Wednesday of Holy Week: A Rule of Life is Regular and Intentional

Isaiah 50:4-9a

Psalm 70

Hebrews 12:1-3

John 13:21-32

The Community of Reconciliation at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. describes itself as a “monastery beyond walls” which “engages the ancient-yet-evergreen wisdom and practice of Benedictine spiritual life.”  Like all monastic communities the lives of its members are grounded in a Rule, and the last two evenings here we have been discussing the idea of a Rule of Life.  Last night, most specifically, we spoke in terms of the Bendictine principle of balance; balancing prayer, study, recreation, work and hospitality, elements of crucial importance to every human being.  In one of the community’s publications, Creating a Rule of Life, they write: “Consider your Rule of Life as a trellis upon which you plant, water, and cultivate your relationship with God, with your deepest self and with one another.  Remember your Rule of Life is for your support and growth.”  As we continue to think about our own Rule of Life, this is a not a bad image to contemplate – the Rule as the framework for our growth and development.  And so the question of what is life-giving to one becomes a central question in crafting a Rule of Life.

The past two nighta we have examined issues around self-assesment, self examination, as well as issues surrounding the need for balance.  The first demands that we take honest stock of ourselves, the second that we discern the imbalances of our lives, so as to apply corrective techniques and bring into healthy balance those aspects of our lives gone askew.  Both are foundational to creating a rule of life.  Once we have done this, it is always a good principle to begin where one is.  One can only ever begin a new journy, a new project, start off in a new direction from exactly where one is.  So to begin from where we are is a good idea.  A good exercise is to create five columns; title each for one of the five aspect of a rule of life – prayer, work, study recreation, hospitality.  Under each place the different part of your life, the various activities in which you enage.  What does this tell?  Are there aspects of my life I had not seen as prayer, but indeed have brought me into a deeper relationship with God?  Are there aspects which I experience as hospitality, but is really about social climbing.  Have I mistaken sloth for recreation?  Yes, this is still a bit of self-assesment as well as discerning balance.  But now we are dealing with also the issue of intentionality, because a Rule of Life is not just about balance, but about intentionality and regularity.  For example, while certainly there are times in our lives when we may be overwhelmed by the need to pray, that is not the norm of an intentional prayer life.  Equally, while we may on the spur of the moment offer a “hand-out” to someone who asks on the street, this is not a disciplined approach to hospitality. 

So intentionality is important; if not, then – at best – our spiritual disciplines can become as-and-when activities, at worst, activities in which we engage simply to make ourselves feel good; and our modern drive toward feeling good or happy, notwithstanding, the aim of a genuine Rule of Life is neither.  Rather, it is growth.  Speaking biologically, we do not grow or develop by eating as and when and only those things which make us “feel” good.  We grow and develop physically best by eating regularly, by intentionally taking in a balanced meal three times a day.  This is as true for spiritual growth as for physical.  How intentional is our prayer life?  Or is it merely, a series of occassional bursts in times of distress or need, or simply series of Sunday installments?  How planned is our giving and volunteering?  How willing are we to see our work as an intentional part of our spiritual life, rather than simply the means to make money in order so that we can get on with our life?

Developing a rule a life means taking the parts of our lives and seeing them in the eyes of God, and arranging them in such a way that they faciliatate growth.  Perhaps, this none of this helpful, because it is not specific enough; but that is the problem in speaking about this in generalities.  Each Rule of Life is tailored to an individual and so we can offer only the most general of outlines and and recommendations.  If you are serious about developing a Rule of Life, the best is to speak with – as I have suggested before – a friend who knows you well, with a soul-friend or a spiritual director.  But always keep in mind balance, intentionality and regularity as the hallmarks of any Rule of Life as you seek to lean into the growth to which God ever calls.