"Dick B. Speaks
about A.A. History and the Top Cleveland Results" on the December 22,
2012, episode of the "Christian Recovery Radio with Dick B." show
On
Dick B.
Copyright 2012
Anonymous. All rights reserved
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You may hear Dick B.
speak about A.A. history and the top Cleveland results on the December 22,
2012, episode of the "Christian Recovery Radio with Dick B." show
here:
http://mcaf.ee/8u1fq
or here:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/christian-recovery-radio-with-dickb/2012/12/22/dick-b-speaks-about-aa-history-the-top-cleveland-results
Episodes of the
"Christian Recovery Radio with Dick B." show are archived at:
Synopsis of Dick B.
Radio Interview on Early Cleveland A.A. Research
Introductory
Remarks
The third A.A. group in the world was founded on May 11,
1939, in Cleveland, Ohio. It had a documented 93% success rate, and grew from
one group to 30 in a year. The International Christian Recovery Coalition
undertook research there in November 2012 and report here what we found.
The Group's founder, Clarence S.,
brought the Bible, the Four Absolutes, the Big Book and its 12 Steps, and
"most of the old program" from Akron. We therefore traveled to both
Cleveland and Akron and saw vivid pictures of recovery successes.
Splendid resources today tell the
Cleveland recovery story in the words of eye witnesses: "Our Legacy to the
Faith Community" by 3 Clarence Snyder sponsees. "That Amazing Grace:
The Role of Clarence and Grace S. in A.A." by Dick B. "How It Worked:
The Story of Clarence H. Snyder and The Early Days of Alcoholics Anonymous in
Cleveland Ohio" by Mitchell K. And Clarence Snyder's "My Higher Power
the Light Bulb" and "Going Through the Steps."
Cleveland built upon the success
factors of early Akron A.A., including qualification of newcomers,
hospitalization, Bible, prayer, the Oxford Group 4 Absolutes, the Big Book, and
taking the 12 Steps in two days. It founded the "Cleveland Central
Bulletin." We have the first three years of that paper. They are loaded
with information about what those AAs did.
The masthead featured the 4 Absolutes. The front page
featured a prayer. There was an Editorial, a discussion of the Steps, News from
the Camps, Bible , coverage of numerous events like bowling, baseball, clam
bakes, choir, Mass Meetings, Conferences, picnics, a minstrel show, dances, and
even a clergyman's round table.
Clarence S. depicted Ohio AA as
"Trust God, Clean House, Help Others" and NY as "Don't Drink. Go
to Meetings."
Details on Cleveland
Research Trip as Summarized on Radio by Dick B.
How Early
Cleveland A.A. Carried the Original Message, Applied the Big Book and Twelve
Steps, Maintained the First Century Christianity Highpoints, and Attained a Documented 93% Success
Rate
Cleveland
A.A. was not founded until just after A.A.’s First Edition of the Big Book was
published in April of 1939. Cleveland followed on the heels of Bill Wilson’s
“new” program and therefore adopted the Big Book and the Twelve Steps. But it
also brought with it from the original Akron Christian Fellowship the Bible,
the Four Absolutes—Honesty, Purity, Unselfishness, and Love—and “most of the
old program.” Its 93% success rate and
fast growth from one group to thirty in a year
make its principles and practices of unique importance in conveying the
facts through a beginners’ meeting and incorporating them in “carrying this
message.”
International
Christian Recovery Coalition followed up on its recent extensive investigation throughout
Vermont of the origins, roots, and pioneer history of A.A. Our researchers
unearthed reams of evidence as to what we now call the “New Era of A.A. History
in Vermont.” The researchers learned and reported how many of A.A.’s Christian
pioneers, how much of the Christian upbringing of Bill and Bob, and the influential pre-A.A. organizations, leaders,
principles, and practices moved right into the founding of the Akron A.A. The success of these ideas in
old school Akron A.A.’s Christian Fellowship was attested when Bill and Bob
conducted their counting of noses in November, 1937, and reported that about
forty men had maintained continuous sobriety over the two year period from 1935
to 1937, and that 50% of them continued to remain sober thereafter.
Building
upon the success of the Vermont research trip, this November of 2012 another
group of researches spent several days at the Cleveland Central Office and
other A.A. spots of interest. The research also included many hours at Ohio
A.A. archives at the Intergroup Office of A.A. in Akron. And this Appendix will
provide a synopsis of the important results of the Cleveland-Akron
investigation. There is much more to come as we write articles on various finds
on the trip.
