step 2: faith in a power beyond ourselves by ken wilson
As I see it, we have three critical priorities here at the Ann Arbor Vineyard for 2004. To press out the implications of Jesus Brand Spirituality. An God-connection that fosters bonds of Jesus Brand Community and works of Compassion. So we’re after an authentic spirituality, measured in the transformation of real lives.
Toward that end, we’re devoting the first full weekend of each month to considering The Twelve Steps made famous by Alcoholics Anonymous, perhaps the most successful approach to personal transformation in the modern era. We’re looking in particular, at the biblical roots of the 12 Steps, a foundation clearly identified by the co-founders of the 12 Steps. Today, we consider Step 2: Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
Bill W., the co-founder of AA wrote a letter to Carl Jung, the pre-eminent psychiatrist of his time (the 1930’s). Jung, you may recall, was a disciple of the Sigmund Freud. Carl Jung had a crucial role in the first two steps of AA, through his advice to an alcoholic named Rowland H. (last letter, for anonymity). Rowland H., was instrumental in helping an alcoholic named “Ebby” who was instrumental in helping Bill W. find sobriety. The letter, then is written to Carl Jung, thanking him for his care of Rowland H. with these words:
“First of all, you frankly told him of his hopelessness, so far as any further medical or psychiatric treatment might be concerned. This candid and humble statement of yours was beyond doubt the first foundation stone upon which our Society has been built. Coming from you, one he so trusted and admired, the impact on him was immense.
When he then asked you if there was any other hope, you told him that there might be, provided he could become the subject of a spiritual or religious experience—in short, a genuine conversion. You pointed out how such an experience, if brought about, might remotivate him when nothing else could. But you did caution, though, that while such experiences had sometimes brought recovery to alcoholics, the were, nevertheless, comparatively rare. Your recommended that he place himself in a religious atmosphere and hope for the best.” [Bill W. in a letter to Carl Jung]
This is the great power, but also the stumbling block of 12 Steps and the gospel that gave them birth: All hinges on a faith-surrender to God.
Here we are scrambling to manage our lives. For alcoholic, bingeing, getting sober, resolving to do better, falling, etc. For non-alcoholic sinner, it might be a struggle with pornography, or a gambling gone overboard. A defect in character brings marriage to halt. So we do all the usual things: fret, avoid, kick yourself, try harder (or not.) Dallas Willard, from USC calls it: “sin management.” It’s like the old plate spinning act on Ed Sullivan—guy spins a growing number of plates on a growing number of poles, till it all comes crashing down. Sin management: just trying to manage, control, work around, limit, manipulate, tweak, clean up after this destructive tendency we have.
When you’re struggling to manage a problem, it’s frustrating to hear way forward hinges on a faith-surrender. “I’m too busy bailing water out of my sinking boat to bother w/ all that!”
Here’s the rub: “Whoever would save his life must lose it [surrender], but whoever loses his life for me & the gospel will save it” Mk. 8:35
Until we give up, we can’t give in.
Until we give in, we can’t get in.
Until we get in, we can’t get well.
Step 1. We admitted we were powerless—that our lives had become
unmanageable.
Step 2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves
could restore us to sanity.
Natural progression: before we can believe in a Higher Power, have to admit our powerlessness.
Why is that? How reality structured. Encounter w/
real God begins when we come to grips w/ reality. (Insanity: inability
to deal w/ reality.)
Reality closest at hand: ourselves. When you admit
powerlessness, like first breath of reality, realm where the real God
is found.
No facing reality of God until we face the reality of ourselves.
But! Once we take first step (ego deflation at depth) second step becomes possible, likely even. We come to believe that a Power greater than ourselves can restore us to sanity.
Belief in God is not some abstract, academic, philosophical
process. It’s a pragmatic, personal process.
It’s us in boat of our lives, bailing because we’ve sprung
a leak, until we notice our bailing ain’t keeping up with leaking
(powerless to save ourselves), stop bailing long enough to see Jesus
walking on water toward our sinking ship.
You won’t see him, until you stop bailing.
What does this mean practically, if we’re fighting a losing battle with alcohol, or with some other manifestation of sin-sickness?
Try a different approach. My14+ strokes at one unfortunate bad lie at Leslie park Golf Course at dusk: Insanity is trying the same thing over and over, expecting a different result.
Instead of fighting the problem, begin by admitting it’s got
you licked. Then put yourself in a position to have
a faith-encounter w/ God.
Jung: “place yourself in a religious atmosphere and hope for the
best”
Romans is all about a new way of connecting to God through faith.. Faith is the doorway in to sanity. Romans 10: 8-15
Belief in Jesus as “Lord” Chief among Higher Powers. In Alcoholics Anonymous, of course, one’s “Higher Power” could be most anything or anyone: the power of the group, for example. Since alcoholism is “self-will run riot” it stands to reason, that any looking beyond oneself, would get one started on the road to recovery.
