A rule of life

I know what you’re thinking.

“Who’s the old guy in the photo, and how did he get that scroll to stay up like that?”

That is Benedict of Nursia, commonly referred to as the father of Western monasticism. Without him, monks and monasteries would not have been so popular in Europe.

One thing that made Benedict such a success was his commitment to discipline, a commitment best seen in his famous “Rule.”

This “Rule” was Benedict’s handbook for life with Jesus in the monastery. It was how he and other monks kept intentional about spiritual formation.

“A Rule of Life”

Benedict's approach has come to be known as a “Rule of Life.”

Defined: a Rule of Life is a collection of practices and disciplines unique to one’s stage of life that keeps them focused on Jesus.

The great (but also intimidating) thing about a Rule of Life is that there are many ways to engage with it.

To find what works for you, examine where you are in life and how you can use that to seek Christ. 

Regardless, the goal remains the same: To receive God’s grace and so be with and become like Jesus.

So, what’s in a Rule of Life?

Well, for starters, age-old spiritual disciplines are a great help… Prayer, Sabbath, Scripture, community, etc. The practices have been used by followers of Jesus in each generation and are great for engaging with the Holy Spirit.

The disciplines hold no mystical power in themselves, instead, they position us to be more receptive to God's changing grace.

So start by finding the best way to incorporate them into your daily routine.

And remember that a Rule of Life is a means to an end! That end being life with Jesus, which is, after all, the root of all beautiful and meaningful change in human life.

Resources

Starting with a Rule of Life can be difficult, so I’d like to end our discussion with a few helpful resources for exploring the topic further…

• Practicing the Way - A nonprofit focused on helping followers of Jesus with spiritual formation. They even have a Rule of Life builder to help get you started!

• Renovation of the Heart by Dallas Willard - A well-written book on the possibility of change by one of the most influential writers of the spiritual formation movement.

• Practicing the Way by John Mark Comer - A great spiritual formation handbook written by Practicing the Way’s founder.

And to further help you build your Rule of Life, here at Theophilus we will take a few weeks from the coming year to write more in depth on the various spiritual practices of Church history.

So look out for those as we write about Sabbath, Scripture, prayer, community, solitude, fasting, and more in the months ahead!

May the grace of God be with you on this journey and, of course, Happy New Year!

For now, be blessed.

Jon,

Theophilus Newsletter