A Rule of Life as a New Year’s Resolution
Last Friday, I wrote about the particular power of a single New Year Resolution, that of taking responsibility or ownership. This resolution had a profound effect in the life of Maxwell Perkins, a famous editor who worked at Scribner’s years ago. You can read about it here. The idea of “taking responsibility” means accepting where you find yourself and resolving to do what needs to be and should be done. Especially in adversity.
For those who are considering multiple resolutions, a form of repeating cycles emerges: moving forward, tripping, getting up, moving forward. Succeeding with one, failing with another. Some refer to these resolutions as a rule of life. That’s how Brian Morykon, a Christian and Director of Communication at Renovare, puts it. And, he has some ideas on how to succeed if you pursue living by a rule of life.
He recently wrote about the topic. Here’s what he said:
I vaguely recall writing my first rule of life fifteen years ago.
I searched for it this morning, expecting to find the artifact of an overachiever—an ambitious life plan destined to be filed on the shelf of good intentions (a.k.a. the shelf-of-shame).
Instead I found this:
—–
Every day
practice the Presence
reflect on the day (examen)
Weekdays
do something physical
Once a week
gather with others in Jesus’s name
choose a verse to memorize + meditate on
screen-free Sabbath
Once a month
morning of solitude
meet with spiritual director
Twice a year
two-night retreat
When necessary
have hard conversations
Not bad, young Brian, not bad. It’s a little anemic in community and service, but overall doable and life-giving.
Brian refers to the above as practices and that’s what they are. Practices. Not ways to merit favor with God. Not ways to pat yourself on the back when you keep them or a litany of accusations that turn on you when you don’t keep them. In spite of the potential down sides to writing a rule for yourself, he encourages writing one.
He explains why further on in his post:
Because, like a church liturgy, everyone has one whether they know it or not. Habits are our unwritten, often unexamined rules. Holy habits rarely happen by accident. A rule of life helps us break out of mindless rhythms and fall in step with Jesus.
There’s an important prerequisite to writing and following a rule: being fully steeped in the acceptance and goodness of God. This prevents it from becoming “one more way I’m disappointing God.”
The Rule of Saint Benedict, from which most modern ideas of a rule trace their origin, was a practical guide for monastic living in community. Brother Joe didn’t take a retreat day in his monastery cell to write up a rule for living his best life; he lived by the Rule of the community for the sake of Christ and his brothers.
If you’re interested in writing a rule for yourself and would like some help, Renovare has some great resources:
· Cultivating a Rule Of Life (Link) A three hour virtual workshop: click here
· Rule of Life Builder- An on-line tool: click here
· Articles by St. Bendict, Eugene Peterson, and Richard Foster: click here
Click here to learn more about Renovare
Thanks for Reading!
Curt Bumcrot, MRE
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