The Way of Recovery

The Rev. Brad Sullivan
Lord of the Streets, Houston
September 28, 2025
Proper 21, C
1 Timothy 6:6-19
Psalm 143
Luke 16:19-31

Good morning, y’all. As I said earlier in our service, today we are celebrating Recovery Sunday. The Episcopal Church has a practice to celebrate recovery from addiction, to celebrate the healing and work of those in recovery, and to normalize addiction as something from which many people suffer and to normalize recovery as something to be celebrated and brought to people’s awareness. 

Recovery is about healing, about turning from one way of life and seeking help from others and often from God, and finding a new way of life, freed from the bondage of addiction. One important thing to note is that recovery is not the Gospel. One needs not be a Christian to recover from addiction. At the same time, the Gospel is all about healing and recovery. Whether addiction, trauma, heartache, death of a loved one, or even death of one’s dreams, everyone is recovering from something, including the people we heard about in our Gospel lesson from today.

In Luke 16, Jesus told a story of an unnamed rich man and a beggar named Lazarus. The fact that the beggar, Lazarus, was named and the rich man wasn’t named, tells us what Jesus thought of the two characters in his story. Lazarus, the beggar, Jesus seemed pretty fond of him. The rich man, not so much, because the rich man ignored Lazarus. This guy had more wealth than he needed for multiple lifetimes, and instead of using that wealth to benefit others, he used his wealth only to benefit himself, leaving Lazarus to die in the gutter. 

Jesus was very clear that those who are rich and who are indifferent to the needs and suffering of others are not going to do well with God. In fact those who are rich and who are indifferent to the needs and suffering of others look to be in for a world of hurt in regard to God’s judgement. 

So, what does this have to do with recovery? Well, there are two people in this story who needed recovery. One, obviously, was Lazarus, who needed recovery from whatever ailment had left him begging in the street. The other one who needed recovery was the rich man.

The rich man was addicted to feeling good. He had his wealth, and he used it only for himself. He used his wealth only to feel good, and through constantly trying to feel good, he ended up in torment.

That’s a story of addiction. Whatever the addiction is, the thing that makes us feel good ends up being an instrument of torment. 

Addicts are often trying to run the show, trying to be ok, trying to feel safe and secure in the world around them, and addicts tend to be mighty pissed when everything and everyone aren’t doing what they think they should. 

Wasn’t that like the rich man, wanting the world and everyone in it to bend to his will? Even at rock bottom, being tormented in Hades, he was still trying to run the show. 

Hey Abraham, you know Lazarus, that dude who used to beg outside my house, have him come bring me some water. What do you mean “no”? I’m really thirsty. Come one Abraham. Ugh, fine! At least send him to warn my brothers not to be quite as selfish, miserable schlubs as I was. What do you mean, “No”? Have him do what I want.

Yeah, even being tormented in Hades, the rich man still thought he should be in charge. He was still trying to run the whole show. That’s an addict’s way, trying to run the show and then using whatever they’re addicted to, to feel better, to drown resentments, to just shut everything out and not give a crap for a while.

Now, I hate to compare the rich schlub in Jesus’ story to all addicts because addicts are in need of healing and recovery. Please don’t hear what I’m not saying. I’m not saying “addicts will end up tormented in Hades after they die.” Folks who suffer from addiction are in need of healing and recovery, and regarding being tormented in Hades, when we’re in the depths of addiction, we’re already being tormented in Hades. 

I compare that rich schlub in Jesus’ story to addicts because even he was in need of healing and recovery. If he had been a healed and healthy person, he wouldn’t have been such a selfish, miserable schlub. If he was a healed and healthy person, he would have been glad to share what he had with Lazarus and help heal him as well. Everyone needs healing. Everyone is recovering from something.

It's easy to have contempt on the rich man, and in some ways, I think we’re supposed to. We’re supposed to recognize that a life of selfishness and self-seeking is not the life God has in mind for us. 

Our challenge is to look at the rich man and not tell ourselves, “I must be doing just fine, ‘cause I’m not a rich selfish schlub like that guy.” We don’t need to be rich to be selfish and self-seeking. We don’t need to be the guy in Jesus’ story to need healing and recovery. 

If the rich man had recovered from whatever was keeping him so selfish, that could have led to Lazarus’ recovery as well. Recovery leads to and is a part of repentance. Recovery leads to and is a part of turning our lives around so that we are decidedly less selfish and self-seeking, and that leads to a life of service. Had the rich man recovered, he would have begun living a life of service, and he would have healed and helped Lazarus recover.

