[PW] Fame of Serenity Prayer

[Frear, Ruth]

We're getting beyond what Fred asked for, but for the sake of accuracy,
I'd like to question the wording at achievebalance.com.  (In case, Fred,
you want to note the difference between what is now called the Serenity
Prayer and Niebuhr's original wording.)

According to Niebuhr, in "A View of Life from the Sidelines,"
The prayer, as he wrote it, read: ''God, give us grace to accept with
serenity the things that cannot be changed, courage to change the things
that should be changed, and the wisdom to distinguish the one from the
other."

See, for example:
http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/programs/niebuhr-rediscovered/ser
enityprayer.shtml


Possibly also of interest:
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/ideas/articles/2003/12/14/beyond_sereni
ty/


Ruth.frear at wolterskluwer.com


................
-----Original Message-----
From: project-wombat-bounces at lists.project-wombat.org
[mailto:project-wombat-bounces at lists.project-wombat.org] On Behalf Of
Franco, Adrienne
Sent: Friday, June 13, 2008 10:03 AM
To: list at project-wombat.org
Subject: Re: [PW] Fame of Serenity Prayer
Importance: High

It's interesting to note that the serenity prayer as recited by AA and
many other groups is an abbreviated version.  The full version of the
prayer appears below (http://www.achievebalance.com/spirit/serenity.htm
)
Some Christian-based recovery groups, such as Celebrate Recovery
(http://wwww.celebraterecovery.com) recite the complete prayer.  The
prayer was composed by Reinhold Niebuhr:

God,
Grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
the Courage to change the things I can
and the Wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardship 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.

Amen.

Adrienne Franco / Iona College