Day 3 1/3/13- Crafting a Rule of Life

Day 3 1/3/13 - Crafting a Rule of Life
New Thing- Beginning to Craft a Rule of life for myself and my family
Inspiration: St. Benedict, Wales Pilgrimage, The New Year, My Family, Feeling Un-Ordered
Time: About 30 mins to start, but this will take weeks (a life time?)
Bottom Line: "You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand."- Psalm 16:11

The Workbook I will be using by Stephen A. Macchia

Reflection: Tonight I started a process which will take a while, but will last a life time. I am starting to craft a rule of life for myself and my family. Do help me with this rule, I will be using Stephen A. Macchia's workbook called Crafting a Rule of Life: An Invitation to the Well-Ordered Way (an appealing sub-title if ever there was one.) The first part which I dove into tonight was his introduction to the concept and history (by way of Benedict-who, thanks to my mentor and friend Laura, is always a hero of spirituality in my book) of "Rules" and I will let Macchia's words describe this ancient practice:

Your personal rule of life is a holistic description of the Spirit-empowered rhythms and relationships that create, redeem, sustain and transform the life God invites you to humbly fulfill for Christ's glory...A rule of life allows us to clarify our deepest values, our most important relationships, our most authentic hopes and dreams, our most meaningful work, our highest priorities. It allows us to live with intention and purpose in the present moment. The word "rule" derives from a Latin, "regula", which implies not so much a system of rules or 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 [by God's guidance]. A rule of life is like a trellis which offers support and guidance for the plant, helping it to grow in a certain direction. (pg. 14)

In other words, a rule of life is a pattern of daily livening that will help a person grow in the ways that the Holy Spirit has shown them to be right. This can include anything that leads a person (or group) deeper in their relationship with God: points of theology and beliefs, eating habits, work, exercise, prayer, study, sabbath keeping, and daily rhythms. I already know that I will be adding more Sabbath time, more prayer, better eating and more yoga. For the family, we will be looking at organization and ways to bring more peace into our 3 person unit. When I am attentive to these areas, I feel more centered and connected to the Holy.

As you might have guessed, crafting a rule is meant to be a careful, thoughtful and prayerful process that evolves over time. For example, I currently have a rule of life that I created 2 years ago which no longer fits my current stage of life and dose not include my family's patterns enough. So, I will be making update about this process as it unfolds. Stayed tuned!