Addiction, and the resentment, selfishness, and self-seeking that feeds addiction leads us to being alone. Addiction has thousands of forms; it doesn’t need to be alcohol, drugs, sex, gambling, or any other named, identified addictions. Our phones and social media are addictions for a lot of us. TV before that. Whatever we use to feel better that ends up isolating us from others can be an addiction, and addiction, and the desire just to be less miserable, leads us to being alone. Recovery leads us to a life of communion and love with others. 

All of our sins, the ways we harm one another and harm ourselves, lead us to being alone. The Gospel, the reconciliation of Jesus, leads us to a life of communion and love with others. 

We’re all in need of recovery. We’re all in need of communion and love with others. Recovery can come through 12-Step or other recovery programs. Recovery can come through the way of the Gospel of Jesus, and like the way of Jesus, recovery is not done alone. Recovery is done with community. 

So, whatever path we choose, I invite us all to follow a way of recovery. Follow a way from torment to a way of life and peace. Follow a way from selfishness and self-centeredness to a way of love and service to others. Follow a way from isolation and fear to a way of communion and love.

Sure, People Work Hard for Poverty Wages, but We Pray...Is that Not Enough?

The Rev. Brad Sullivan
Lord of the Streets, Houston
July 20, 2025
Proper 11, C
Amos 8:1-12
Colossians 1:15-28
Psalm 15
Luke 10:38-42

‘Hey Jesus,’ Martha said, ‘I have a bunch of housework to do. Won’t you please come over and sit around while I do my chores? My sister will probably pay attention to you, and honestly, that really gonna piss me off.’ 

That’s usually how we read this story, isn’t it, and it’s really weird. Why would you invite someone into your home just to ignore them? Also, the message that those who sit at Jesus’ feet and listen are better than those who have to do work is not a message Jesus taught. Jesus was consistently for those who had to work and couldn’t spend all day in the temple. After all, if everyone sat around reading the Bible and praying all day long, who would do things like grow food, work at grocery stores, operate power plants. We give thanks for those who work while others rest.

So, as we often read the story of Martha and Mary, it’s kinda weird. Thanks to my wife, however, I was introduced to a different reading of this story which came from Mary Stromer Hanson*. She points out that we tend to read some things into the text that aren’t really there. For one thing, Martha welcomed Jesus, but not into her home. That was an addition, and the most ancient texts don’t have those words. 

So, Martha welcomed Jesus. Mary, we are told sat at Jesus’ feet, meaning she was one of his disciples who learned from him. It doesn’t actually say she was there in this story. We’re told she also sat at Jesus’ feet, meaning Martha did too. Martha and Mary were both Jesus’ disciples. 

Finally, we’re told that Martha was distracted by her many tasks, which we assume means housework, but the Greek actually says “ministry”. Martha was distracted by her ministry in her hometown, and she was asking Jesus to send her sister back to help her. 

Jesus is telling her, then, that she has a good ministry and that her sister, Mary, also has a good ministry elsewhere. You don’t need her here, Jesus was saying. What you need is to draw near to God as you do your ministry. Look at all you are doing; it’s great ministry, but you are becoming distracted from the one who is with you. Don’t forget to join with me as you serve others. You can become so consumed in that work that it becomes a burden. Join again with God, let God’s love fill you, then your service will be a blessing both to others and to you.

Prayer and service work hand in hand. As Pope Francis said, “You pray for the hungry. Then you feed them. This is how prayer works.” At the same time, feeding the hungry can be your prayer for the hungry. Prayer and ministry of service are all tied up together as one.

We draw near to God by listening to God. Draw near to God by acting with love towards others.

In our reading from Amos today, God says, 

Hear this, you that trample on the needy, and bring to ruin the poor of the land…Surely I will never forget any of [your] deeds. I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation…The time is surely coming, says the Lord GOD, when I will send a famine on the land; not a famine of bread, or a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD. (Amos 8:1-12) 

In "ABSOLUTE SUPERMAN",
Kal-El is a champion of the working
class and working poor. His symbol 
that of the working class on Krypton.

In Amos, the people were no longer able to draw near to God and hear his Word because of how they mistreated the poor and lowly. They went to God in prayer often enough, but they paid the poor poverty wages and rejoiced in their own wealth, blaming the poor for not doing more or working harder. 

Because of how they treated people, they could not draw near to God, no matter how hard they tried. God would not hear their prayers, nor would God let his Word be heard among them. 

