tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86373924550417101222024-02-19T08:36:19.320+00:0012 Steps to Church - A Quiet and Holy PeopleTrying to fit together the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Church, the Rule of St Benedict and the 12 Steps and Traditions of AADaisyAnonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12680034482022415405noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8637392455041710122.post-29122867221550721542012-08-29T14:36:00.001+01:002013-03-21T17:03:15.878+00:00A Bishop recommends the AA model for the ChurchWell, <a href="http://the%20job%20of%20the%20hierarchy%20will%20be%20to%20enable%20this%2c%20not%20to%20represent%20it%20or%20control%20it./" target="_blank">here</a> is Bishop Alan Wilson, Area Bishop of Buckingham (Church of England) saying:<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">"The Church in its own bubble has become, at best the guardian of the value system of the nation’s grandparents, and at worst a den of religious anoraks defined by defensiveness, esoteric logic and discrimination."</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">****</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #666666;">"the Church of the future may be less a civil service or conventional business, and </span><b><span style="color: magenta;">more a movement like Alcoholics Anonymous,</span></b><span style="color: #666666;"> the ultimate locally delivered life-changing non profit. The job of the hierarchy will be to enable this, not to represent it or control it.</span></span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;" />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Bg9RYBHpgH21Rthsam2F-zVVOG43cvqiijld2cwnm8VeDUuqIZOYjl5YLSEAGPWb7X3UvmNF18DuV3p9m7BVANEzKzXCioAofnbZRG60rrvzrhfIPmd0H45Y3eIl2dVbr5ViMdVqnsg/s1600/Puppy3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #888888; float: left; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Bg9RYBHpgH21Rthsam2F-zVVOG43cvqiijld2cwnm8VeDUuqIZOYjl5YLSEAGPWb7X3UvmNF18DuV3p9m7BVANEzKzXCioAofnbZRG60rrvzrhfIPmd0H45Y3eIl2dVbr5ViMdVqnsg/s200/Puppy3.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0976563) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; border-width: initial; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0976563) 1px 1px 5px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 5px; position: relative;" width="200" /></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">To represent the grace and truth of Christ to this generation and be good news to those within its care, the Church needs, not a re-brand or a bailout, but a reboot.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Where does Christianity connect with Life as it is lived?</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">What lines of code would come up on the screen during such a reboot?"</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: blue;">**************************************************************</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">Coo!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">Unfortunately I don't think the hierarchy can enable this change, because this would mean dismantling the hierarchy. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">I doubt if the AA traditions could work within the Church structures. The AA model can never be another 'Fresh Expression' of the established church.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">I think people who want a church modelled on the traditions of AA will just have to get together amongst themselves and get on with it and leave the Church to get on with their stuff.</span></span></div>
DaisyAnonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12680034482022415405noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8637392455041710122.post-43017760375057386352012-05-31T19:04:00.000+01:002012-08-25T15:15:32.576+01:00Tradition 8 Forever Non-Professional<br />
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Short Form:
“Alcoholics Anonymous should remain forever non-professional, but our
service centers may employ special workers”.</div>
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Long Form: “Alcoholics Anonymous should remain forever
non-professional. We define professionalism
as the occupation of counselling alcoholics for fees or hire. But we may employ alcoholics where they are
going to perform those services for which we might otherwise have to engage non-alcoholics. Such special services may be
recompensed. But our usual A.A. Twelve
Step work is never to be paid for.”</div>
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********</div>
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Twelve Step work includes both meeting with people who want
to know how AA can help them, helping on the phone services and
service work in meetings. However, for
example AA will employ people with necessary skills to run the offices, do the accounts etc.</div>
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<br /></div>
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“The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions” (12 x 12 for
short) states; “Alcoholics Anonymous will never have a professional class. We have gained some understanding of the ancient
words ‘Freely ye have received, freely give.’
We have discovered that at the point of professionalism, money and
spirituality do not mix.”</div>
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<a href="http://ravenwilderness.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/chickens-at-st-pauls.html" target="_blank">Maggie Ross</a> refers to the ‘seven devils of ordination’ – “seven
devils of women's ordination*—which, of course, the women have absorbed from
the men—that is, Power, Pretension, Presumption, Pomposity, Privilege,
Preferment and Patronage”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Most of the mainstream Churches have elite classes of
people. Whether they are called priests,
leaders or pastors, these people have special authority, powers and
privileges and usually a salary. They are given special
deference, to the extent that in some centuries and in some countries, they
have been effectively above the law.
This is called clericalism. Despite
protestations to the contrary they are in reality considered superior both
hierarchically and spiritually to the lay people. Lay people being anyone who is not ordained,
or with a title such as pastor. </div>
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This is now acknowledged to be a major reason that the child
sexual abuse scandal was able to be perpetrated and then covered up for so
long. At least, acknowledged by most
people except the senior clerics of the Roman Catholic Church who still do not
seem to have got the point. It is easy
to point the finger at the Roman Catholic Church but I believe that clericalism
is the elephant in the room for all churches with a professional class. </div>
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Clericalism and the abuses of power it leads to is in my
opinion one of the main reasons why active committed church membership
continues to decline.</div>
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There is a lot of hand wringing about the dangers and risks
of clericalism, but it always stops short of proposing that the solution might
be to abolish clerics.</div>
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Many churches are having a bit of a crisis in that they
cannot afford the numbers of clergy they have had in the past and are looking
to solve the problems this creates. In
one Methodist circuit there have been lots of discussions recently about clustering
congregations, sharing clergy reducing the number of communion services, and so
on and closing some churches. </div>
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However, many of the affected churches are financially
self-sufficient and Methodism has a strong tradition of unpaid lay
preachers. The problem is in funding the
paid clergy not the individual churches.
