I have a question , should Living Clean be used at meetings to read instead of the Basic Text ? I think this book is great but they are stories not the Steps that we all use to help us in our recovery . Some groups where I live , use it at step study meetings . It is a book of recovery stories , not the steps and Traditions . I just would like others opinion on using this book .
I would think it would depend on group conscience and the format of the group. In all meetings up North the 5 readings were always first,Who.What , why,How,and twelve.After that there were so many different formats.My regular homegroup was a STEP 123 format and a speaker every night and a speaker every 4th week on one of those 3 STEPS.My Saturday homgroup was a Men only meeting and that format was strictly mens issues and sharing. Another meeting was a grabbag where they would write a word on a slip of paper that would have a topic and you had option to share on that recovery related word or topic or anything you needed to share so every night of week meetings were different,, WE had Saturday meetings in a Salvation Army facility where would be a mixed group of alcoholics and addicts and the Clarity statement was pretty dominant there(didnt care for that personally) Might be interesting to read from a particular story and identify and share on that particular situation,some of our other group would read from IT WORKS ,Some paragraphs from the STEP WORKING GUIDE,etc and also keeping in mind the differences between it being an open or closed meeting All meetings were at least an hour and a half,most I have been to in Florida are an hour a particular meeting I attend in a JUST FOR TODAY format,reading the daily JFT and sharing on that topic for the day.......... Fourth Tradition covers it pretty well,as long as we are keeping a reliable environment for our primary purpose, carrying the message of recovery.....".autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or NA as a whole.."..My thoughts............Talk to ya on the rebound.........
__________________
Our purpose is to remain clean,just for today,and to carry the message of recovery.
So long as it's NA world services approved literature then I see no reason why a group couldn't use it as the basis of a meeting. there are many formats for meetings. It's really up to the group to decide what there format is. I see no conflicts here at all.
I pretty much agree. It is a good book and is more than just stories. It contains a lot of our collection wisdom and experience concerning dealing with life on life's terms: relationships, illness, spirituality, death, etc.
I have a question , should Living Clean be used at meetings to read instead of the Basic Text ? I think this book is great but they are stories not the Steps that we all use to help us in our recovery . Some groups where I live , use it at step study meetings . It is a book of recovery stories , not the steps and Traditions . I just would like others opinion on using this book .
Should? Each Group is autonomous except in matters affecting other Groups or NA as a whole. On the surface might seem strange for a "Step Study" meeting to read from Living Clean. Never thought about it before. Yet thinking about it seems to make whole bunch of sense. The Steps aren't out there in isolation, but are my roadmap to learn how to Live Clean. When I think of it that way studying stories about Living Clean to learn how to apply the Steps in our lives indeed not strange at all.
__________________
Work the Steps or Die MF. (My Friend :) Clean One Day At a Time by The Grace of God through The Power of NA
Hi CD.. I was part of the review group of that book...... my sponsor of that time was in the chair. It took many years of compilation and review to get it right.
And as the process went on, it seems that a major policy in getting that book ready for world use was to renew energies. New input on recovery was what was needed and this book sought to articulate in words, the feelings and experiences of recovering addicts worldwide.
Groups here have not "replaced" the Basic Text but in my own home group, few of us are pushing for an area level appreciation that reading this book at meetings will fulfill the very purpose of it's creation; "Our Basic Text assures us that more will be revealed" (Living Clean, page xi) and this is what I get.
But my guess is that nothing can ever replace the Basic Text as the Basic Text.......after all, Tradition 4 also says "matters affecting NA as a whole".
-- Edited by Raman on Wednesday 20th of February 2013 04:07:29 AM
__________________
Raman an addict clean and serene just for today in NA Worldwide ; live to love and love to live the NA Way !!!
Raman , I also worked on the last review of Living Clean in our area Northern New England Region , USA . I just had a question what all addicts thought ?
...