Sitting at the Lord’s feet, being Jesus’ disciple, demands action. Drawing near to Jesus for our prayers to be heard demands following Jesus’ teaching and abiding in his love, living out his love for others. Living out Jesus’ love for others is sitting at Jesus’ feet. Following Jesus’ teaching is drawing near to Jesus in prayer.

At the same time, living out Jesus’ love for others requires us to return to Jesus for prayer and learning. That sounds contradictory. Prayer is service. Service is prayer, and we have to do both intentionally. 

 

Without drawing near to God for times of rest, we can become overcome by the work, the ministry, the suffering of others. That’s what was happening with Martha. She was getting overcome by the enormity of the work of ministry, the enormity of the work of loving others. She was getting overcome by seeing suffering all around her, and so she wanted Mary to come back home and do the work with her. 

What Martha actually needed, however, to take a break from her work, and spend some time sitting at Jesus’ feet, learning again, resting in Jesus’ presence, and drawing near to God in prayer. That means some of the work wouldn’t get done. That’s ok. There’s always more work to do, always more love to give, always more suffering to soothe, and God commanded us to rest, to take time to draw near to God. 

When we don’t take that time to rest, then we can’t hear God anymore, and we often start following the ways of the Adversary. When we’re overcome by the suffering of the world, we often become angry and hateful toward those who are causing the suffering. When we don’t rest in God, we turn against our enemies, rather than for those we seek to serve, and even our service can bring the darkness of the Adversary, rather than the light of the Holy Spirit. 

When we’re overcome by the Adversary, we can’t hear God’s word. We need rest to offer to God all of our hatred and all of our anger. We need rest to offer to God all of our righteous fury at those who pay poverty wages while enriching themselves. We offer all of that to God so that God may heal our hearts and we may live out the light of God’s love once again. 

So, when we hear the story of Marth and Mary, and we’re told we need to be more of a Mary than a Martha, that we need to pray and stop doing so much work, that’s not really what the story tells us. We need both. Prayer without service can lead to selfish faith, not caring about those around us, like we saw in Amos. Service without prayer can lead to being overcome by the enormity of suffering in the world. We need Martha and Mary, prayer and service. True discipleship means we pray for people and we love and serve people, walking with Jesus all along the way. 

* https://eewc.com/new-view-mary-martha/

https://stromerhanson.blogspot.com/2015/11/mary-of-bethany-her-leadership-uncovered.html

The Possibility and Reality of the Goodness within Us

The Rev. Brad Sullivan
Lord of the Streets, Houston
July 13, 2025
Proper 10, C
Deuteronomy 30:9-14
Psalm 25:1-9
Luke 10:25-37

Yeah, I got this. I don’t need any self-reflection, no need to evaluate my life, my actions. I know the commandments of God. I know Jesus’ ways. Since I know them, I must be following them, right? I was baptized; I claimed my discipleship years ago, whenever that was, so I’m good. I’m perfectly fine in my faith and my walk with God.

That’s a rather haughty approach to one’s faith and way of life. I did this at one point, I still know what I did, so I should be great. That’s like the star pitcher of a baseball team saying, “I used to practice a lot. I still know all the principles of a good curve ball and slider. No preparation needed for this game. I’m good.”

That seems to be the attitude of the man who asked Jesus about inheriting eternal life. “Yeah, I know the commandments. ‘Love God. Love my neighbor.’ I’m pretty nice to the folks living around me. Kinda bare minimum effort. I should be good, right?” 

It seems like maybe he wanted to squeak by and be in God’s good graces, without actually having to care all that much about others. Follow the rules, and I’ll be fine. I’ll follow the rules and make God happy, or at least not angry with me, so I can stay in God’s good graces, inherit eternal life.

That’s kinda missing the point, isn’t it. Follow God’s commandments just enough to keep God off your back, and call that eternal life? Keep God happy or at least not angry, and call that eternal life?

The priest and the Levite in Jesus’ story were doing just that. They had important work to do, important temple work to do, important religious work to do, to make God happy. I’m being a little unfaith with the whole “make God happy” thing, but when we feel like our religious duty is what makes God happy…These guys were working to make God pleased not only with themselves but with all of Israel, so they had important work to do. 

Because of that important work, they ignored this beaten and possibly dead man. Again, partially because they had to stay ritually clean in order to do their work, so if this guy was bleeding, they couldn’t touch him because then they couldn’t go to the Temple to do their work. So, what were they to do? 