No-one seems to notice the elephant in the room that is that if
voluntary unpaid lay people were authorised to perform all the functions that
clergy perform the problem would disappear for most of the circuit. The situation with Anglican Readers is
somewhat similar.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile the clergy are constantly complaining about how hard they have to work, and how all the administration sucks up their time, how unreasonably demanding and ungrateful their parishioners are, and how this isn't what they thought they would be doing when they got ordained. On and on go their complaints.</div>
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It isn’t clear to me why a theology degree or similar is
necessary for most of the administrative and liturgical functions clergy
perform when most of these functions are already adequately performed by lay
people without theology degrees.
Including preaching and teaching and conducting services. </div>
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There are no professional AA’s or Al-Anons. No training programmes except the meetings
and the literature. Anyone can do a ’12
Step’ – that is talk with someone who needs the programme and tell them all
about it, encourage them into the rooms.
Anyone can be a sponsor (similar to a spiritual director). People choose their own sponsors. They are recommended to come to meetings
listen to the shares and choose someone whose sobriety and personality
appeals. People change sponsors if they
want to. The decision is theirs. No-one has to have a sponsor. Anyone who volunteers and is selected by the
group can undertake any service position.</div>
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I am really not sure what is so complicated about the
Christian faith that it needs specially educated people, who can talk a special theological language that most people cannot understand, to perform functions
which can be performed perfectly competently by people without this
training. Particularly when the
non-ordained, the laity, are constantly told about how it is the responsibility
of every Christian to spread the word, make disciples and so on.</div>
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Just as an example - some
ordained people are also employed as academic theologians. I have never understood why they need to be
ordained in order to function as professional theologians, or what function
they perform as an ordained person. My
problem is not with Christians being professional theologians. My question is why they need to be ordained
to do it.</div>
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The other part of this tradition is that AA service work
should always be unpaid. No-one is
allowed to make a profit out of AA.
(Even the AA commercial ventures are strictly limited, we will look at
this in traditions six and seven.) I
wonder how many people would volunteer for the priesthood if there were no
prospect of a salary, housing or a career.
No status, no rewards, just service.</div>
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Maggie Ross <st1:date day="4" month="1" year="2010">Jan 4<sup>th</sup>
2010</st1:date> “The diocese of <st1:city><st1:place>Exeter</st1:place></st1:city>
has suggested that the villages choose people to be ordained. But ordination is
not the answer: who in their right mind would want to be ordained into the
present system to become one of the self-absorbed, self-certifying elite,
separated from the rest of us, not to mention their own humanity? Why not train
and license local lay people to preside at the Eucharist and do pastoral care?”</div>
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At an AA meeting you will often find someone relatively new
to AA acting as secretary to the meeting.
The secretary organises speakers and conducts the meeting. Often these people probably wouldn’t be
allowed to do anything very much in a church.
It is interesting to see how people develop in confidence and skill in
running the meeting as they go on. The
readers and speakers are ordinary members who will often have never done any
public speaking before. I remember very
few sermons. I remember most of the main
shares I have heard. They are very
personal and come from the heart and the soul.</div>
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But they would often never even have the chance in a
church. They wouldn’t ever be asked to
volunteer or speak/preach and the church environment would not give them the
confidence to volunteer. They would be crushed under the experience of being patronised and covered in saccharine niceness designed to keep them firmly in their place.</div>
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<o:p>Maggie Ross May 27<sup>th</sup> 2012 “all the debates about who can celebrate the Eucharist are absurd as anyone can be in that presence if they open themselves, but a lot of the ordained most certainly are not open!”</o:p></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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The meeting members try to make it as easy as possible for a
new secretary to do the job and to support them and the people who are willing
to give the main shares. People’s lives
are at stake here. The objective is to share
the experience, strength and hope of recovery through the programme and allow the Higher Power (Holy Spirit or God in Christian terms) to work, and the miracles to happen. And miracles do happen and you hear testimony to this at most meetings.</div>
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Often unlike church where carping, criticism and obstruction
are often to be expected. You need a very
thick skin to volunteer for anything in a church including ordained or licensed
ministry. </div>
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I cannot find anything in Jesus’ teaching that suggests he
was advocating the establishment of the institutional church as it has
developed. It seems largely modelled on
ancient Jewish synagogue and priestly structures and the long outmoded <st1:place>Roman
Empire</st1:place>.</div>
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<o:p> </o:p> </div>
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It seems odd to me that God allows anyone with the physical
capacity to become a parent. He seems
completely undiscriminating and un-judgemental.
However unsuitable the individuals seem, or turn out to be in practice. There are no assessments, training, exams or
qualifications required. They can have
as many children as they are capable of.</div>
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Who are we to be more discriminating than God? </div>
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<br /></div>
DaisyAnonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12680034482022415405noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8637392455041710122.post-50053619623716760202012-04-09T18:08:00.000+01:002012-04-09T18:13:44.587+01:00‘Our leaders are but trusted servants they do not govern.’<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">‘Our
leaders are but trusted servants they do not govern.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Tradition 2
of AA and Al-Anon. The full tradition is
‘For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority – a loving God as He
may express Himself in our group conscience.
Our leaders are but trusted servants they do not govern.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">There are
no ‘leadership’ positions in AA/Al-Anon.
There are service responsibilities necessary for the group and the wider
organisation to function and fulfil its purpose. In general each group has a secretary,
treasurer, literature person and person or persons who organise the tea and
coffee. It is considered both a
privilege and a duty to hold a service position. It is a service to the group but it is also an
opportunity for personal spiritual growth.
