Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. “Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” (Jas 2:17). Up to this point, except … Continue reading
Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings. The more we depend on God, the more we are free. When I first heard this statement from a wise teacher, I could not get my head around it. Independence equates to freedom, I thought, not … Continue reading
Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. The shadow is the underbelly of the psyche, the vulnerable and messy side, the part that we would rather not see, let alone own. It is not bad yet our … Continue reading
Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him. Some people struggle with the Higher Power in the 12 Steps. For others it is a deal-breaker that excludes them from the … Continue reading
We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable. All great spirituality is about letting go. Indeed you have to start this way. Otherwise spirituality or religion is just one more ego accomplishment, as if you have God in your back pocket, so to speak. Recovery begins with a true surrender. Surrender … Continue reading
What do indigenous mythologies, gospel music and the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous all have in common? They are three spiritualities native to America, and, I believe, the three most historically significant. In the first you have a reverence for Nature, God’s first bible. In the second you have a form of communal contemplative prayer. And … Continue reading
Seeking Union 