CDAA Bible Study
Several years ago, I felt the desire to get involved with Alcoholics Anonymous. An acquaintance of mine is a director in AA and is acquainted with our church, his father being a member. I asked his opinion of starting a chapter of AA at our church. His response was strongly negative. It seems that they have had very bad experiences with such arrangements. He voiced three objections.
■Only
a recovering alcoholic can help another alcoholic.
■The
essential nature of an alcoholic is that he is a rebel to begin with.
■Most
alcoholics smoke. Are you going to let him smoke at your church? He can only
handle one thing at a time!
Since that time, a possible link has turned up. I was diagnosed with celiac disorder, or gluten intolerance. I cannot eat anything containing wheat, rye, barley, or oats. Since that diagnosis, at which time the condition was very life threatening, I have also been diagnosed with adult onset diabetes. I have learned that a noticeable percentage of celiacs are also diabetics, and a noticeable percentage of diabetics are also celiacs.
This, then, provides a link with alcoholics. Your family and friends become your worst enemies. You have to sit and watch while they indulge in what you formerly enjoyed.
In this present community and church atmosphere, bible studies seem to be easy to start. Therefore I am proposing a bible study group specifically for celiacs, diabetics, and recovering alcoholics. A suitable acronym might be “The CDAA bible study”. The format would strongly emphasize sharing and caring. Different members might prepare a devotional or bible study. There is plenty of material available. It would probably be best held somewhere other than a church. The “less threatening” location would better suit a recovering alcoholic. It would also avoid conflict with “ugly religionists”.
At different places in history, God met with man at a major turning point in their life and changed their name. Abram became Abraham, Saul became Paul, etc..
In AA, people change their name within the group. This is
the anonymous part of Alcoholics Anonymous. I believe that a new name
should be chosen by all who join this bible study. Although studying the bible
would remain an important aspect, the major emphasis would be sharing and
caring. This would be from a position of true empathy. Accountability
should be employed freely. For instance, if someone in the group sees a
recovering alcoholic enter a bar, he would go in and drag him back out.
This same concept could be expanded to include dieters, and could then be called CYLS for Change Your Life Style bible study.
How about it, Christian churches? We are in the water under your bridge. Can you hear our quavering voice as we cry “If it isn’t too much bother and if you have time, would you mind saving us”?