Reflections and Resources - Addictions

On Thursday and Friday, Sue Washburn, Alice Tondora, and I lead conversations on addiction at the two western Regional Meetings of the Synod of the Trinity in Morgantown, WV and Camp Crestfield. We met some wonderful people who shared our concern for those families and individuals impacted by alcohol and other drug dependency. They shared with us stories of hope and heartache and concern for discerning where the Holy Spirit may be guiding the church in the future to bring hope and healing to those experiencing the pain and struggle in addictions. We came away with affirmation of the direction we are being lead and ideas and suggestions for our common ministry. Some which, we will reflect upon in the next few weeks. We talked about some of the resources available on the internet. Here are a few, though not in anyway an extensive list of possible web links. We include additional links in the next few months.

PAStop.org

The U.S. is in the midst of an epidemic of opiate addiction and overdose. Overdose deaths from prescription painkillers have quadrupled since 1999. Deaths from heroin have tripled in the last five years. Pennsylvania has a higher overdose rate than most states.

The Commonwealth Prevention Alliance (CPA) realizes immediate action needs to be taken to prevent opiate abuse. The CPA offers this website, and its content, to increase awareness, education and information on how to seek help. Visit their web page at pastop.org

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

NIDA provides a wealth of information about drug abuse and links to other organizations and resources. NIDA is committed to bringing timely, factual information on addiction and its treatment to the public. NIDA’s Office

of Science Policy and Communications links scientists, the scientific community, and the media, PILB supports the rapid dissemination of research information to inform policy and improve practice. NIDA’s goal is to ensure that science— not ideology or anecdote—forms the foundation of public information on drug use and addiction.

Visit NIDA online at www.drugabuse.gov

Easy-to-Read Drug Facts

As the name of this website states in contains easy to read drug facts. The site will even read the material to you. This website talks about drug abuse, addiction, and treatment. They have a series of videos on this home page and here is one of them. Visit easyread.drugabuse.gov/

Why Are Drugs So Hard to Quit? - Video link

Quitting drugs is hard because addiction is a brain disease. Your brain is like a control tower that sends out signals to direct your actions and choices. Addiction changes the signals in your brain and makes it hard to feel OK without the drug. This video from NIDA explains addiction in simple terms and offers a hotline to help you or a loved one find treatment.

Lee McDermott, Contributor

Enabling and Motivation (Part 3)

The person with a Substance Use Disorder (SUD) is driven by many motivating factors, in order, to maintain their continued usage. One overwhelming motivation is the desire to avoid any of the pain and suffering in their life. Paradoxically, everything they do only increases their pain and suffering created directly by the consequences of their usage. Being unwilling to acknowledge that their alcohol or other drug (AOD) usage is the primary problem, they attempt to deflect responsibility from themselves, they seek to blame the world and particularly, those individuals closest to them for the reasons they suffer so much.

They will tell anyone willing to listen how their employer does not understand them and how they work hard all day without any appreciation. They tell their friends that their spouse cannot be trusted with money, relationships, household responsibilities, etc. and attempt to convince their friends that if their spouse only took better care of them, they would not have all those other problems. They will tell any story which makes them look good and places responsibily for their troubles upon others.

Drug dependent individuals seem to intuitively recruit others who are willing to enable their usage or accept the blame. Their behavior attempts to shift the responsibility away from them (where it should be) and give it to others who unknowingly might believe the responsibility might be upon them. Enabling is any action that removes, alters, or reduces the natural, harmful, often painful consequences of another's behaviors, decisions or choices. For example, if we pay the electric bill for our son's apartment because he spent the money on alcohol or drug purchases. Our action of paying the bill prevents him from dealing with the painful consequences of making payment arrangements, living in the dark, accepting personal responsibility, and/or facing his drug dependency.

Our enabling behavior only prevents our son from confronting his destructive lifestyle. We may view our actions as helpful and compassionate and typically they might be, except when related to drug usage behavior. Our enabling behavior only continues to allow the dependent individual to believe there is no problem, because any painful consequences were avoided. What they learn from our enabling is that they can make us responsible for their future harmful behaviors. When we finally decide to stop our enabling, either due to our inability to help or because we realize it might be counter productive, then the drug dependent person turns the blame on us for their painful consequences and continued problems. Rather than being helpful our actions simply establish a cycle of co-dependent behavior for the individual.

