ABCs of Spiritual Formation: R is for Rule

"For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— not from works, so that no one can boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do."

-- Ephesians 2:8-10

ADOPTION ARTICLE ON THE GOSPEL COALITION

I had an article on adoption from the adoptee's perspective published on the The Gospel Coalition website. If you are connected to the world of adoption, you will want to check it out: Human Adoption Is Like and Unlike God’s Adoption​

R IS FOR RULE

The idea of a rule of life has been gaining wider traction with popular books - The Common Rule: Habits of Purpose for an Age of Distraction, Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practices in Everyday Life, Practicing the Way: Be with Jesus. Become like him. Do as he did., just to name a few - published in the last few years. In addition, I have been seeing more and more openness to traditionally Catholic practices among Protestants. Ron Rolheiser's writing along with growing interest in Ignatian exercises has also contributed to this. Perhaps I have just been in a bubble, but the bubble has been good for my soul, so I'm happy to write about it.

A rule of life is one of those concepts that is important to consider because it is universal. Everyone has a rule of life, but some people are more aware and intentional about theirs. What about you? What is your rule of life? Let's dive in and unpack this a bit.

BACKGROUND

This description is so good I'll quote it at length...

"Our English word rule is derived from the Latin regula, meaning “a straight piece of wood,” “a ruler,” and, by extension, “a pattern, model, or example.” Esther de Waal, a longtime student of monastic spirituality, writes that “regula, a feminine noun, carries gentle connotations: a signpost, a railing, something that gives me support as I move forward in my search for God.” A rule of life, then, serves as a gentle guide that keeps you trained toward God.

In this way, a rule of life is different than the goals, intentions, or resolutions we tend to set for ourselves. Those methods are task-based and measurable, and they’re often focused on what we do. A rule of life, on the other hand, helps you become. It is comprised of several simple statements that guide the posture of your life and the living of your days. It is not lived perfectly but can be lived faithfully while fostering within you an integrated and embodied life of faith." - From ​Sacred Ordinary Day

This is an ancient concept dating back at least to the Desert Fathers and Mothers but made more common by early monastic pioneers. As wikipedia states, "Religious institutes generally follow one of the four great religious rules as guides to their life and growth in their religious journey. These are: the Rule of St. Basil, the Rule of Saint Benedict, the Rule of Saint Augustine, and the Rule of Saint Francis. Additionally many institutes follow the Rule of Saint Albert of the Carmelites or the one followed by the Dominican Order." Generally, Eastern Orthodox monasteries follow Basil's Rule while the Catholics follow Benedict's with notable exceptions for Carmelites and Jesuits - Wikipedia​

GETTING REAL PRACTICAL

When we speak today of a rule of life, most teachers have come a long way from Benedict or Basil. Benedict's rule or rules covered 89 pages (English translation) and included instructions for Abbots and everything pertaining to the life of monks at a monastery. He valued work and prayer and community. His work written in the sixth century was a masterpiece of spiritual writing.

Contextualizing the concept for our modern life is what we want to do today. We aren't monks or nuns but want to grow to maturity as we go about our full daily lives. We work or go to school and have families and must keep up with errands and do the laundry and pay the bills and on and on.

An audit of our time and bank accounts gives a good picture of what we value. Many of us say we don't have time, and for some of us that is true, but for many of us, we are choosing to fill our days. Take a week and consider how much time we are on social media or streaming movies or TV shows or waiting in line at Starbucks or Chick-fil-A or whatever else we do with our non-scheduled time. We live by grace and so this is about condemnation or shame or guilt or manipulation of any kind.

The point of discussing a rule of life is that many of us aren't content with the lives we are living. Perhaps making some different decisions about how we spend our time would make a difference.

Here are a few questions to ask:

·       How much time in my week do I have control over?

·       What do I do regularly that is life giving?

·       What do I do regularly that is life draining?

·       If I were to create a "Do Not" list, what needs to go on it?

·       Which spiritual practices are most fruitful for me?

·       Given my personality what is realistic for me?

·       Who can support or walk with me in this?

·       What are my core motivations and how can I employ them in this initiative?

Here are some practices or categories to consider. Prayer, Silence/solitude, Bible (reading, study, Lectio Divina...), Sabbath, Examen, community, finances, worship, journaling, service, sharing, and physical exercise. Within these what you do will have to fit your life and be sustainable. Of course, you don't have to do all of these. In fact, you aren't required to do any of them. These are practices that humans throughout the centuries have found will help us become the kind of people who grow intimacy and love with God and neighbors.

Within your rule you of course want to consider the people who would be impacted besides yourself. Don't make any big changes without including them in the process. If the people currently in your life won't help you with this, then find some people who will. And for those who fear this is moving toward law and works, I encourage you to read the Bible, and remember that you have a rule whether you call it that or not. The invitation to be more intentional does not go against God's Spirit, but each of us must be in a place to hear and see. If you feel burdened by this, then take some time and ask God to guide you. You are free. Be with Jesus and experience his joy in the ways you are able to at this stage of your life.

PERSONAL

For me, I write this to push me to grow in this area. I have a few things I do. Over the years I have started and stopped too many practices. Some have stuck. I do a Bible reading plan and write in a journal and make time for silence and do the Examen every evening and keep a daily journal of what I eat and pray and memorize chapters of the Bible and go to a church worship service weekly with my family. My prayer life is quite inconsistent, and I find that I get into ruts with other practices and need to switch things up at times in order to remind me God is real and personal and desires intimacy, not rote duty. I can fall into just reading the Bible as a checklist item. I appreciate Ronald Rolheiser's call to "show up" as it balances my desires for encounter. Unless I show up regularly, I find that encountering God becomes more like a desire for a genie rather than a maturing love relationship.

NOT UTILITARIAN

I want to give one last word on that just mentioned "show up" idea before I close. In this post I have been careful not to discuss what "works". What works often means what moved me emotionally or what felt good or achieved some end I had in mind in the moment. In God's economy the things that work do so over long periods of time. We can compare this to physical health. Sugar tastes good today, and I feel no ill effects so it must work, but eat it every day, and you are heading for a miserable life. Working out at the gym doesn't feel so great while doing it but do it a few times a week and the benefits will be seen within a few months. The same is true for our spiritual lives. Of course, we all know this, Captain Obvious, but hopefully a little reminder will encourage us to move towards deeper intimacy with God.

YOUR EXPERIENCE?

How about you? Please feel free to let us know where you are in living out an intentional rule of life.

"Liturgy is like a strong tree whose beauty is derived from the continuous renewal of its leaves, but whose strength comes from the old trunk, with solid roots in the ground."

-- Pope Paul VI

"The real 'action' in the liturgy in which we are all supposed to participate is the action of God himself. This is what is new and distinctive about the Christian liturgy: God himself acts and does what is essential."

-- Pope Benedict XVI

"Forms and rituals do not produce worship, nor does the disuse of forms and rituals. We can use all the right techniques and methods, we can have the best possible liturgy, but we have not worshiped the Lord until Spirit touches spirit."

-- Richard J. Foster

“I worry that when our gathered worship looks like a rock show or an entertainment special, we are being formed as consumers - people after a thrill and a rush - when what we need is to learn a way of being-in-the-world that transforms us, day by day, by the rhythms of repentance and faith.”

― Tish Harrison Warren