But the post holders have to stand down regularly, usually after a year
at most. Hanging onto office is firmly
discouraged. It is not healthy for the
individual or the group.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Everyone is
expected to take their turn to maintain the essential group services. Anyone
can volunteer for a service position. The
only requirement is evidence of some capacity to maintain the commitment and,
in the case of AA, some reasonable length of sobriety. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">St Benedict
provides for the election of Abbots who then have to stand for re-election
periodically. Matters affecting the
whole community are to be discussed by the whole community. Care has to be taken that all can have their
say, especially the newest and youngest, for, Benedict says, the Lord often
speaks through these.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">And just
like the Rule of St Benedict the prescription for a healthy community life in
the 12 step world is rooted and grounded in Scripture.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;"><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2022:%2024-27&version=NIV" target="_blank">Luke 22:24-27</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">24 A
dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be
greatest. 25 Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them;
and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. 26 But
you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the
youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. 27 For who is greater,
the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at
the table? But I am among you as one who serves.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">He washes
his disciples’ feet despite Peter’s protests<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2013:%2014&version=NIV" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">John </span><st1:time hour="13" minute="14"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">13:14</span></st1:time></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">14 Now that
I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one
another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done
for you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Leadership
in the churches is usually equated with priesthood or they might be called
pastors. Many churches have moving
services at Easter where a senior clergyman/priest washes the feet of members
of the congregation – lay people. In
theory the church leadership is modelled on a servant leadership ideal. Unfortunately it so often seems that the
reality does not match the ideal or the symbolic actions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">The
Christian universe seems full of books, conferences, blogs, etc, all about how
to be an effective Church leader. All of
it seems to be premised on the assumption that the job of the leader or
leadership is to tell people what to do and how to do it. To give orders. Lip service is paid to the importance of the
faithful followers, usually laity, but the gracious words are not incarnated in
institutional structures. Sometimes it
seems that every Christian should aspire to leadership, being a follower is
very low status indeed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">AA does
things somewhat differently. This is one
of its attractions for many alcoholics who have problems with authority and
authority figures. They are natural
rebels.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">There is no
special authority, power or privilege attached to an AA service
responsibility. Any that might attach
has to be given up as rapidly as it is acquired and the position devolves to
another member. Their function is to do
the groups housekeeping, ensure the practical details are taken care of. Setting up the room, putting out the
literature, buying and making the coffee.
The only authority that attaches is the group consensus that the officials
should be allowed to conduct the meeting in an orderly fashion. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">People who
fill service positions are not spiritual leaders to the group. They do not have followers or disciples. Their authority is limited to the task they
perform in that meeting. They will share
their experience strength and hope in recovery with the meeting on exactly the
same terms as any other member. No-one
has to take their advice or obey their instructions (should they be so foolish
as to try to give an instruction outside the limited remit of their service
role).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">They have
influence to the extent that they are deemed by others to be worthy of it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">They may
not even be the members with the longest sobriety. Newcomers are encouraged to take up service
roles as soon as possible. Service helps
recovery. Oldtimers will step in where
necessary but are usually happy to take a back seat.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">It seems to
work. If it doesn’t work out, the group
will have a group conscience and resolve the matter. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Which
brings us on to the first part of the tradition: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">“For our
group purpose there is but one ultimate authority – a loving God as He may
express Himself in our group conscience.”
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">A group
conscience meeting is a short meeting usually held immediately before or after
the real meeting. It tackles any decisions
the group have to make or issues that have to be discussed. Groups are usually pretty keen to ensure the
business is kept brief and to the point and does not interfere with the real
business of the meeting - recovery.
Whoever turns up forms the conscience for that group at that meeting.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">It is
common for people who don’t wish to participate in the group conscience to
remain outside until it is over. One of
the reasons it works is that AA business is just that, AA business. AA does not involve itself in outside
issues. It keeps itself as free as
possible from matters to do with property and finance. It is rare for agendas to be prepared,
minutes to be taken at group level. If
there is a hot issue that will be discussed for which the group conscience is
called it will be stated when the group conscience is announced.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">There
aren’t even any particular requirements for how often a group conscience is
called. Some groups have them every
month or quarter, some just when an issue is raised that needs some discussion.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">An AA group
conscience meeting is not ‘chaired’ by an hierarchically appointed person whose
function is to steer the discussion, take the decision or manipulate the group
into a pre-determined decision. The role
of the AA/Al Anon ‘chairperson’ is simply to facilitate the orderly conduct of
the meeting. In some meetings the person
who leads the group conscience meeting is not the person who then leads the
meeting. It is more like the Quaker
business meeting method and format than a Church Council.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">The twelve
traditions are the basis for the organisation and orderly conduct of the
groups, preserving the unity of the fellowships. Additionally the twelve world concepts ensure
that the management of the global and national structures maintain
responsibility to the groups they serve.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">In the
“Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions”
Bill Wilson says about experienced AAers, “The elder statesman is the
one who sees the wisdom of the group’s decision, …..whose judgement fortified
by considerable experience is sound, and who is willing to sit quietly on the
sidelines patiently awaiting developments.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">They become
the real and permanent leadership of AA.
Theirs is the quiet opinion, the sure knowledge and humble example that
resolve a crisis. They become the voice
of the group conscience…..They do not drive by mandate; they lead by
example. This is the experience which
has led us to the conclusion that our group conscience, well advised by its
elders, will be in the long run wiser than any single leader”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Bill Wilson
then describes a situation where he wanted to do something that he felt was a
good thing, but which the group opposed.
He obeyed the group conscience and realised that this was indeed the
better choice in the long run. The group
on that occasion had a better understanding of the AA method than he, its
founder, did.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Of course,
part of the reason it works is because of the other traditions, they fit
together like a jigsaw – but that is a subject for another post.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Note: For simplicity I have only referred to AA but
the same principles and methods apply equally to Al-Anon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">So many of
the problems of the Churches, some more others, seem rooted in a model of
leadership which is based on power, authority, prescription, layers of
hierarchy and bureaucracy. How
uninviting. We seem to have reinvented
ourselves as modern Pharisees or a remnant of the </span><st1:place><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Roman Empire</span></st1:place><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">.