Intuitively, the AOD dependent person establishes a circle of family and friends whom they can call upon to help them avoid the major consequences of their addiction. They may use pleas, guilt, threats within this circle of family and friends to get what they believe they need to avoid the consequences of their poor choices and decisions. They frequently pit one enabler in their lives against another by asking them to keep the secret of their assistance from other family and friends. They may convince you that revealing the secret would cause pain to someone else within your family or friends.

Often, a necessary step to stopping enabling within a family system is for the family to have a discussion with outside assistance to begin the process of sharing the secrets. We enable, because we are fearful of exposing their problems to the world. We don't want their employer to know, their neighbors to know, or we don't want them to go to jail and have to live with a criminal record. Within most families stopping their enabling behavior cannot be achieved without outside assistance. Someone who can education, encourage and support the family through the process of changing their behaviors is vitally important to their finding a successful conclusion.

To help guide people with SUD into recovery requires others to stop enabling and end their repeated attempts at stopping the individual's descent toward hitting bottom. Witnessing someone descending to a point where they will accept help is an unpleasant and painful sight to witness and will break your heart, it is distressing, painful and a fearful moment in their life and in ours. Which is why, we should never do it alone.

Here are some questions to ask yourself when considering whether you are an enabler:

• Do you often ignore unacceptable behavior?
• Do you find yourself resenting the responsibilities you take on?
• Do you consistently put your own needs and desires aside in order to help someone else?
• Do you have trouble expressing your own emotions?
• Do you ever feel fearful that not doing something will cause a blowup, make the person leave you, or even result in violence?
• Do you ever lie to cover for someone else’s mistakes?
• Do you consistently assign blame for problems to other people rather than the one who is really responsible?
• Do you continue to offer help when it is never appreciated or acknowledged?

Above list based on Psychology Today article by Karen Khaleghi, Ph.D. and Morteza Khaleghi, Ph.D., co-founders of Creative Care, Malibu, a rehabilitation and recovery center.

Lee McDermott, Contributor

Helpfulness vs. Enabling (Part 2)

In AOD treatment and prevention programs you will frequently hear the word, “enabling.” Generically speaking, enabling and/or helping on the part of most people is a natural and expected response by most people who have any degree of compassion and kindness in their hearts. We are willing to help those people we love because we don't wish to see harmful things happen to them. When our children, whether as a child or an adult, does something stupid or careless, even if we taught them to behavior appropriately, we don't desire to see them suffer from their behavior. Since most of us during the course of our lives have done things we know we should not have done and in turn suffered the consequences. We have found it comforting to know that there were others in our lives who were willing to stand by us and help us through the tough times, despite their expressing disapproval of our irresponsible actions.

For most normal, ordinary, responsible people, we learn from our mistakes and we have the capacity to self-correct our occasional stupid behaviors. We, thereby, appreciate family and friends who assist us get through these experiences. As a result, we hopefully learn from these experiences and our behaviors and future decisions reflect this new awareness and we become better human beings for it. Experience can be a powerful force in helping us mature and grow as human beings. In most, life situations when we assist someone who did something they should not have done, we expect them to correct their behaviors and take responsibility for their current and future actions. In most cases our experience reinforces this view of the world around us.

When behaviors related to AOD dependency enter into the mix, all our views about what is normal, ordinary and responsible get turned upside down and twisted. We find ourselves confused. What we thought we knew about life and people and what is normal no longer applies. We have now turned the corner from helpfulness into enabling. Enabling an individual with an AOD dependency problem only prevents them from experiencing the expected, natural, harmful and painful consequences and deflects their attention away from the base problem which is their continued use of harmful substances.

When we relieve someone from experiencing the consequences of their AOD dependency and its related behaviors, we are preventing them from “hitting bottom.” Our enabling behavior is metaphorically speaking, actually catching them during their free fall toward the bottom. Facing the consequences is the place where they might be open to accepting genuine help and surrender to their addiction. Many people never have the chance to “hit bottom” because there are too many individuals always available and prepared to catch them from hitting their bottom.

There are a variety of reasons we might find ourselves enabling someone with a Substance Use Disorder (SUD). One reason is a lack of knowledge about the nature of AOD abuse and dependency. We might genuinely be unaware that the person has this type of problem. This frequently happens, in the early stages of SUD or with people we do not know well or have little regular personal contact. As a result, we inadvertently enable the person's addictive behaviors because most of us are wired to be helpful. This situation often happens to pastors when responding to individuals asking for some type of assistance from the church.

