“I Stand At The Door” is the title of a piece written by Sam Shoemaker from the Oxford Group. It begins;

I stand by the door.
I neither go too far in, nor stay too far out.
The door is the most important door in the world -
It is the door through which men walk when they find God.
There is no use my going way inside and staying there,
When so many are still outside and they, as much as I,
Crave to know where the door is.
And all that so many ever find
Is only the wall where the door ought to be.
They creep along the wall like blind men,
With outstretched, groping hands,
Feeling for a door, knowing there must be a door,
Yet they never find it.
So I stand by the door.

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Is where “it” all began…

Considering Bill Wilson was in an alcoholic stupor, I doubt he really perceived it this way until much later.

From page 196 of “The Language of the Heart” Bill tells us;

“In the late summer of 1934, my well-loved alcoholic friend and schoolmate, Ebbie, had fallen in with these good folks (the Oxford Group) and had promptly sobered up. Being an alcoholic, and rather on the obstinate side, he hadn’t been able to ‘buy’ all the Oxford group ideas and attitudes. Nevertheless, he was moved by their deep sincerity and felt mighty grateful for the fact that their ministrations had, for the time being, lifted his obsession to drink.”

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From Dick B. on Dr. Silkworth;

“In the course of writing my two latest A.A. History titles – The Conversion of Bill W. and Introduction to The Sources and Founding of Alcoholics Anonymous, I had occasion to look much more deeply into the Silkworth/Wilson/A.A. links.

First, as to resources, there are none better for me than Dale Mitchel’s Silkworth: The Little Doctor Who Loved Drunks and the Silkworth website.

Second, because Mitchel dug into Silkworth family papers, we can see much more about the good doctor’s belief in healing by religious means.

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I’d never seen it before…

StepStudy.org - Twelve Step History and Theory

Having discovered the AA History Lovers Group at Yahoo recently, I’ve been led to many new resources (for me) and I continue to find new information and knowledge. It’s all good!

I did not know that there was a timeline for the development of our Twelve Steps that began in 1908! Now I know

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