Father Bill W.

Fr. Bill continues his focus on Two Way Prayer. In this episode he explores why the AA Pioneer’s connection to the Oxford Group was downplayed in the Big Book and how knowing the history brings the practice alive in the pages devoted to Step Eleven. Show Notes: Quotations are from Pass It On:  https://www.aa.org/pass-it

Fr. Bill begins a short series focused on a new book he’s writing on Two Way Prayer. This episode gives a brief history of how the prayer practice developed within the Oxford Group and its important place in the early days of Alcoholics Anonymous. Fr. Bill draws on several quotations from AA literature telling how the practice was done by some of the early members. Show Notes:  “Where did we learn about moral inventory, amends for harm done, turning our wills and our lives over to God? Where did we learn about meditation and prayer and all the rest of it? The spiritual substance of our remaining ten Steps came straight from Dr. Bob’s and my own early association with the Oxford Groups….”                                                  Bill Wilson, The Language of the Heart, p. 298.   “The central theme of Wright’s book (The Will of God and a Man’s Life Work) was that an individual could, through “two way prayer” - listening for guidance as well as talking - find God's will for his life and for the ordinary events of the day. Wright himself set aside half an hour for such listening prayer first thing every morning. At such times - and indeed at anytime in the day - he declared that what he called “luminous thoughts” came from God, provided only that the human receiver was clean enough to pick them up. These thoughts Wright wrote down in a notebook and always tried to carry out.                                                      Garth Lean, On the Tail of a Comet,  p.74.  More Selections from ⁠Dr. Bob and the Good Old Timers & Pass It On⁠ in this episode.

Father Bill continues his interview with recovery teacher and spiritual guide Tyler D. from Dallas, Texas.  The series centers on Bill Wilson’s 12 & 12 quote: “There is a direct linkage among self-examination, meditation, and prayer. … But when they are logically related and interwoven, the result is an unshakeable foundation for life.” This episode is focused on helping us understand and begin the practice of meditation.  Show Notes: ∙       Contact and information for Tyler D. http://tylerdawn.com/ ∙       Prayer of St. Francis ∙       Lectio Divina ∙       Centering Prayer ∙       Insight Timer App ∙       Sharon Salzburg: https://www.sharonsalzberg.com/ ∙       Richard Rohr: https://cac.org/about/what-is-contemplation/ ∙       Jon Kabat-Zinn: https://jonkabat-zinn.com/

Father Bill continues his interview with spiritual recovery teacher and guide Tyler D. from Dallas, Texas.  The series builds on the Bill Wilson’s 12 & 12 quote: “There is a direct linkage among self-examination, meditation, and prayer. … But when they are logically related and interwoven, the result is an unshakeable foundation for life.” This episode explores various forms of prayer that can help in our recovery as well as make recovery more of the living adventure it can be.  Show Notes: Contact and information on Tyler D. http://tylerdawn.com/

Father Bill continues his interview with spiritual recovery teacher and guide Tyler D. from Dallas, Texas.  The series builds on the Bill Wilson’s 12 & 12 quote: “There is a direct linkage among self-examination, meditation, and prayer. … But when they are logically related and interwoven, the result is an unshakeable foundation for life.” This episode explores tools for watching ourselves and making Step Ten come to life in new and more meaningful ways. Show Notes: Contact and information on Tyler D. http://tylerdawn.com/ Invitation to the Great Experiment by Tom Powers. Purchase a hard copy at www.AllAddictsAnonymous.com/ Nikki Meyers 12 Step Yoga https://y12sr.com/

Father Bill begins a series of interviews with spiritual recovery teacher and guide Tyler D. from Dallas, Texas.  Long active in 12 Step recovery, Tyler is a registered yoga instructor and mindfulness teacher as well as a recent graduate in Spiritual Direction from SMU’s Perkins School of Theology. In this opening episode Tyler shares her story and sets the theme for the series built around the rewards a solid foundation can bring. Tyler genuinely “walks the walk” in 12 Step recovery and invites you to join her on this journey. Show Notes: Contact and information for Tyler D. http://tylerdawn.com/

In this final episode of the series, Dr. James Ryan, PhD author of a new book titled Recovery Writing, leads listeners through a series of writing exercises that include an extended version of “The Conduct Inventory,” a second exercise titled “The Resilient Heart,” and finally a set of questions known as “The Audre Lorde Questionnaire to Oneself.”  We hope this series inspires you to pick up your pen and join Dr. Ryan in journeying deeper into the fullness and richness of recovery. Show Notes: ∙       Recovery Writing: Discovery and Healing in the Twelve Steps by James Ryan. ∙       www.StepStudy.org  ∙       Audrey Lorde’s Four Questions: https://divyavictor.com/the-audre-lorde-questionnaire-to-oneself/

Fr. Bill and Dr. James Ryan, PhD author of a new book titled Recovery Writing finish up their discussion of how writing can be an aid in finding and building a deeper relationship with the Divine. Show Notes: ∙       Recovery Writing: Discovery and Healing in the Twelve Steps by James Ryan. ∙       Step Study website: www.StepStudy.org

 Fr. Bill and Dr. James Ryan, PhD author of a new book titled Recovery Writing finish up their discussion of how writing can be an aid in finding and building a deeper relationship with the Divine. Show Notes: ∙       Recovery Writing: Discovery and Healing in the Twelve Steps by James Ryan ∙       Step Study website: www.StepStudy.org

Fr. Bill continues his interviews with James Ryan, PhD author of a new book titled Recovery Writing. The series explores effective writing techniques used in 12 Step and other recovery modalities. James is in long term recovery with a strong interest in spirituality and in the Pioneer program of Alcoholics Anonymous. His website  www.StepStudy.org provides links to books and articles helpful for those ready to go deeper into AA history and recovery spiritually. James worked for several years in the addiction treatment field and now teaches writing at the University of Alaska. In this fourth episode, James shares from his research how writing can aid in connecting an addict with the realm of the divine.  Show Notes: Recovery Writing: Discovery and Healing in the Twelve Steps by James Ryan Step Study website: www.StepStudy.org The Voices Within and How We Talk to Ourselves by Charles Fernyhough (Lots of used copies available) More than Real: A History of the Imagination in South India  by David Shulman  (Worth reseaching sources – this book is pricey)