dalin
10-13-2008, 02:57 PM
Our Own spiritual path
The Eleventh Step allows us the opportunity to find our own spiritual
path, or further refine our path if we've already embarked on one. The
steps we take toward finding or refining our path, and the way we walk
down it, Many of us find that when we get to NA, we really need to
"change Gods."
These clues about the nature of our Higher Power are perhaps the primary
factor in determining our spiritual path. Many of us have found that the
spiritual path of our childhood doesn't mesh with the truths we are
finding within the steps. For instance, if we sense that God is vast and
open, and the spirituality we have been exposed to in the past suggested
that God was confined and confining, we're probably not going to return
to our earlier path. If we sense that our Higher Power cares in a very
personal and individual way about each one of us, a belief system that
presents a distant, unknowable, alien force may not work for us.
While some need to take a new path, others have found that just the
opposite is true: that what we are discovering in the steps can be
explored in more depth through the spiritual path of our childhood. It's
possible that, through our step work, we've healed resentments we may
have held against religious institutions, and as a result are able to
return to those institutions with an open mind. For others, the religion
of our childhood was little more than a place to hang out, a community
to which we had a sentimental connection. In recovery, we begin to see
how we can use our religion as our personal spiritual path.
It bears emphasizing that we should never confuse religion with
spirituality. In NA, they are not the same thing at all. Narcotics
Anonymous, itself, is not a religion. It offers a set of spiritual
principles, and uses a concept referred to as "God," a "Higher Power,"
or a "Power greater than ourselves" for members to use as a path out of
active addiction. The spiritual principles and the concept of a Higher
Power can go along with a member's personal spiritual path that he or
she follows outside of NA, or those principles and the concept of a
Higher Power can serve as a spiritual path all by themselves. It's up to
each member.
Some of us get to this point, and we just don't know. The institutions
we've been involved with in the past hold no answers, but we can't think
of anything that sounds like a better idea. For those with this
experience, this is the point at which we embark on one of the most
important journeys in our lives: the search for a way to understand a
Higher Power. In this process, we are likely to visit every place that
has anything to do with spirituality that's available in our community.
We're also likely to read a great number of books concerned with
spirituality and personal growth, and talk to a great number of people.
We may commit for a time to any number of practices before settling on
one - or we may never really settle on any one practice permanently. It
Works mentions that many of our members adopt an "eclectic approach" to
spirituality. If this applies to us, it's important to know that doing
this is okay and will serve the spiritual needs of recovery just fine.
Do You have a specific spiritual path?
What are the differences between religion and spirituality?
What have I done to explore my own spirituality?
As we explore our spiritual path, and perhaps pick up and discard
various spiritual practices, some of us are troubled by what seems to be
an inherent bias in NA's steps and traditions when God is referred to as
having a male gender. Even more painful, some of us may feel that we
don't have much support within our local NA community for our spiritual
choices and exploration. It's important for us to understand that the
language of NA's recovery literature is not meant to determine a
member's spirituality. It's also important for us to understand that we
as addicts have character defects, and sometimes some of our members
will act on theirs by ridiculing someone else's spiritual path. They may
even quote NA recovery literature to "support" such ridicule. Again, NA
itself has no "official" or "approved" spiritual path, and any member
who claims otherwise is, quite simply, wrong. We mention this here
because we believe it's very important for all of our members to know
what's true and not true about NA when working the Eleventh Step. It can
be a dangerous time. If members follow a spiritual path, and feel
unwelcome in NA because of it, their recovery can be in jeopardy. We as
members have a duty to encourage the spiritual explorations of other
members, and we who are exploring need to know that we can look wherever
we want for our spirituality without threatening our membership in NA.
Have You encountered any prejudice in Narcotics Anonymous while
exploring my spirituality? How did that make You feel?
What have You done to adhere to You beliefs ? .
It's essential that we don't let our spiritual path take us away from
the fellowship. Our Basic Text reminds us that "it is easy to float back
out the door on a cloud of religious zeal and forget that we are addicts
with an incurable disease." We need to always remember that we need
Narcotics Anonymous m order to deal with our addiction. Anything else we
add to our lives can enhance their quality, but nothing can take the
place of NA recovery. As long as we continue practicing the basics of
recovery - such as going to meetings regularly, staying in contact with
our sponsor, and working with newcomers -- we shouldn't have to worry
about drifting away.
No matter what spiritual path Your following, Are You still keeping up
Your involvement with NA?
