or something out there somewhere. This
was a God he could get his teeth into! The higher power concept
had seemed so distant to him. Peter wanted and needed a God who
was very close. He wanted and needed a God who would live inside
of him and give him a new life, new willpower, new dedication.
"This is the body of Christ given for you." Peter heard these
words and he ate. "This is the blood of Christ shed for you."
Pete heard these words and he drank. And then Pastor Bartlett
dismissed the table of people with words from the gospel reading
for the day: "Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in
him, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me, and I live
because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of
me." John 6:56-57.
Tears streamed down Pete O'Meara's cheeks at the sound of
these words. "That's exactly what I need," he thought to himself,
"I need a God who abides in me. Only such a God can give me new
life, new willpower and new dedication." Peter wiped his tears
and rose from the table. He rose to the possibility of a new life
in Christ who abided within him!
introduce yourself at meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous. Pete
O'Meara had been attending AA for about six months. His
alcoholism had probably started way back in high school, lasted
through college and the first years of his marriage. Six months
ago, however, his wife, Delores, along with Pastor Bartlett, had
staged an intervention on her husband's behalf. She staged it and
it worked. Pete went into treatment. He was doing better now. AA
helped a lot. He attended weekly meetings. He did have to make a
couple of calls to his AA friends when his urge to take a drink
was ready to overpower him. But, by and large, Pete was doing
okay. That, at least, is how it looked on the outside.
On the inside, however, Peter O'Meara was living through hell.
He would just about die for another drink. And how was he going
to stop himself? He didn't feel that he had the willpower to
resist his need for alcohol indefinitely. He just wasn't strong
enough. It helped that at AA you began the recovery program
acknowledging that only a higher power, or God, could help you.
Pete believed that. He had been a churchgoer on and off during
his life and he thought maybe God would help him. It just all
seemed so vague to him. A higher power is someone or something
out there somewhere that is going to help you. Peter needed a God
that was more real to his life. He needed a God that he could
sink his teeth into, so to speak.
One of the Sundays that Pete did go to church was a communion
Sunday. "I'm Pete and I'm a sinner," Pete mumbled to God
imitating his AA confession as he approached the table. Then he
knelt quietly to receive the sacrament. He knelt
down quietly to receive the bread and the wine. He knelt down to
receive the body and blood of Christ. It struck him in a way that
it never had before that this Jesus of the sacrament was not a
vague God who was someone or something out there somewhere. This
was a God he could get his teeth into! The higher power concept
had seemed so distant to him. Peter wanted and needed a God who
was very close. He wanted and needed a God who would live inside
of him and give him a new life, new willpower, new dedication.
"This is the body of Christ given for you." Peter heard these
words and he ate. "This is the blood of Christ shed for you."
Pete heard these words and he drank. And then Pastor Bartlett
dismissed the table of people with words from the gospel reading
for the day: "Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in
him, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me, and I live
because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of
me." John 6:56-57.
Tears streamed down Pete O'Meara's cheeks at the sound of
these words. "That's exactly what I need," he thought to himself,
"I need a God who abides in me. Only such a God can give me new
life, new willpower and new dedication." Peter wiped his tears
and rose from the table. He rose to the possibility of a new life
in Christ who abided within him!
