JOHN E. BATTERSON — HOW TO LISTEN — PAGE 1
There is a tradition of preparing for one's day by getting quiet and tapping into the intuitive voice that resides in each of us. Here is a technique that has been used for more than 80 years by the members of the Oxford Group
How to Listen
by John E. Batterson
1. Take time each morning - An orchestra tunes up before the symphony. We can tune up our lives before the day begins.
Once we open the newspaper or turn on the computer most of us don't stop until we drop wearily into bed. So wake up. Get your
coffee or tea. Grab a piece of paper and pen.
2. Relax - Sit in a comfortable position. Consciously relax ail your muscles. Be loose. There is no need to hurry. There need be
no strain during these minutes. We cannot touch the Infinite if we are tense and anxious. Prepare yourself by breathing deeply
and relaxing for three to five minutes.
3. Tune In - Open your heart to the Ultimate Reality. Either silently or aloud, say in a way that feels natural to you that you
would like inspiration for this day. If you have a specific problem or situation you are facing, ask for the answer. Be definite and
specific in your requests.
4. Listen - Just be still, quiet, relaxed and open. Let your mind go "loose." Let your intuitive self receive inspiration. Thoughts,
ideas and impressions will begin to come into your mind and heart. Be alert and open and aware to every one.
5. Write! - Here is the key to the whole process. Write down everything that comes to your mind. Everything. Writing is a
means of recording what goes through your mind so that you can remember later. Don't sort out or edit your thoughts at this
point.
Don't say to yourself:
"This thought isn't important"
"This is just me thinking"
"This can't be inspiration"
"This isn't nice"
"This is an ordinary thought"
Write what passes through your mind:
Names of people
Things to do
Things to say
Things that are wrong that need to be made right
Write down everything:
Good thoughts - bad thoughts
Comfortable thoughts - uncomfortable thoughts
"Holy" thoughts - "unholy" thoughts
Sensible thoughts - "crazy" thoughts
Be Honest!
Write down everything. A thought comes quickly and escapes more quickly unless it is captured and put down.
6. Test - When the flow of thoughts slows down, stop. Take a good look at what you have written. Not every thought is inspired.
So we need to test each thought by examining the written record.
> Is it Honest - Pure - Unselfish - Loving?
> Is it in line with our responsibilities?
> Is it in line with my understanding of spiritual literature?
7. Check - When in doubt and when it is important, ask another person who is on the spiritual path. More light comes through
two windows than through one. Someone who is interested in our spiritual growth may see things more clearly.
Talk over what you have written. There are always three sides to every question - your side, my side and the right side. Inspiration shows us which is the right side - not who is right, but what is right.
8. Carry out the thoughts that come - You will only be sure of your intuitive voice as you go through with it. A rudder will not
guide a boat until the boat is moving. As you follow, very often the results will convince you that you are on the right track.
9. What if no inspiration comes? - Generally there is a reason. Here are some blocks:
> Any wrong relationship in my life
> A person that I will not forgive
> Any wrong that I have not faced and put right
> Any compromise or indulgence I will not give up
> Anything I know I should do but have not done
10. Results? - We will never know what swimming is like unless we get down into the river and try. We will never know how wonderful this technique can be until we sincerely try it.
Every person who has honestly tried this has discovered a wisdom, not their own, comes into their minds and a Power greater than human power begins to operate in their lives.
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Written by an Ohio Oxford Group member, John Batterson. He distributed well over 500,000 of these documents in his lifetime. Henrietta Seiberling shared a podium with him at an Oxford Group meeting in Sandusky Ohio.
John Edward Batterson (1910-1991)
from the AA History Lovers
AAHL message 6053
Re: How To Listen To God by John E. Batterson
Cora Finch wrote in message 6050:
I found him in some newspaper articles. In August, 1934 there was an Oxford Group program in Sandusky, Ohio, about 60 miles west of Cleveland. One of the speakers was "John Batterson of Delaware, college student" .... Several of the other speakers were from Akron.So it certainly makes sense that he would have been a friend of Dr. Bob.
In 1942, the Rev. John Batterson was pastor of the Methodist church in Middletown, New York. In 1948 he was occasionally preaching at the Union Protestant church in Herald Harbor, Maryland, but his primary position was Chaplain at Fort Meade. As Second Army Chaplain, Major John E. Batterson spoke at a training conference for chaplains in the Army Reserve and National Guard, in Charleston West Virginia in April 1950.
From Tom Hickcox and Jared Lobdell: "Delaware" in this case is not the state, but a small city (33,700 pop.) about twenty miles north of Columbus, Ohio.
From Tom Hickcox in Baton Rouge: I would note that there is a Delaware, Ohio located not too distant from Sandusky, about 85 mi, and there is a college there, Ohio Wesleyan Unversity, where my brother has taught for several decades.
From Jared Lobdell: Delaware is Delaware, Ohio, where John Edward Batterson (1910-1991) attended Ohio Wesleyan University (Class of 1935) in preparation for the ministry. He graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Engineering from the Ohio State University in Columbus in 1933 (editor of the OSU Engineer), was involved in aviation engineering before entering the ministry, was Chaplain (I think as Lt. Col.) at Fort Huachuca [Arizona] in 1956 (his SS card was from Arizona) and died at Huntsville, Alabama. I can find no particular Akron connection up to 1935 but I don't know where he was between 1935 and 1940.
- - - -
AAHL Message 6049
Re: How To Listen To God by John E. Batterson
says that:
"With the roots of AA in the Oxford Group, John E. Batterson in 1939 wrote a short guide, 'How to Listen to God.'"
also talks about the work:
"How to Listen to God: This is a 3 page pamphlet written in the 1930's by John E. Batterson. John was a person friend of Dr. Bob, one of the co founders of Alcoholics Anonymous. This pamphlet was widely used and distributed in the early, very successful years of A.A.
gives the same information:
"This Oxford Group Pamphlet was written in the 1930's. John E. Batterson was a personal friend of Dr Bob, AA Co-Founder."