How does Your spiritual path contribute to Your recovery?
The Eleventh Step allows us the opportunity to find our own spiritual
path, or further refine our path if we've already embarked on one. The
steps we take toward finding or refining our path, and the way we walk
down it, Many of us find that when we get to NA, we really need to
"change Gods."
These clues about the nature of our Higher Power are perhaps the primary
factor in determining our spiritual path. Many of us have found that the
spiritual path of our childhood doesn't mesh with the truths we are
finding within the steps. For instance, if we sense that God is vast and
open, and the spirituality we have been exposed to in the past suggested
that God was confined and confining, we're probably not going to return
to our earlier path. If we sense that our Higher Power cares in a very
personal and individual way about each one of us, a belief system that
presents a distant, unknowable, alien force may not work for us.
While some need to take a new path, others have found that just the
opposite is true: that what we are discovering in the steps can be
explored in more depth through the spiritual path of our childhood. It's
possible that, through our step work, we've healed resentments we may
have held against religious institutions, and as a result are able to
return to those institutions with an open mind. For others, the religion
of our childhood was little more than a place to hang out, a community
to which we had a sentimental connection. In recovery, we begin to see
how we can use our religion as our personal spiritual path.
It bears emphasizing that we should never confuse religion with
spirituality. In NA, they are not the same thing at all. Narcotics
Anonymous, itself, is not a religion. It offers a set of spiritual
principles, and uses a concept referred to as "God," a "Higher Power,"
or a "Power greater than ourselves" for members to use as a path out of
active addiction. The spiritual principles and the concept of a Higher
Power can go along with a member's personal spiritual path that he or
she follows outside of NA, or those principles and the concept of a
Higher Power can serve as a spiritual path all by themselves. It's up to
each member.
Some of us get to this point, and we just don't know. The institutions
we've been involved with in the past hold no answers, but we can't think
of anything that sounds like a better idea. For those with this
experience, this is the point at which we embark on one of the most
important journeys in our lives: the search for a way to understand a
Higher Power. In this process, we are likely to visit every place that
has anything to do with spirituality that's available in our community.
We're also likely to read a great number of books concerned with
spirituality and personal growth, and talk to a great number of people.
We may commit for a time to any number of practices before settling on
one - or we may never really settle on any one practice permanently. It
Works mentions that many of our members adopt an "eclectic approach" to
spirituality. If this applies to us, it's important to know that doing
this is okay and will serve the spiritual needs of recovery just fine.
Do You have a specific spiritual path?
What are the differences between religion and spirituality?
What have I done to explore my own spirituality?
As we explore our spiritual path, and perhaps pick up and discard
various spiritual practices, some of us are troubled by what seems to be
an inherent bias in NA's steps and traditions when God is referred to as
having a male gender. Even more painful, some of us may feel that we
don't have much support within our local NA community for our spiritual
choices and exploration. It's important for us to understand that the
language of NA's recovery literature is not meant to determine a
member's spirituality. It's also important for us to understand that we
as addicts have character defects, and sometimes some of our members
will act on theirs by ridiculing someone else's spiritual path. They may
even quote NA recovery literature to "support" such ridicule. Again, NA
itself has no "official" or "approved" spiritual path, and any member
who claims otherwise is, quite simply, wrong. We mention this here
because we believe it's very important for all of our members to know
what's true and not true about NA when working the Eleventh Step. It can
be a dangerous time. If members follow a spiritual path, and feel
unwelcome in NA because of it, their recovery can be in jeopardy. We as
members have a duty to encourage the spiritual explorations of other
members, and we who are exploring need to know that we can look wherever
we want for our spirituality without threatening our membership in NA.
Have You encountered any prejudice in Narcotics Anonymous while
exploring my spirituality? How did that make You feel?
What have You done to adhere to You beliefs ? .
It's essential that we don't let our spiritual path take us away from
the fellowship. Our Basic Text reminds us that "it is easy to float back
out the door on a cloud of religious zeal and forget that we are addicts
with an incurable disease." We need to always remember that we need
Narcotics Anonymous m order to deal with our addiction. Anything else we
add to our lives can enhance their quality, but nothing can take the
place of NA recovery. As long as we continue practicing the basics of
recovery - such as going to meetings regularly, staying in contact with
our sponsor, and working with newcomers -- we shouldn't have to worry
about drifting away.
No matter what spiritual path Your following, Are You still keeping up
Your involvement with NA?
How does Your spiritual path contribute to Your recovery?