“My Rule of Life” in 1st draft
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This document provides guidance on creating a personal "Rule of Life" to help regulate one's spiritual practices and growth. It recommends dividing a page into daily, weekly, monthly and yearly sections and listing existing spiritual disciplines. These practices should then be evaluated based on whether they promote growth, prayer/worship, or service. The Rule of Life is meant to spur a deeper relationship with God and remove obstacles, not be rigid or remain unchanged. It also requires ongoing review to ensure it continues nurturing spiritual formation.
“My Rule of Life” in 1st draft
- 1. “My Rule of Life” in 1st draft SSPP Seminar session #7 © JCD 2013
- 2. The word “rule” derives from the Latin word, regula, which implies not so much a system of rules and laws, but rather a way of regulating or regularizing our lives so that we can stay on the path that we have set for ourselves. – A rule is like a trellis which offers support and guidance for a plant, helping it grow in a certain direction. Macchia, Stephen A. Crafting a Rule of Life: An Invitation to the Well-Ordered Way. Downers Grove, Ill.: Formatio/IVP Books, 2012, p.14.
- 3. Getting started . . . Okay – so now you're ready to try creating your own Rule of Life. Get pencil and paper, and then pay attention to these brief thoughts . . . – You are not creating the Rule of Life, for all people or for all time . . . • Jesus has already taken care of that – You are not creating a Rule for Your Entire Life . . . • It's not meant to account for every minute, eliminate spontaneity, or remain unchanged until death – You are creating a rule that will spur you toward a deeper relationship with God . . . – You are committing to begin a practice that, with God's help, will remove obstacles that hinder your spiritual journey . . .
- 4. Practices in your Rule should be . . . • Natural, • Intentional, and • should be able to lived out in a rhythm that fits one’s ordinary life . . .
- 5. There are many time-tested practices (disciplines) that might be incorporated into the patterns of one’s Rule of Life . . . Some of those behaviours are . . . – Reading and meditating on Scripture; – Praying regularly (and in differing forms) – Worship, fellowship and public communion – Regular confession of sin and forgiveness of others – Exercising sacrificial self-giving – Observing periods of silence or solitude – Fasting and retreat – Practicing hospitality In addition attitudes can be brought under a Rule of Life . . . – Response to authority, – acceptance of the "other", – rejection of grumbling or cynicism, – forgiveness, – Respect for others.
- 6. So let’s get started . . . 1. Take a piece of A4 or A3 paper and 2. Draw a vertical line that divides the paper in half, then 3. about two-thirds of the way down the page, draw a horizontal line, now 4. Label the top two sections - "daily" and "weekly" 5. Label the bottom (smaller) sections - "monthly" and "yearly"
- 7. In each of these sections, write down whatever you already do on purpose that helps you become more mindful of God at work in your life – whether daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly. – Daily quiet time or reading, – weekly church attendance or Bible study, – a monthly meeting, – or an annual retreat might be examples of what you might write down. . . . you might also include serving with “a community helping programme”, or playing in a music group, or managing an on-line prayer list, or promoting the need of affordable housing, or saying "Lord have mercy" instead of losing your temper.
- 8. Be honest . . . – This is not a test of your devoutness (no one's looking over your shoulder) and it is not a wish list of what you hope to do someday . . . • If there's only one thing (or no thing!), that's a fine place to start. • If you already have lots of things crowding the spaces, one of your challenges may be to prune some of your activities.
- 10. Now it’s time to give your “emerging rule” a GPS evaluation/rating
- 11. Next to each item on your list, write a . . . G if it represents a "growth" item for you, increasing your skill or your understanding. P if it involves you in prayer or worship or conscious contact with God. S if it represents service to God, the community or the church. You can be completely subjective . . . one person's "G" might be another's "S" or “P”
- 12. Remember because your Rule of life is a means to serve in your Christian Spiritual Formation as “the process of being conformed to the Image of Christ for the sake of others”1 . . . It requires ongoing review . . . 1 M. Robert. Mulholland, Invitation to a Journey: A Road Map for Spiritual Formation. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity, 1993.
- 13. As you pursue your “Rule of Life” – review its serving- workability against . . . Rhythm – Is its “beat/cadence” flowing naturally? Response – Is it currently nurturing formation in relationship to your expectations? Reflection – What am I hearing from God and engaging in daily life through spiritual disciplines? Rule – Is it currently supporting “holistic” life? Remember . . . “Always Review to RENEW . . .