Growing Up

Hebrews 5:13-14

Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. (NIV)

“If the family will appreciate that dad's current behavior is but a phase of his development, all will be well. In the midst of an understanding and sympathetic family, these vagaries of dad's spiritual infancy will quickly disappear.” (Alcoholics Anonymous, page 129)

How dark is the glass
I look through?
Do I speak as a child,
understand as a child,
reason as a child?
A wise woman used to say
the trouble with people being
born again
is they stay there and
never grow up.

God, make me an old-timer
in the rooms of recovery
one day at a time.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE,
NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®.
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica.
Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

You are spiritually dull and don't seem to listen.

Hebrews 5:11-12

There is much more we would like to say about this, but it is difficult to explain, especially since you are spiritually dull and don’t seem to listen. You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word. (NLT)

“So our troubles, we think, are basically of our own making. They arise out of ourselves, and the alcoholic is an extreme example of self-will run riot, though he usually doesn't think so. Above everything, we alcoholics must be rid of the selfishness. We must, or it kills us!” (Alcoholics Anonymous, page 62)

The Shoe Department
of recovery.
The Slippers, the Sneakers,
and the Loafers.
It’s a simple program,
not easy.
You have to WORK
the Steps,
to practice these principles
in all your affairs.
Stop directing the play,
look at yourself, the only person you can
change,
and do – by stopping trying,
by surrender.
Then you can learn.

God, remind me to listen to me
when I say such things
and to you all the time.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible,
New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004.
Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.,
Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Public or Private?

Hebrews 5:7-10

During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek. (NIV)

“I was to test my thinking by the new God-consciousness within. Common sense would thus become uncommon sense. I was to sit quietly when in doubt, asking only for direction and strength to meet my problems as He would have me. Never was I to pray for myself, except as my requests bore on my usefulness to others. Then only might I expect to receive. But that would be in great measure.” (Alcoholics Anonymous, page 13)

Funny. Didn’t Jesus say public prayers
were their own reward,
private ones mattered?
You reckon he ranted to God in private?
Reverent submission, not public display.
What anybody else thinks of me
is none of my business.
Hum. I guess those at the bottom of the page
don’t matter. They’re real prayers when I type,
maybe public displays later.
Made perfect, he became the source
of eternal salvation.
Made sane,
I can become the source
of salvation from insanity
for those who see him through me.

God, let the words of my mouth – or keyboard –
and the meditations of my heart
be acceptable.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE,
NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®.
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica.
Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Melchizedek and Ebby

Hebrews 5:4-6

And no one can become a high priest simply because he wants such an honor. He must be called by God for this work, just as Aaron was. That is why Christ did not honor himself by assuming he could become High Priest. No, he was chosen by God, who said to him,

“You are my Son.


Today I have become your Father.”

And in another passage God said to him,

“You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.” (NLT)

“You will be most successful with alcoholics if you do not exhibit any passion for crusade or reform. Never talk down to an alcoholic from any moral or spiritual hilltop; simply lay out the kit of spiritual tools for his inspection. Show him how they worked with you. Offer him friendship and fellowship. Tell him that if he wants to get well you will do anything to help.” (Alcoholics Anonymous, page 95)

God doesn’t choose the qualified,
he qualifies the chosen.
Of myself, I’m nothing, powerless.
Powerless over what I put in my body,
powerless over my family,
powerless over my future,
powerless to carry the message.
Like Melchizedek for Abraham,
Ebby for Bill,
I may be a ship in the night,
forgotten but for how God used me
to touch a life.
That’s fine with me.
God help me, though, if
the call is to be Abraham or Bill!
But like Isaiah, I stand on holy ground
and say, “I’m here, God. Use me.”

I’m here, God. Use me.
And qualify me for the call.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible,
New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004.
Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.,
Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Leadership

Hebrews 5:1-3

Every high priest is a man chosen to represent other people in their dealings with God. He presents their gifts to God and offers sacrifices for their sins. And he is able to deal gently with ignorant and wayward people because he himself is subject to the same weaknesses. That is why he must offer sacrifices for his own sins as well as theirs. (NLT)

“Outline the program of action, explaining how you made a self-appraisal, how you straightened out your past and why you are now endeavoring to be helpful to him. It is important for him to realize that your attempt to pass this on to him plays a vital part in your own recovery. Actually, he may be helping you more than you are helping him.” (Alcoholics Anonymous, page 94)

Jesus tagged as hypocrite
he who set himself up
to remove a speck
with a log in his own eye.
Wilson understood when he wrote
the book,
not when he started, preaching, dragging
drunks to the Oxford Group.
When a real leader leads,
the people say, “We did it ourselves.”

God, I don’t want to be better than,
lower than,
other than.
I want to be your child,
sister to the world.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible,
New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004.
Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.,
Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Apples to Oranges

Hebrews 4:14-16

Christ Is Our High Priest

So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

“After your man has gone along without drinking for a few months, you may be able to make use of his services with other employees who are giving you the alcoholic run-around – provided, of course, they are willing to have a third party in the picture. An alcoholic who has recovered, but holds a relatively unimportant job, can talk to a man with a better position. Being on a radically different basis of life, he will never take advantage of the situation.” (Alcoholics Anonymous, page 146)

Fair’s fair.
Rules are rules.
I can’t compete with Superman’s
strength, flight, imperviousness.
But some other sexagenarian woman
I’ll take on.
Don’t lecture me, preach to me,
tell me my weaknesses
until you’ve been there, done that,
know the helplessness,
the powerlessness, the humiliation.
I’ll hear you,
I’ll seek your way out,
your helping hand
gladly.
Been there, done that.
Fair’s fair.

God, thanks for understanding us,
for sinking to our mire
in order to lift us
beyond hope’s wildest fancies.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible,
New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004.
Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.,
Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

HONESTLY!

Hebrews 4:12-13

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. (NIV)

“We pocket our pride and go to it, illuminating every twist of character, every dark cranny of the past. Once we have taken this step, withholding nothing, we are delighted. We can look the world in the eye. We can be alone at perfect peace and ease. Our fears fall from us. We begin to feel the nearness of our Creator. (Alcoholics Anonymous, page 75)

Rigorous honesty,
obfuscation sliced away,
soul exposed,
naked truth,
unmasked psyche.
Healing comes,
though, through exposure,
through access, wounds laid bare —
a healing salve,
the Balm of Gilead.
Perfect peace, at ease,
fears cascade.

My Creator, how can you know me,
inside out, to the rotten core,
and love me still? I don’t know.
I only know, you do!

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE,
NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®.
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica.
Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.