Wave Book Study: Into Action, Pages 75 Through 76
Corey picks up at the bottom of page 75, where the hour of review after the Fifth Step ends and the book sends us back to the Twelve Steps to ask whether we have omitted anything. We are building an arch through which we walk a free man at last, and page 26 defines that man: free to go anywhere without disaster, provided he remains willing to maintain a certain simple attitude. He checks the stones in order: the foundation of willingness (page 12), the cornerstone of belief (page 47), the keystone (page 62), and the foundation stone of helping others (page 97). Page 17’s common peril and common solution are the cement, and without them it is mortar without sand. He explains that Working With Others was written before the step chapters, which is why the stones appear there first.
Steps Six and Seven come next. The objectionable things are the selfishness, dishonesty, self-seeking, and fear from page 67, and the Seventh Step prayer asks God to remove every defect that stands in the way of usefulness. Corey notes its Amen, where the Third Step prayer on page 63 has none, so the arch runs from the Third Step prayer to the Seventh. Page 53’s either-everything-or-nothing and page 124’s dark past as our greatest possession explain why he offers God the good and the bad. The inventory’s input becomes the amends list as output. The study stops at “Now we need more action,” where faith without works is dead, and the reminder on page 76, eighteen pages after page 58, that we agreed to go to any length.
A study offered in the spirit of one alcoholic sharing experience, strength, and hope with another. Next week: pages 76 to 83.
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Disclaimer: This Wave Book Study is an independent recovery study offered free of charge as a teaching aid. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or approved by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc. (A.A.W.S.). Passages read and discussed are drawn from the book Alcoholics Anonymous (“The Big Book”), © A.A.W.S., Inc., and are used here for educational and discussion purposes with attribution. This study is not a substitute for the Big Book itself. We’d encourage you to get your own copy and read it. A.A.W.S. has not reviewed or approved this content, and the views expressed are those of the host alone.