Scripture and sermon
Reflection
Our Secrets Make Us Sick: The Healing Power of Confession
by Julie Hart
My understanding of Christianity as a spiritual journey expanded when I began attending 12 Step meetings in 1987. My stepdad had just admitted he was an alcoholic and entered a Residential Treatment Program. His admission gave me permission, at age 34, to enter an Adult Children of Alcoholics 12 Step Program and I have been using the 12 Steps ever since. The 12 Steps take core Christian concepts I had grown up with like sin, salvation, confession, repentance, forgiveness, prayer and grace and applied them in a systematic way that made sense to me. Following my journey through the first 3 steps: admitting my life was unmanageable, believing God could heal me (instead of all my self-help efforts) and surrendering my...