Then again, we might suspect a problem exists, but we lack sufficient reliable evidence to reach a conclusion and limited contact with the individual. Individual's with AOD problems have skillfully learned how to manipulate people they encounter. They have intuitively learned the survival skills to get others to feel sympathy for their situation. When interacting with a pastor, for example, they might flatter you and tell you how many people in the community admire your work, all in an attempt to convince you, your assistance at this time will enhance your currently favorable image in the community. We might mistakenly believe we can actually turn this person's life around by our willingness to help, since they had all those wonderful things to say about us. In the end, it is all enabling and counter-productive, we will achieve little except to get them to return later seeking further assistance another day.

We need to learn, when we are being helpful and when our actions are preventing the person from facing responsibility for their behavior. As difficult as it may be for us, we need to allow the natural consequences of their behavior to play out in their lives. Do not be surprised if you fail at this, AOD dependent individuals are far more skillful at deception than you are. You will get fooled and probably often. Stopping our enabling behavior takes practice and experience to begin to get it right and chances are good you never will completely, so don't feel guilty about it. Don't allow your inability to get it right negatively influence your ministry of helping those in your community.

We might find ourselves enabling due to a lack of confidence and courage to say "no" to a person who asks for our help, particularly a spouse, a son, or a daughter. We find the distress of coping with the consequences of our saying "no" and we don't believe ourselves capable of dealing with the conflict which would result. We believe we would only jeopardize our relationship and so we give into their demands. We attempt to justify our actions, by rationalizing the situation. We don't want our family member to suffer homelessness, poverty, prison time, etc. so we enable and the situation gets worse rather than better. The reality is that when we do stop enabling it will get much worse, before it gets better.

When we reach the point where we know our enabling behavior is counter productive and we need to stop, we should never do it alone. Just as the drug dependent individual needs others; i.e., treatment centers, counselors, sponsors, etc. to enter into recovery, so do we need others to stop our enabling behavior. We need the support of people outside the situation, whether it is group support, counselors, friends, colleagues, churches, etc. Seeking help and support of others helps make it less painful, but it will still hurt. This is one of many reasons why some of us in the presbytery gather together to discuss the issues related to AOD in our communities. We recognize that we need each other, if we have any chance of helping our communities and churches. We invite you to come and join us at our next meeting on Monday, May 8, 2017 at Noon at the Presbytery of Redstone offices in Greensburg, PA. In part three, we will discuss the AOD dependent individual's motivation in maintaining others who will enable them   

Lee McDermott, Contributor

Hitting Bottom (Part 1)

While conducting public speaking engagements on alcohol and other drug issues, I have been asked a wide range of questions. One common question was generally been phrased, “Is it true you cannot help someone until they hit bottom?” An accurate response to the question is tricky. There is both some truth and some myth contained in the phrase, “hit bottom” and what actions may help someone begin a life of recovery.

What it takes for an individual suffering from AOD (alcohol and other drugs) dependency to “hit bottom” is often defined differently for each individual. Hitting bottom implies that an individual has reached the point where the pain and suffering experienced is too great for them to endure any longer and they recognize the need to change. Everyone has a different threshold for their tolerance for pain and suffering.

I have often looked at some of the individuals I have worked with and wondered to myself, “they have got to believe their current painful state is too much to endure” and to my surprise realized I was not even close. For me, the pain and suffering I witnessed might have been enough, but I was not in the middle of suffering from AOD dependency. I came to understand that some individuals had developed such a high tolerance to pain and suffering, that for them to “hit bottom” meant descending to a very deep, dark valley. Just how deep they needed to go down into that valley, looked quite different from individual to individual. Some individuals descend so deeply in their pain and suffering, they mistake their current situation as normal existence and all they will ever have.

One of my colleagues told me a story, about a man he had worked with for several months for alcoholism after a DUI conviction. This man, like many others, simply was unwilling to see the damage his alcohol use had created for him and others and the consequences he could potentially experience in the future from DUI. One day, he came into the office looking very depressed and despondent. He declared he was ready to stop using alcohol. When he was asked why he had so suddenly arrived at this conclusion, he explained an experience from the day before.

Despite his court ordered conditions which stated he was not to use alcohol or drive, he had been doing both for several weeks. He described that he was intoxicated and got into his car. He backed out of his driveway, ran over his dog and killed him. He stated that while he held his dog's lifeless body in his arms, he realized that his careless disregard for his alcohol use and behavior had caused the death of the only creature on this earth who loved him. Everyone else he knew in life, he had driven away. This dog loved him without condition and was always there for him and now he had just killed his best and only friend. For this man, at this moment, he had hit bottom, the consequences and the pain had become too great.

