My resolve to use this blog as a journal on a regular basis has suffered the fate of most of my resolutions: I haven't followed through. However, as each day is a new beginning, I am reviving my resolve and adding this entry.
I've been practicing centering prayer on a regular basis and realizing lot's of benefits from it. About a week ago I joined some other folks who are doing the same and we talked about creating a network in mid-Ohio of centering prayer practictioners. It turns out that one person there also works a 12 Step recovery program and we have since started exchanging thoughts via a Yahoo group on the link between recovery and centering prayer. The following is a posting I made.
Since I posted the items found in the folder on AA and catholic
practices (as an Anglican I tend to use the lower case "c" to indicate
I mean the church universal) I've already found some links here
between the two. Perhaps I should begin by saying that my principle
spiritual practice over the past 16 years has been to maintain and
improve my conscious contact with God using any methods that seem to
work. To be more direct I have been sober in Alcoholics Anonymous
since May of 1990 and I attempt to work the 12 Steps on a daily basis.
Even before embracing a sober life I was on a spiritual quest of
sorts. Sometimes this was just self-deception (i.e. use of psychedelic
drugs leads to spiritual enlightenment) and sometimes I made real
progress (practicing yoga, tai chi, vegetarianism, choral singing,
committed social justice work, art, &c). My experience in recovery has
taught me that my spiritual condition is the most important factor in
my life, far more central to successful living than career, finances,
romance, and so on. Without a solid link to a Higher Power I can have
no success in any other aspect of living.
Like Bill Wilson, who comes across in our story about Fr. Dowling as a
person without strong religious convictions but very committed to a
spiritual existence, I appreciated religion and my own heritage
growing up in the Anglican tradition, but I found the truth about God
to be much greater than that offered by any one religion. I thank God
that I had as much exposure to other systems of belief and practices
so that when I came to AA I was ready to accept a Higher Power of my
own description, not one handed to me by an authority.
So I am somewhat surprised to learn about Wilson's embracement of a
Jesuit priest as a spiritual advisor. I had a vague idea that he had
considered catholic practices but I didn't know about Fr. Dowling.
During my research online to find documents that articulated the
practices of the Jesuits and others I learned that these spiritual
exercises, much like AA itself, grew out of a few peoples experiences
in trying to achieve a single purpose, in this case a conscious
contact with God. I also learned that, while Roman Catholics and the
return of wandering souls to the church are often the principle
audience for these practices, they are freely offered to the world
with the hope that knowledge of God is increased for all. Again, this
is identical to the intent of the AA program being offered to all who
need it and wish to use it.
So here are my general thoughts. I don't do monologue very well, so
I'm looking forward to reading your thoughts on the ideas presented.
Our group is a gift from God, and I am grateful for it. AMEN.
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