The Recovery-Minded Church by Jonathan Benz with Kristina Robb-Dover is a thoughtful, loving look at ministering to addicts in our midst. My concern with the approach detailed in this book is that it is really two, separate books in one cover: a book about churches and clergy reaching out to addicts in their midst so as to help them enter or maintain recovery; and a book about churches that act as addicts and are in need of recovery themselves.

My concern is that many churches and pastors are unconsciously functioning in addictive and dysfunctional family systems that render them rather limited in their attempts to help others until they learn to help themselves and/or to accept help from others. For example, this book talks about churches doing interventions on addicts. I have often wished that people in recovery could do interventions on churches.

To its credit, this book does encourage churches to “work the steps,” such as Step 4: “taking a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.” That section was well-written and logical. My discovery, having come to seminary at 43 as a “self-help” book writer with a particular lens on adult children of alcoholics, is that church folk are reluctant to do the interior work required for successful recovery. They are more outwardly, rather than inwardly, focused. They are willing and even eager to minister to addicts in, let’s say, a soup kitchen, but they are less willing to sit with such persons in a pew on Sunday morning. And even if they were, they would not necessarily be able to identify with them, even after having read this book. Why?

What is missing from this worthwhile and thoughtful book, I think, is a reflection on the emphasis on an addict having to “bottom out” on their addiction and lifestyle in order to achieve sobriety AND a discussion on how churches and their pastors will also have to bottom out on their many hollow or archaic attempts to reach people.

Churches that have done the deep, soulful, painful and sometimes joyous work of seeking recovery as if their very life depended on it will, perhaps, become a church that is able to minister to individuals with addictions in a way that is authentic and believable. Until then, the church would be more useful in simply referring people with addictions to 12 step meetings that are better suited and tailor-made to meet their recovery needs.

I ALSO REMEMBER on this Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day that Dr. King’s mother, Alberta King, 70, was fatally shot as she sat at the Ebenezer Baptist Church’s new organ, playing “The Lord’s Prayer” as her husband, Rev. Martin Luther King, Sr. was preaching. The killer was a black man who had nothing against black people but hated Christians. Today, louder than ever, I hear Dr. King’s plea for non-violence. Lord, have mercy.

Everybody, at some point in their life, wants a miracle. But it is usually when all hope is gone; when every cure has been tried and every test has been taken; when all of our best thoughts and efforts appear to have been in vain; when we stand empty-handed, perplexed and desperate ~ at that exact point we are finally open to the transforming grace of a miracle.

Jesus’ first miracle, performed at a wedding in Cana, did not fit such criteria. He was at a wedding, wishing, perhaps, to be able to kick back and relax without someone demanding something of him. But in the midst of the celebration, a problem arose. They ran out of wine. Perhaps they didn’t order enough, or the guests were drinking more heavily than anticipated. We don’t know. We do know that Jesus’ mother was alarmed. “They have no wine” she said to Jesus. And Jesus responded: “Woman, what concern is that to you and to me?” She never answered him. Despite his reluctance, Jesus performed the miracle of transforming water into wine.

Why the change of heart? One possibility is that he performed the miracle to get his mother off his back. Another is that Jesus benefited from performing this miracle because it revealed his divinity. But not everyone at the wedding became a disciple of Jesus as a result of witnessing the miracle of transforming water into wine.

While miracles may convert some persons to belief, they may also convert others to suspicionsuspicion. In ancient Palestine, after all, there were lots of wanna-be-Messiahs wandering the countryside, trying to cultivate a following with magic and other acts of awe and wonder. “Who is the trickster?” I can almost hear some of the guests say.

Jesus also said, “My hour has not yet come” meaning, as some postulate, that the time of his death had not yet come and he was going to save his miracles for the big finale. He may also have meant that the time to perform miracles had not yet come because the true significance of a miracle would be lost on the revelers who, far from looking for a Messiah to follow, may have simply been looking for a wine glass to empty. In Ecclesiastes 3, with which Jesus was surely familiar, the belief is stated that there is a time for everything under heaven. Just because someone longs for a “miracle” does not necessarily mean that the miracle’s time has come.

The purpose of a miracle is not entertainment ~ it is changed lives. And the essence of miracles are time and timing. God seems to give us precisely what we need at the precise moment we are willing to receive it ~ if we are willing to receive it, that is. When we keep our eyes, minds, and hearts open to the miraculous occurring in our every day life, God may choose to act.

