It is one of many a paradox in AA. I think we say the serenity prayer as an "I prayer," because prayer is personal and is usually done individually. Most people don't pray en masse, except in a church of a same denomination. Although we recite the serenity prayer together at the end of AA meetings, each person makes personal meaning out of it, relevant to his or her life and beliefs at present. We are united in purpose, but we are separate, unique individuals. This idea of different but the same is the foundation of many programs of belonging and fellowship that actually work. It's the idea of celebrating diversity while embracing the unity of the group. If it weren't for this notion, we in AA would all have to have the exact same religious beliefs, same social classes, same ethnicities, same political leanings...and that is not what this program is all about. We come from all walks of life with a shared purpose, a desire to stop drinking and help the still suffering alcoholic.
Hey Bill,YOU CAN LOOK UP THE ORIGIN AND SEE THIS ORIGINAL PRAYER WAS DEVISED WITH THE WORD "US" God give us the serenity and god grant us the serenity.Bill and Bob adopted it saying it had all of AA in its short message.The original long version was deemed very christian oriented (origins of Oxford group etc)and therefore it is less familiar then the short version(or may scare some away with the christian references)talking of Jesus ,SIN ETC, which may hinder someone using their "own concept" of a Higher Power. We have actually closed meetings with the 'we" version of this prayer .....grant.us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change I know of some who actually argue the tenets of "not a religious" program using this prayer to open /close meetings as not adhereing to "your own concept of a Higher Power" they feel definitely christian based. Some will debate chicken or egg first theory/does a tree make a sound in the woods if no one to hear it?/is it free will or determinism? and on and on..........we are a rough mixture of people from all backrounds of life working to stay in sobriety ,a day at a time,.For me,through practice and continued effort to seek the will of my Higher Power, even if I was correct on the egg coming before the chicken,I no longer have that "need to be right" I surrendered those needs day by day, I do know that God does grant me and us serenity if we seek it, because with God all things are possible.
__________________
Selfishness-self-centeredness! That, we think, is the root of our troubles.
Hey Bill, YOU CAN LOOK UP THE ORIGIN AND SEE THIS ORIGINAL PRAYER WAS DEVISED WITH THE WORD "US"; "God gives us the serenity" and "God grant us the serenity". Bill and Bob adopted the saying and had all of AA adhere to its short message. The original long version was deemed very christian oriented (origins of Oxford group etc.) and therefore it is less familiar then the short version(or may scare some away with the christian references), which may hinder someone using their "own concept" of a Higher Power. We have actually closed meetings with the 'we" version of this prayer; .....grant "us" the serenity to accept the things we cannot change. I know of some people who actually argue the tenets of "not a religious program" using this prayer to open /close meetings as not adhereing to "your own concept of a Higher Power" they feel that is definitely christian based. For me, it's simple...through practice and continued efforts to seek the will of my Higher Power, which I do know that God does grants us the serenity if we seek it, because with God all things are possible.
Amen...God grants "us" the serenity, not just myself. Enough said...
-- Edited by Mr_David on Friday 20th of May 2011 04:37:16 PM