They had to make God happy, or at least not angry, so they had to ignore this guy and go do the important Temple work…darn it, I guess they were missing the point again. 

That’s not Jesus’ way.

To think that we’re doing important work for God’s service while ignoring people who are hurting.

Then, you’ve got this Samaritan, who actually takes care of this guy, and Jesus said, ‘Well, that’s the one who’s your neighbor, so love him.’ Now, that’s a tall order because the Samaritans were among the most hated people amongst the Israelites. The Gentiles, the non-Israelites, they weren’t really any good, but meh, who cares. The Samaritans, though, it’s like the worst rival in a football game, except instead of just the players duking it out on the field, the fans attack and maybe not kill, but at least beat half to death. 

So, the fact that Jesus said that a Samaritan was the one who was a neighbor to the beaten man, he was talking about the worst of the worst, the lowest of the low. He wasn’t doing any of the good religious stuff to keep God happy. He just took care of the guy who got beaten up, and it turns out that’s the neighbor that the man Jesus was talking to was told to love as himself. 

I saw the new Superman movie, loved it, and like with so many Superman stories, the reason I loved it isn’t just because he’s an awesome superhero with heat vision, and X-Ray vision, and ice breath, and super strength, and he can fly…and he has a cool cape. I love all of that too, but what I really love about Superman is he gives us a glimpse into the best version of ourselves. Superman gives us a glimpse into what we could be, and I don’t mean the strength and the flying, although the cape would still be nice.

What I mean is, Superman has an almost irrepressible belief in the goodness and worth of people. He knows we often don’t show our goodness, but he believes it’s there. Then, Superman takes his optimism about humanity, and he takes all of his power, and he chooses to serve and love humanity. Rather than rule over us as a god, which he totally could, Superman chooses to serve and love humanity, and in that love and service, he inspires others to the same. He shows us our best nature and inspires us to live that same love and service for each other. 

That sounds a lot like Jesus. He could have ruled over us as the God he is, and instead he chose to love and serve people as he walked among us. Jesus showed us the best of our natures. Jesus taught us the best of ourselves. Jesus is the possibility and the reality of the goodness dwelling within each one of us. Jesus inspires us to live into that same love and service of others, which is what he was teaching this lawyer with the story he told of the Samaritan, the hated one who chose love and service.

https://youtu.be/GUAj9O0gxsQ

Go and be like that hated one, rather than some religious person, being religious to make God happy. Living into the possibility and the reality of goodness dwelling within each one of us, that is what makes God happy. Living into the goodness, the possibility and the reality of that goodness is also what God’s eternal life looks like.

What did we hear in Deuteronomy? The Word is very near to you, in your hearts, in your selves. That eternal life of God is within us, and we can live that eternal life when we live like that Samaritan did, that hated one. 

“What must I do?” The man asked. Well, keep the commandments, except that this guy saw them as rules to be followed, a list to be checked off. That’s not what the commandments are. They aren’t a checklist to make sure we keep God happy or at least not angry with us.

The commandments are a guide for us that we can live into the possibility and reality of the goodness within us. 

Now, I gave that Superman analogy, that Superman shows us the possibility of the goodness within us. It’s a little unfair because Superman is basically invulnerable, so it’s got to be a little bit easier to keep your cool when someone is being a jerk and punches you in the face, because it doesn’t hurt at all, and it breaks the others guy’s hand, so instant vengeance. 

We don’t have that invulnerability, but we do have resurrection. We do have Jesus telling us over and over again, “Do not be afraid.” Trust in God, for “the word is very near to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart for you to observe.” The Word and eternal life is not just waiting for us after this life. The Word of God and eternal life are here in this life.

“Go and do likewise,” Jesus said to the lawyer. Experience eternal life now. Join with God. Seek God’s help always. Everyday, live into the possibility. Live into the reality of the goodness within. 

Crushed By God and Remade

The Rev. Brad Sullivan
Lord of the Streets
October 8, 2023
Proper 22, Year A
Philippians 3:4b-14
Psalm 80:7-14
Matthew 21:33-46

Crushed By God and Remade

Happy Sunday everyone! The Astros won, it’s cooler outside, Jesus is talking about crushing people with stones. “The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and it will crush anyone on whom it falls.” Hurray! Jesus was saying this about the chief priests and Pharisees, those who were constantly critical of and at odds with Jesus. So, when we who are on team Jesus read Jesus saying that the stone will crush anyone on whom it falls, there’s a tendency to read that as, “someone else.” That feels pretty good. The stone will crush someone else. We’re on team Jesus, so we’re ok.

