Lessons From An AA Meeting

This morning a friend of mine who works daily with friends without homes in Indianapolis invited me to join him at an AA meeting in order to help me better understand the program as I look to get more involved with connecting with those entering recovery programs.  Sitting in a room full of addicts in recovery is always humbling.  It's humbling because the people in that room always seem to understand life better than most of us who live in the "got it all together" world of suburbia.  They realize they're always one bad decision, one drink, from going right back into the same chaotic life that drew them to AA in the first place.  They also know they need each other to keep fighting the battle to stay away from the things that have destroyed their lives in the past.  Many understand that trying to solve their challenges with self-effort will get them nowhere because they realize the challenge is beyond them.

It's long been my conviction that every gathering of the Church needs to be more like an AA meeting than the professional productions we often rely on.  We need teaching.  We need corporate worship.  Still, we also need to be able to communicate as a community of peers sharing our stories and our challenges without fear and without pretense.  Even if alcohol addiction is not the demon that vexes our life, the reality is we're all one bad decision, one sin, away from making a total mess of life.  Some of us may be at the beginning stages of realizing what a mess we had become.  Some of us may have been on the "spiritual sobriety" road for a long time.  Still, we all share these two things in common: we're one bad decision away from chaos and we need each other to stay on the right path.

Today, I was drawn to the "Twelve Traditions Of AA" that were displayed in various forms throughout the room.  These traditions guide how every AA group should operate and how the organization as a whole should function.  As I read them, it seemed to me they were traditions that many of us who lead various faith communities and ministries would benefit from adapting into our own context.  As I read them and as I sat there and listened, I found myself praying "God help me and help Diakonos always live in this way."

Getting Beyond the Dogma of Personal Reponsibility

James Tissot [Public domain],
via Wikimedia Commons

Yesterday my friend Robert Charlock submitted a letter to the Indianapolis Star regarding the need for a Homeless Bill of Rights in Indianapolis.  The self-righteous on-line comments of those who assume poverty is usually the result of personal choices quickly emerged: "How many brought this upon themselves? When having a place to live and a job is no longer a priority for oneself, why should we fix their problem?", "So a select group of people need a special 'bill of rights'?", and such.  If you stand with those on the margins, you're sure to encounter the finger pointing of those who espouse the dogma of personal responsibility.

As I read those comments, the story Jesus told of the Rich Man and Lazarus came to mind:

Jesus said, “There was a certain rich man who was splendidly clothed in purple and fine linen and who lived each day in luxury. At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores. As Lazarus lay there longing for scraps from the rich man’s table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores.

“Finally, the poor man died and was carried by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, and his soul went to the place of the dead. There, in torment, he saw Abraham in the far distance with Lazarus at his side.

“The rich man shouted, ‘Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in anguish in these flames.’

“But Abraham said to him, ‘Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish. And besides, there is a great chasm separating us. No one can cross over to you from here, and no one can cross over to us from there.’

“Then the rich man said, ‘Please, Father Abraham, at least send him to my father’s home. For I have five brothers, and I want him to warn them so they don’t end up in this place of torment.’

“But Abraham said, ‘Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read what they wrote.’

“The rich man replied, ‘No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God.’

“But Abraham said, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”

Luke 16:19-31

I wonder what the rich man's response was when he walked by Lazerus.  Did he assume Lazarus was where he was in life because he brought this situation on himself?  Or that he no longer considered a place to live and a job a priority?  Given the context and the reference earlier in the chapter to the Pharisees' love of money I wonder if the rich man in this story was the type of man society as a whole viewed as a righteous man.  Perhaps he faithfully performed his religious duties without flaw and would have been considered a prime candidate for paradise by others.  Could he have been one of those Jesus rebuked for being "careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law--justice, mercy, and faith"? (Matthew 23:23)  Apparently, God had a different view of the situation.

When we presume that our own prosperity is the result of our own work and other's poverty is the result of their bad decisions or behaviors, we tend to assume others just need to get it together and do the right thing to get out of their situation.  It's easy to assume others deserve the misfortune they experience while we are entitled to the good things we have earned.  Though we cannot totally minimize the role personal decisions may play in a situation, we are on shaky ground if we assume it is not our responsibility to watch out for and care for those experiencing poverty.  God calls on us to care for those who are suffering and stand up for those who are ignored and oppressed.  From the experience of the rich man in the story Jesus told, it appears He considers it a serious matter.  So should we.

 

 

Nurturing the Souls of Royalty

This past Sunday my friend and ministry coach, Troy Cady, visited our missional community to observe the work we do with friends without homes and to encourage our fledgling community in our work.  As part of the evening he shared one of his Playfull Faith stories about creation (learn more here) and the special place humanity held as stewards of God's creation.  He tied it to the mission of our community in restoring a piece of what God had created in our daily connections with people.

What stood out to me in this was the royal nature God placed in humanity as we relate to the rest of His creation.  He is the Great King and He chooses to share a bit of His dominion with humanity, which was created in His image.  In that sense, each person has a seed of royalty in them that few of us ever fully realize.  It is the call of those who follow Jesus to encourage others in finding their authentic royal nature.  As a leader it is also a challenge with each of the hats I wear to remember that good spiritual leadership includes being a good steward of the souls of royalty.

First off, as a husband and father, it affects the way I lead my family.  I need to consider every decision with a focus on what it will do to encourage the fulfillment of God's royal purpose in my wife and each of my daughters.  What can I do to help them realized the full potential of this royal nature in them?  Am I encouraging them and creating the environment to live life to the fullest and not settle for the status quo society seeks to draw us all into?

Secondly, as the team leader of a fledgling missional community, how am I caring for the souls of those God has entrusted to our community?  Am I helping them to discover the unique place in God's plan or simply using people to accomplish my goals and agendas?  In my role as a pastoral leader, I need to keep these questions in front of me always.

As part of our community's mission we spend time serving friends without homes living in tent cities around our city.  This is another area where we need to remember that we are ultimately caring for the souls of people created with the potential of a royal nature in them.  Too often in philanthropy it's easy to begin to think of people as projects and loose sight of their humanity.  It's important to remember that God's desire is that our friends discover their true nature as part of His royal family.

Finally, as a part-time computer teacher, how am I encouraging my students to exercise dominion over the world of technology and not simple be consumers of what others create for them?  How can I design my projects to help bring this out of them?  How do I encourage them to think of themselves in light of their royal potential?

We are each called to be part of God's royal family.  What are we doing to live and lead that way?