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Thank you for your comments. I actually used the point form format for my rule of life draft because I couldn’t figure out how to post a chart, but I think it out to be something useful for printing out as is and displaying on my bulletin board as a daily visual reminder. Having a word document of this form will also mean I can update it easily — old-fashioned, perhaps, but functional. (I suppose I could print it on a fancy paper or add some graphic touches just to add some creativity to the process.)
If you would like to email me at fruitofagape@gmail.com, I can attach a template of the basic outline I used in Word form and send it to you.
There are also templates of the rule of life planning charts that I printed out and found helpful in pulling the pieces together: Personal Rule of Life Statements at https://ruleoflifedotcom.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/carol-personal-rule-of-life-statements.pdf and Weaving Together Your Personal Rule of Life at https://ruleoflifedotcom.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/2-weaving-together-your-personal-rule-of-life.pdf for recording objectives in the five areas of Time, Trust, Temple, Treasure, and Talent. I printed these off and found they were easier to use than the forms provided in the text for handwriting notes.
I personally don’t think it matters how the personal rule of life is put together, as long as it serves the purposes of the person creating it. I’m a writer and global thinker so (as you may have noticed) begin with a lot of words. But I also admire the way that some of the samples show that people have created their rule of life primarily in pictorial form.
I found that doing the work to put together my draft was a wonderfully satisfying way to end the course because it gave me a sense of reassurance about what I am already doing as well as clarity about what I need to do to continue my spiritual growth and Christian service. I pray that will be gratified as you develop your rule of life.
Blessings
MaggieSr. Becca, congratulations on finishing the course!
I love the beauty of your personal rule of life. I mentioned in my post that I looked at samples posted at https://ruleoflife.com/myrule/ that used a graphic or poetic form for the personal rule rather than a chart or prose one. Your rule reads like a lovely work of poetry, but I can also visualize it being laid out on a page that incorporates meaningful graphics. I am very impressed with how some people (including you) have turned their rules into works of art. For example, see Tammy’s Rule at https://ruleoflifedotcom.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/tammys-rule-of-life.pdf
I have enjoyed participating in Forum discussions with you very much. I pray that you will be richly blessed in your future endeavors.
Maggie Hoggard
Thank you for this tip, Br. Monty. I love your advice “to absorb the full flavor of each verse.” I think you are absolutely right that this is a time-consuming process that is well worth the effort.
Blessings,
MaggieSr. Becca, I responded to this lesson by writing about an experience a few years ago that led to me leaving a church, so I am not sure that I can answer your question on how to bring about unity. It may well be that the critical voice you raise is in fact important to keeping the church on the right track and that what you consider doing your own thing is actually contributing to the overall health of the church. Beyond that, I believe there is a great deal of diversity of visions, missions, and talents within a congregation, and as long as everyone is operating under the overall mission and values of the larger church, there are many ways to contribute to the unity of the church. The healthiest congregations I have seen come together in deep reverence, gratitude, and celebration during worship, have lots of small groups reflecting the talents and gifts of members so that they can serve accordingly, and have many learning opportunities. And of course they eat together regularly! I bet if you wrote down all of the ways you have contributed, you might not be so hard on yourself. Is it possible that one way you can support church unity is by recognizing all the ways you have benefited others and acknowledged the strength you bring as an individual is a way of up-building the whole body of Christ?
May God be with you,
MaggieI grew up in a faith tradition that was strongly scripturally based and have read the Bible through several times, done my share of regular devotions readings, and study parts of it in some depth. I read something recently, though, that compared the organization of knowledge that many people have of Scripture to a bunch of post-it notes stuck on a refrigerator. That description seemed a little too close for comfort! I find the Lectionary discussions have helped me see a more organized structure to how Scripture relates to the Christian year.
Blessings,
MaggieBr. Monty, I agree that we should limit relationships with people who are toxic and seek out those with whom we can have the mutually beneficial contacts you describe. Sometimes, it is choice to continue in a damaging relationship, perhaps because it is the right thing to do or because there are others involved who will be hurt or left unprotected if the toxic person is shut out. What troubles me most when this happens is not that I can’t forgive but that I can’t trust and therefore keep a wall around me that limits real intimacy and growth in the relationship. This creates an emotional separation more than a physical one. I think that brings us back to the grief that Sr. Becca mentioned in her initial post in this forum. I grieve for the relationship that could have been and for the loss of hope that circumstances will improve, even though I still feel compelled by my faith to keep trying, to be as loving as I can, and to avoid falling into unwholesome behaviors towards others out of anger or frustration. Your response does make me think about the stress and costs of maintaining toxic contacts, however, and I will pray for ways to develop more emotionally healthy relationships in quality and number. Thank you for your wise perspective.
