Most pastors and Christian counselors have witnessed the zealot who has discovered liberty in early sobriety and are immediate evangelists for immersion in the recovery community – usually outside the walls of the church. In AA circles we call this the "pink cloud”. Many pastors and church leaders view this spiritually-based commitment to "outside” programs as suspect, heretical or a threat to ones' spiritual development. However, most of the concerns of the church are formed from ignorance and embraced without sincere investigation.
Consider these realities:
AA was founded by Christian men (see Dick B's site) and rooted in the principles of the beatitudes.
The 12 Step movement is NOT secular. Mention of the "Higher Power” in the Big Book of AA has reference to total surrender of one's life ONLY to a Judeo-Christian God. A personal, daily dependency on this God produces a spiritual transformation, forgiveness from error, an embrace of divine mercy and grace, the constant exercise of gratitude and worship, healing and a "daily reprieve” from the sentence of death. (See "To the agnostic” chapter of the Big Book of AA.)
AA's elimination of the person of Jesus, Buddha, Mohammed and other specific religious leaders was a calculated decision on the part of the early Christian leaders of AA. They declared their mission was to stop short of becoming a theologically-based program so as to, 1) attract the greatest company of those desiring recovery and, 2) allow the church to "be the church”, offering discipleship to tender souls who are open, contrite and desperate to grow in their relationship with their God.
The Big Book of AA challenges the reader to beware of having "contempt before investigation” when it comes to spirituality. While most addicts have a mal-formed or abusive concept of the church and of Christians, this step is critical to their openness to faith. On the other hand, the church would do well in withholding judgment of the spiritual maturity (or immaturity) of a recovering person's spiritual understandings.
The process of withholding judgment of a recovering person's spiritual formation requires both patience and a deeper faith in the unpredictable timing and role of the Holy Spirit. The emphasis then is on a sanctification process based on a personal journey that has no schedule, format or "look”. The conversion becomes one of repentance ("turning around”) toward a specific DIRECTION rather than an immediate one-time DECISION.
The Great Commission does not challenge the church to "sign up” souls but to make disciples of human beings. Church leaders in the ‘40's and ‘50's, amazed at the hope and spiritual vitality among 12 Step people, declared Alcoholics Anonymous as "the greatest spiritual movement of our generation”. With untold millions around the world who have been quietly delivered from a sure death sentence, their claim requires consideration.
Lastly, the church may be missing out on one of the greatest opportunities for harvest among these "hidden peoples” within the very shadows of their own buildings (both within and without!) by not playing their intended role in partnership with AA and the 12-Step movement.
May we embrace the courage, the sensitivity and the vision to bring the Savior's Grace to those most broken and desperate for His mercy and our loving Christian communities.
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