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A faithful presence of love in the absences of our city.

A Rule of Life

rule of life

Michael and I had the opportunity to attend the first week of the latest Sunday Seminar at City Pres called A Common Rule. Justin led us through considerations on an intentional pattern of living… What are the commitments, practices, values, and virtues that we prioritize? How do they shape us? He suggested 8 areas for reflection… Spiritual, Intellectual, Emotional, Physical, Social, Vocational, A-Vocational, Financial…

My little introspective heart felt like a kid in a candy store. This is my jam. I have a practice that I eloquently refer to as a “NOR”, which is my night of reflection…  I take time to assess how I’m doing physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually each week… Am I feeling rested? Irritable? Generous? Anxious? What might need to shift this week to help me move towards health and intentional living? Each week I do this check-in, and I LOVE IT. It’s so life-giving to me… I love to reflect. So, Justin’s invitation to cast vision for a “Rule of Life” felt exciting to me.

I also felt the pull toward performance… The “homework assignment” from our first Sunday Seminar was to spend some time thinking about the “what” of who I want to be… What do I want to be known for? What are my values and priorities? And then to think specifically about the “how”... What do we need to do in order to start embodying our values more fully today… I imagined myself really soaking in the first half of this process, putting words to who I want to be...and then stumbling through the second half… full of vision and lofty dreams for living more Christlike, more selflessly, more patiently… Then, I’d move into creating a list of anywhere between 8-24 “habits” or “action steps” to help cultivate such character. Argh. There is this  temptation to think that what Justin was proposing is formulaic… 8 things to consider in order to become a varsity Christian…

It was so appropriate to have our Sunday Seminar followed by Sunday’s sermon. I needed that. We are not favored because of what we do…

I belong to Jesus.

I have his favor.

I did nothing to earn it.

I can do nothing to lose it.

There is no emphasis on my action, my behavior, my commitment level, or my productivity...the emphasis is on how out of my own control my own identity is… which feels uncomfortable… and liberating. I have favor from God. That’s the final word. My identity, the “what” of who I am, is already set in stone. So, the “how” of specific practices, habits, and behaviors I choose to set up flow from that… I’m not climbing a ladder to become a better version of me. The intentionality behind A Common Rule is to help you steer towards what you stare at. Reflecting on and reviewing a categorized list of things that are important about this life helps me to keep the proper perspective in daily tasks. What matters? Loving God, and loving others. May this Rule of Life practice help to keep those priorities ever before me.

~ Emily Leslie