12-STEP PROGRAM BASIS FOR SERMONS

When the Rev. Paul Short first began counseling church members who wanted to overcome problems with alcohol or drugs, he turned to the Scriptures.

During his 25 years in the ministry, he has found it easy to open the Bible and find an answer to life's problems. But for many people struggling with addictions or compulsive behavior, the Bible or church is one of the last places they would think to go for help.

Short, pastor of St. Andrew Lutheran Church, wants that to change.

"We have the hope and the ingredient" to fix the problem, he said.

Last week, Short began an eight-week sermon series based on the 12-step recovery program. The series, based on an acrostic for recovery, continues through Oct. 3, at the 10:30 a.m. worship service. Tapes of the sermon are also available for $1.

Short believes the 12-step recovery program is based on biblical principals but refrains from identifying those principals as spiritual.

"It's very secular," he said. "But I feel that at the same time it's a small S spiritual."

The church can easily identify the higher being or power that can help a person overcome their addiction: God. "He's given his word for how to deal with the struggle," Short said.

Short based his sermon series on Isaiah 57:18: "I have seen his ways, but I will heal him: I will guide him and restore comfort to him." (NIV)

In his ministry career, he has collected enough sermon notes and article clippings to fill a two-inch thick file folder. He sifts through the papers looking for a newspaper article from years ago about another church he lead through the series.

America's churches aren't doing a good job of preaching against sin without alienating sinners, Short said.

The church should be trying to reach those people who feel most rejected by the church. When people hear sermons about sin in their lives, it makes them uncomfortable and less willing to share when they do have serious problems, Short said.

But everyone sins. People need to know that just because they aren't battling substance abuse, there aren't other addictions in life. Problems can also arise from other unhealthy habits, like:

-- Procrastination.

-- Addiction to sports.

-- Television.

-- Spending.

-- Gambling.

By recognizing those problems and trying to change, people will be able to make progress toward achieving dreams or having a greater purpose in life, Short said.

But conquering sin and unhealthy habits isn't an easy task. It takes help. "You're always overcoming the tendency and the desire," Short said.

He hopes that a recovery support group will be part of the church's outreach after the sermon series concludes. No specific group has begun meeting yet, but Short would like to offer one.

Members at St. Andrew are overcoming their own addictions or have relatives and friends who are in recovery. "And it's true we aren't the only church that could have these people" in the congregation, Short said.

By encouraging recovery and offering a means of support, he hopes to affect not only the St. Andrew congregation but the entire community.

"Christ was an outcast of the church," Short said. He came to touch those people who felt most rejected by the church. "And that's the kind of church we want to be.

"Jesus wants to help us through the struggles and then he wants to be part of our victory over the struggles."

Celebration recovery

Eight principles of recovery based on the 12-step program.

Principle 1: Realize I'm not God. I admit that I'm powerless to control my tendency to do the wrong thing and that my life is unmanageable.

Principle 2: Earnestly believe that God exists, that I matter to him, and that he has the power to help me recover.

Principle 3: Consciously choose to commit all my life and will to Christ's care and control.

Principle 4: Openly examine and confess my faults to myself, to God, and to someone I trust.

Principle 5: Voluntarily submit to every change God wants to make in my life and humbly ask him to remove my character defects.

Principle 6: Evaluate all my relationships. Offer forgiveness to those who have hurt me and make amends for harm I've done to others, except when to do so would harm them or others.

Principle 7: Reserve a daily time with God for self-examination, Bible reading and prayer in order to know God and his will for my life and to gain the power to follow his will.

Principle 8: Yield myself to God to be used to bring this Good News to others, by both my example and my words.