The circumstances in any individual's life, if painful and harmful enough from that person's perspective, may produce the conditions we call “hitting bottom” and start them on the road to recovery. The danger is that most individuals will die, become imprisoned, or suffer serious mental or physical disability before they hit their bottom and some who do get there come to believe they are beyond hope, because they have “burned all their bridges.” Understanding and stopping enabling behavior among family, friends and other professionals can help get more people into recovery. In part two of our series we will talk about the difference between helpfulness and enabling.

This is the first of a three part series on enabling behavior with individuals suffering from AOD related problems.

Lee McDermott, Contributor

How to Join the Conversation

We appreciate those who took the time to use our Lenten Devotionals provided by the Addiction Ministry Network in the Presbytery of Redstone. We hope these devotionals helped you in your ministry to understand the importance of reaching out to those impacted by alcohol and other drugs. We thank you for joining us on this journey and hope you will remain apart of our ongoing conversation about addiction in our communities.

The Addiction Ministry Network would greatly appreciate your personal involvement in meeting with us at our regular meetings as we join together in a conversation to discern where the Holy Spirit is leading us to help our communities. Our next meeting is scheduled for Monday, May 8, 2017 at Noon at the offices of the Presbytery of Redstone in Greensburg, PA.

We recognize even though you might be interested in these important issues, you might not be capable of attending a meeting. This does not mean you can not join the conversation within our presbytery. We will be using this blog space to communicate our activities, ideas, stories and resources. Your comments, ideas, and thoughts related to our blog posts are welcome and help to keep the conversation going. NOTE: All comments are moderated and only comments appropriate to the topic being discussed will be shared.

We want to encourage your participation in joining the conversation by sharing your own articles, ideas, experiences, stories, and suggestions. As a pastor do you have a personal experience related to providing pastoral care in the midst of an addiction problem? Are you a church member with a personal story of recovery or a story of recovery within your family? Has the church found itself engaged within the issues of their community related to alcohol and other drug abuse and has a story which could guide others? We would like to hear from you. Please send your potential postings to the e-mail address: redstonetogether@gmail.com We reserve the right to edit or decline publication of any material submitted.

A few of us from the group will be sharing our experiences on how others can join the conversation at the “Regional Connection for Partnership and Networking” hosted by the Synod of the Trinity. We will lead a conversation at two of the four regional events. The first will be in the Southwestern Region at the First Presbyterian Church in Morgantown, WV on Thursday, May 11, 2017.

The second event will be the Northwest Region at Crestfield Camp and Conference Center outside of Slippery Rock, PA on Friday, May 12, 2017. Both events begin at 9:30 a.m. and run until 3:30 p.m. To register online and get more information about each regional gathering go to this link, Synod Regional Connection.

You need to register by Monday, May 8, 2017 at 5 p.m. on the Synod's website.

Lenten Devotional - Day 34

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 6:1-13

“As we work together with him, we urge you also not to accept the grace of God in vain. For he says, "At an acceptable time I have listened to you, and on a day of salvation I have helped you." See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation!” (2 Cor. 6:1-2)

  “See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation!” Paul is eager to redirect the Corinthians attention to view the gospel of God’s grace witnessed around them with an urgency for fear that they will “accept the grace of God in vain” (v. 1). The fervent urgency of his comments begs the question: Why have the Corinthian Christians failed to see salvation and grace in their midst?

  As an addictions counselor, I began to understand that God had given me a remarkable opportunity to witness God at work in the world in ways I never imagined. At first I believed my responsibility was simply to help these individuals recover from their addiction. What I received was unexpected and lead me to a deeper understanding of my faith and practice. I had witnessed the amazing grace of God in these recovering people and I had obtained a wonderful gift.

  Paul summons us and the Corinthians to see and hear the cries of our own neighbors as they struggle with a host of problems. When we fail to acknowledge these cries for grace and salvation we are missing out on receiving a wonderful gift both for the church and us. Our inattention to their suffering leads us to the possibility “to accept the grace of God in vain.” (v. 1) Paul is calling us to not delay, “See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation!” (v. 2) this is the day we are called to act. Paul reminds the Corinthians that in day’s past he took the time to listen to them and helped them to gain salvation. Now it is our turn to do the same for our neighbor.

