By Cameron Silsbee
Begin with prayer
Gather together as a Community in a comfortable setting. Take a moment in silence, in the presence of Jesus and each other. Have one person read Luke 4v42-44 over the group and then pray to ask the Holy Spirit to lead and guide your time together.
Debrief the most recent teaching and Practice
- How would you summarize what the most recent teaching was about?
- What did you take away from the teaching?
- What was one thing you were proud of or encouraged about after doing the time audit? What was something that you were disappointed or surprised about?
Read this overview
Writing down your Rule of Life will inevitably require you to categorize the things you do. Over the centuries, there have been many ways followers of Jesus have gone about doing so. Some ways have been seemingly more popular than others during a particular time or culture. What we can draw from this is that there is no singularly correct way to do this. We can also draw from this that, in order for the Rule to be helpful, a person must sit down and do the work of figuring out how to categorize the different aspects of their life.
Below is a Rule of Life layout for you to fill out over the coming weeks. Page one is to be filled out, and page two shows what belongs in the three domains of your Rule. It also includes an example of a filled out Rule of Life. (If you would like to use a different layout you have access to, feel free to do so! Let your group know that you’ll be doing this.)
Rule of Life Layout here.
Discuss the following questions and prompts
- Share with the group what you’re thinking and feeling as you consider filling out your Rule of Life.
- Whether you’re a fan of a Rule of Life or not, what would it look like for one to be helpful for you?
- What would it mean if you failed to live up to your Rule of Life?
Talk over this coming week’s Practice:
This week, set aside time to look over the Rule of Life layout and domain categories. Notice that there are daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual rhythms. In the coming weeks, you will write down your current Rule of Life (not what you want it to be).
Ask the Spirit to speak over you and spend time reflecting on your rhythms and life over the last few years. Notice where you feel you are growing and where you feel you are not. Ask Jesus to speak over these areas.
Be prepared to share with your Community next week one area of life you feel you’ve grown in the last few years and one area of life you feel you have not grown in.
Close in prayer
End in prayer by having one person read the Nicene Creed over the group.
I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages.
God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father [and the Son], who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.
I believe in one, holy and apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.
Amen.