How sad.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;"><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2023:%201-12&version=NIV" target="_blank">Matthew 23</a>: 1-12<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">1 Then
Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2 “The teachers of the law and
the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 So you must be careful to do everything
they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they
preach. 4They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s
shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">5
“Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+23&version=NIV#fen-NIV-23924a#fen-NIV-23924a" title="See footnote a"></a> wide and the tassels on their garments long; 6they
love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the
synagogues; 7 they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to
be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">8 “But you
are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all
brothers. 9 And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father,
and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one
Instructor, the Messiah. 11 The greatest
among you will be your servant. 12 For those who exalt themselves will be
humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">So maybe a
Christian Community could adopt Tradition 2 just as it stands without
amendment. After all, if a load of
alcoholics can make it work, surely the Christian Church can?<o:p></o:p></span></div>DaisyAnonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12680034482022415405noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8637392455041710122.post-86587810975410613942012-02-04T00:02:00.000+00:002012-04-09T18:13:30.267+01:00The Only Requirement<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">"AA Tradition 3 </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">The
only requirement for AA membership is a desire to stop drinking. (Short Form)</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">(Long Form) Our membership ought to include all who suffer
from alcoholism. Hence we may refuse none who wish to recover. Nor ought A.A.
membership ever depend upon money or conformity. Any two or three alcoholics
gathered together for sobriety may call themselves an A.A. group, provided
that, as a group, they have no other affiliation."</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">What about the mainstream Churches?</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">I think most members of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><st1:place><st1:placename>Christian</st1:placename>
<st1:placename>Churches</st1:placename></st1:place></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> would say that anyone can
join them and most services including weddings, funerals and baptisms are
public in that anyone can attend. But
beyond this things are hedged around with all sorts of restrictions and rules. Some of them are never
made explicit and create a sense of being in an </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><st1:city><st1:place>Alice</st1:place></st1:city></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">
in Wonderland world to the unsuspecting entrant. </span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">Money certainly comes into it. Those who pay the piper quite reasonably expect to call the tune. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-X0ocgg7-6L0/TyBgyB_j4LI/AAAAAAAAAQc/dVY833qlEPU/s1600/P1000139.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-X0ocgg7-6L0/TyBgyB_j4LI/AAAAAAAAAQc/dVY833qlEPU/s200/P1000139.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">Priests/pastors/clergy understandably don’t want to upset these people. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dtNSeHsVxBU/TyxjkYglXfI/AAAAAAAAAlY/gMojSO9Aajg/s1600/Hummingbird+(14).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dtNSeHsVxBU/TyxjkYglXfI/AAAAAAAAAlY/gMojSO9Aajg/s200/Hummingbird+(14).JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span><br />
Conformity certainly comes into it. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">
Many priests enforce their own opinions as to
what happens and to whom and how it happens.
Especially regarding weddings and baptisms. Sometimes quite contrary to the official
rules of the CoE. (If I seem to be singling
out the CoE it is because this is the denomination I know most about. Experience, anecdote and reading suggests it is equally
true of the Roman Catholic Church). The
mainstream denominations do not really like those who do not conform, although
tolerant of those whose ‘eccentricity’ is within accepted norms.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">
Most church groups in my experience have some expectation
that people will sooner or later (sooner preferably!) conform to the dominant group belief and
behaviour norms. I remember after one
service when the vicar had preached strongly about the need for welcome and inclusion,
and one person said over coffee “Of course we welcome everyone, as long as they repent and give up their bad lifestyles.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">
Who can call themselves a Church? As far as I know any group of people can call
themselves a Church. But a group of
people wishing to identify and be accepted as an Anglican, RC, Methodist or Orthodox,
Church would have a lot of hoops to jump through. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">
<br /></div>
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">The Quakers are interesting. A group can establish itself as a Quaker Group without much reference to anyone, although the website does strongly recommend joining existing groups, but it is not formally part of the Quaker network until accepted, and there is a quite a process involved. The <a href="http://www.fgcquaker.org/ao/when-youre-only-friend-town-starting-new-friends-meeting" target="_blank">article </a>says some groups aren’t in a hurry! </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">
When I think of the incredible diversity of God's creation, all those little brown birds for example, almost identical but not quite, I wonder why Jesus' command for spiritual unity should be interpreted as meaning conformity. </div>
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o7XySleaDFs/TyGr9HRWLUI/AAAAAAAAAcM/e9PF3rHs69w/s1600/Rufous+Collared+Sparrow.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o7XySleaDFs/TyGr9HRWLUI/AAAAAAAAAcM/e9PF3rHs69w/s200/Rufous+Collared+Sparrow.JPG" width="200" /></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vnlz0L_Nk8I/TyGpolYzMQI/AAAAAAAAAUo/IiHXQ4qBvUk/s1600/Basilisk+Lizard.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vnlz0L_Nk8I/TyGpolYzMQI/AAAAAAAAAUo/IiHXQ4qBvUk/s200/Basilisk+Lizard.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">
<o:p>Not to mention things like the Basilisk Lizard. </o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">
<o:p>Ember has a good rant on this over at <a href="http://kindredofthequietway.blogspot.com/2011/12/divine-order-nature-religion-and-being.html" target="_blank">Kindred of the Quiet Way</a> (about God's ways not being our ways, not Basilisk Lizards!)</o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">
So what would Tradition 3 look like in Christian Church
terms? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">
<a href="http://www.julianmeetings.org/" target="_blank">Julian Meetings</a> are not far off: </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px;">
<i>“Julian Meetings vary and are free to do things in their own
way. Our main guidelines are that a meeting is based on contemplative prayer in
the Christian tradition and welcomes people of all denominations. We teach no specific method of meditation. …Those
who attend Julian Meetings usually take a full part in the life of their own
church, but some have no formal church links.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>In our experience, there are three situations in which
people consider starting a new Julian Meeting. They are: </i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 18.0pt; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';">
</span></span>People who have previously belonged to a Julian
Meeting or similar contemplative prayer group<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 18.0pt; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';">
</span></span>People who know about Julian Meetings and wish
to start one in their locality.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 18.0pt; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';">
</span></span>People who have heard about contemplative prayer
groups and want to explore this area more deeply.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>In addition, there are groups which are similar to Julian
Meetings and are interested to know if they "qualify" as a Julian
Meeting and what it means if they do. We
are happy to include them as long as they are Christian, and ecumenical and
silence forms the main part of their meeting.”</i></div>
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif;"><div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Very similar to AA. If
you think you are a Julian Meeting then that’s fine. It costs £6 a year to register as a Julian Meeting. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">AA groups are encouraged to register with the General Service Office in their country and be part of the wider fellowship. There is no requirement to do this and no charge.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> The GSO sends some free introductory literature. The cost is funded by established groups. There is a helpful leaflet on how to start a group, available <a href="http://www.aa.org/pdf/products/p-16_theaagroup.pdf" target="_blank">free online. </a></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">Let’s have a go at Tradition 3.
