Would Jesus Hang Out at an AA Meeting? (Part 1 of 2)
Tucked away on the edge of the church campus, Our Lady of Sorrows in Homewood hosts what could be described as the quintessential AA meeting. To get there, you enter the back of a weathered, stand-alone building, descending a flight of damp, concrete stairs that collect rainwater and exude an earthy, musty smell. The air shifts as you step inside a low-ceilinged room filled with mismatched chairs. They form two concentric circles—one along the perimeter, the other in the center, a trap for latecomers who inevitably become the meeting’s focal point. The chairs, relics of the 1960s, bear the scars of decades spent in adult Sunday school rooms, then youth ministry gatherings, and finally, their last stop: this AA meeting space.
In the back corner sits the familiar AA literature table, stacked with pamphlets, meeting schedules, and bookmarks, a quiet testament to the program's structure and hope. The coffee, brewed in well-loved pots, is surprisingly good by AA standards, and cups balance on laps across the room. The air is thick—not with humidity that would put a Southern summer to shame—but with the unspoken weight of shared struggles, regrets, and hopes. It’s a heaviness that pulls everyone closer, whether they’ve been there for years or are attending for the first time.
An old-timer clears his throat, his voice steady but vulnerable. “Hi, my name is John, and I’m an alcoholic.” Heads nod around him—not in judgment but in deep understanding. This is a room where confession meets compassion, and honesty hangs thick, raw, and unvarnished. For many, it’s terrifying. For others, it’s the first breath of freedom.
Would Jesus feel at home walking into that room? Would He hesitate before sitting down?
The Bible tells us Jesus came for the broken and the outcasts (Mark 2:17). If He feels at home anywhere, it’s in a space where people face their struggles honestly and seek healing. And yet, those same spaces often exist outside the church, in support groups like AA or counseling offices—a reality that raises important questions:
What can the church (the body of Christ) learn from this?
Why do so many people find refuge and grace in support groups but fear judgment or exclusion in their church small groups?
Recovery is much more than sobriety—it’s about transformation through connection. Or, in non-recovery language:
following Jesus is much more than avoiding sin—it’s about abiding in Christ and inviting others into that same hope.
This is not an article to pit the church against AA or to glorify support groups as an alternative to church. Rather, it is a challenge for faithful members of the Church to create spaces where raw vulnerability and shared grace can thrive. Are we, as followers of Jesus, truly cultivating environments where grace abounds, where honest vulnerability is encouraged, where burdens are shared freely, and where healing is possible?
Would Jesus feel at home in our small group or Sunday school class?
Together, let’s contemplate how we can be more gracious, and cultivate deep, honest community with our church family.
