C-19 Reflection #66: “Developing a Rule of Life”
C~19 Resource (#66)
Theme: “Developing a Rule of Life”
Scripture: John 15:5
Jesus said, “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.
What is a rule of life?
Everyone lives by some kind of ‘rule’ – a set of practices or habits they return to each day, even if these have never been articulated as a ‘rule’. Indeed, without a rhythm and structure to daily life, it is hard to sustain a coherent sense of identity.
In recent years, there has been a rising interest in Christian writings in the concept of a ‘rule of life’ for every person who would adopt it.
In a world where speed, hurry and busyness threaten to overwhelm many, the promise of a structure has made something of a comeback. This has in a sense been a popular recovery of the lost monastic tradition of living life by a given pattern adopted within a Christian community. Saint Benedict (487 – 547) has perhaps been the ‘patron saint’ of this recovery. He created a rule to enable initiates into his communities to discover the presence of God in daily life, and to find in the community as in a ‘school of love’. The recent writings of Fr. Christopher Jamieson, the former Abbot of Worth Abbey, have brought the ancient practices of the Benedictine way to a wider audience.
This short resource is based on a simple and practical ‘workbook’ on creating a rule of life by the Japanese- Canadian church leader, Ken Shigematsu, called God in my Everything. His basic contention is that all followers of Christ can benefit from articulating and setting down a rule of life, and he goes on to offer a particular framework that many have found worth engaging with. He starts by suggesting that a helpful image for a rule of life is that of a trellis for a vine. Just as a vine needs pruning and supporting in order to grow upward and bear fruit, so our lives need pruning and supporting by a rule. In fact, just as grapevines in the wild will seek out a structure – a tree or a rock – as a trellis, so we too all tend to seek out frameworks for living.
The trellis image provides a clear link with Jesus’ teaching about a fruitful vine in John’s Gospel. This is not of course an image which appears from nowhere. The language of growth and fruitfulness is deeply embedded in the Bible’s account of life with God. It’s obvious why. God is the source of
all life and fruitfulness in the first place. And because we are made in the image of God, so we are called to be fruitful as God is: ‘Be fruitful, grow in number and fill the earth... ’Genesis 1.28 mandates us to build families, farms, communities and cultures.... The call of Israel is specifically understood in these terms (Isaiah 5.1-5). So, in summary, as God’s people, we are meant to be fruitful, and the purpose of a rule or trellis is to enable that fruitfulness.
Shigematsu’s suggested rule is based around picturing a trellis with vertical and horizontal staves. The vertical staves of the trellis which support the roots as well as keeping the whole thing together are the three key practices of Sabbath, Prayer and Hearing the Word (through ‘sacred reading’). The three horizontal staves in ascending order are Relate, Restore and Reach Out. While a rule of life will be unique to each person, these components will be common to all.
Relate
Friendship Sexuality Family
Restore
Body Play Money
Reach out
Work Justice Witness
How to begin
Although this framework seems complicated and it may add new practices to our lives, the point is not to clutter our life but to centre it in Christ. There are a number of guidelines to assist us in creating a realistic rhythm for daily life.
Start simply – which one area can I focus on at first?
Build slowly – beware of false resolutions!
Prune regularly – less is more. What needs to go?
'Go with the flow’ of our energy - when am I most attentive?
Consider the season of the year, and of your life
Be flexible – a rule is not an iron law but a means of grace.
Remember fun - the chapter on play is particularly insightful!
Include others – spiritual growth is a communal task.
The book offers a chapter on the three ‘root’ practices and a chapter on all nine components. It ends with a number of sample one-page ‘rules of life’, and it comes with the suggestion that we create our own simple rule, perhaps using an image to help. I commend it as a helpful framework for individuals and a useful resource for church leaders who are trying to offer practical options to enable people to build a resilient spiritual life, and to leave either the illusion of quick-fix faith or the cycle of overwork and burnout. God is with us in our rhythms of work and rest, study and play, community and solitude.
‘God in my living, There in my breathing God in my waking, God in my resting There in my working, God in my thinking God in my speaking’. ~ ‘Everything’ by Tim Hughes
Further reading:
The Good and Beautiful Life - James Bryan Smith
Finding Sanctuary: Monastic steps for Everyday Life - Fr. Christopher Jamieson
Spirituality Workbook: A Guide for Explorers, Pilgrims and Seekers- David Runcorn
Emotionally Healthy Spirituality - Peter Scazzero
God in my Everything - Ken Shigematsu
~ Revd Matt Prior Discipleship, Vocation and Ministry Team October 2016
