Developing a Rule of Life
We are living in uncertain times. Very few people remember the last major pandemic like this - the Spanish flu of 1918. There are very few people still alive who have experienced a moment like this in history. We are all facing a massive shift in what we know as normal, from the top world leaders to the most marginalized among us. The way this plays out is different for each of us. Perhaps you find yourself suddenly overseeing your child’s education while trying to work from home, or maybe you are unable to work at all, or maybe you are working harder than ever in one of the “essential” industries. Families, businesses, and whole countries are dealing with an unprecedented amount of change all at once. So many people are grasping for hope as they navigate the uncertainty we find ourselves in. As disciples of Jesus, we do not lose hope, because our hope is in Him. Even when it seems like the world is crumbling all around us, we can have confidence that this momentary light affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory. We don’t fix our eyes on what is seen, but what is unseen.
This is not a time to be passive in the place of prayer or our discipleship.
In the midst of uncertainty, I want to encourage you to take steps now to establish solid rhythms of discipleship that can outlast this pandemic. Right now we don’t know what longterm effects this shutdown will have on our community, but we do know that things will not be business as usual.
Something I have found very useful over the last couple of years is called a Rule of Life. I know for many, the word RULE makes us want to rebel, but just hold on a minute. John-Mark Comer explains it like this,
“While the word ‘rule’ may strike you as a strict or binding constraint, the Latin word we translate ‘rule’ was originally the word for a trellis in a vineyard. In the same way a vine needs a trellis to lift it off the ground so it can bear the maximum amount of fruit, and keep free of predators and diseases, we need a rule as a kind of support structure to organize our life around ‘abiding in the vine,’ (John 15v1–8) as Jesus imagined.”
A Rule of Life is simply setting your rhythms and patterning your life around your values with the goal of becoming more like Christ in a chaotic world. The goal is being with Jesus, becoming like Jesus, and doing what He did. As simple as it sounds, it really does shape every aspect of the way we do life.
Having a rule of life is a monastic practice that came from the dark ages when culture was decaying and it seemed like the church was collapsing as they knew it. It helped to not only preserve the church, but caused it to flourish.
We are in unprecedented times and this is a way for us as believers to take an honest appraisal of our lives and make adjustments as needed. I encourage you to check out the resources from Bridgetown Church in Portland that we’ve linked on our list of resources for you while you shelter in place. They do a really great job of guiding you through making your own personal rule of life, and have even crafted a starting point in response to COVID-19.
“He meets us where we are, as creatures of habit who are shaped by practices, and invites us into a community of practice that is the very body of his Son. Liturgy is the way we learn to 'put on' Christ.” ― James K.A. Smith, You Are What You Love
- Jon Fisher