We Begin With Some Major Cleveland A.A. History and Where It
Can Be Found
Not
only the Cleveland Central Office, but also many writers drew on the
statements, writings, and record of Cleveland beginnings by Cleveland A.A.
founder Clarence H. Snyder.
And the following resources are vital to an understanding of
what the Cleveland AAs did; believed; and practiced in their earliest years.
The resources are:
1. Publications
specifically detailing the role of Clarence H. Snyder in Cleveland A.A.
Our
A.A. Legacy to the Faith Community: A Twelve-Step Guide for Those Who Want to
Believe. This guide is the most recent
and practical road to details about how Clarence commented on A.A., the Big
Book, the Bible, and the Twelve Steps; how he founded retreats for AAs and their families and
showed people exactly how to “take” the Steps in an afternoon and “come to
believe” as a result.
That
Amazing Grace: The Role of Clarence and Grace S. in Alcoholics Anonymous.
This
biography of Clarence and his wife Grace was written by A.A. historian Dick B.
who, with his son Ken, spent a week in Florida at Grace’s home and questioned
her about Clarence, herself, their marriage, what Clarence taught her about
A.A. and the Steps, the books Clarence read for growth—including the Bible,
Clarence’s A.A. stories and one-liners, and more.
How
It Worked: The Story of Clarence H. Snyder and The Early Days of Alcoholics
Anonymous in Cleveland, Ohio. Author
Mitchell K. was sponsored by Clarence. At the time of Clarence’s death,
Mitchell borrowed almost all of Clarence’s papers from Grace Snyder on the promise
to write a biography and then return the papers to Grace. The papers were never
returned, but the book was written and contains immense amounts of information on Clarence, Cleveland A.A., and
A.A. itself.
My
Higher Power The Light Bulb, by Clarence Snyder. Clarence Snyder was a strong Christian
believer. And he wrote this paper, saying: “Phrases such as ‘higher power,’
‘power greater than ourselves,’ or “as we understood Him’ were not created as
an enabling device to justify our membership’s continued avoidance of a
connection with our Creator (page 7).
Going
Through the Steps by Clarence Snyder.
There are several renditions of the way Clarence Snyder took people
through the Twelve Steps in half a day. This is one.
2. Central
Bulletin, Volumes I, II, III, covering 1942 to 1944. Copies of these first
three
volumes were provided to us by Bob M., archivist at Cleveland Central Office. They bore the
masthead of the Four Absolutes of the Oxford Group—Honesty, Purity, Unselfishness,
and Love—in all but the first two editions in 1942 which substituted “Truth”
for “Purity.” These Bulletins cover just about every activity we unearthed in
our research and tell us much about Cleveland A.A., its groups, its focus on
the Bible and Prayer, and its reports on
Cleveland principles and practices and activities.
3. Evidence
located on our research trip to Cleveland and Akron where we saw the
originals of many of the evidentiary items
summarized here.
Some Key Points About Cleveland A.A.
Clarence
Snyder got sober February 11, 1938. He was sponsored by A.A.’s Dr. Bob. He formed
the first Alcoholics Anonymous Group in Cleveland, Ohio on May 10, 1939.
Clarence described his early Akron days as follows:
He
was hospitalized and required by Dr. Bob to profess his belief in God. Just prior to his discharge from the Akron
City Hospital and also at a later “regular” meeting of the Akron Fellowship,
Clarence was introduced to Jesus Christ and led to accept him as Lord and
Savior. In the latter event, T. Henry
Williams, Dr. Bob, and a couple of other Oxford Group members went into T.
Henry’s bedroom. They all got down on their knees. They all placed their hands
on Clarence and then proceeded to pray. They led Clarence to accept Jesus as
Lord and Savior. They explained to him that this was First Century
Christianity. Then they prayed for a healing and removal of Clarence’s sins,
especially his alcoholism Clarence said
that when a new person was invited to the regular Wednesday meeting, he or she,
one at a time, was taken aside and had the tenets of the Oxford Group explained
to him or her. A major Oxford Group practice involved “Guidance. . . Guidance
at a meeting took place during mandatory ‘quiet time.’ New people were told they had to read the Bible.
The King James Version of the Bible. They were instructed to do this on a daily
basis. Clarence said the newcomers were also told to read The Upper Room daily.
. . the new people were then instructed on the Four Absolutes.”
