Music As A Medium To Instill Themes Of Forgiveness, Service And Social Justice

1. Music As A Medium To Instill Themes Of Forgiveness, Service And Social Justice

2. Purpose • Utility Of Combining Spiritually-Oriented Musical Themes And Relevant Recovery Topics With Addiction Counsellors.

3. Purpose • Using Psycho/Educational Training With Addiction Counsellors To Foster Spiritual Growth.

4. Spiritually-Oriented Music Themes and Basic Recovery Topics • As Alcoholics Motivate Each Other As They Are Moved To Help Others First And Remove • As They Keep Their Recovery Priorities In Perspective

5. As They Keep Their Self-Destructive Pre-Occupation With Self • As They Direct Their “Caring” Instinct In More Fruitful Channels,

6. Through Their Spiritual Example, They Motivate Addiction Counsellors Themselves To Remain Genuinely Open, Responsive To Gods Call And To Reaffirm Their Commitment To Social Service And Social Action.

7. Method • The Use Of Selected Songs And Counsellors Responses To These Musical Selections Using The Music Impact Inventory Scale

8. Submission And Surrender • Turmoil In Doing Self-Will • Peace And SerenityIn Doing God’s Will

9. Surrender To God’s Will Is A Surrender To ServiceLawyers And JudgesReaching Out And Feeding The PoorCommitment, Cooperation And Fellowship

10. Social Justice --A Call For An Ecological Balance • Conformity To The Laws of God And The Laws of Nature • Restoring The Damage We Have Done To The Earth

11. Sun and Water, Earth • Reverence For Life, Reverence For The EarthMusic Invites Us To Ponder The Divine Energy Within Ourselves

12. Destruction Of Our “Wounded Planet” • The Earth As “Victim”Wealth Without Health

13. Appreciation And Reverence For The Beauty And Splendour Of Nature • Counsellor Responses To Psycho/Educational ThemesSharing The Riches Of The Soul

14. Happiness And Enthusiasm In The SpiritI’m Happy, Yes So Happy

15. Balance Between Seriousnessand A Sense of HumourMaking Light of Our Foibles

16. Caring For Others vs. Isolating OurselvesHiding Behind A Mask vs.Extending Ourselves To Others

17. Service Encompasses Charity • Charity Is Giving A Cup Of Water In The Name Of Love

18. Visiting An Inmate In The Name Of Benevolence

19. Righting A Wrong In The Name of Justice

20. Healing A Wound In The Name Of CompassionSharing Of Our Abundance To The Needy In The Name of Grace

21. Mediating A Dispute In The Name Of KindnessInvolved In Social Action In The Name Of Altruism

22. The Beatitudes Lead To Fulfillment And The Development Of VirtueTo An Open Heart For Those In Need

23. By Reaching Out To Others We Are “Untying God’s Hands” • Paradoxically, Happiness Is A Gift Which In Order To Keep It, We Have To Give It Away To Others

24. Source Of LightTo Those Who Continue To Live In The Darkness

25. Fountain ofHope For Those In Midst Of DespairA Source Of StrengthTo The Weak, The Lame And The Poor

26. Summary Of Music WorkshopProcessing The MaterialVerbatim Comments Of Addiction Counsellors

27. --The Combination Of the Music, The Lyrics And The Group Discussion Felt Good--It Was Helpful To Talk Openly With A Group Of Colleagues About God Since This Is Not Something We Readily Do

28. --I Very Much Enjoyed The Sharing That Transpired And The Honesty And Frankness Of The Group Members--I Have Come To A Deeper Appreciation Of God From My Encounter With The Fundamental Recovery Themes, And The Music

29. As A Result, I Have A Richer Awareness Of The Significance Of:1. Meeting My Own Needs And2. Meeting The Needs of Others Through A Life Of Compassion And Service.

30. I Was Excited With This Workshop And Its Ability In Helping Me To Grow More Comfortable With The “Day-to-day Stuff” Which Confronts Me In My Work As A Counsellor.We Have Gotten Closer

31. We Are More Determined To Use Our Talents In God’s ServiceWho Better To Minister To The Other Alcoholic Than We Ourselves Who Have “Been There”

32. Concluding CommentsThis Article Demonstrates the Challenge to Openly Promote God’s Kingdom in this World

33. Spiritually-Oriented Music, Psycho/Educational Themes And Strategic Tasks Of Recovery Can Be A Catalyst For Helping Professionals Dealing With Forgiveness and Service

34. The Field-Tested Songs Used With In Clients And In This Workshop Appear To Have Relevance With CounsellorsAs A Result, Music Can Be Used Systematically As A Medium of Our Own Personal And Professional Growth

35. Candid Suggestions For Counsellors In The Addictions Field • Use Spiritually-Oriented Music Judiciously To Reflect Your Own Spiritual Journey To The Extent That It is Relevant To The Needs Of The Client

36. Join Colleagues With Similar Interests In Support Groups • Using Music As An Avenue For Sharing Work Related Issues Associated With Spirituality And Practice

37. Incorporate Prose, Narrative, Or Poetry Writing As An Integral Part Of Your Own Faith Journey • And Share These With Clients To Facilitate Self-Disclosure and Self-Exploration

38. Use Prayer, Meditation And Music Intervention In Your Own Growth Process And, • Where Appropriate, With Clients As A Healing Witness of God’s Presence

39. --Think “Outside The Box” And Use Non-Traditional Mediums Such As Music Intervention To Confront Significant Recovery Issues and Themes As Illustrated In This Article

40. The Challenge For Us As Addiction Counsellors, Music Therapists, Clergy, Pastoral Counsellors and Social Workers Is To Hold Firm To A Spiritual Foundation And To Continue To Carve A Path Of Light For Those Who Have No Hope

41. As Social Workers, We Are Called As “The Conscience Of The People” To Alleviate Suffering and Oppression And To Erase The Moral Outrage Which People Perpetuate Against Each Other

42. More Than A “Tingling Symbol”, Music Can Be Employed As An Effective Means ofPersonalAnd Professional Transformation

43. Through A Deepening Spiritual Conversion, Walls Can Be Torn Down, Hearts Opened, And People Can Be Served By Means Of A Genuine Spirituality And A True Sense Of Justice