But let me just briefly make the case for Christ as the pre-eminent “Higher Power.” Which is exactly what “Lord” means.
First of all, the gospel of Jesus is, according to the co-founders of
Alcoholics Anonymous, the source of wisdom for the Twelve Steps themselves.
Jesus, more than any, would deserve, from a strictly historical perspective,
the most credit for the wisdom of the Twelve Steps, building as he did
on the Hebraic biblical tradition. As a Higher Power, his influence
would be most consistent with the wisdom behind the Twelve Steps.
Secondly, among the higher powers, none, so far as I know, has willingly died for us, “while we were still helpless.” That, I think, commends Jesus quite highly.
Thirdly, as that great Pop-Philosopher and Theologian Bono, from U2 once said, “The most powerful idea that’s entered the world in the last few thousand years—the idea of grace—is the reason I want to be a Christian.” When facing one’s powerlessness, one is wise to seek the author of Grace, for help.
So the faith of Romans, is faith in Jesus, as “Lord.” And it is a Step 2 kind of faith: that a Power greater than ourselves can restore us to sanity. Save you. Saving in New Testament context almost always means “saved from your sins”—i.e. saved in particular ways you need saving. From insanity of alcoholism, from your inability to love, from stranglehold anger has on your heart…
And, according to Romans, this faith comes by “hearing.” Hearing, in particular good news.
And hearing this good news from a news-bearer. We see word “preach” and assume a lecture-discourse in church from person behind pulpit. Only one form. Gk. kerysso: herald, announcer. News-teller. Telling what’s happened. Someone who has experienced saving power of good news and is passing it on to you.
For alcoholic, the bearer of good news is recovering alcoholic. For those suffering from sin-sickness, other recovering sinners.
Putting yourself in a position to believe means being near people who have been set free. Near enough to hear so you can believe. If alcoholic, not just knowing about AA; going to AA. (When I meet an alcoholic, hook him up with recovering alcoholic, so they can hear and believe that they can be restored them to sanity.)
For alcoholic and non-alcoholic sinners alike, settings where we can get near enough to hear good news is essential. Settings like
Alpha Course: a relaxed, smaller scale setting, so you can get near enough to hear (question, examine, consider), and if you wish, come to believe.
Small Groups: where we come near enough to hear. (Best hearing happens in conversational space, w/ someone you know and trust.)
The faith that saves is personal. “Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.” Us, not just them. Me, in particular. Could save me. Restore me to sanity.
“If you believe…you will be saved….Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame. For there is no difference between Jew [insider] and Gentile [outsider]—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Easier to believe it could happen to you,
when you know someone it’s happened to.
As we come for communion this morning, let’s leave behind our plate spinning, sin management strategies.
The sin that Christ died for, is the sin that had us licked.
“While we were still helpless…Christ died for the
ungodly.”
Whenever we come to the foot of the cross, we’re coming
to the place of help for the helpless. If we could have helped
ourselves,
we would’ve, because we’d rather do it ourselves. But we
can’t.
Bring whatever you can’t help yourself with along with you today… Let that act of realism, open your heart again to faith in a power greater than ourselves, who can restore us to sanity.
From a letter to Carl Jung by Bill W.
Having exhausted other means of recovery from his alcoholism, it was about 1931 that he [Rowland H.] became your patient. His admiration for you was boundless… To his great consternation, he soon relapsed into intoxication. Certain that you were his “court of last resort” he again returned to your care. Then followed the conversation between you that was to become the first link in the chain of events that let to the founding of Alcoholics Anonymous.
[Summary: Rowland H., joined Oxford Group, evangelical movement, had such an experience, shared with another alcoholic Edwin T. [Ebby] who gained sobriety, shared with Bill W., who founded AA]
Bill W. recounts how his own doctor, Dr. William Silkworth had come to the same conclusion, that his case, medically speaking, was hopeless, and told him that.]
Hearing of my plight, my friend Edwin T. came to see me at my home where I was drinking. I had long marked my friend Edwin for a hopeless case. Yet here he was in a very evident state of release….Because he was a kindred sufferer, he could unquestionably communicate with me at great depth. I knew that I must find an experience like his, or die.
Again I returned to Dr. Silkworth’s care where I could be once more sobered and so gain a clearer view of my friend’s experience of release and of Rowland H’s approach to him. Clear once more of alcohol, I found myself terribly depressed. This seems to be caused by my inability to gain the slightest faith. Edwin T. again visited me and repeated the simple Oxford Group formulas. Soon after he left me I became even more depressed. In utter despair, I cried out, ‘If there be a God, will he show himself.” There immediately came to me an illumination of enormous impact and dimension, something which I have since tried to describe in the book Alcholics Anonymous. My release from the alcohol obsession was immediate. At once I knew I was a free man.