tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528772695426793441.post1678216484956840484..comments2023-10-23T08:08:48.631-06:00Comments on what a cup of tea: Learning from 12-SteppersLELANDA LEEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00007493781222383380noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528772695426793441.post-8938775362719177832010-07-11T16:14:47.306-06:002010-07-11T16:14:47.306-06:00Tom,
Thank you for commenting and for your servic...Tom,<br /><br />Thank you for commenting and for your service in Al-Anon. I know it's hard work, and I also know that it matters. <br /><br />My motorcyclist friend has blogged about meetings where he and one other person were it, and how grateful he was to meet up with that one other person. <br /><br />There certainly is a tension between the dynamics of being human-sized, friendly and accessible and having the wherewithal to sustain continuity and provide hospitality in the form of place, snacks and materials. <br /><br />Your comments about property are insightful. I have watched people over the decades, including myself and my peers, corroded bit by bit by the acquisition of property, starting with things like the first stereo sound system to the first new car to the first real furniture to the first condo or house. Our politics change, our boundaries change, our empathies change. Property is seductive and corrosive. <br /><br />In The Episcopal Church I see our canons concerning how we relate to property as being significantly problematic. Even when a Standing Committee wants to be collaborative and innovative in seeking solutions out of property issues, sometimes our hands are literally tied by our vows to uphold our Constitution and Canons. It is a source of great sadness and cause for reflection and agitation to do something different and more generative.<br /><br />LelandaLELANDA LEEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00007493781222383380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528772695426793441.post-987235861410712412010-07-11T08:05:13.161-06:002010-07-11T08:05:13.161-06:00I serve in the Al-Anon fellowship on the area (sta...I serve in the Al-Anon fellowship on the area (state) level and while I appreciate the kind words about our program I want to add three concerns: (1) one of our traditions warns against issues of property and prestige diverting us from our primary spiritual aim. I have seen much concern about property and prestige in the Episcopal church of late, and I think the church has indeed been diverted. (2) leadership is a problem in many Al-Anon groups both in groups and in districts and areas. It is hard to find good leaders and there is no system to train leaders, (3) most Al-Anon groups are small - a dozen or fewer regular members - and contributions of a dollar a member per meeting make it difficult to buy literature, pay rent, and support an area phone service. <br /> Tom RightmyerTomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13942919028086053295noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528772695426793441.post-56308316717553278392010-07-10T14:23:29.701-06:002010-07-10T14:23:29.701-06:00Dear John,
Thank you for writing and sharing you...Dear John, <br /><br />Thank you for writing and sharing your views. I apologize for any offense or discomfort that I have caused in my way of describing 12-Steppers. I realize that one cannot generalize without stereotyping, and I write from a first-person perspective, not meaning to speak for anyone else but myself.<br /><br />I have read Stephanie Speller's Radical Welcome and like it very much. <br /><br />In writing about my own lack of experiencing the sense of shared humility in my Christian church background, I am led to reflect about what in me is lacking that causes me not to have those experiences and connections. Maybe I have had them and have just forgotten. Or maybe I haven't gone far enough in my own confession, repentance and baring of my soul to have had those experiences within the church community. It is something that I will be pondering for a long while.<br /><br />LelandaLELANDA LEEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00007493781222383380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528772695426793441.post-16450491145982455212010-07-10T14:13:08.219-06:002010-07-10T14:13:08.219-06:00As a "12-stepper," I feel uncomfortable ...As a "12-stepper," I feel uncomfortable with the way you describe us. I would rather keep it simple and unadorned with fancy descriptions. What you have described seems to dovetail quite nicely with the address I watched today given by Bishop Curry in North Carolina. He was talking about the "Gospel way of welcome," and the "witness of welcome." He went on to explain how "welcome is not benign," it has the power to heal and reconcile. I think that is what you are describing. I also think that is what we should work toward in the church. Bishop Curry recommended a book, "Radical Welcome:Embracing God,The Other, and the Spirit of Transformation" by Stephanie Spellers. I really like, "Radical Welcome." But, it goes beyond welcome. It continues on to community. As a 12-stepper I know the acceptance and safety of community based upon shared experiences and a shared vulnerability that all 12-steppers face--relapse. It is but by the grace of God as lived out in community that I am safe from relapse. It is that kind of community the Episcopal Church must work toward. We are too often a compartmentalized church, with our church life separate from the rest of our lives. Instead of giving all that we have, including ourselves, to God 100%, we only give when it is convenient. I know this is not true for everyone, but it is true for many. It is my prayer that we can truly become a community of radical welcome that is a witness to God's love, caring and compassion for all people.John Andrewshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04350797003686626716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528772695426793441.post-3922793746618439712010-07-10T14:04:49.484-06:002010-07-10T14:04:49.484-06:00This is an excellent post, Lelanda - it truly reso...This is an excellent post, Lelanda - it truly resonates. Thanks for posting!!<br /><br />bbAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17490745238430648958noreply@blogger.com