 |
"The History of the Serenity-Prayer and it's meaning..."
The Serenity-Prayer as we know it TODAY goes like this...
The idea behind the twelve steps of Alcoholics Anonymous is as old as the book of Job in the Old Testament. Job 33:26-30 states that when a person prays and confesses inappropriate behavior, God will heal that person. The twelve steps are very parallel to the Beatitudes of the ‘Sermon on the Mount’, spoken by Jesus, who said that when a person had exhausted all his or her resources in searching for answers, that person would be comforted by God. This is very close to the first step of the Twelve Steps that says, “We admitted that we were powerless over alcohol, or any substance, or action, and that our lives had become unmanageable”. Some commentators follow the history of the Twelve Steps through the small churches in the first two Centuries of the Christian Church, and then onto the small groups or classes that grew with the Methodist Revival in England in the Eighteenth Century. A Lutheran minister by the name of Frank Buchman, had his heart warmed and his faith renewed at a Revival Meeting in 1908. He entered the history of the Oxford Movement that began in 1833, and formed a splinter group, the Oxford Group. This group became the group that gave life to the YMCA (Young Men’s Christian Association, and the YWCA), The Moral Rearmament Movement and Alcoholics Anonymous. Between 1930 and 1937, Bill Wilson, Ebby Thatcher, and Dr. Bob Smith found sobriety within the Oxford Movement, but held their first Alcoholics Anonymous Meeting in August 1937. Today millions of people across the world belong to Alcoholics Anonymous and similar groups. There are in excess of 300 Twelve Step Support Groups helping sufferers from many addictions as varied and Alcohol(AA); Narcotics(NA); Support Groups like Alanon for the families and friends of Alcoholic people; Over Eaters Anonymous; Gamblers Anonymous; Emotions Anonymous; Adult Children of Alcoholic Parents(ACOA); Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous(SLAA); Pills Anonymous; Workaholics Anonymous, Shoplifters Anonymous; Debtors Anonymous; Credit Cards Anonymous; and the list is very long indeed. Another group that is of world importance that had its beginning in Australia is ‘GROW’, first called ‘Recovery’ founded by Father Keough. Alcoholics Anonymous began in 1937. When World War II began in 1940, the Theologian Reinhold Neibuhr 1892-1971, wrote the Serenity-Prayer: ”God gives us grace to accept with Serenity the things that cannot be changed, courage to change the things that should be changed, and wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.” How did the prayer escape into the world? A fellow clergyman heard Reinhold Neibuhr use the Serenity-Prayer in an ordinary Sunday Service. He asked for a copy of the Serenity-Prayer print and give to American and other Serviceman returning to the front line of battle in the Second World War. This Serenity-Prayer was printed on small cards by the Council of Churches to give to Soldiers going to war. In 1942 a modified form of the Serenity-Prayer was printed in an Obituary in a New York News Paper. Copies of the Serenity-Prayer were given to the Members of the fledgling AA fellowship, and the Serenity-Prayer was adopted. In this major theological work, “The Nature and Destiny of Man”, published in December 1941 , Neibuhr writes of Serenity in several places, but in his footnotes he quotes the Roman Emperor, Marcus Aurelius, 121-180AD. As a Stoic Philosopher, Marcus Aurelius knew that some things could not be changed. Stoic Philosophy had some thing’s in common with the Christian faith. It is interesting that Neibuhr quotes this Roman Emperor, who also persecuted the infant Christian Church. "Comfort yourself in the expectation of your death. Don’t grieve at the delay, but rest content in two things: First, nothing will happen to you which is not in accordance to the nature of the universe. Secondly that it is in your power to refrain from doing anything contrary to your own proper good and inward spirit.” Meditations V:10 The modern English use of the word ‘SERENITY’ has a long history. In the Greek language used in the New testament, the word for peace is ‘eirine’ a word that has a connotation of stillness. A sort of, ‘Go away and leave me in peace’. However, in the New Testament it is used to translate the Hebrew and Jewish concept of ‘Shalom’ which is quite active – a word of welcome – a world of farewell – a dynamic many-sided word. The English word ‘PEACE’ is very like the Greek usage of ‘eirene’ and generally means to ‘Give me space – Don’t worry me now, I want peace’ – the absence of stress. English is a composite language, and the Latin word, ‘SERENITAS’ is an address to a good emperor or potentate, in the terms of ‘Your Serene Highness’. A king or ruler who is worthy of the term maintains order in his family and in his city or nation. When the Soldier said of Jesus on the Cross, “Certainly this was a righteous Man” (Luke 23:47) or “Truly this man was the son of God” (Mark 15:39; Mt 27:54) he may have been implying, that we have witnessed the death of someone worthy of the title – ‘Your serene Highness’. As St. Paul said, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (See Phillipians 4:13)
Some questions you may like to ask yourself. When did you discover the ‘Serenity-Prayer’? How did you discover the ‘Serenity-Prayer’? When did you begin to use the ‘Serenity-Prayer’ regularly? What circumstances were you in before you discovered this little Serenity-Prayer? How did your life change after you began using the Prayer for Serenity? Is this Serenity-Prayer still putting you in touch with a Spiritual Source that makes every day reality – pleasures and difficulties manageable for you? Do you give thanks for your growing sense of Well-Being and Serenity?
May you always hold onto that help which is always available as a gift from the Eternal One, namely: Written by Rev. John Tully 2000 "A poem of Serenity...Serenity is not a Geographical place.It’s the state of a mind; serenity in place. Serenity is not money or wealth, Serenity is not, hustle, bustle, sound of radio wave, Serenity is not about gaining knowledge or power, Serenity is not worrying about the future nor regretting the past, Serenity comes not by chance, Jesus said “my peace (serenity) I leave with you” ©Grahem Howard SERENITY “Serenity is the immunity to all addictions and is characterized by feelings of tranquility, gratitude, contentment, affection for others and a deep inner peace”. When people are serene they do not need to fulfill desires to be complete. Addiction is the innocent attempt to find completion in a substance or situation. To live an active life with all its joys and challenges is Serenity. We found this piece inspirational By Joseph V Bailey
|
