Serenity Prayer

[NewCreation435]

The Serenity Prayer says

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
enjoying one moment at a time;
accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
that I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
forever in the next.

I sometimes have a problem knowing and remembering the difference between things I can change and not. I often try through force of my will to change the unchangeable or change other people. I forget that one goal I should have is to be more christlike instead of getting my way. I don't often surrender my will to His. I don't focus as much as I should on being supremely happy with Him alone.

 

[Albion]

I see that there is a version labelled the Original Serenity Prayer. I have no more knowledge about that, but it's interesting to compare the two. See what you think.

God, give us grace to accept with serenity
the things that cannot be changed,
Courage to change the things
which should be changed,
and the Wisdom to distinguish
the one from the other.
Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,
Taking, as Jesus did,
This sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it,
Trusting that You will make all things right,
If I surrender to Your will,
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with You forever in the next.
Amen.

 

[Tigger]

I see that there is a version labelled the Original Serenity Prayer. I have no more knowledge about that, but it's interesting to compare the two. See what you think.

God, give us grace to accept with serenity
the things that cannot be changed,
Courage to change the things
which should be changed,
and the Wisdom to distinguish
the one from the other.
Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,
Taking, as Jesus did,
This sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it,
Trusting that You will make all things right,
If I surrender to Your will,
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with You forever in the next.
Amen.

Very interesting. Seems the original is much more Christian specific where as the later copy is more universal in its verbiage.

 

[Albion]

Yeh, I hesitated to flatly claim it, but it looks that way to me. For example, and despite the similarities, etc the one shown in the OP is self-centered ("I" will change or not be able to change this or that) whereas the one shown in blue is clearly about eternal verities, not just stuff that "I" have failed at. The version shown in post #1 omits Jesus' name altogether and separates Jesus (whether named or not) from "God." In addition, the black version seems like a statement about God, whereas the blue one, the so-called Original one, addresses God. See the punctuation or lack of it right at the start. All in all, the wording of the revised version is awkward; the blue version flows smoothly in the manner we would expect of a prayer.

 

[NewCreation435]

Yeh, I hesitated to flatly claim it, but it looks that way to me. For example, and despite the similarities, etc the one shown in the OP is self-centered ("I" will change or not be able to change this or that) whereas the one shown in blue is clearly about eternal verities, not just stuff that "I" have failed at. The version shown in post #1 omits Jesus' name altogether and separates Jesus (whether named or not) from "God." In addition, the black version seems like a statement about God, whereas the blue one, the so-called Original one, addresses God. See the punctuation or lack of it right at the start. All in all, the wording of the revised version is awkward; the blue version flows smoothly in the manner we would expect of a prayer.

So besides being critical of the word choice what do you think of what actually was said?

 

[Imalive]

Good one. Thanks.

 

[Albion]

So besides being critical of the word choice what do you think of what actually was said?

Oh dear. I was afraid of seeming to have savaged your post when there was nothing actually wrong with it. I just thought, when I found that so-called Original version, that it was fascinating what the differences were. They look subtle at first, and they are not numerous, but they change the tone and meaning quite significantly I thought. Do you disagree?

I think I explained what I had in mind in my reply to Tigger, and you've quoted that, so you'll have to help me know what exactly you are thinking if you feel that I was wrong or was making too much of the changes. Or maybe you didn't get what I was pointing to? Let me know.

 

[NewCreation435]

Oh dear. I was afraid of seeming to have savaged your post when there was nothing actually wrong with it. I just thought, when I found that so-called Original version, that it was fascinating what the differences were. They look subtle at first, and they are not numerous, but they change the tone and meaning quite significantly I thought. Do you disagree?

I think I explained what I had in mind in my reply to Tigger, and you've quoted that, so you'll have to help me know what exactly you are thinking if you feel that I was wrong or was making too much of the changes. Or maybe you didn't get what I was pointing to? Let me know.

Yes, I understood very well what you were trying to show. I think if you will notice in my initial post I commented about some of the things that it means to me. As someone who counsels others, I know that this prayer is repeated in part at most AA meetings. There is mention in that program of a higher power as you understand Him. What I believe the prayer means to me and I have come to appreciate is that I have to take my mind and heart off of what is wrong with others, focus on myself and what I can control and not to try and manipulate or change others.
There is something very calming about understanding you don't have to try and change people. That you have enough work to do looking at yourself. I know that I do.
I guess what I was complaining about in a sense is I was looking for something a little deeper than a critical examination of word choices.

 

[Albion]

Yes, I understood very well what you were trying to show. I think if you will notice in my initial post I commented about some of the things that it means to me. As someone who counsels others, I know that this prayer is repeated in part at most AA meetings. There is mention in that program of a higher power as you understand Him. What I believe the prayer means to me and I have come to appreciate is that I have to take my mind and heart off of what is wrong with others, focus on myself and what I can control and not to try and manipulate or change others.
There is something very calming about understanding you don't have to try and change people. That you have enough work to do looking at yourself. I know that I do.
I guess what I was complaining about in a sense is I was looking for something a little deeper than a critical examination of word choices.

All right, you are saying that the prayer as amended serves a valuable purpose. I wouldn't doubt that. We may also agree that, even as it has been amended, it contains some very worthwhile sentiments. However, my point was that this is usually represented as a prayer from way back somewhere (as is the Prayer of St. Francis, so called), when in reality it has been altered in order to make it serviceable by non-traditional Christians and people of other faiths.

Christian people like ourselves might be offended at that. Or maybe not. My point was simply to present the thing and call people's attention to it. Everyone here can decide for himself what to make of the changes. Possibly, that would be nothing more than seeing it as an interesting piece of triva.

 

[NewCreation435]

we live in a time where it seems people are offended by almost everything and anything

 

[ImaginaryDay2]

There are a number of adaptations of the prayer itself. Its origins go back to Reinhold Niebuhr, an early 20th Century theologian. When I attended A.A., we would use the prayer in the OP. A lot of the members, though, knew the other version, and it was merely a matter of preference which they used.

As to what was being asked, though, I recall some good advice I got early on in A.A. from a mentor of mine. He'd said when I read something such as the serenity prayer or a meditation, to read it through once and get a sense of what's being said. Then, read it through a second time slowly. Take in the subtleties of it, and how it all ties together. The third time, focus on three important aspects of the reading - whatever they might be for me - and keep those things in mind through the day.

What has stayed with me are:
"Serenity to accept"
"Courage to change"
"Wisdom to know"
And that it is only through God granting me those things that I can have any 'success' in attaining them