I know from experience. God performed a miracle in my life by changing wine into water. It took my participation and the help of a fellowship; but it was a miracle nonetheless. That was thirty-five years ago and I have not consumed wine or any other alcohol ever since. It seems to me that God was telling us that with God’s help, we could go out and perform our own miracles: such as turning sickness into health, despair into hope, separation into unity, fear into faith, and congregation into community. I have seen many, many miracles since then. I am willing to bet that you have too.

Originally published in PATHEOS on January 15, 2016

Facebookistan is truly virtual reality. It can be a very dark place. It can also be helpful, fun and informative. It is addictive, in a way, like Dorothy and her posse traipsing through poppy fields. The blocking and unfriending and oversight by invisible, Oz-like Facebookistan authorities who tell you how many people you can invite to an event (for no apparent reason) is also intriguing. I was just musing, and still am. This shall be continued.

Enough already! Many of us have confusion, misgivings, sorrows and anger about Christian churches and Christianity itself and what has become of it. I get it.

Encountering pastors who believe they have all the answers; entering or hearing about a church that shames and blames people into submission and confession; doctrines, creeds and mission statements that assume their way is the only (or at least the “right”) way, and so on, is a turn-off to many. A national, denominational devotional I read this morning affirmed this when it proclaimed, “It is no accident that those who are certain of their religious convictions are always the first to bless our world’s wars.”

However, the daily devotional continued, “the world needs a church… humble enough to say ‘we don’t quite know what we’re talking about.’” That’s what “the world” needs?  Really? This “devotional” is not the words of a religious fanatic. I have nothing against him.  The author appears knowledgeable, experienced and kind. I am certain his words are soothing music to someone’s ears.

But not mine.

I simply wonder how effective a proclamation and witness to “the world” this will be for the un-or-formerly-churched who we may desire to reach. I am an ordained minister and pastor within the Christian tradition; but about 80% of the people in my life and work do not go to church.  Despite that, they appear to have a spiritual itch the world can’t scratch, and a thirst it cannot quench. They come to church, often, out of a sense of brokenness and need; seeking health, wholeness and reconciliation.

Rather than declaring that we don’t quite know what we are talking about (which is a perception that is already shared by much of the world) ~ perhaps we might consider presenting ourselves as a respite, a way-station that offers a healing balm in Gilead, or Cleveland or Des Moines and Syracuse or Dallas or Denver or…

Perhaps we could benefit greatly by getting back to basics and focusing a bit more on being the church built on the foundation of Jesus’ love, hope, justice and forgiveness with a little Matthew 25 thrown in for good measure. The church has a lot to offer. Not all absolute conviction is tyrannical; and not all uncertainty is inviting. On Christ the solid rock, I stand. Do you know what I’m talking about?

If you were to stand in an open field on a cloudy night during the Winter Solstice, December 22nd, the shortest day of the year, it might be so dark you could not see your fingers if you held your hand out in front of your face. It is like that on many days this time of year when the sun sets in the afternoon. But if there suddenly were a break in the clouds ~ the entire darkness would be broken by the light of even a single, tiny star. Even if that star had long burned-out and become dark and cold ~ the light it emitted during its lifetime would continue its journey of thousands of years so as to meet you as you stood in that open field, on a cloudy night, during the Winter Solstice.

Darkness cannot conquer even the faintest sliver of light. Let God be your light. Darkness cannot conquer even the faintest sliver of God. And if, in your darkness, you cannot find your way to God, consider letting Jesus be your guide to the light. And if that doesn’t work for you, let your Higher Power, however you understand that power to be, be your light. And if that too doesn’t work for you, then try to be your own light until the source of light finds its way to you. And no matter what, fear not! Sometimes the star you are following is actually following you.

In whatever form of darkness you may find yourself at this or any time of year, remember that the light is racing toward you at… the speed of light. And when the Merchants of Darkness, in whatever form you find them, surround and encompass you and try to sell you on their vision ~ wait patiently for the light. It is coming to dispel the darkness above, around, below and within you. The darkness of hatred that strives to banish the dawn; the starless terror that infiltrates your sleep; the bad tidings of discomfort and joylessness ~ these need not take hold of your imagination. The Merchants of Darkness cannot win without your active participation.

The Merchants of Light are arriving like an ice cream truck on a sunny, summer day. Hark! I can hear their familiar, exciting tune broadcast to the neighborhood. Children of all ages, hungry for morsels of comfort and joy are racing out of their homes to greet them. Even the darkest and shortest days have no dominion over the light that is growing longer and stronger. Joy to the world! It is time to lighten-up!