Blessings,
MaggieSr. Becca, I appreciate your deepening of the analogy of the fruit tree very much. You have made it even more vital for me by reflecting on what actually happens during dormant periods. I will keep this image in mind as I evaluate my progress in preparation for finalizing my rule of life. Thank you for your understanding of why the seasons of the fruit tree carry such spiritual power.
Blessings,
MaggieI appreciate your response very much, Br. Monty. For now, the hardest issue for me is not being able to predict when a health issue will arise, whether for me or for someone close to me. This makes it difficult to follow any regular schedule that would require me to serve at a particular time and place. I do what I can, and I have hopes that at my age (64), I will still be able to do more. Out of necessity, however, I am learning to weigh potential commitments to judge if I can realistically fulfill them rather than risk letting others down. At this stage of my life, I am learning to be discerning, previously an area where I scored at the lower end on spiritual gifts assessments. There is a growing stillness in life now resulting from my present limitations that is allowing me to wait patiently to hear the word of the Lord. It has opened me to a level of peace and contentment that often escaped me when I was frantically rushing about before my retirement, even when I justified my busyness as doing the Lord’s work.
I am sure that your contributions make a great difference in the communities where you serve. We seldom know what seeds will take root in others and how they will then grow and flourish. What seems to be the simplest of actions may very well have the most profound effects.
I pray that you are enjoying a return to health.
God bless you,
MaggieSr. Deana, as a spiritually mature person, you provide much inspiration in your post, as well as an effective series of questions for reflecting on living up to Christian objectives at the end of each day. (“Did I meet Jesus today? Was I attentive to His presence in me? In others? Was I sensitive to the whispering of the Holy Spirit? Was I moved to silence or to action?”) Your story describes your beautiful transformation as you grew in your faith, and your change in focus from what God can do for you to what you can do for God is a powerful example of a Christian life well lived. Thank you for sharing what is clearly so deeply close to your heart.
God bless you,
MaggieThis discussion encourages deep reflection on attitudes towards gifts, love, and humility. I feel great humility for the gifts that God has given to me, although, I admit, not always gratitude because sometimes those gifts have not always been easy to practice. Nor have they always been welcomed by other people or institutions where I have attempted to do “God’s work.” More than once, I have questioned why God seems to have led me to a particular place and time, only to be faced with insurmountable barriers or exhausting conflicts. Humbling experiences indeed! Perhaps the development of humility was the point, or perhaps other spiritual growth was necessary, for instance, in areas of forbearance, faithfulness, or self-control. I confess that I have sometimes retreated when I should have persevered, but, ironically, I know there were also times that I persevered when I should have retreated. It is only through prayer that I remain sufficiently grounded in how to use the gifts God has provided for His purposes. I believe these gifts have changed over the years, and more than once, the sin of pride has made it difficult for me to surrender the use of a skill so I clearly see what I was meant to do next. The image of a fruit tree going through the stages of budding, blossoming, bearing fruit, and dormancy is one that came to me very strongly during a spiritual retreat a long time ago, and that image has helped me to accept sometimes painful transitions over the years as natural and necessary in my service to God.
Blessings,
MaggieSr. Becca, I believe your rule has great power as a principle to follow for managing finances, and I will borrow your format for developing my own guideline. Thank you for walking us through the process that led you from something specific yet transient to a more universal statement that demonstrates a permanently wise and charitable purpose for stewardship.
Blessings,
MaggieI’m very moved by your post, Emanuel, and I think your application of David’s story to present day shows courage and insight. Your description of the elements of judgment, forgiveness, and healing and the role they play in bringing about reconciliation is particularly striking. I agree that your words can lead us to be optimistic that our sins and those of others against can lead to better and stronger relationships through the process you describe. Thank you for describing some of the barriers you face in your family. Perhaps difficulties in some relationships cannot be fully resolved but still have value in leading us to stronger and healthier relationships in other circumstances.
God bless you,
MaggieThank you for your thought-provoking reflections, Sr. Becca and Sr. Deana. I can’t speak to the qualities of a monastic life though I believe in the value of following a rule of life so that honoring God is the center of all activities. I appreciate the simple advice for eating and exercise that you offer, Sr. Becca, and Sr. Deana, your question about whether making spiritual life a priority might also support physical health is definitely one worth exploring. In particular, given the well-documented toll that stress takes on our physical and mental well-being and the way in which it contributes to damaging habits and behaviors, spending time in spiritual relationship with God could surely benefit our overall health.
Blessings,
Maggie
