Appointed Himself Spiritual Leader of Middle Tennessee While Still an Atheist 🤣 — Clarence

About This Speaker Tape

This is a panel workshop at a Nashville-area AA Roundup with the theme "Steps to the Promises," focused on "Higher Power as I Understand Him." Clarence moderates and introduces three panelists from his former home group, the Music World Group. Nancy shares how she grew up Catholic believing Higher Power was judgmental and distant, then substituted men as her higher power for years. A Sacred Heart picture experience became her true spiritual awakening, and later a strong sponsor put her on page 45 of the Big Book, launching her real recovery. She breaks down the 11th Step directions from page 86 into a numbered daily recipe.

Jack, sober since November 1, 1980, describes growing up Presbyterian with beliefs but no relationship with Higher Power. His desire to drink was removed after a desperate prayer on his knees. A vivid moment flying over the Ohio River valley with his instructor Red, who said "Now tell me there's not a Higher Power," became a lasting spiritual treasure. A 10-year inventory revealed that everything in his life, good and bad, had happened for a purpose.

Paul, son of a Baptist minister, found his "peace that passeth understanding" in alcohol at age twelve. Now sober and working in the music business, he travels telling his story in song. He shares the memorable tale of a bus driver who prayed to Fats Domino as his Higher Power for a year before falling to his knees at an ice-covered lake, recognizing the Creator behind the creation. Paul distills his program to Clarence's advice: "Don't drink and show up."

Clarence closes the panel sharing his own journey from committed atheist to reluctant believer through "acting as if." Sober since August 16, 1979, after 30 years of drinking, he debated treatment counselors until they simply told him to act as if there is a Higher Power. Audience members then share powerfully, including Ed Wilson, a retired Marine whose 13th-year spiritual awakening came through writing gut-wrenching amends letters to the Air Force, Marine Corps, and his hometown mayor, experiencing 100 percent surrender as he dropped them into the mailbox.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:00 Clarence opens the workshop on Steps to the Promises, introduces the panel from the Music World Group
• 2:00 Nancy shares growing up Catholic with a punishing, distant Higher Power and feeling fundamentally defective
• 7:00 Nancy describes men becoming her higher power after childhood without a father
• 10:00 Nancy's Sacred Heart spiritual experience alone in bed at one or two in the morning
• 14:00 Nancy's sponsor puts her on page 45 — lack of power — and real recovery begins through the Big Book
• 19:00 Nancy breaks down the 11th Step from page 86 into a numbered daily recipe for morning, daytime, and night
• 22:00 Jack shares sobriety date of November 1, 1980, and kneeling weeping to ask Higher Power to remove what made him drink
• 27:00 Jack's flying instructor Red shows him the Ohio River valley and says 'Now tell me there's not a Higher Power'
• 33:00 Paul shares Clarence's advice — don't drink and show up — and the bus driver who prayed to Fats Domino
• 42:00 Clarence shares his journey from atheism through 'act as if' to belief after 30 years of drinking
• 50:00 Ed Wilson describes 100 percent surrender dropping amends letters into the mailbox at 6:30 AM in his 13th year