The Content of the Cleveland Program: As previously stated,
Clarence said that Cleveland
brought
with it the Big Book the Twelve Steps, the Bible, the Four Absolutes, and “most old program.”
And that “old program” has not only been summarized above; it was also covered
in this current book, Carry This Message. . .
The
Survey of Successes: Two years after the publication of the Big Book, Clarence
made a survey of all of the members in Cleveland. He concluded that, by keeping
most of the “old program,” including the
Four Absolutes and the Bible, ninety-three percent of those surveyed had
maintained uninterrupted sobriety.
The
Enormous One Year Growth: The Cleveland Groups had the highest percentage of
success in A.A. A year after its founding,
Cleveland had about thirty groups and several hundred members. Wilson wrote:
Yes,
Cleveland’s results were of the best. Their results were in fact so good, and
A.A. membership elsewhere was so small, that many a Clevelander really
thought A.A. had started there in the first place. The Cleveland
pioneers had proved three essential things: the value of personal sponsorship;
the worth of the A.A. book in indoctrinating newcomers, and finally the
tremendous fact that A.A., when the word really got around, could now grow to
great size.
The 1939 Cleveland Plain Dealer Articles and Cures
There is a caveat concerning currently circulating
“versions” of these articles.
Elrick
B. Davis wrote a series of seven articles for the Cleveland Plain Dealer
between October and November, 1939. The articles appeared in this main
Cleveland newspaper only five months after the first A.A. group was formed in
Cleveland. Davis repeatedly referred to the “cures” of the AAs. The original
series of articles used the word “cure” many times. We have a copy from the
Cleveland Central Office. Also, a copy of the unaltered article can be found in
Mitchell K.’s How It Worked on page 80. We included records of all the places
where early AAs and columnists spoke of “cure.”
See Dick B., Cured!: Proven Help for Alcoholics and Addicts. Moreover,
A.A. researcher and historian Richard K. of Massachusetts is the one who
discovered and wrote extensively about the disgraceful removal of “cure” in the
Cleveland articles and sanitized them in some A.A. pamphlets by reprinting
without “cure.” “Cure” had been removed.
Thus, some time after the Cleveland Plain Dealer articles
were published, an author or
editors
or publisher of pamphlets unknown to us meticulously removed the words “cure”and
“cures” from these newspaper articles.
Here
is the original cure language in the newspaper articles. Carrying the subhead
“Cured,” for example, Davis wrote:
The
basic point about Alcoholics Anonymous
is that it is a fellowship of “cured”
alcoholics. And that both old-line medicine and modern psychiatry had agreed on
the one point that no alcoholic could
cured. Repeat the astonishing fact: These are cured. They have cured each
other. They have done it by adopting, with each other’s aid, what they call “a spiritual way of life.”.
Another major subhead is “Prayer.” Davis wrote:
These
are the alcoholics that “Alcoholics
Anonymous” cures. Cure is impossible until the victim is convinced that nothing
he or a “cure” hospital can do, can help. He must know that his disease is
fatal. He must be convinced that he is hopelessly sick of body and of mind –
and of soul. He must be eager to accept that help from any source—even God. . .
.
There
is no blinking the fact that Alcoholics
Anonymous, the amazing society of ex-drunks who have cured each other of an
incurable disease, is religious. Its members have cured each other frankly with
the help of God. Every cured member of the Cleveland Fellowship, like every
cured member of other chapters now established
in Akron, New York, and elsewhere in the country, is cured with the
admission that he submitted his plight wholeheartedly to a Power Greater than
himself.
His cure is a religious experience. He had to have God’s
aid. He had to submit to a spiritual housecleaning.
The Universality of Views (including those of Wilson, Smith,
and Snyder) That Alcoholism Was Curable
This
reportorial view that alcoholics could be and were cured by God was shared by alcoholics
and by writers across the United States. In our book Cured!: Proven Help for
Alcoholics and Addicts, 2d ed. (Kihei, HI: Paradise Research Publications,
Inc., 2006), we have shown how unanimous was the early view that alcoholism was
curable by the power of God and that countless sources so proclaimed the cure.
The page numbers here refer to our book Cured!
Quoting
the sources, bibliographic information, and the actual statements, we set forth
the “cure” words of Bill Wilson (p. 15), Dr. Bob (pp. 15 -16), A.A. Number
Three (p. 16), Clarence Snyder (p. 16), The Rev. Dr. Dilworth Lupton (p. 16),
Larry Jewell who wrote a series of articles in the Houston Press in 1940 (pp.