Remembering Dr Bob’s last words in 1950. <i> “"But there are two or three things …on
which it would be fitting to lay a little emphasis; one is the simplicity of
our Program. Let's not louse it all up
with Freudian complexes and things that are interesting to the scientific mind,
but have very little to do with our actual AA work. Our 12 Steps, when simmered
down to the last, resolve themselves into the words love and service. We understand what love is and we understand
what service is. So let's bear those two
things in mind.”</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">Keep it Simple is one of AA’s slogans.</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">Let’s not louse up our Christian fellowship with things that
are interesting to academic theologians, Church historians and the hierarchies
of religious institutions with agendas based on money and power, but have
little to do with our daily life following our Lord.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">12 </b><st1:place><st1:placename><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Step</b></st1:placename><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b><st1:placetype><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Church</b></st1:placetype></st1:place><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Tradition 3</b> The only
requirement for 12 step Church membership is a desire to love and serve God
through following the Way of Jesus Christ.
To know Him more clearly, love Him more dearly, and follow Him more
nearly, day by day. (Short Form) (with thanks to <a href="http://www.sm3a.org.uk/prayer_of_the_month/richard.html" target="_blank">Richard of Chichester</a>).</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"></span><br />
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(Long Form) Our membership ought to include all who want to find
God through the life and teachings of Jesus Christ and live in accordance with
His will for us. Hence we may refuse
none who wish to pray and worship in His name and follow Him. Nor ought 12 step
Church membership ever depend upon money or conformity. Any two or three people
gathered together for Christian prayer, worship and fellowship may call
themselves a 12 step Church of Christ group, provided that, as a group, they have no
other affiliation.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Finally where is the support for this in the Christian
scriptures, in the words of Jesus in particular?</div>
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">Jesus said “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2018:%2020&version=NIVUK" target="_blank">Matthew 18: 20 </a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">In
response to the question ‘what must we do to inherit eternal life’.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">Jesus asks ‘what do you think the law
says’.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">The response – "He answered:
'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all
your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbour as yourself.'</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> '</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">You
have answered correctly', Jesus replied. 'Do this and you will live'."</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1550784422">In Luke </a></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2010:25-37&version=NIVUK" target="_blank">10: 25-37</a> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">we have the story of the Good Samaritan, the answer to the question ‘who is my neighbour?’ </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">Many (most?) of Jesus’ teachings and actions demonstrate the unconditional inclusiveness of God’s love and kingdom. Listing them here would produce a very long
list of texts all about prostitutes, thieves, lepers, the religiously and
socially unclean, sinners of all sorts.
Probably the sort of people you find in 12 step rooms. Perhaps this is why the presence of God is felt so strongly in the rooms and why miracles of recovery are a common occurrence.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">The disciples tried to keep the children away, <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+19:14&version=ESV">Matthew
19:14</a> “but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not
hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%209:%2049-50&version=NIVUK" target="_blank">Luke 9:49-50</a> New
International Version - <st1:country-region><st1:place>UK</st1:place></st1:country-region>
(NIVUK)<o:p></o:p></div>
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49 Master, said John, we saw a man driving out demons in
your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us. 50 Do not stop him, Jesus said, for whoever
is not against you is<span style="color: black;"> for you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Peter was given a vision of God’s inclusive love and as a
result the disciples decided that Gentiles did not have to keep the Jewish
dietary and circumcision laws. <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%2010,%2011,%2015&version=NIVUK" target="_blank">Acts 10, 11 & 15.</a></div>
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Jesus told Martha that ‘only one thing is needed’ <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2010:%2042&version=NIVUK" target="_blank">Luke <st1:time hour="10" minute="42">10:42</st1:time></a>. That is, like Mary, being close to Him and
listening to His words.</div>
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</span>DaisyAnonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12680034482022415405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8637392455041710122.post-12696953962985563622011-12-27T23:11:00.005+00:002012-01-02T18:38:34.805+00:00Stay in the Middle of the Boat<div class="MsoNormal">I<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">s an expression you hear </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">frequently</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> in the 12 step Rooms. It’s fairly self explanatory. Newcomers are advised to stay in the middle of the boat as a tool of recovery. Oldtimers share that their sobriety has depended and still depends on their staying in the middle of the boat.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This means reading the literature, going to meetings regularly, talking to other members and/or a sponsor regularly, volunteering for a service position, working the steps.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just like in a herd, being in the middle increases the chances of survival. Being on the edge or getting detached is a dangerous risky place. This is the 12 step herd experience.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thinking about it, the obvious conclusion might be that as in a real lifeboat or herd, not everyone can be in the middle. Someone has to be on the edge, or even fail to get in the boat at all. No room in the <st1:place>Inn</st1:place>, no room on the Titanic lifeboats and no room in the 12 step boat.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rTjSdFORpNY/TvopGNivFKI/AAAAAAAAANM/SPH3ff3jn6M/s1600/lifeboat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rTjSdFORpNY/TvopGNivFKI/AAAAAAAAANM/SPH3ff3jn6M/s1600/lifeboat.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jshyun/4141404769/" target="_blank">jshyun on flickr</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In most communities, including churches there is an outside and an inside and a finite amount of room in the inner circle.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But in the 12 step Rooms there is room for everyone in the middle. Only those who choose to be are on the edge. It is a different form of spiritual spatial reality. Do what is suggested and you are in the middle of the boat. No-one is displaced because you have arrived in the middle. No-one can stop you journeying to the centre. Everyone is advised to stay in the middle of the boat. No-one has be on the edge or outside unless they choose to be.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So there is no need to play power games, politics or jockey for position. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think the reason for this apparent impossibility is the traditions of AA. They are designed and work together to ensure the survival of the maximum number. The traditions ensure that doing service is exactly, service, not a route for the accrual of - <span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: #333333;">Power, Pretension, Presumption, Pomposity, Privilege, Preferment and Patronage - to quote <a href="http://ravenwilderness.blogspot.com/2011/11/chickens-at-st-pauls.html" target="_blank">Maggie Ross</a> who expresses it all so much more eloquently than I can.</span></span></span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Service is very important to recovery in AA and Al-Anon. Service positions are rotated regularly. Hanging onto positions indefinitely is generally discouraged. Almost the only disqualification for service is not being sober. Some positions require a minimum length of sobriety as a practical precaution.</span><br />