  Paul urges the church to open their hearts. Paul reminds the church that the gospel calls them to establish new patterns of responsibility and behavior toward the community around them. These new patterns should be reflected in their actions of gratitude, in the same way that God's gracious acts had been shown within their lives. Like the Corinthians, churches today struggle to know how to live faithfully and with gratitude. Sometimes that struggle produces strain in the very relationships that are meant to help church members live authentically and graciously. For Paul, failing to love one another is a sign of accepting the grace of God "in vain." Now is the day of salvation. Now is the time to exhibit faithfulness, not simply through words, but through action. Now is the time to live as witnesses of God's new creation.

  As a counselor, I relied upon the movement of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes the Holy Spirit calls me to patiently wait for the “acceptable time” when a AOD dependent individual was ready to surrender. When I thought, all might be lost, God surprised me. At the acceptable time the Holy Spirit led me to right moment, that God was preparing.

Lee McDermott, Contributor

Remember in Prayer:  Ask God to give you the patience to watch and wait for the "acceptable time" to do what is appropriate.

Click Here PDF - Day 34 Devotion

Lenten Devotional - Day 32

Scripture: Ezekiel 37:1-6

“The hand of the LORD came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me all around them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. He said to me, ‘Mortal, can these bones live?’ I answered, ‘O Lord God, you know.’" (Ezek. 37:1-3)

  The February 14th featured article in the Johnstown Tribune-Democrat was entitled “Cambria coroner again ‘sounding the alarm’ as OD deaths accelerate.” The article began: “Last year was the worst year for fatal drug-related overdoses in Cambria County history – and 2017 has started out even worse. In 2016, the county saw 94 fatal drug-related overdoses with several cases still pending, County Coroner Jeffrey Lees said. So far in 2017, Lees’ office has investigated 22 overdose deaths – on a pace for more than 200.”

  “People that are abusing or addicted to these opioids need to seek help,” Lees said. “The end result could be a ride in the back of my (coroner’s) vehicle.”

  The statistics are staggering. Then we see needles strewn on the street and deals happening in front of our eyes. A single mother dies leaving behind two beautiful daughters. Gunshots ring out in broad daylight. Hopes are dashed again as someone we thought could stay clean shows up high, thinking we won’t even notice. But we do. We see all this around us and more. We dwell in the valley of the shadow of death.

  God lifted Ezekiel up and set him down in the valley of the shadow of death. Ezekiel saw bones lying in a field, bones that were once part of living, breathing human beings, who, in death, had been abandoned to the elements. Now all that was left was dry bone.

  God asked Ezekiel if these bones could live. The logical answer would be, “Of course not. It’s utterly, physically, ridiculously impossible.” But Ezekiel remembered to whom he was speaking – God, Creator of the heavens and the earth. “O, Lord GOD, you know,” he replied. Not only could those bones live, they did live.

  If God can bring life out of absolute death, then there is nothing outside of the Lord’s control, not even addiction and its deadly toll.

  Let us pray for all who see nothing but death and despair, that they may know the life-giving power of God.

Alice Tondora, Contributor

Remember in Prayer: Those working to make a difference in the lives of the drug dependent individuals and feel as if they are in a valley full of bones.

Click Here PDF - Day 32 Devotion

Lenten Devotional - Day 26

Scripture: Romans 8:24-25

“For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” (Rom. 8:24-25)

  It often feels hopeless for an addict's family who is caught in the web of the addiction of a loved one. You've probably tried most everything to get it to stop. You've hid loose cash, you tried tough love, you've prayed, you sought rehabilitation information and maybe even called the police. Addiction leaves us worn out, beat up and feeling useless as an addict's family. We often fear what tomorrow may bring.

  But we are reminded in the verses of Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 that everything has a season and there is a time for everything. In our frightened and desperate times, God sends an advocate to stabilize us. He sends the Holy Spirit. God never makes a promise he won't keep but nevertheless his plan may take more time than we expect or sometimes doesn't go the way we had hoped. Instead of waiting impatiently for things to improve, we should place our confidence in God's goodness and wisdom. God's got it even when we don't.

  By accepting the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we can let go of our own resources to cope with problems. When requests are brought to God, trust that he will always do what is best.

  If a loved one eventually loses his battle with addiction, so much is lost and irreplaceable. Lent offers the opportunity for reflection and change. In hope we can look ahead and trust toward what lies beyond this life when we are with Christ. God is not working to keep us happy and give us what we want in this life, he is working to fulfill his promises. Trust in God, not life's treasures, look for security in heaven that sometimes can't be found on earth.

Lynn Mance, Contributor

Remember in Prayer: Families caught in addiction that they might find a way forward.