16-17), Theodore English in Scribner’s Commentator, in 1941 (p. 17), William D.
Silkworth M.D. (p. 17), the person who drafted one of the early proposed covers
for the First Edition of Alcoholics Anonymous (p. 17), Morris Markey whose 1939
Liberty Magazine article called “Alcoholics and God, which spoke of “A Cure
that borders on the miraculous—and it works.”
Markey and his Liberty Magazine article quoted Bill Wilson also as saying:
“I’ve got
religion. . . And I know I’m cured of this
drinking business for good.” (p. 17).
The famous medical writer Paul de Kruif who wrote for A.A.’s
own Grapevine that “The A.A. medicine is God and God alone. This is their
discovery. . . . It is free as air—with this provision: that the patients it
cures have to nearly die before they can bring themselves to take it (p. 18).
And
this array of persuasive writing spread across the best known news and magazine
writings in America. See Richard K., So You Think Drunks Can’t Be Cured? Press
Releases by Witnesses to the Cure (Haverhill, MA: Golden Text Publishing
Company, 2003); New Freedom: Reclaiming Alcoholics Anonymous (Haverhill, MA:
Golden Text Publishing, 2005). In fact, A.A. itself sells material quoting
almost all of these articles.
Perhaps
the key to the “revision” of actual newspaper articles can be found in The New
Way of Life A-A.” This pamphlet states
it has taken the Elrick B. Davis articles. The unnamed writer states: “we have
re-printed these articles, editing them only to bring them up to date.”
The
same kind of deceptive writing can be found on page 136 of DR. BOB and the Good
Oldtimers, where once again some writer unknown to us – and perhaps Niles Peebles the author –
wrote in parenthesis “It might also be noted that many terms now considered by
A.A.’s to be misleading were then used, not only by non-A.A.’s discussing the
movement, but sometimes by members themselves: “cure,” “ex-alcoholic,”
“reformed alcoholic.”
Returning to the Vast Amount of Evidence in Cleveland A.A.’s
Central Bulletin
As
stated, thanks to the immense help from Bob M. (archivist at Cleveland Intergroup)
we were provided with the first three volumes of this important record of what
was happening in Cleveland; and time here is best served by summarizing the
informative contents in the Central Bulletin:
The Masthead: The Four Absolutes of the Oxford Group were
prominently displayed in almost all the mastheads of this periodical. They
said: “Unselfishness, Honesty, Purity, and Love.”
The featured prayer
each issue: Some examples are: (1) the
prayer based on Psalm 90; (2) the prayer titled “God’s Love;” (3) the prayer at
the turning of the year which concluded “Bless this year, O heavenly Father, to Thy glory
and to our good, for Jesus’ sake, Amen;” (4) “The Secret: ‘I met God in the morning. . . .
You must seek Him in the morning, if you want Him through the day’;” (5)
“Love’s Supremacy”—quoting from 1 Corinthians 13:3; (6) “A Pledge” that “liquor
is anathema and that the love of God shall replace it and ever remain permanent
in our hearts. . .”; (7) “The Soldier’s Prayer”—“Where’ere I go, whate’r my
task, The counsel of my God I ask. . .;” (8) “A Prayer of Praise”—“When all Thy
mercies, O my God, My rising soul surveys. . . Through all eternity to Thee A
joyful song I’ll raise. . .”
And there are many more.
The Editorial each issue. Volume I – No. 3 writes of tricky
habits and speaks often of “the Devil within us.” For example, “The Devil
within us is the prompting of our nerves, which leads us either to act without
thinking or to think up excuses for denying the lessons we have learned.”
The Steps: Volume I – No. 3 discusses “The First Step” and
concludes with this prayer:
Lord, I am powerless
over alcohol. Whenever I yield to it, my life is unmanageable.Whenever I yield
to it, I no longer am a man, and I harm my family, my neighbors and myself. Lord,
deliver me from temptation, and strengthen me as I cast drink from my life,
News From The Camps. Soldiers in the service, including
Clarence H. Snyder, wrote messages from their various posts.
Events were numerous and regularly announced. They included:
New Year’s Eve Jamborees, The Annual Dinner, the A.A. Male Chorus, A.A. on
Radio, the Crawford Men’s Training System, Dr. Lupton’s Lecture, a Boxing Show,
a recent booklet published by Akron, a Clergymen Round Table, Community
Meetings, A party honors Dr. Smith, Missionary meetings at the Salvation Army
Social Center, a Boat Ride, Founders’ Anniversary Party, Annual “All A.A.