<div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Outside of their role a person doing service is just another member of AA or Al-Alon. There is no separation into different classes of people, clergy, laity, bishops, elders and so on. No special privileges are attached to the roles. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All this is found in the Traditions. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1. Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon A.A. unity.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">2. For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority - a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">8. Alcoholics Anonymous should remain forever nonprofessional, but our service centers may employ special workers.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">9. A.A., as such, ought never be organized; but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">12. Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is all taken very seriously in the rooms. People who probably would never be considered for any sort of 'leadership' role in a church have a very clear understanding of what these mean and why they are so important. Perhaps this is because most people in the rooms feel that they owe their lives to the 12 Steps and 12 Traditions. It is quite literally a matter of life and death.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/Lifebelt.jpg" width="240" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://by%20andy%20wright%20from%20sheffield%2C%20uk%20%28flickr%29%20[cc-by-2.0%20%28www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)],%20via%20Wikimedia%20Commons" target="_blank">By Andy Wright from Sheffield</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But all the talk in churches is of leadership. A quick glance at many Christian publishing lists will find many titles all suggesting that the pinnacle of the Christian spiritual life is leadership. Strange when the pool of potential followers for these leaders to lead seems to be diminishing. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The point is that Jesus </span>'<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><sup class="versenum" id="en-ESV-25880" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: text-top;">25</sup> said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles <sup class="xref" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: text-top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25880AE" title="See cross-reference AE">AE</a>)"></sup>exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. <sup class="versenum" id="en-ESV-25881" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: text-top;">26</sup> <sup class="xref" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: text-top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25881AF" title="See cross-reference AF">AF</a>)"></sup>But not so with you. Rather, let <sup class="xref" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: text-top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25881AG" title="See cross-reference AG">AG</a>)"></sup>the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. <sup class="versenum" id="en-ESV-25882" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: text-top;">27</sup> For who is the greater, <sup class="xref" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: text-top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25882AH" title="See cross-reference AH">AH</a>)"></sup>one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But <sup class="xref" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: text-top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25882AI" title="See cross-reference AI">AI</a>)"></sup>I am among you as the one who serves. <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2022:%2025-27&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Luke 22:25-27 </span></a></span></div><div><br />
</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And: <sup class="versenum" id="en-ESV-23921" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: text-top;">5</sup> <sup class="xref" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: text-top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-23921A" title="See cross-reference A">A</a>)"></sup>They do all their deeds <sup class="xref" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: text-top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-23921B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)"></sup>to be seen by others. For they make <sup class="xref" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: text-top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-23921C" title="See cross-reference C">C</a>)"></sup>their phylacteries broad and <sup class="xref" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: text-top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-23921D" title="See cross-reference D">D</a>)"></sup>their fringes long, <sup class="versenum" id="en-ESV-23922" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: text-top;">6</sup> and they <sup class="xref" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: text-top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-23922E" title="See cross-reference E">E</a>)"></sup>love the place of honor at feasts and <sup class="xref" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: text-top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-23922F" title="See cross-reference F">F</a>)"></sup>the best seats in the synagogues <sup class="versenum" id="en-ESV-23923" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: text-top;">7</sup> and <sup class="xref" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: text-top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-23923G" title="See cross-reference G">G</a>)"></sup>greetings in <sup class="xref" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: text-top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-23923H" title="See cross-reference H">H</a>)"></sup>the marketplaces and being called <sup class="xref" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: text-top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-23923I" title="See cross-reference I">I</a>)"></sup>rabbi by others. <sup class="versenum" id="en-ESV-23924" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: text-top;">8</sup> <sup class="xref" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: text-top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-23924J" title="See cross-reference J">J</a>)"></sup>But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are <sup class="xref" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: text-top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-23924K" title="See cross-reference K">K</a>)"></sup>all brothers. <sup class="versenum" id="en-ESV-23925" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: text-top;">9</sup> <sup class="xref" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: text-top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-23925L" title="See cross-reference L">L</a>)"></sup>And call no man your father on earth, for <sup class="xref" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: text-top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-23925M" title="See cross-reference M">M</a>)"></sup>you have one Father, who is in heaven.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2023:5-9&version=ESV" target="_blank">Matthew 23: 5-9</a></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So it seems to me that an organisation or community that really took that seriously would organise itself to reflect those instructions. Apart from AA and Al-Anon the nearest I have found this to be incarnated is in the Rule of St Benedict. He makes provision for both a necessary structure and discipline and for a respect for each individual's individuality. Roles in the monastic community are not a right. They are a privilege but not an entitlement and are allocated in accordance with the Abbots judgement as to what is best for the community. The position of Abbot is elected </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and there is provision for their removal if their conduct warrants it. