Addiction, Grace, And 3 Warnings

Last updated on: June 3, 2021 at 12:31 pm by C. Don Jones

Addiction, Grace, And 3 Warnings 2021-06-03T12:31:03-06:00 C. Don Jones

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Addiction is fashionable in churches. Congregations host Recovery meetings, have Celebrate Recovery ministries, and, because of the Opioid Crisis, hold overdose response training. I am glad there is interest. The absolute worst thing churches can do is ignore a problem. I am also grateful. Grace works one day at a time if it works at all. I have a few words of advice for churches considering these ministries.

Addiction Is A Living Death

The late Brennan Manning is known for two things. One is that he wrote the most popular book on grace – The Ragamuffin Gospel. The other is that he was always candid about his struggles with alcoholism. I did not know until recently that he died suffering from Wet Brain Syndrome. It is one of the two major diseases associated with alcoholism. It is rarely reversible. And to my mind scarier than Cirrhosis of the Liver.

Manning, like many late-stage alcoholics, drank because he had to but did not want to drink. Stopping drinking is a frightening prospect for the person needing recovery. What will happen to me if I stop? To the normal person, the answer sounds simple. But it is not for the addict. The responses parallel those we hear from victims of family abuse when asked why they stay.

Substance abuse involves deception, selfishness, and fear. These are attributes of sin. But, addiction itself is not sin anymore than death is sin. Addiction is variously defined as a disease, a syndrome, or a disorder. Knowing this removes the stigma of sinfulness from addiction. Church leaders who understand this difference can begin offering help.

Addicts Are Not A Source Of Income

Helping addicts is an expensive proposition. Churches involved in these ministries often have one full-time staff person who directs them. There are other costs to consider. These are the volunteer time commitment, the use of dedicated space in the building, and the fact that other ministries get scheduled around recovery ministries. Heartbreak and failure happen.

The greatest abuse in all recovery work is using addicts as a source of income. Too many “recovery centers” or “half-way houses” are merely money making prospects for the owners. I once lived in a place that cost $800 per month. Out of that fee, I got $30 a week for meals. I shared a room with another person. And I lost thirty pounds in 2 months. When I left I got a one-bedroom apartment for $400 per month. What was more galling to me was that we were used to raise money for the facility. But there are some that simply make slaves of their “patients.” Churches that connect with “ministries” that provide free labor should ask questions.

Churches doing recovery ministries need money to do them. But using the ministry as a fund-raising tactic for the churches raises ethical questions about how the funds are used. If I give money to a ministry, I expect the money to be used for the ministry and not other stuff the church wants to do. Be clear and accountable about how donations are used.

Addiction Destroys Personal Contact

What is the picture of an addict in your mind? Is it a picture of a criminal, a homeless person, a deadbeat parent? You may be surprised to learn that most addicts and alcoholics had the same images in their minds before they realized their own condition. By that time, most of their friends and family gives up on them. Their situation may not be as bad as the preconceived image. But it has its own burden. They suffer loneliness.

I know several people who sat alone in a house full of people while they drank and used. I was one of them. The loneliness is self-reinforcing. An impossible barrier exists between the addict and those who don’t understand.

Church ministries to addicts should emphasize community. The pandemic brought isolation to so many recovering addicts and alcoholics. And isolation is a killer. It is not enough to talk about a connection to Jesus in these ministries. Jesus knew how important it was to have a community of outcasts. He may be the only non-addict who gets addiction. And maybe that overstates the point I am trying to make.

Addiction And Healing

There is no cure for addiction. People can recover though. Recovery groups and programs that succeed offer connection as the result of whatever steps or promises are taught. Make miracles happen for people. It is our work.

Addiction

Community

Exploitation of the Poor

Sobriety

Previous Post

June 1, 2021

3 Attitudes Are Killing American Churches

Next Post

June 8, 2021 4 Take-Aways From A Year Of Online Worship

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Addiction Advent Afghanistan Anxiety Ascension Sunday Baptism Barack Obama Biblical Interpretation Bigotry Book Banning BSA Buddhism Choice Christmas Church Discipline Community Conscience Conspiracy theories COVID-19 Culture Wars death cults deconstruction Devotional Divine Judgment Donald Trump Earth Day Election Day empathy Environmentalism Evangelism Exploitation of the Poor Faith False Claims fascism Fear Forgiveness Genocide government Grace Gun Violence Halloween Hate Health Hillbilly Elegy Hindu Holy Communion Holy Week Homelessness Hope Identity Integrity Islam Joe Biden John Hagee Kamala Harris Labor Lent Liberation Theology Lies Love Love as action Neurological disorders Non-Christian Religions Online Worship Original Goodness Pandemic Peace Pentecost Philosophy Preaching Progressive Christianity Racism Redemptive Violence Myth Resentment Saint's Days Satire Sobriety social media Spiritual Self Care Spirituality Technology The Kingdom of God The United Methodist Church Theology Transfigurations Sunday Transgender persons Truth Uncategorized Violence Wesleyan Working Class

Select a Month September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 March 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 September 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 January 2025 October 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 October 2018 September 2018 July 2018 February 2018 January 2018 August 2017 May 2017 November 2016 July 2016 June 2016 November 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 January 2015 November 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 June 2013 March 2013 February 2013 December 2012 August 2012 July 2012 May 2012 February 2012 December 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What is the longest chapter in the Bible?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Psalm 119 Genesis 1 Psalm 23 Isaiah 53