Picnic,” AA Bowling League, A Workhouse Round Table, Alcoholics Study, AA Mass
Meeting, Minstrel Show, Dance, Bowling League, Summer Recreation, Marty Mann
visit to Pittsburgh, Saturday Social Group with baseball, games, and even
fishing. Yale Clinic. And West Side Social Club with clambake.
Readers could also find listings of meetings, inspirational
poems, alcoholic quips, discussion of the Lord’s Prayer, Hospital Committee
Reports, Central Office notices and activities. And more
The Spiritual and Structural Emphasis
There was a pamphlet instructing people on the Four
Standards. Clarence Snyder said: “These were Biblical principles the Oxford
Group people had taken from the teachings of Jesus Christ found in the Bible.”
Clarence Snyder said this about how the Cleveland meetings
were being conducted:
“. . . Not too much stress on spiritual business at
meetings. Prayer and Bible reading was a prerequisite, but only at home. The
meetings were very simple. They opened with a prayer or the reading of a verse
from the Bible. This was followed by the leader’s speaking for one half hour to
forty-five minutes. Then the meeting was over. The remainder of the meeting was
spent with members and their families in fellowship with each other. Plenty of
hot coffee and doughnuts to go around.
Personal contact with prospective members, as well as with
those who were attending meetings was what made the membership grow in numbers
and in strength of sobriety. Clarence believed that in order for a prospective
member to get well, his entire family had to get well also. Members of the
group visited the homes of those who had sent in inquiries. AAs spoke with the
wives and husbands of alcoholics either prior to, or during their
hospitalizations. Family members were invited to attend meetings, were given a
copy of the book, Alcoholics Anonymous, and were told to read the daily
devotional The Upper Room. Members of the A.A. group shared with prospective
A.A.’s and their families their own personal stories as to how they got well and how A.A. had restored
their family life and belief in God.
Statements Likening Cleveland Groups to First Century
Christianity
At Clarence’s own early surrender in Akron, T. Henry
Williams, Dr. Bob, and a couple of the
other Oxford Group members went to T. Henry’s bedroom. They all, including
Clarence, who by now was used to all the kneeling, they all got down on their
knees in an attitude of prayer. They all placed their hands on Clarence, and
then proceeded to pray. These people introduced Clarence to Jesus as his Lord
and Savior. They explained to Clarence that this was first Century
Christianity.
Clarence remembered explaining to the Roman Catholics who
had been coming down to Akron before the Cleveland groups were formed that
they, the “alcoholic squad“ of the Oxford Group, were working with these
drunkards and through the life-changing program, the “First Century
Christianity Fellowship” (as Dr. Bob had
characterized the Akron fellowship) were turning them into “good Catholics.”
The [Cleveland] groups began informally meeting in a private
home.
Several activities in Cleveland were unique.
1. Rotation of
Leadership: The first documented Central Committee Meeting was held on August
1, 1941. Rotation of Committee members was discussed; and “It was decided that
one man shall not serve more than four (4) consecutive terms. The term of the
Chairman and the Vice-Chairman shall be for three (3) months.
2. Hospitalization
and membership procedures: Clarence wrote Bill W. in September 1940. He said
several groups “did not permit a rummy to attend meetings unless he had been
hospitalized or talked to by ten men.” Later, a person had to either be
hospitalized, talked to by five members, or passed on by the Central
Committee.
Records showed that the Hospital Committee paid for many of
the admissions out of the Central Committee funds.
There were special rules for “retroverts.” or “slippers.”
The Hospital Committee laid down this rule: “A man or a woman who has been
sponsored, and has attended at least one A.A. meeting and then takes a drink,
is considered a retrovert or slipper. . . . Retroverts may not be placed in a
hospital unless arrangements can be made for their complete isolation from new
patients. Except for visitation by sponsor, retroverts will be left completely
alone for two days and two nights. The retroverts will not be permitted to
mingle with new patients.
3. There was an
announcement in 1944 that a new pamphlet on Sponsorship was being readied for
sale. Clarence Snyder wrote it. The authors of Our Legacy guide have
included this pamphlet in full, and it was printed under the title, A.A.
Sponsorship . . . Its Opportunities and Responsibilities. This pamphlet stands today as an excellent
guide for those undertaking sponsorship, and it is far superior in content to
the materials since published by A.A. itself.