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> St Benedict makes provision for the whole community to be involved in important decisions. With special attention paid to the youngest members, as experience showed that the Holy Spirit often chooses to speak through these.</span></div><div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is written for laypeople, not for clerics. "The saint's purpose was not to institute an order of clerics with clerical duties and offices, but an organization and a set of rules for the domestic life of such laymen as wished to live as fully as possible the type of life presented in the Gospel.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b><strong><span style="color: maroon; font-weight: normal;">"My words"</span></strong><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">,</span></strong> he says,<span style="color: maroon; font-weight: bold;"> </span><strong><span style="color: maroon; font-weight: normal;">"are addressed to thee, whoever thou art, that, renouncing thine own will, dost put on the strong and bright armour of obedience in order to fight for the Lord Christ, our true King."</span></strong> (Prol. to Rule.) Later, the Church imposed the clerical state upon Benedictines", * but this was not the original intention.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Writing in the sixth century for lay people living in community, he has reservations about ordained priests who want to join, devoting a whole chapter (60) to this. The priest must understand that he is as subject to the Rule as everyone else and cannot make special demands or expect any seniority based on his ordained status. This suggests that St Benedict experienced problems with ordained people joining the monastic community.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Which also suggests that the problems of today are much the same as yesterday, and the church has not moved on much. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"The Rule, including its system of prayer and public psalmody, is meant for every class of mind and every degree of learning. It is framed not only for the educated and for souls advanced in perfection, but it organizes and directs a complete life which is adapted for simple folk and for sinners, for the observance of the Commandments and for the beginnings of goodness." *</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">* <a href="http://saintbenedict.org/stblonglife.htm" target="_blank">source</a></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think part of the enduring power of the Rule is that is so firmly grounded in human experience. Benedict did not start with a theory of community which he then tried to apply. He applied the lessons he learned leading communities.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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</span></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And all this is just like the development of the 12 steps and traditions of AA.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For many one of the big attractions of AA is that there are no bosses, no gaffers, no-one can tell you what to do. You may decide to take the suggestions that are offered by those who have experience......But they are suggestions not instructions. AA grew out of a Christian tradition, but if AA had been organised like the churches it would never have survived, and neither would many thousands of alcoholics and their families.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is a matter of life and death for us, and it is a pity that the churches cannot take their responsibility for spiritual lives as seriously as AA takes its responsibility for both the physical and spiritual lives of its members. AA is a spiritual but not a religious programme. God doesn't seem to mind and works powerfully in the lives of AA and Al-Anon members.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Is it possible that the spiritual spatial reality of AA where everyone can be in the middle of the boat more closely reflects the kingdom of heaven than the structures of the churches?</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><br />
</div>DaisyAnonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12680034482022415405noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8637392455041710122.post-66877697215705358742010-08-06T16:17:00.003+01:002011-06-27T10:14:22.918+01:00Best Ever Explanation of the TrinityScene:<br />
<br />
A charming country railway station. Two small people with their granny waiting for their train.<br />
<br />
Small Person 1: "There’s 3 people on our platform. Oh, no, there’s only person."<br />
<br />
Small Person 2: "No, there’s 3."<br />
<br />
Small Person 1: "We are a family so we are one person."DaisyAnonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12680034482022415405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8637392455041710122.post-63513386754701911092010-07-18T11:20:00.005+01:002011-12-28T11:53:45.537+00:00Sinners Anonymous<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QS14Eqm_29A/TELUDmms6OI/AAAAAAAAAGM/j_fDAFxqrOM/s1600/Hebrews8_10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="231" hw="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QS14Eqm_29A/TELUDmms6OI/AAAAAAAAAGM/j_fDAFxqrOM/s400/Hebrews8_10.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.reelworship.com/photo/hebrews-810">by Don Stott on Reel Worship</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>My idea of applying the 12 step ideas to church is not original. A friend sent me these links;<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.beenthinking.org/2008/04/04/why-i-want-to-go-to-church/">beenthinking</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://telling-secrets.blogspot.com/2010/04/wait-not-so-fast.html">telling-secrets</a><br />
<br />
Dennis Linn, Sheila Fabricant Linn and Matthew Linn look at a version of the 12 steps in their book ‘Belonging :Bonds of Healing and Recovery’ (ISBN 9780809133659)<br />
<br />
Someone in the comments section of the second blog suggested a 12 step church could call itself ‘sinners anonymous’. Hence the title of this post.<br />
<br />
The other interesting thing about the telling secrets blog post is that it focuses more on the 12 traditions than the 12 steps. The steps are a personal route to wholeness and healing. The traditions are a way of organising the affairs of the group and the wider organisation. <br />
<br />
I have come to believe that the problems of the institutional churches are rooted deep in their organisational structures. Church people complain that "they", the 'unchurched', just want baptisms, weddings, funerals, Christmas and Nativity Plays, Harvest Festivals etc, believing without belonging. <br />
<br />
Someone very involved in <a href="http://uk.alpha.org/">Alpha</a> courses once said to me that despite all the numbers attending Alpha over the years, regular church congregations had not increased. <br />
<br />
I don't think it is Jesus or God or belonging that people are rejecting, it is our church structures and the behaviours which these produce which do not model the ideals preached. These only seem to appeal to a small section of the population. Perhaps people are quietly adopting the 12 step advice of 'take what you like and leave the rest'. <br />
<br />
There's lots of stuff going on in churches about new ways of doing/being church, attracting the 'unchurched' and 'spiritual questers'. But at the heart of all these is a firm set of boundaries and authority structures set by the established church. I keep getting this sense that Christians are talking to each other in their churches, but no-one outside is listening or cares about what they are talking about. The language is often impenetrable and incomprehensible. I realised recently that I couldn’t be bothered trying to understand it anymore. There are better ways to spend my time. God doesn’t seem that bothered. <br />
<br />
In the rooms of the 12 step fellowships people talk about their knowledge and love of God or their ‘Higher Power’ and how he/she/it saves, guides, strengthens and comforts them, all in the ordinary language of everyday life. They talk about how they live their daily lives under the guidance of their Higher Power. They talk intimately and movingly about their spiritual lives, their character defects and how they are overcoming these. God doesn’t seem to mind being called HP. It is gritty, authentic, powerful and humbling.<br />
<br />
Why don’t we just do it? Cut through all these Gordian knots of church structures, finances, rules and regulations, prohibitions, and get on with meeting and praying together. Worshipping and encouraging each other. As the 12 steppers put it:<br />
<br />
“Sharing our experience, strength and hope”.<br />