The first mosque I visited had a bullet hole in the outside placed there a drive-by shooter while adults and children were inside having a prayer service. It reminded me of the bomb that killed four black children at a church in Alabama in 1963. We, as a nation, eventually found better ways to address the violence, hatred and terror of segregation and we will also find better ways to address the violence, fear and terror of Islam that has gripped America in 2015.

In the past fifteen years of interfaith initiatives, I have learned that the vast majority of Muslim-Americans are peaceful, purposeful and patriotic. It is unfortunate that the entirety of Islam is being held accountable for the heinous acts of a few fanatics claiming to be devout Muslims. Stories of successful relations between Muslims and non-Muslims are routinely ignored by the media whose commonly-known industry mantra is, “if it bleeds, it leads.”

We would benefit by providing an opportunity for Muslims and Christians to do such things together as helping to prepare and serve a meal at a soup kitchen. Reading about Muslims in a newspaper is very different than cutting carrots with Muslims. People get to know each other a little by reading newspapers, watching television, emailing and writing social media posts. But they get to know each other far better by such things as breaking bread, sharing stories, exploring the art of each other’s culture, and learning the personal and religious protocol of visiting each other.

For some understandable reasons, Muslims and Christians fear it could be dangerous to approach each other’s institutions and fellowships of faith. But terror can only truly win if we let in invade and occupy our mind and spirit. It is time to roll up our sleeves, not to fight, but to form a fire bucket brigade to put out the fire of hatred and prejudice that is approaching the front door of our houses of worship. A good way to begin might be to adopt-a-mosque and let the healing begin.

Rev. Dwight Lee Wolter is the pastor of the Congregational Church of Patchogue and founder of adopt-a-mosque.org 

“There is an ending folded into every beginning; and a new beginning folded into every end. But love never dies.” ~ I wrote this after watching the wedding video of a couple from a few months ago. I had the honor of presiding over the wedding. The mother of the bride died suddenly two months later. I had the honor of presiding over the funeral. The family is struggling with the joy and the grief of Christmas without her for the first time. Hopefully, that which appears to tear them apart from each other through early death will, actually bring closer together through eternal life. Love never dies. I repeat: Love Never Dies.

When you were a kid, did you ever play with a gyroscope? You gave it a twirl and it seemed to spin forever. The world is like a gyroscope. At the dawn of creation, God gave the earth a twirl and it has been spinning ever since. But everybody knows what inevitably happens toward the end of a gyroscope’s seemingly eternal rotations: It slows down and begins to wobble. Its path becomes erratic. If nothing is done about it, the gyroscope will eventually spin out of control, topple, and stop.

Some people believe that is why Jesus came to us the first time: to give the gyroscope of life another twirl and set us straight on our path.

Many people, religious and not, believe the world is beginning to spin out of control again. They see signs that the end of the journey is drawing near in the way we are behaving in a series of incidences crammed into small segments of time: terror in Paris; beheadings of Koptic Christians by ISIS on a pristine beach in Libya. Many people, including me, let out a sigh of relief that the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade went off without a terrorist incident. Recently there was a killing spree at a Planned Parenthood office in Colorado Springs. Etc.  Etc.

Some Christians believe that is why Christ will come again. Scripture tells us that before the coming of the Messiah there will be signs of distress. Life tells us that before we are willing to practice new behavior, we must “bottom-out” on old behavior.

The Advent season begins with a warning and a wake-up call to change before it is too late. We will soon get to the alleluias of Christmas. But first we have to drop our pepper spray. We have to be willing to stop elbowing people out of our way. We have to work a little harder on getting our priorities right. Even in the midst of fear, foreboding, loneliness and discouragement ~ hope springs eternal! Even in the midst of strife we can find Advent flames of hope, love, joy and peace.

Originally published in the UCC NewSacred.com

http://newsacred.org/2015/12/the-gyroscope-of-advent/ 

Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him and threw themselves at his feet, begging Jesus to “have pity on us.” If you were the leader of a religious movement with political change in mind and on your way to the capital city, as was Jesus and his followers; these leper people would not be your first choice in forming a coalition.

