Rule of Life - part 2
This week we continue to look at what is and how we create a ‘Rule of Life’ please do read last week’s spiritual thought, so you join in and build on what we have already begun.
Here’s a quote by an experience spiritual director, writer and ordained Priest, Margaret Guenther. ‘A good rule can set us free to be our true and best selves. It is a working document, a kind of spiritual budget, not carved in stone but subject to regular review and revision. It should support us, but never constrict us’
A Rule of life, part two:
Last week we look at seven key practices in creating a ‘Rule’ and now we are going to look at integrating that with seven key life ways. I think it’s important to recognise that our ‘soul’ is not an invisible part of us but is our ‘whole self’ our mind, will, emotion, body and relationships.
It’s helpful to use these then to work alongside the practices we have started to grow in (silence and solitude, scripture, prayer, fasting, simplicity, living in community, Sabbath)
Take some time to pray and look at these seven key life ways.
1. Present: Examples of this might be prayer, scripture reading, worship music, The Examen, Sabbath, fasting, silence and solitude, retreat.
2. Mind: Examples of this might be reading scripture, regular podcasts or book reading, church on Sunday, gratitude, a digital way of prayer like Lectio 365, a daily limit on the use of screens.
3. Body: Examples of this might be sleep, regular exercise, a healthy diet, water, limiting alcohol intake, walking, rising at a certain time daily.
4. Relationships: Examples of this might be having a regular touching point in each day with your spouse, serving with others in community, eating with family every week, phoning a friend, meeting up regularly.
5. Rest: Examples of this might be having a regular quiet time, trying to sleep eight hours most nights, a weekly Sabbath, a “nothing night” once a week. A day of not looking at a screen. Sitting and reading, watching.
6. Work & Money: Examples of this might be having as much as possible fixed work hours, a schedule, dedicated time to projects, giving/tithing, a fund to bless others when prompted from within, sponsoring a child.
7. Gospel & Hospitality: Examples of this might be inviting a new person at church to coffee/meal, a regular time to reach out to your neighbours with kindness, spending time listening to co-workers, serving the through volunteering.
You might find it helpful to do a simple table, so that you can see how the spiritual practices and key life ways work together. It’s also good as you create your rule to be realistic, if once a week is all you can manage, then start there and build upon that. As we saw last week our season of life will have a big impact on how we can embrace this.
Try to be encouraged, as St. Benedict said ‘As we go forward in our life and faith, our hearts will expand and we will run the way of God’s commandments with the unspeakable beauty of love’ There is a truth in this, if we want to grow spiritually and deepen our awareness and love of God then we have to allow the Holy Spirit to transform us…..a ‘Rule of Life’ will help with that and remember it’s not there to contain us, but to allow us to break out of the container and be free…..Jesus came to set us free, he is our model in all things