Short form. For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority—a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern.
Long form. For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority—a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience.
Application in AA
- What is the group purpose?
- There is only one: Tradition V (carrying the message of AA, namely the contents of the book Alcoholics Anonymous up to page 164)
- It is our group purpose: it is not an individual purpose
- What is 'ultimate authority'?
- Make a distinction between ultimate authority and delegated authority
- Ultimate authority originates in God
- With ultimate authority comes final responsibility (Concept I)
- However, human agents are required for God's will to be done
- 'He has no hands but ours'
- 'intelligent agents, spearheads of God’s ever advancing Creation' (We Agnostics)
- Authority is then delegated to us, along with commensurate responsibility
- The Twelve Concepts for World Service are the structure for the delegation of authority and responsibility
- from God to us ...
- ... and from us to others ... depending on where we are in the structure
- In the Concepts, 'ultimate' is equated with 'final'
- Who is God?
- 'Him who has all knowledge and power' (page 85, Alcoholics Anonymous)
- To believe in other ultimate sources of knowledge or power is idolatry
- 'God is everything or nothing' (page 53, Alcoholics Anonymous)
- Chuck Chamberlain:
- The ego is the feeling of conscious separation from ...
- ... Life = Good = God
- ... the universe and everything in it
- ... humanity.
- 'God is that which takes the deadness away' (Origen)
- What does it mean to say that God is loving?
- Everything is good or can be worked to the good
- Group conscience
- What forms a group?
- Tradition V: common purpose (page 17, Alcoholics Anonymous)
- Common problem
- Common solution
- Tradition III: inclusivity and non-conformity
- Tradition I: unity
- But unity does not require uniformity
- In fact unity is possible only if uniformity is not required
- What is 'conscience'?
- Connection to Source:
- Through the consciousness of the individual
- To a common, universal consciousness
- And ultimately to God
- Physical presence
- Don't make (major) (group) decisions by WhatsApp, Facebook, email circular, or other back-channels
- Use those other channels only to pass information and for technical coordination ...
- ... not discussion or voting
- Look each other in the eye
- Circles work well
- Raising above the mundane
- Hold group conscience meetings at a separate, dedicated time, away from the ordinary business of the group
- Don't hurry them: allow plenty of time for discussion
- Look at matters from an entirely different angle (page 66)
- Hold discussions separately from the vote
- Where possible vote at the next business meeting instead
- This prevents rash decision-making
- This allows for a cooling-off period and genuine consideration of ramifications
- Ideas can be explored without the risk of sudden change to the group
- People therefore feel able to express novel or radical ideas freely
- Concept VI:
- Group conscience: decisions on large matters of general policy & finance
- These are held infrequently
- Business meetings: chief initiative and active responsibility in most matters
- These are held frequently
- Sift and select topics carefully so that the group does not
- Discuss more than one radical change at a time
- Get bogged down in very extensive discussion
- Generate excessive discord
- A single spiritual entity
- I vote not on my own behalf but on behalf of the group
- Balance:
- Listening to others
- Listening to one's own internal voice
- Ensure that views are channeled through principles (the Traditions and Concepts, amongst others)
- ... particularly the overriding virtues of Tradition I and Tradition V
- What happens when group conscience meetings become disturbed?
- Postpone the discussion
- Gather views in writing
- Collate them, anonymise them, and distribute them ...
- ... for prayer and meditation in between
- Reconvene
- How do decisions on large matters of general policy and finance get made?
- Discussion
- Vote
- Substantial unanimity (Concept XII)
- Leaders are but trusted servants
- Leaders are therefore active in service work
- They lead by example
- In group conscience meetings, they contribute but then stay quiet
- Don't
- Repeat
- Threaten
- Chastise
- Pull rank
- Or otherwise manipulate.
- At some point move on to other groups to allow others to grow into leadership
- Remain available for consultation
- There is such a thing as leadership in AA (see Concept IX)
Application in life
- Why surrender to the group conscience, the collective conscience of the whole fellowship, and to God?
- The results are better
- Any knowledge and power I think I have comes from the source
- ... so go to the source
- ... via the group conscience
- The perceived problem with authority
- 'Lessons' some people learn before they come to AA:
- Authorities are dumb
- Authorities are not safe
- Authorities make bad decisions
- Authorities will not protect you
- Authorities will dominate, control, and punish
- A lot of people need to learn to trust again
- This starts (but does not end) by trusting the AA group
- To surrender to God, practise:
- Surrendering to a home group ('life is what happens between meetings')
- Surrendering to a sponsor ('there's hope when you're willing to get sober someone else's way')
- Being a trusted servant
- Switch from being a taker to being a giver
- Learn to be trustworthy
- Learn to trust others
- Tradition II in relationship:
- Listen to others
- Listen to God speaking through others
- Surrender to the group conscience
- Serve
- Do not govern
- Use of the group conscience to make common decisions.
- Concept XII: Discussion, vote, and substantial unanimity
- Concept VI: major decisions of and finance taken together
- Concept VII and VIII: the household ('Conference') delegates actual implementation to the household members ('the General Service Board')
- These individual members exercise Concept III: right of decision
- No snooping or meddling in relation to others' duties
- The delegatee reports back
- Sometimes there is onward delegation to outside contractors
- Listening to conscience requires quietness, which in turn requires regular inventory, prayer, and meditation