Click Here PDF - Day 26 Devotion

Local Resources — Fayette County

Fayette County Drug and Alcohol Commission, Inc.

   100 New Salem Road, Suite 106, Uniontown, PA 15401

     E-mail: clientservices@fcdaa.org       http://fcdaa.org/

   Phone: 724-438-3576            Fax: 724-438-3305

Toll Free: 800-856-3576 Toll free number answers 24 hours/day-7 days/week

Lenten Devotional - Day 25

Scripture: John 4:27-38

“Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work. Do you not say, 'Four months more, then comes the harvest'? But I tell you, look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting.” (John 4:34-35)

  The problems and challenges we face with alcohol and other drug (AOD) abuse and dependency is not something that impacts us only externally. AOD issues are not someone else's problem to solve. We can’t just say that if only the government, the police, or social services would do this or that specific thing, the problem will go away in a few months. We, as a society, as a church, have a AOD problem. The AOD problem is ours by omission and when we fail to adequately live out the full expression of the gospel, we are advancing the development of AOD problems in our communities. AOD dependency, abuse and usage is as much a spiritual and relational problem than it is a physical or mental issue.

  Jesus is reminding us that we only need to look around us to find opportunities for mission, “the fields are ripe for harvesting.” (v. 35) To hear the cries of those suffering, a field of mission lies before us and is ripe for the harvesting. What churches DO need to know is how to recognize when it's time for the harvest. The Samaritan woman recognized something special in the person of Jesus, “Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done!” (v. 29)

  The message of the harvest is always urgent, the destiny of neighborhoods, communities and families hangs in the balance. Every generation is crucial; every generation is strategic. We are not responsible for the successes or failures of a past generation and we cannot fully determine how future generations will answer the call. However, we do have our current generation! God will hold us responsible for what we do or choice not to do now. Someday, Jesus will ask us why we did not recognize Him in our neighbor.

  This relationship between God's mission and the church's work in the world is the reason Jesus reminds his disciples that sometimes the fields are ripe for harvesting - not just for sowing (v. 35). When the fields have already been plowed, and planted by God's own Spirit, then Jesus' disciples simply need to decide to join with God’s ongoing actions, for we are called to harvest this crop which we have not sown. 

  A group within Redstone Presbytery has been meeting periodically to discuss the problems and issues related to AOD facing our churches. Come and join us in the conversation. The Addiction Ministry Network meets again on Monday, April 3, 2017 at Noon at the offices of Redstone Presbytery in Greensburg, PA.

Lee McDermott, Contributor

Remember in Prayer: Ask God to show us the way to reveal our light to those living in the darkness and need someone to lead them out.

Click Here PDF - Day 25 Devotion

Lenten Devotional - Day 23

Scripture: Ezekiel 37:10-14

“I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude. Then he said to me, "Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, 'Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.' Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel.” (Ezek. 37:10-12)

  Deep within the souls of those struggling with AOD dependency is the belief that they are beyond hope, they are lost deep within the grave of despair. Recovery offers the possibility of resurrection. They need us to help them believe that recovery is possible.

  People in the midst their addictions believe the same as the people referenced by Ezekiel in today’s passage, “Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost.” (v. 11) God needs Jesus’ disciples to exercise their prophetic voice and proclaim what God can do, “to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves” (v. 12)

  We are called to proclaim a message they have never heard and to believe in someone they have never known. Prophets share the word of God with us, reminding us who we are as God’s people, something which has been true from the beginning of time and has faded from our memories. We all have days and moments when we feel, “Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost.” (v. 11) These moments come at times of grief, during sudden and rapid life changes, or emotional distress.

  The whole church is called by God to have a prophetic voice in our communities and proclaim that together with the Holy Spirit we have a partner in our faith. Jesus Christ leads us to the harvest which will breathe new life into our communities and help those affected by AOD problems rise to their feet to new life. We are also called to teach them how to tell their stories of restoration and redemption, how “they lived, and stood on their feet.” They have rich and meaningful stories about how God’s love and grace transformed their lives and we as the church need to hear their stories and the hope they show us and our communities.

  We all have stories of faith, heartache, hope, and grief capable of breathing new life into our communities. Communities which have arrived at a point where they have come to believe “Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost;” (v. 11) Our prophetic voice allows these stories to live and breathe new life into our communities. We are called to tell our stories and share our hope, to encourage those with recovery stories, those with stories of grief and loss, those with stories of transformation, and those with stories of resurrection which lifted them up from the darkness. We have stories to tell which can breathe new life and raise up our communities from their graves of despair. What stories is God’s Spirit calling your church to tell and teach others to tell?

