A Course in Miracles

12 steps & ACIM - Miraculous Recovery with Mark Anthony Lord

·57 min·5 clips
At 24, Mark Anthony Lord was a full-blown sex and drug addict, killing himself until a phone call to a friend revealed she was in recovery.
Reverend Jennifer Hadley hosts Mark Anthony Lord, a spiritual teacher and minister, on the 90th anniversary of the first Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. The episode opens with a prayer and introduction, noting their 26-year friendship since meeting at Agape International Spiritual Center. Lord recounts his early addiction to sex and drugs at age 24, describing a life-threatening crisis that led to a miraculous phone call to a friend in recovery, who guided him to his first AA meeting. He discusses a transformative 30-day treatment center in Canada that immersed him in spirituality, shaping his ministry. The conversation shifts to how A Course in Miracles deepened his reliance on the Holy Spirit, contrasting it with the 12 Steps' focus on specific symptoms like alcoholism. Lord explains that addiction often stems from shame, which he compares to historical self-flagellation, and shares how compulsive behaviors reinforced feelings of unworthiness. He describes a meditation where Jesus removed a crown of thorns, symbolizing self-crucifixion through shame. Hadley and Lord explore the synergy between A Course in Miracles and 12-Step programs, noting how the former provides philosophical depth while the latter offers step-by-step accountability. Lord introduces his 'Miraculous Recovery' program, which meets twice monthly to integrate both teachings, aiming to enhance spiritual surrender. They also discuss Al-Anon and codependency, highlighting relationship addictions as underlying issues. Lord mentions his chakra-based program, 'Wake Up from the Matrix,' which addresses shame at different energy levels. The episode concludes with a prayer, emphasizing healing and community support.

As heard by us

A candid ACIM recovery conversation centered on shame, guilt, innocence, and the mind's capacity to choose again.

Recovery comes through as a spiritual reckoning with shame. Reverend Jennifer Hadley and Mark Anthony Lord bring A Course in Miracles into a candid discussion of addictive and compulsive patterns, with Lord remembering how drinking, smoking, eating, isolation, and television…

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

When shame keeps pulling you toward hiding out, Mark Anthony Lord's conversation offers a spiritual way to look at addictive, compulsive patterns.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →
Listen to the show on