Thursday, February 14, 2013

The Church of AA

Alcoholics Anonymous is a kind of grass-roots church. People attend on a regular basis and seek help from Above; they confess their sins and find life-affirming fellowship. When an addict begins, he/she is encouraged to do "90 meetings in 90 days" and to get a "sponsor", i.e. a mentor who's "been there." This is all very good, and something the Church needs to model. I wish people who go to church would approach worship with the same sense of urgency as those who attend AA meetings. We are addicted to sin, and desperately need pardon and new direction, which is available. We have much to learn from AA and the 12 Steps, which apply to daily living, regardless of whether you're addicted to a substance or activity, or not. I did a sermon series on these steps, and my congregation "got it"; they realized that the principles of AA are life-building blocks for an effective/full life. Let's make sure we make a meeting this Sunday!

Sunday, February 3, 2013

Super Bowl Sunday

I like football, but I am frustrated at the hype over the Super Bowl. Some act like it ought to be a national holiday, and many church goers skip church to prepare for the game...even though their team isn't playing. This is an indication of misplaced priorities. Churches with evening worship either cancel or have a Super Bowl party. When I lived in Texas, I got the impression that football was the state religion. Well, that's my rant. Next time I'll keep it positive.