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QS14Eqm_29A/TELRG6l48SI/AAAAAAAAAGE/lRftHnxEeVU/s1600/3+D+People.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" hw="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QS14Eqm_29A/TELRG6l48SI/AAAAAAAAAGE/lRftHnxEeVU/s320/3+D+People.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/crystaljingsr/3915512588/">姒儿喵喵 on flickr</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Why don’t all those people who want to love God and follow Jesus just start their own groups and meet together? It is not difficult. Jesus said - Matthew 18:20 - "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."<br />
<br />
Enough for now. Next post 12 traditions for a church.DaisyAnonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12680034482022415405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8637392455041710122.post-25243904048087502272010-07-04T13:01:00.006+01:002011-12-28T11:47:25.646+00:0012 Steps to Heaven2010 is the 75th anniversary of the founding of the fellowship of AA – Alcoholics Anonymous. It started with two men, Bill Wilson and Dr Bob Smith in Akron, Ohio, USA and is now a worldwide fellowship.<br />
<br />
Following from the success of AA, the sister organisations - Al-Anon, for people affected by the alcoholism of another person, and Alateen, for teenage relatives and friends of alcoholics - were also established and adopted the same 12 steps and 12 traditions.<br />
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Here is a photo of the AA international convention being held right now in San Antonio. 50,000 sober, recovering alcoholics who said the Lord’s Prayer and sang ‘Amazing Grace’ Note that in accordance with the AA tradition of anonymity no one in the photo can be identified. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QS14Eqm_29A/TDB1uXgAcpI/AAAAAAAAAGA/2mCou8Vc3RE/s1600/IMG_0288.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" rw="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QS14Eqm_29A/TDB1uXgAcpI/AAAAAAAAAGA/2mCou8Vc3RE/s320/IMG_0288.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://marychristineg.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2010-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-07%3A00&updated-max=2011-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-07%3A00&max-results=50">San Antonio 2010 by Mary Christine on Being Sober</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
If you look on the sidebar of my blog you will see that a number of AA related links have appeared. <br />
<br />
Why? And why am I writing about this?<br />
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Because until recently I knew nothing about AA or Al-Anon and then, I believe through the work of the Holy Spirit in my life, I discovered them. I was amazed. I had no idea it was all about the spiritual life. The story of its founding and development is a wonderful account of the work of God.<br />
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It is a perfect fit with my interest in rules of life and prayer. While remaining a Christian I had become somewhat distanced from any church affiliation, being disenchanted with the organisational and authority structures of the mainstream denominational churches, and their lack of inclusiveness in matters of gender and sexuality. <br />
<br />
I was fascinated by the fact that although AA had its origins in Christianity, the founders soon discovered that in order to reach out to the maximum number of alcoholics they had to find a way of retaining the spiritual without being aligned with any particular religious code. Hence steps 2 & 3:<br />
<br />
2 Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. <br />
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3 Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him<br />
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Then, they found out that to best achieve their purpose and preserve their unity they needed certain codes of conduct. Hence the 12 Traditions.<br />
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Since 1935 many other groups have adopted and adapted the 12 steps of AA. This is in keeping with the wishes of the founders. In the foreword to the book 12 Steps and 12 Traditions it says that the author hopes they might ‘arouse interest and application outside AA itself’. That the steps can help with other difficulties of life and provide a way for happy and effective living, ‘alcoholic or not’. I believe this to be true. I have found it to be so in my own life.<br />
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I believe it is a perfect fit with the current interest in spirituality, monastic lifestyles and rules of life generally. <br />
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There is already a Christian version: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celebrate_Recovery">Celebrate Recovery</a> This though is still focused on overcoming specific disorders, while my focus is on a way of life and a way of organising church for all.<br />
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The 12 traditions of AA are the principles by which AA organises its affairs. Here again I believe they can offer a model for church organisation and mission. Looking at the problems faced by the mainstream denominations they seem rooted in issues of authority, control, power, prestige, money and inappropriate professionalism, aka <a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clericalism">'clericalism'</a>. The 12 traditions are designed explicitly with the purpose of avoiding these traps.<br />
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Few of us are free from the effects of the diseases of pride, greed, arrogance, lust, selfishness, anger, sloth, envy, despair, to name but a few. Many of us are addicted to self destructive, repetitive thought and behaviour patterns if not to substances. The 12 steps and 12 traditions offer us individually and collectively a path to healing and liberation. <br />
<br />
It is a way of living. The early Christians were called followers of The Way. Christianity was a distinctive way of life, not just a set of religious beliefs and practices.<br />
<br />
The Promises, that are read in many A.A. Meetings can be found on page 83-84, of the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue;">THE A.A. PROMISES</span></div><br />
If we are painstaking about this phase of our development, we will be amazed before we are half way through. We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness. We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it. We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace. No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others. That feeling of uselessness and selfpity will disappear. We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows. Self-seeking will slip away. Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change. Fear of people and of economic insecurity will leave us. We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us. We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves.<br />
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Are these extravagant promises? We think not. They are being fulfilled among us—sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. They will always materialize if we work for them.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue;">*****************</span></div><br />
I believe these promises have universal application and are the promises of God to all of us.<br />
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I commend the principles and literature of AA, Al-Anon and Alateen to you if you are looking to improve your life, spiritually and emotionally.<br />
<br />
I commend AA, Al-Anon and Alateen to you if your life is or has been affected by the disease of alcoholism. Do not be frightened or ashamed. You will meet people just like you who will understand you, befriend you and share with you the tools of recovery.<br />
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Many AA and Al-Anon meetings are open to anyone interested. So if you want to find out what happens at a meeting, how they are conducted, just visit. I can guarantee that it will be an immensely moving, enriching and humbling experience.<br />
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I am going to continue exploring the application of the steps and traditions to the Christian life on this blog.<br />
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The opinions expressed in this blog are my own and are not affiliated to, approved by or endorsed by AA, Al-Anon, or Alateen.DaisyAnonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12680034482022415405noreply@blogger.com3