We’ve got to assume, however, that at least at some point in our lives, we’re going to be the ones on whom the stone falls. We’re going to be the ones crushed by the stone. At some point, we’re going to be tripped up by the stone and broken to pieces.

So, the first question I have is, what is the stone that Jesus is talking about?

Well, according to Isaiah 8:14-15, the stone is God. “[God] will become a sanctuary,” we’re told, “a stone one strikes against…a rock one stumbles over…many…shall stumble; they shall fall and be broken…”

Well, that sounds fun! Yea for God being a stone over which we stumble and get crushed. I realize I’m not really selling the whole, “love God” idea right now. God becomes a stone we strike against, a stone we stumble over, and a stone which breaks and crushes us. Can’t God just let us go our way and not hurt us? That sounds kinda nicer, or can’t we just go back to thinking the whole God Rock Stumble Crush Thing is about someone else?

No. We can’t. Deciding who those others are that God is going to make stumble is a pretty quick way to make sure God is going to trip us up. Do not judge others, Jesus said. Take a look at the log in your own eye, rather than the speck in someone else’s. When we’re focusing on everyone else’s faults and flaws, we’re ignoring our own, pretending that we’re just fine and everyone else is at fault. God loves us enough not to go along with our self-deception, so there will be times when all of us will be crushed and tripped up by the stone that is God.

We don’t want it, but because God loves us, God is going to trip us up and have us be crushed and broken to pieces by the stone that is God. So, why would God do this to us as an act of love?

Because we are so often going a thousand miles an hour completely and obliviously in the wrong direction? At that point, it might be kinda nice to have a stone to trip us up and stop us. 

 A stone of stumbling and crushing, well, yeah, at a thousand miles an hour, we’re going to get crushed by whatever stone we trip over.

That’s an act of love because when we’re going a thousand miles an hour in the wrong direction, we need more than a slow down and some course correction. We need to be remade. God tripping us up when we’re going a thousand miles an hour in the wrong direction crushes us and shatters us so that we can be remade.

 

On a societal level, think of times and ways we have been remade. Think about what it took to end slavery in this country. The Civil War crushed and shattered this country so that it could be remade. We didn’t do a great job of it, and so there was the Civil Rights Movement which shattered the country again so that we could be remade. Striving to end discrimination on the basis of sex has shattered many who believe they are righteous in their discrimination.

 

Stumbling over the rock that is God and being shattered is never pretty, but it is an act of love so that we can be remade, no longer going down a path of destruction. On an individual level, being crushed by the stone of God is often called hitting rock bottom.

 

I think of a man I know, a friend, who was successful and miserable, addicted to alcohol, cheating on his wife with multiple women. He was finally shattered when she left him and took their son with her. He also lost his job. Crushed and shattered. So then, recovery, sobriety, working on his resentments and fears with others’ help, starting to be of service to others rather than just taking from others. After he was crushed and shattered, he was remade. He has a job again. He gets to be with his son again, and his ex-wife trusts him to be with their son. Being shattered wasn’t pretty, but being remade was beautiful. All of it was an act of love by God.

 

St. Francis was another who stumbled and was crushed by the rock that is God. In his case, his family was hugely rich, and yet he couldn’t help be the poverty he saw all around him. After first stealing from his dad to try to help people out (that didn’t work out so well), he decided to give up his wealth and lived a life of love, prayer, and service. He led others in lives of prayer and service, some living a monastic life, supported by the church, others continuing with the jobs and families, while also devoting themselves to prayer and service of others.

 

What St. Francis and those who joined in his way of life found was peace in their lives. Love and service to others grounded in a life of prayer became a sanctuary for them, a life of blessing, having first been tripped up by the rock that is God, then shattered and remade.

In the same passage that calls God a stone to trip us up and shatter us, God is called a sanctuary. When we are stopped from going in the wrong direction, we then get to take refuge and recover in the sanctuary that is God. We can then find our way to be led by God in a direction that is whole and healing for us. That’s the idea behind God being a stumbling block that crushes us. God stops us from the harm we are living, we are crushed and remade, and then God becomes a sanctuary for us as we live a life of love and service, grounded in prayer.

So, when Jesus says, “The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and it will crush anyone on whom it falls.” I really do say, “Hurray!” Hurray for being remade in the sanctuary that is God. Hurray for the peace that comes with God as our refuge, living lives of prayer and of love and service to others.