In 1930 there was an alcoholic named Roland Hazzard, an Oxford
Group member who visited on more than one occasion with the noted
psychiatrist, Dr Carl Jung. After Roland had some drinking failures,
Dr. Jung gave to him the solution for alcoholism which is a vital
spiritual experience. Spiritual is defined as of, or pertaining to God
and vital as life giving. We had to give life to our experience with
God and this is accomplished by surrendering our nature to the will of
God.
During this historic visit Dr Jung said to
Roland "you have the mind of a chronic alcoholic and I have never seen
one single case recover where the state of mind existed to the extent
that it does in you. Roland thought the gates of hell had closed on
him. He asked is there no exception? Yes replied the doctor there is.
Exceptions to cases such as yours have been occurring since early
times. Once in a while alcoholics have had what are called vital
spiritual experiences."
I recant these
passages which are part of the chapter There Is A Solution in the Big
Book of Alcoholics Anonymous so that we clearly know that the solution
to our alcoholism is a vital spiritual experience and THE GENESIS of
that experience is God. In the Big Book in the chapter How It Works it
says "may you find Him now."
If you are alcoholic
and wish to recover from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body,
then surrender your will to the will of God and you will live in the
solution to your alcoholism.
My initial human feeling was Love, followed, at some point, by Fear. My life became a battleground for the ongoing duel between the two. For years. Fear held the ironcold upper hand. It literally drove me to the bottle as the only source of placating it. Fear toppled me. Today. Through The Twelve Steps of AA which form the basis for The Program if Recovery, I have found The Genesis of All Things Good. My spirit has been awakened. vitalized, and has cleared the way for Love to re-live in my life in its proper place and form. Feels like God to me.
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ReplyDeletecorrection can't possibly live in the will of God
DeleteThis comment is from A Grateful Recovering Alcoholic
ReplyDeleteSources tell us "The development of Alcoholics Anonymous, with its origins in the Oxford Groups, has a very distinct Judeo-Christian heritage. Indeed, the "Oxford Groups" were regarded as practicing first century Christianity. But the wisdom of the founding fathers in AA was shown when they penned the Third Step... "We made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God, as we understood Him." They understood the pervasive shame of being alcoholic. They were quite capable of self-condemnation all by themselves, they didn't need any help from holier-than-thou hypocrites they had seen in the bars themselves."
The first of the four stated practices of the Oxford Group is unfortunately an incomplete "gospel" and a galaxy away from the power contained in Steps 4, 5, 6 and 7 for no mention is made of the Principle Person in the "confessional" dialogue, God... Merely admitting to one another "the exact nature of our wrongs", or sins if you will, does nothing to open the heavenly floodgates of mercy, the cleansing power of His propitiation and the gift of the Holy Spirit that propels the deep change in mind, soul and spirit that is the "repentance" spoken of in the Bible which Dr. Carl Jung described as a "vital spiritual experience" that initiates the ongoing sanctification of every area of our lives.
There are two greek words used to describe the one english word repentance. The first word, Metamellomai "denotes painful sorrow or remorseful regret and is, of itself, not sufficient to change life . Biblical scholar A. T. Robertson states that Judas had only sorrow and regret and “mere sorrow avails nothing unless it leads to change of mind and life".
The second greek word is MetanoeĊ, a powerful verb which describes a profound 180 degree change in direction involving the heart, the mind and the inner life. This is the "vital spiritual experience" spoken of by Jung referring to the act of repentance which propels the sanctification spoken of in both Old and New Testament, declared by John the Baptist and confirmed by Jesus Christ Himself . It is of little matter whether we posses all the worlds riches or are dispossessed of all. We lay all we have at His feet We do not do it alone for we have begun to turn to a Person, receive and embrace that Person and Ultimate Author of the 12 Steps, who's name is Jesus Christ. He alone is the true Genesis and we do so with the strength that He gives us, through the gift, presence and power of the Holy Spirit of God.
What was once a nebular myth becomes a reality. Yes, there is a certain hardness about it but,,, His grace is sufficient... From the moment we reach out to Jesus; and surrender to Him, there is a change, there is a purpose, there is a joy in the Presence of life that no one and nothing can take away. It's been many years since this gratefully recovering alcoholic was propelled by inspiration on the heels of desperation to surrender to that fateful first decision . Many have followed and are living proof of this miraculous manifestation of a Joy-Filled life filled to the brim and overflowing with freedom and divine purpose. And that, as the poet once wrote, has made all the difference..
A Gratefully Recovering Alcoholic
Emil just love the line "....inspiration on the heels of desperation to surrender to that fateful first decision." Thank you for your insight on this topic but mostly for sharing your experience...Armand
ReplyDeleteIt seems that some of the trip points in recovery that many fall over are ; not making that decision with deep conviction in the third step of Alcoholics Anonymous . Why does that occur, possibly due to the fact that the alcoholic really isn't ready to give up the will that is so manifested in them ? Maybe not enough hasn't happened to him or her yet ? They still think that they can manage things by just not drinking ? Many have found out the hard way that this just doesn't work . Isn't it true that the same Will power that took us to the depths of our own degree of destructiveness will not keep us sober, as that of the sobriety that is offered to us in the first 164 pages of the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous . If a commitment is made on this decision, then the continuing journey through the 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th steps may be effective. We now can look at this 8th step & ask God himself to fill us with His Holy Spirit & not allow ourselves to trip ourselves up and carry out this 9th step to the fullest and receive the Grace as Dr. Bob did after completing his 9th step .
ReplyDeleteIt is so important for this step to be deep into construction or constructed . As we travel into the remaining 10th, 11th, & 12th steps and witness the many promises being kept, we now can find the joy in life. The psychic change occurs , that Dr. Jung spoke of .
We can now accept the good with the bad. Embrace the good , and avoid the bad with the same energy ! We will be living in the Will of God not our Human nature . A new beginning , we are reborn , in the Light .
Don you wrote "maybe not enough has happened to him or her yet?" You wrote of Dr. Bob and this clearly was the case for him as it took another drunken blackout for Dr. Bob to become willing to do his Ninth Step, a step he was unwilling to do. Some of us have to be beaten into a state of reasonableness before a surrender humble and sufficient enough to be able to receive the grace og God all of us need... Thank you for your comment as you have been missed...Armand
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