After simple instructions from Jesus, they are miraculously cleansed and healed. Great news! However, as they went on their merry way, presumably to joyously return to their families, jobs and communities; only one of them came back to say thanks.  “Were not ten made clean?” Jesus asks, “But the other nine, where are they?” The Bible does not record the answer of the one who returned to say thanks. But we do know that he was a Samaritan, a foreigner-type-of- leper that Jews such as Jesus believed to be a potential enemy. Most of Jesus’ followers would not have associated with a Samaritan and yet Jesus healed him.

But just two months ago, the photo of a three year old Syrian refugees’ body lying face down on a beach where he had washed ashore shocked the world.  The American public compassionately offered a home to a few thousand more children like him. My, how quickly things can change.

Last Thursday, in response to the Paris terror attack, the House of Representatives (Republicans and many Democrats) voted by a large margin to dramatically tighten screening procedure for refugees from Syria. Additionally, more than two dozen governors, including one Democrat, have said they would try to block Syrian refugees from entering their state. “People are very nervous, very worried about this” said Speaker Paul D. Ryan.  Meanwhile, President Obama tweeted, “Slamming the door in the face of refugees would betray our deepest values… That’s not who we are. And it’s not what we’re going to do.” Obama emphasized that refugees were subjected to “the most rigorous vetting process that we have for anybody who is admitted.” Others vehemently disagreed. Donald Trump has voiced his support for the registration of American Muslims that has been likened by Republicans and Democrats to the forced registration of Jews in Nazi Germany. On the other hand, the Governor of the State of Washington writes that he will continue to welcome refugees who have been appropriately vetted. The lines are drawn, as are the weapons of vote and veto.

The point of this epistle is not to tell you what to think. On the topic of terrorist attacks and refugees; people are all over the map. The point of this epistle is, however, to say that, as Christians it is imperative to refer to our faith, our relationship with Jesus and with God, and with our scripture to see what our precedents are.

In many ways, Syrian refugees are the lepers of today’s society. Their plight has caused them to be banished to remote areas. Contact with them, it is feared, could inflict terror and physical danger on the community. Thus mercy and pity have been supplanted by fear and exile. Syrian exiles have thrown themselves at our feet, begging us, like the lepers begged Jesus, for mercy. Like lepers, the refugees cannot return home and yet they also have no other place to go. They are afflicted by a condition beyond their control and yet are treated as if they were the cause of it. They are like the Hebrew people led by Moses out of hostile Egypt who find themselves with the sea in front of them and at their backs are the angry agents of the government from which they have fled. And like the  price-gougers and opportunists that appear in the aftermath of any disaster ~ the owners of flimsy, unsafe and massively over-crowded boats will take the desperate refugees to hopeful safety for an exorbitant amount of money. And as you know, and as they know, many of them will die at sea seeking safety.

Refugees are certainly looking for safety, but they are also looking for mercy and deliverance. We are in the position to offer mercy and deliverance; and doing so is in direct accordance with the mandate of Jesus himself who said, in Matthew 25: When I was hungry, you fed me; when I was naked, you clothed me; when I was in prison, you visited me. The disciples, as we know, asked Jesus when he was hungry, homeless, naked and in prison. And he replied that whenever and wherever any of the “the least of these” is in such peril ~ the way we behave toward them is as if it is the way we treat Jesus himself.

I am not making any of this up to fold it into my own philosophy. I am merely repeating what is found in our scriptures where it is obvious that when we don’t welcome the foreigner, Jesus takes it very personally. We, as Christians, are mandated to offer food, shelter and clothing to the refugees. Even if only one out of ten of them respond in the exact way we would like them to ~ respond we must. What form our welcoming of refugees takes can and will be debated. Politicians and historians will affirm or deny that America is or should be beacon of hope for those chased from their homelands. What is not debatable is that Christ welcomed us as he would have us welcome each other.

Soon our churches will be decorated for Christmas and we will, for the next month or so, gaze upon the nativity scene that depicts a Middle Eastern family who were looking for a place to stay, only to be told there was no room for them. We will tell our children in church the story of how, after his birth, Mary and Joseph fled with the baby Jesus to Egypt… as refugees fleeing from actual and threatened violence. The tragic irony of the overlap of terrorism, refugees, deliverance and hope may be coincidence. But it also may  be divine providence ~ granting us the strength with which help can supplant abandonment; hope can supplant helplessness; compassion can supplant callousness; faith can supplant fear; and peace, with God’s guidance and our help, can supplant everything.

Originally published (11/23/15 in Patheos) http://www.patheos.com/blogs/faithforward/2015/11/syrian-refugees-as-modern-day-lepers/