At daybreak he departed and went into a deserted place. And the crowds were looking for him; and when they reached him, they wanted to prevent him from leaving them. But he said to them, ‘I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other cities also; for I was sent for this purpose.’ So he continued proclaiming the message in the synagogues of Judea.
The Rev. Sam Shoemaker (1893 - 1963)
Grover Cleveland was president in the year Sam Shoemaker was born, John F. Kennedy was in the White House during the year when he died. Shoemaker, the Episcopal priest we honor a feast day today, was lived through a tempestuous time that included two world wars, remaking of America into a modern industrial society, and the arrival of innovations ranging from motion pictures to electrical lighting, air travel and atomic bombs. He also lived through the arrival – and departure – of Prohibition.
This last item – Prohibition – is important because it points us to Shoemakers most influential accomplishment. Shoemaker was a gifted preacher; but we do not remember him today solely for his sermons. He was a prolific author, completing some 30 book; but we do not mark his life for any book he authored. Rather we remember Sam Shoemaker for his contribution to one big book, the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous.
In 1955, AA Founder Bill Wilson, referred to Sam Shoemaker as a co-founder of AA.
“It was from Sam Shoemaker, that we absorbed most of the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, steps that express the heart of AA’s way of life. Dr. Silkworth gave us the needed knowledge of our illness, but Sam Shoemaker had given us the concrete knowledge of what we could do about it, he passed on the spiritual keys by which we were liberated. The early AA got its ideas of self-examination, acknowledgement of character defects, restitution for harm done, and working with others straight from the Oxford Group and directly from Sam Shoemaker, their former leader in America, and from nowhere else.”
The first AA meeting gathered in Akron, Ohio in 1935. Today thousands of AA meetings are held each week around the world. Some are held as a community service in Episcopal Churches.
The 12-Step program created by Alcoholics Anonymous is now in use by groups helping people with abdications ranging from drugs and overeating to gambling. All of these programs reflect Shoemaker’s contribution: the ideas of self-examination, acknowledgement of defects, restitution and working with others. Through them Sam Shoemaker has touched – and helped – more people than we can imagine.
Shoemaker also said “Prayer may not change things for you, but it for sure changes you for things.” His focus was on equipping us to, with God’s help, change ourselves so we could live a healthy life.
Today we rush from task to task, perused by ringing cell phones and e-mail. We make mistakes, we are imperfect, we hurt people. Too often we do not know how to set things right. Shoemaker’s four steps can point us toward God’s healing grace. Beginning with self-examination we learn more about who we are. By acknowledging our faults we recognize where we need to grow. Shoemaker’s call for restitution provides us with a way to make things right. And his demand we work with others in this process helps keep us honest. Prayer, Shoemaker suggests, is one way we can realign ourselves to God, right relationships and the world.
Shoemakers steps can also serve as a way for our church to take stock of where we are, see what needs to be fixed, make things right and move on together. We will never get things completely right. But that is not the point. We are not supposed to get things completely right. Instead we are on a pilgrimage with God and our trip is our purpose.
Let us pray: Holy Father, may we along our way find our steps enlightened by the work of Sam Shoemaker. Guide us to self awareness and right relationship with you, your creation and all of our brothers and sisters. Send down you Holy Spirit so we may find our path alongside you on this great pilgrimage of life. And in the end, bring us to be with you for all eternity.
Let the people say: AMEN
Preached by the Rev. Thomas C. Jackson in San Francisco’s Grace Cathedral Jan. 31, 2011.
