The Ancient Treasure of a rule of life
A Rule of Life is a trellis that helps us abide in Christ and become more fruitful spiritually.
A Rule of Life provides specific guidelines to help us grow closer to Christ, fueled by the sincere desire to be with God and love him.
This originated from early A.D. monastic communities, climaxing with St. Benedict who is a pretty influential dude.
Getting started
Consider the following guidelines:
Prayer
- Scripture
- Silence and Solitude
- Daily Office (prayer, duh!)
- Study
Rest
- Sabbath!
- Simplicity
- Play and Recreation
Work/Activity
- Service and Mission
- Care for the Physical Body
Relationships
- Emotional Health
- Family
- Community
- Meeting together
- Hospitality
What kind of practices bring me closer to God?
- Christ-centered community
- Intentional quiet time
- Prayer
- Worship
- Word
- Being in God’s creation
The Elements of a Rule of Life
Scripture
Lectio Divina!
Verse memorization!
But right now I think I should read the Bible in completion
Silence and Solitude
Silence isn’t just about cutting noise; be silent. Let God speak to me. More than that, I could really use practice being silent. I feel a constant need to fix things, correct, or be in control. Silence, will help me surrender control to God, and also help my presence be more pleasing and less mansplaining.
Daily Office
I should be more consistent in practicing the Daily Office — some time of prayer, scripture, and/or silence — three times a day. It should be something in solitude that brings me closer to God. Doesn’t have to be for an hour, could even be just 5 minutes.
Study
This is something that I’ve never really thought of as a part of my relationship with God…
Consider studying not simply for information but for the purpose of formation in Christ.
And so on:
Pray back to God what you are learning.
For now, I’d slip this under the work category. And I’d think this would go in hand under scripture. Something I’ve been trying to do more is read more biblical “self-help” books, so I’d slip this initiative under “Study” as well. I also enjoy listening to Bridgetown’s messages, but not sure if it’s totally “Study”. Definitely that’s under Rest.
Sabbath
As we’ve heard many times before:
Trust God to run the universe without you
What kind of activities bring me joy and delight?
Balance the four elements of biblical Sabbaths — stopping, resting, delighting, and contemplating — during that time.
Simplicity
remain free from attachments
I should not complicate my life. What’s the point anyway?
let go of what is not necessary and… remain dependent on God as our security and source.
Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also Matthew 6:21
Play and Recreation
Life can be difficult, so have fun whenever you can to the glory of God Geri Scazzero
[There is] a time to weep, and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance. Ecclesiastes 3:4
Service and Mission
In what ways is God inviting me to serve at this stage of my journey?
What passions and desires has God placed within me?
And then I’m reminded of Jason:
This may include… looking for a person in a lonely situation and finding ways to include her in your life
Service extends outside of the Church and into the every-day decisions I make in my life. Will I be self forgetful? Will I have an open ear and obedient heart to the convictions of the Spirit?
And in this particular situation of mine, this is important:
How can I embrace my God-given limits and not go beyond what he is asking me to do?
Obedience, not sacrifice on its own, pleases the Lord.
Care for the physical body
Good thing I’ve started jimming…
It may be that you want to begin to listen to your body and how God might be speaking to you through it.
Like if I’m exhausted, God may be telling me to slow down…
Emotional Health
For a couple years, it was as simple as paying attention to my feelings and journaling them to God a few times a week. Then I would ask God how he might be speaking to me through them.
For me, this is processing my last relationship. I don’t think i’ve done a lot of written reflection — it would be good to write things down. It is definitely not resolved. My dreams, emotions, and daily thoughts indicate this. I had lunch with Alex a few days ago, and he mention how his friends appeared to have “moved on quickly”, but in reality their emotions were blanketed under business and change, only to resurface from subtle reminders.
What is God teaching me from my past relationship? What is he showing me about myself?
Family
What is my plan to relate to your parents… your siblings… What kind of relationship would you like to have with them?
This is so easy for me to become complacent in. I have seen improvement in my relationship with my parents as I matured. But as I get older, it becomes more important to be intentional with my familial relationships. I am becoming more as a peer — yet still a son — to my parents. As this dynamic changes, how may God use me to speak to my parents? How may God use my parents to speak to me? And as Kayla becomes a teenager, how can I place myself to become a support for her and point her to God? How can I be present for her in times of crisis?
Community
you will want to ask yourself about the kind of companions you need for this next stage of your journey.
review and revisit your Rule of Life every year.
About crafting a Rule of Life:
begin slowly working on only one or two elements at a time. Be willing to make mistakes, try again, and learn new things. You may want to try sketching out a Rule of Life for a four-week period such as Advent or Lent.
Remember:
Your way of acting should be different from the world’s way. Benedict
Broader Applications of a Rule of Life
The Local Church
In some ways it is correct to say that every church has a Rule of Life. The problem is that it is often unconsious.
Small group
A small group, for an agreed-upon period of time, may commit together to certain practices and habits to follow Christ
The Family
Not everyone has done it, but it’s a great idea. Scazzero comments he’s known a few people who have been led to develop the Rule of Life specifically for their family
Live Faithfully the Life God Has Given You
It is love that justifies our actions. Love must initiate all we do… I can only say, “Live Love, let love invade you. It will never fail to teach you what you must do.” Carlo Carretto
As I have settled into Sunnyvale, I am trying to understand what is the life that God has given me. I want to be faithful, but faithful to what? Are there areas in my life where life is drowning out the voice of God? I am sure that is true.
I have now finished this book, right here in SFO International Departures. I’ve read most of this book inside some form of transit or transit hub. I’ll revisit this another time to reflect on the book as a whole. Thank you God, caltrain, and SFO!