By A.M. Kelley
Catholic Herald

Hayward parish starts addiction recovery group

HAYWARD -- At St. Joseph Church in Hayward, parishioner Pat Parker leads a weekly recovery group based on the book, "A Spiritual Kindergarten, Christian Perspectives on the Twelve Steps" by Dale and Juanita Ryan.

The 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous are used in the group to address a variety of problems, not just recovery from alcoholism, and they are used in tandem with Bible readings.

How does a program developed in 1935 to help alcoholics gain sobriety work for non-alcoholics?

"We live in a compulsive society," Parker said. "We do nothing in moderation. We spend too much, eat too much, watch too much television, sometimes even exercise too much."

Advertisers pursue us at every turn and encourage us to live at this full-throttled pace.

"We are addicted to whatever 'they' say is in," she said. "Our lives are driven by things we don't need. We have too much stuff. We hoard. Look at the number of (rental) storage sheds there are."

Some people become overwhelmed and try to escape, running further into addictions and destructive habits.

"But there is hope," Parker said, suggesting that this new 12-step program may be part of the solution for some.

Parker has a master's degree in pastoral ministry and is on Hayward's city council. She's led Bible study groups in the past and has also seen a world of suffering in her work with the elderly, mentally ill and alcohol and drug dependent in 33 years as a social worker before retiring from Sawyer County in 2002.

She believes that healing occurs in traditional 12-step groups, and likewise believes that healing is possible by going into Scripture. She wanted to link the two and discovered that it's unnecessary to reinvent the wheel. A little research on the Internet led her to the Ryans.

The Ryans maintain that mingling the principles of A.A. with Scripture comes easily because the 12 steps are rooted in biblical ideas. In "A Spiritual Kindergarten" readers go through each step while studying corresponding lessons from Scripture.

"It's very basic," Parker said. "Maybe this (group) is for some people who have been through treatment or have family members or friends who have been. Or for those who want scriptural support."

She put out a call to the congregation of St. Joseph's for anyone struggling and hurting. The distress might be rooted in perfectionism, gambling, sexual addictions, overeating, lying, anger, overspending, overworking, alcohol and on into the infinite list of hang-ups, destructive behaviors and addictions. At the first meeting on Jan. 24, more than 20 people showed up.

St. Joseph's pastor, Fr. Bill Green, approves of the program.

"Most of us have addictions," he said. "One of mine is work. I've used the 12-step program to grow spiritually for 30 years. You don't have to be an alcoholic -- it can be anything that pulls you away from mature development or growth."

Parker's group is neither therapy nor a quick fix, but another aid to growth.

There are many people who go through recovery programs for drug or alcohol abuse and, according to Parker, are not directed to Scripture for healing.

"Churches have not been good at offering Scripture support to people in 12-step programs," she said. "Catholics in particular don't use Scripture a lot. There's a lot of comfort there in Scriptures and it's really important. It's a healthy, solid resource."

The group will run for 12 weeks. It's a new experience for Parker and she cannot predict any outcomes.

"Hopefully there will be some healing, and people will pass it on to others," she said. "Maybe some who come will realize they have a problem and seek further help."

Regardless of the outcome, offering such a program has been on her mind for years and she believes in following her intuition.

Early in Parker's social work career, spirituality was not part of the curriculum and she always felt there was a missing element and looks forward to this new approach.

"Recovery is synonymous with conversion," she said. "If (a behavior) is sinful and not good for you, we turn towards God."

The well-known program of Alcoholics Anonymous is being combined with Scripture study at St. Joseph in Hayward during a new weekly group. It's based on the text "A Spiritual Kindergarten, Christian Perspectives on the Twelve Steps" by Dale and Juanita Ryan, and is not just for alcoholics.

The volunteer leader of the group, parishioner Pat Parker, said recovery is all about naming the problem, taking responsibility for it and healing in the context of community. It's a method of recovery that works for alcoholics and, according to the lessons in "A Spiritual Kindergarten," it will work with many problems in combination with Scripture.

For example, step one is: "We admitted we were powerless over alcohol, that our lives had become unmanageable." In "Spiritual Kindergarten," if alcohol is not a problem, the Ryans suggest replacing the word "alcohol" with the name of any other addictive substance, food or sex, or with a behavior such as lying, over-spending, over-working or gambling. Step one can also be adapted by replacing "alcohol" with the word "sin."

The principles of the steps hold true for alcohol, other substances and behaviors. The lesson for each step is accompanied with corresponding texts from Scripture.

In step one the emphasis on the word "we" is significant because healing is not solitary work, according to A.A. The Ryans agree and write that this idea was well documented long before the founding of A.A.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 is used to highlight the point: "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up."

The second word of step two, "admitted," also describes an essential component of recovery or change: acknowledging the problem truthfully. This same sentiment is brought out in Ephesians 4:25: "Each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor."

The concept of powerlessness, which is the crux of step one, as it relates to addiction, means doing something absolutely destructive but not being able to stop doing it. Romans 7:18 describes the same phenomenon: "I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out."

"(Powerlessness) means that we cannot rely on our will alone to achieve wholeness and peace," according to the Ryans' text. "Willpower alone is not powerful enough ... If you have made promises, decisions, or choices and then found that your determination and commitment were not powerful enough to achieve the desired results, then you know what it is to experience powerlessness."

More information is available at www.christianrecovery.com and the Ryans also offer free online Bible studies relating to the 12 steps on their Web site, The National Association for Christian Recovery at www. nacronline.com.

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© Superior Catholic Herald, 2006