It has been

almost two months since I announced to my congregation that I was attending

meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous. No, I'm not an alcoholic. In fact, the

amount of wine that I consume in a year (primarily at Holy Communion)

wouldn't fill even one small bottle. And, for the record, I don't drink

beer or any of the hard stuff. I do probably have an addiction to Diet

Coke and a good carrot cake is my downfall.

As a part of

the requirements for a doctoral course at Trinity Episcopal School for

Ministry, I was required to attend several Twelve-Step meetings.

I was a bit

nervous about attending my first meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous. I had

formed an opinion about A.A., based primarily on rumor and hearsay, but

I really had very little firsthand information.

I had been

told that people who attended A.A. tended to make it their church and

that they depended upon some vague "higher power" to help them

make it through the day sober. Others told me that people at A.A. meetings

moaned and groaned about life, spewed forth copious amounts of profanity,

and exchanged an addiction for alcohol to an addiction for tobacco. Even

though I had never been to a meeting and had never read substantially

about A.A., I had an opinion and it wasn't a positive one.

The first meeting

I attended was a bit of a surprise. I had expected to encounter a spontaneous

"group therapy" session of sorts. I came away feeling that the

meeting was rather like a church meeting, sans music, with its own leaders,

a liturgy, a time of giving, testimony, prayer, group encouragement, and

a total acceptance of all present, regardless of their circumstance or

status (the last element sadly missing in many, if not most, church congregations).

Clearly, I

would have to re-think my former assumptions. No one moaned and groaned,

there was no profanity, and no one smoked inside the building. My experience

and impression was a positive one.

The second,

third, and fourth meetings that I attended were at night in another town.

Again there was a general absence of moaning and groaning and profanity.

A few of the members smoked outside prior to the meeting.

Because of

the confidentiality required of those who attend meetings, I can't reveal

and names, specifics, or identities. In fact, I don't feel comfortable

sharing any of the problems that members were sharing in the safety and

security of the group. But I was moved by the compassion, dedication,

and comittment that I observed in these meetings.

In fact, I

felt that I was among some of the most courageous people I had ever met.

Although I can't reveal details about the meetings, I did come away with

my thoughts totally rearranged on the matter. Here's what I learned as

a result of my brief firsthand experience with A.A.:

Twelve Steps

groups, at least those I attended, were highly structured, almost church-like

in their format.

Absolute honesty

was encouraged and expected.

The response

to problems voiced by members of the group was dealt with on a case by

case basis, with a response appropriate to the situation.

Successes

were shared and a common rejoicing occurred.

Failures were

dealt with in a spirit of compassion and encouragement.

The group

shared leadership.

Participants

agreed to maintain the confidentiality of other members of the group.

Those who

were enjoying several years of sobriety were available to help those who

were struggling or those who were new to the group.

No one was

expected to "go it alone," indeed, the group made it clear that

one could not be successful without the help of the group and a mentor.

Essential

accepted truths and dogma were reinforced meeting after meeting.

Spiritual

development was seen as essential to success in every area, not just sobriety.

Newcomers

were welcomed to the group with open arms.

People who

had failed, and had been absent from the group for some time, were welcomed

with open arms.

Many people

who were in A.A., and not attending church, were absent from a house of

worship because of the judgmentalism they had faced at other churches

in the past. Many of them loved God; they just didn't feel loved by God's

people.

The ritual

of saying one's name, followed by one's condition, broke down the factor

of pride and hastened identity with the group. Likewise, the response

of the group, repeating the speaker's name, hastened and fostered a sense

of community.

The act of

rewarding sobriety with chips or a party in the presence of all served

as powerful reinforcements.

Clear goals

were stated: "Do not drink today." This made success or failure,

at least on the subject of sobriety, easy to measure.

The act of

holding hands during prayer fostered a sense of oneness and intimacy.

I found that

I had greatly misjudged recovery groups and, in fact, came away from my

experience impressed and believing that the Church could learn much from

the Twelve Step programs. After sharing with my congregation about my

involvement with A.A. groups, several individuals privately shared with

me that they had been or currently were involved in recovery groups. My

attendance at these groups actually opened doors of communication between

several members of the parish and myself.

Currently,

I am investigating the possibility of opening our facilities to various

recovery groups, such as A.A., Overeaters Anonymous, Sex Addicts Anonymous,

Gamblers Anonymous, and so on. We are also considering how we, as a church,

may alter our way of doing ministry so that we may, somehow, be as open,

helpful, encouraging, and nonjudgmental as the groups I attended.

[David Epps

is rector of Christ the King Charismatic Episcopal Church in Peachtree

City. He may be contacted at [email protected] or at www.ChristTheKingCEC.com .]