Lee McDermott, Contributor

Remember in Prayer: Individuals and families who feel hopeless about their current situation.

Click Here PDF - Day 23 Devotion

Lenten Devotional - Day 22

Scripture: Romans 5:12-21

“For just as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. But law came in, with the result that the trespass multiplied; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,” (Rom. 5:19-20)

  There is much we can do to assist others in achieving their recovery, but we must remember, we are not alone in this pursuit. We are partners with God, we need to depend upon God who can do what we can’t now see or things we can’t now do.

  I have over the years worked with many individuals whom I prayed for while working with them and I witnessed the grace of God at work within them. I have seen God intervene in ways I could not imagine and often, was unable to see at first, but only later recognized God’s hand at work where, “grace abounded all the more,” (v. 20)

  Denial can be a very strong force in the lives of those with dependency problems, they harbor the common illusion that many people hold that addiction couldn’t possibly happen to me. Paul in this passage speaks of disobedience, this disobedience is like the meaning of denial you often hear regarding those with AOD dependency. In both denial and disobedience, we believe our view of the world is better than the reality which we clearly face and the reality that others see quite clearly, but we question their perceptions of the same reality.

  Obedience calls on us to see the world as it currently exists and it is not always a very pleasant picture of humanity. Obedience to God's will does not mean everything will go smoothly or there won’t be some difficult hills to climb. Obedience does not guarantee that the wind will always be at our backs and that the journey will be calm and peaceful. Jesus told his disciples to cross to the other side of the lake, even though he knew the wind would be working against them. Jesus does tell us that he will never leave us alone and will be with us until the end of the age.

  One of my favorite old hymns is “Trust and Obey”. When I was, younger I was not fond of this hymn, trusting and obeying was not high on my list of things to do. As I grew older, increased in maturity, and hopefully wiser, I recognized how important trusting and obeying had become to my spiritual formation. When a person enters treatment for AOD dependency, their initial posture is not geared toward trusting and obeying, so some time is needed for them, to come to trust the treatment staff and come to comply or obey their treatment plan. Trust and obedience does not come easily, but is essential to treatment success. In early recovery, trusting someone can prove difficult and complicated and disobedience has become a way of life and not easily relinquished.

Lee McDermott, Contributor

Remember in Prayer: Professionals who work each day to lead others to life and recovery from their addiction.

Click Here PDF - Day 22 Devotion

Lenten Devotional - Day Six

Today’s Scripture: Psalm 51:1-17

“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions… For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.” (Ps. 51:1, 3)

  Many suffering from alcohol and other drug (AOD) dependency clearly understand the depth of their destructive behavior “for I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.” They would like to declare with the psalmist “have mercy on me, O God” but they have come to believe that the “steadfast love” of God is unavailable. They have come to believe that God’s “mercy” will not “blot out my transgressions.” Having given up on hope and they need to rely upon others. 

  For individuals dealing with addiction, just as the Psalmist experienced, there is only one way to salvage his life: He needs to call on God (vv. 1-2). The Psalmist gets to the point immediately, pronouncing himself a sinner. He throws himself on the mercy of God, knowing that he deserves no mercy. His prayer is an admission of guilt (v. 3), one in which he does not try to maintain his innocence, defend or explain his action or try to put the responsibility on another party. The psalmist stands as his own accuser and he acknowledges that to God. The first step to true penitence is a clear recognition of one's own sin and a willingness to accept responsibility for their behavior.

  For the person struggling with addiction, recovery will not begin if they are dealt with harshly. Any accusation of their sin only deepens what they already know about themselves and only increases the guilt they are currently carrying upon their hearts. While maintaining their denial, they will seldom share these feelings. What they need to hear is that God is merciful and loves them. They need the church to share with them this hope and the knowledge that God is willing to blot out their transgressions. They need the loving care of others to find this grace of God, initially they will not believe it possible, but it is a message the church is obligated to repeat frequently and often.

  "Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are justified in your sentence and blameless when you pass judgment" (v. 4). The psalmist is not denying that he has wronged other people in directing this comment to God. However, in the presence of God, whom he has alienated, the important aspect of his sin is that which is focused toward God. When sin is seen in its relationship to God, no matter against whom the wrong has been directed, every sin is directed against God. It is always God's right to make demands and call humans to account.

