Quiet Time, Morning Watch, "Meditation," Oxford Group, A.A.

This is an analysis of an article which attempted to overemphasize one pamphlet by one man on one aspect of communicating with, speaking to, hearing from, and being guided by God. See at the beginning www.dickb.com/goodmorn.shtml.

The critique:

Thank you for your article on John Batterson. Because Wally P. devoted years to promoting my good friend Jim Houck, he has placed an undue emphasis on Houck and on the Batterson pamphlet. There were many, many, many Quiet Time writings. Certainly many by the Oxford Group people long before Jim Houck. Thus Eleanor Forde, B.H. Streeter, Cecil Rose, Howard Rose, Rev. Sam Shoemaker, and the author of the Oxford Group pamphletg on awakening. All these and many others all had explicit, biblical based directions and suggestions. See Dick B., The Oxford Group & Alcoholics Anonymous www.dickb.com/Oxford.shtml.

Dr. Bob's wife spent each morning in Quiet Time with early AAs and their families. See Dick B., Anne Smith's Journal 1933-1939. Anne quoted Eleanor Forde and gave explicit Quiet Time instructions. www.dickb.com/annesm.shtml.

Dr. Bob had many quiet time guides in his library. See Dick B., Dr. Bob and His Library www.dickb.com/drbob.shtml.

And then there are the clear records of exactly which devotionals were used in the early A.A program for morning "meditations." See Dick B., Good Morning!: Quiet Time, Morning Watch, Meditation, and Early A.A. www.dickb.com/goodmorn.shtml.

These much used quiet time and morning devotionals were the Upper Room, The Runner's Bible, My Utmost for His Highest, Daily Strength for Daily Needs, Victorious Living and, of course, the Bible. And none of these was an Oxford Group book or person. See Dick B., The Books Early AAs Read for Spiritual Growth. www.dickb.com/titles.shtml.

This practice was much written about and used long long before A.A. or the Oxford Group or Batterson or Jim Houck. The elements can be found in the Bible. Also the YMCA used "Morning Watch," and both Dr. Bob and Bill were involved with the Y as youngsters. The famous evangelist F.B. Meyer wrote extensively on quiet time in the 1800's. Young People's Society of Christian Endeavor (in which Dr. Bob was very active as a youth) not only observed "Quiet Hour." It had a group called "Comrades of the Quiet Hour. See Dick B., Dr. Bob of Alcoholics Anonymous www.dickb.com/drbobofaa.shtml.

Rev. San Shoemaker recommended a quiet time guide by Donald Carruthers on Morning Devotions. Shoemaker's first radio program was called "Good Morning" and told how he observed morning quiet time. See Dick B., New Light on Alcoholism: God,Sam Shoemaker, and A.A. www.dickb.com/newlight.shtml.

I too was given the Batterson pamphlet by James Houck; and later I surveyed James and many other Oxford Group people to find out which quiet time, books, guides, and pamphlets were used. Nobody but Houck mentioned the Batterson pamphlet. Finally, the theology in Batterson's work and Wally's "How to Listen" goes far afield when it comes to the means and methods of communicating with God, receiving, and hearing His communications. See 1 Corinthians 12. See accounts of the angels, the prophets, the visions, and all the rest. See the accounts of God's talking to Abraham, Moses, Jesus.
I have no problem with an early pamphlet's being discussed. I have many problems with accounts that shrink quiet time, "meditation," morning watch, and operating the manifestations into one tiny pamphlet by one man who was in Akron once and did not become one of the many Christians, Oxford Group activists, and writers who tried to use the Bible and prayer as the basis for quiet time guides. Only then does the evolution of A.A.'s Step Eleven and the Oxford Group's Quiet Time become instructive as to the Biblical roots and God's will.