Pastor's Corner: Something to celebrate

"Hey, Chap, got any large print Celebrate Recovery Bibles?"

For two years, this was one of the most common questions I was asked. I was a chaplain intern at a state women's prison in north Georgia, and part of my job was to distribute Bibles. I worked a lot in the intake wing, which housed the women who had just been sentenced. They were facing both the transition from jail to prison and the reality of their sentence, so a lot of those women needed extra support and guidance. And it seemed like they all knew the perfect source: the Celebrate Recovery Bible. Large print preferred.

The chaplain office couldn't keep up with the demand, unfortunately. I'd have to answer a lot of women with, "No Celebrate Recovery Bibles today, I'm afraid, large or small print, but I've got some beautiful KJVs!" The women would be crestfallen. They might not know the difference between KJV and NRSV, but they knew that the Celebrate Recovery Bible could speak the good news of the Gospel into the bad news of their particular situations. They knew that this Bible directly addressed their struggles and their needs with Christ's love and hope. They knew from the testimonies of other women about the power of this Bible to change lives for the better. When a woman in that intake wing brought a Celebrate Recovery Bible in with her, the women flocked around that book like the crowds flocked around Jesus. It was that compelling.

What makes the Celebrate Recovery Bible so special? It applies the insights and wisdom of 12 step programs with the grace and power of Christ. Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church started the Celebrate Recovery movement 30 years ago as small groups. As the website says, "Celebrate Recovery is a Christ-centered, 12 step recovery program for anyone struggling with hurt, pain or addiction of any kind. Celebrate Recovery is a safe place to find community and freedom from the issues that are controlling our life." The women I knew in the prison would have jumped for joy at the chance to attend a Celebrate Recovery group.

So I (figuratively) jumped for joy when two members of Havre's Celebrate Recovery group spoke at March's Greater Havre Area Ministerial Association meeting. It was so good to hear testimonies from these men about the power of these groups. They shared some details: "We start our meetings with prayer, worship, and a short teaching. Then we split men and women into separate groups. Topics we have addressed include addictions, mental health, anger, pornography, divorce, overeating, and co-dependency. Our meetings are STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL and ANONYMOUS." They also shared some of their personal stories, about how hard it is to move forward in life with real joy when you're dragging the ball and chain of remorse, shame, and guilt. Celebrate Recovery and other 12 step programs hold a key to releasing that burden.

Havre's Celebrate Recovery meets every Thursday from 6:30-8 p.m. at the Ark Church, 325 2nd Street. If you've got questions, feel free to contact your pastor (or me!). Whether you're stuck in a physical prison or a spiritual/mental/emotional prison, there's something to celebrate: God's love has no barriers. The Apostle Paul put it best in Romans 8:38-39: "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Amen!

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Pastor Megan Hoewisch

First Lutheran Church