  Lent reminds us every year, how much of God’s “steadfast love” and “mercy” has been given to us through Jesus Christ. We are the benefactors of God’s mercy and we are not to keep it to ourselves, but to share it with others in need of God’s mercy.

Lee McDermott, Contributor

Remember in Prayer: Individuals seeking God’s mercy in God’s steadfast love.

Click Here PDF - Day Six Devotion

Lenten Devotional - Day Five

Scripture: Psalm 32:5-11

“I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. Do not be like a horse or a mule, without understanding, whose temper must be curbed with bit and bridle, else it will not stay near you.” (Psalm 32:8-9)

  What makes someone teachable? Nothing more than the desire to learn. It takes a spirit of humility to acknowledge we don’t have it all figured out and never will. Our whole life long we need the steadying and guiding hand of the Lord. And the Lord often chooses to teach us the way we should go through others, through men and women who are just as imperfect as we are.

  Some of us can allow ourselves to be taught that addiction is a disease. Recreational drug use can and will, without warning, alter the chemical makeup of the brain. The addict no longer thinks as we do; in fact, in many ways he or she cannot. This does not absolve them of their destructive habits and the pain they cause to self and others. Acknowledging that addiction is a disease does not mean we give in to enabling behaviors. Instead, it makes it possible for us to feel compassion rather than judgment.

  Some of us can allow ourselves to hear and acknowledge we have a problem, that we are seeking freedom in substances that put us in chains. We can be taught that there is a better way, and that there is ONE who is stronger than the all-encompassing desire for the next drink or the next fix. This ONE is God, and the God who created you has the power to redeem you from all ills, to instruct you and lead you out of darkness and into life like you have never known.

  Let us pray for the humility to acknowledge that we have much to learn, whether we are an addict or clean. Let us pray for God to send each of us wise men and women to teach us in the way we should go, the way of love and life.

Alice Tondora, Contributor

Remember in Prayer: Ask that God might open the heart and mind of those seeking treatment for their addiction and allow them to accept God’s instruction.

Click Here PDF - Day Five Devotion

Informational Resources

  For information about prescription opioid misuse and heroin use, go to: www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/relationship-between-prescription-drug-abuse-heroin-use/introduction
  For information about cocaine, go to: www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/cocaine/what-cocaine

Lenten Devotional - Day Two

Scripture Reading: Luke 15:1-7

“there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” (Luke 15:7)

“It is the voice of the Church that is heard in singing together. It is not you that sings, it is the Church that is singing, and you, as a member of the Church, may share in its song.” - Dietrich Bonhoeffer

   Within every community surrounding every church, there are individuals and families separated from God, lost and wandering in the wilderness. The lost are not just some unknown, faceless person, often they are our own sons and daughters, nieces and nephews and grandchildren. A church needs the surrounding community as much as we believe the community needs the church. We will never experience wholeness until we rejoice together in each one being found, our song will never sound as good until we are all singing together.

   The parable of the lost sheep often draws our attention to the rejoicing in heaven over the one lost sheep returned to the fold. The story also tells us about the rejoicing that comes when the whole flock of sheep is once again whole, now back to 100. 

   The church is never in the fullness of its life together or singing at its best while it remains less than whole. We should rejoice over each new person who has been found, but there is always one more. Whatever problems which exist in our communities, like, alcohol and other drugs (AOD), God is always calling upon the church to discern where the Holy Spirit is sending us. What is the one thing our church could do to enhance the lives of those living in our community? The path before us may never seem clear or straight, we may need to become trailblazers in the darkness, clearing the way for others, but God’s Spirit is always lighting the way.

  AOD abuse and dependency will confuse and frustrate us, but God does know the way and is calling us to discover it. The way forward is not just to save the lost, but to save the church and its members who also lose their way when it comes to answering our call as disciples. We need to go out and not simply wait for the sheep to come into the fold. We need our community and its people to be whole.

   We need you to join us in a conversation about where God is sending us to reach out to those whose lives are being destroyed by AOD, individuals, families and children. We need your voice to join our song as we partner with those who are working to solve this serious social problem and to learn our own unique way forward. The path forward calls us to learn new skills and methods, to partner with those playing many different roles within our community, sharing our gifts, and discerning God’s Spirit. If we commit ourselves to this conversation, we will discover we can transform the lives around us and transform the life of the church. Then, the church’s voice can rejoice and will be whole as we are heard singing together.

Lee McDermott, Contributor 

Remember in Pray: Those found and the community where they rejoice.

Click Here PDF - Day 2 Devotion