Surrender to Win: The Spiritual Roots of AA
Episode Overview
The Oxford Group's principles greatly influenced AA's formation. Surrender is about aligning your will with God's will. Experiencing spiritual shifts deeply can lead to lasting sobriety. Morning meditation was once a key part of AA's practice. Spiritual breakthroughs often happen through personal, heartfelt experiences.
"Surrendering our lives to God means a complete giving back to God of the willpower he gave us."
Father Bill W. takes us on a spiritual journey through the origins of AA in this episode, focusing on the principle of surrender. With his background as an Episcopal priest and decades of recovery experience, Father Bill shares how a book on the Oxford Group profoundly impacted his life. He recounts the story of Earl Husband, an AA archivist who introduced him to the early practices of AA, including the transformative Two Way Prayer.
This episode dives into the concept of surrendering to win, drawing from the Oxford Group's teachings and how they influenced Bill Wilson's writing of the Big Book. Father Bill reads a touching email from a listener in Scotland, highlighting a powerful moment of surrender that led to a breakthrough in recovery. The episode explores the idea of aligning one's will with God's will and the importance of experiencing this shift deeply and personally.
Father Bill emphasises that surrender is not about defeat but about opening up to a new way of life. He encourages listeners to embrace this spiritual practice, which can lead to profound changes and lasting sobriety. Tune in for an enlightening discussion on the roots of AA's spiritual principles and how they can still offer guidance today.