4. Clarence
summarized to Mitchell K. his view of the difference between New York and
Mid-West A.A. Clarence felt that the approach in Ohio was, “Trust God, Clean
House, and Help Others.” He felt that the approach in New York was, “Don’t
Drink and Go To Meetings.” Clarence felt
the emphasis on spirituality was what made Ohio A.A. so successful.
5. Two years
after the publication of the [Big] book, Clarence made a survey of all of the
members in Cleveland. He concluded that, by keeping most of the “old program,”
including the Four Absolutes and the Bible, ninety-three percent of those
surveyed had maintained uninterrupted sobriety. Clarence opined that even with
New York’s ‘moral psychology’ approach to recovery ‘had nowhere near our
recovery rate.
6. Clarence had
the following significant things to say about A.A.’s Eleventh Step:
How do we listen? God’s revealed will and love for us are in
the Bible. Reading and learning God’s word gives us the material on which to
meditate. . . . We all know how to meditate; if you have worried, you have
meditated. Worry is meditating on the negative. A positive slogan or an uplifting Bible truth can be run through your
mind in the same way . . . as a positive meditation . . . . When we get
receptive, God speaks to us through other people, through answered prayers, and
through opened and closed doors. If it’s from god, it will not disagree with or
contradict the Bible.
Further Insights Made Available from our Week Spent with
Clarence’s Wife Grace
When the Big Book was published in the Spring of 1939 and
Clarence had founded the first meeting of “Alcoholics Anonymous” in May 1939,
Clarence began developing specific methods for using the Good Book, the Big
Book, and the Four Absolutes in taking newcomers through the Twelve Steps. But
Clarence always “qualified” new people in the same way that he had qualified
Grace before he would take her through the Steps.
Clarence made clear that the prayer and meditation in the
Eleventh Step were the means b y which
you “build spiritual contact with God.”
A vital part of the highly-successful Cleveland
recovery program was the development of
full social lives for the newly recovered men and their families. As Clarence
put it to Grace, ”They had to replace
their drinking life with something of substance with their wives and family
included.” The Cleveland AAs had seven bowling leagues. They had softball
teams. Clevelanders had house parties
along Oxford Group house party lines. And they frequently held picnics.
Clarence’s Life Lines
Clarence had many expressions he passed along to Grace. We
called them “Life Lines.” And here are
a few:
In response to the statement, “I’m in a relationship,”
Clarence would often reply , “God does not honor relationships. He only honors
holy matrimony.”
In response to the question, “Where did that come from in
the Bible:” Clarence would reply, “Do you own a Bible?” If the person didn’t,
Clarence would give him or her a Bible. He would say, “That’s a textbook. Not a
novel. Not something to spot read here and there. It’s a study. Get the Word in
your heart. ‘Thy word have I hid in mine heart that I might not sin against
thee’” (Psalm 119:11).
Clarence said, “You know from experience that when you run
around, are in a hurry and get busy, you need to get physically quiet so that
God can speak to you, and you can hear Him. God says, “Be still, and know that
I am God.” (Psalm 46:10).
Clarence said: “Don’t ever open your Bible to read until you
have first asked the Holy Spirit to illuminate what you need to know for that
day.”
Clarence said, “The Bible and the Big Book are textbooks.
You never get finished. There is always new revelation when you ask for it.”
Clarence said, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing
by the word of God. That‘s why Grace and
I would read the Bible aloud together, attend church, and listen to good
teachings.”
Clarence said: “Call him who he is. ‘Be sober, be vigilant,
because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walking about seeking whom
he may devour.’” (1 Peter 5:8)
Clarence explained why he took people through the Steps in
two days. He said: “In early A.A., people were coming in so fast there was no
time for slow recovery and taking a long time to work the Twelve Steps.” He
simply asked: “How long do you want to stay sick?”
Clarence said: “A.A. is like a dessert--like a cake. We have
our Big Book, which is the cake. We have our Steps which are the icing on the
cake. Going through the Steps is like whipping cream. But the cherry on top is
getting this living God—the baptism of the Holy Spirit. You want all the
goodies of A.A. The ‘Prayer and Praise’ portion after the retreat is where you
get the cherry on top!” In acts 1:8, Jesus gave as his last message: But ye
shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall
be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and Samaria, and
unto the uttermost part of the earth.
Gloria Deo
