Rule of Life
“We long to see our lives whole, to know that they matter. We wonder whether our many activities might ever come together in a way of life that is good for ourselves and others.
Like in a vision of a life-giving way of life, we turn from one task to another, doing as well as we can but increasingly uncertain about what doing things well would look like.
We yearn for a deeper understanding of how to order a human life in accord with what is true and good.”
The vision of The Urban Monastery is to become a dispersed community dedicated to encouraging one another and learning together how to participate in God’s mission of making all things new through the living of a common rule of life. Through this “rule of life”, we set out to live the way of Jesus in our everyday lives, with intentionality and great love.
The rule of life seeks to answer the question, How do I want to live so I can be who I want to be? It involves a set of personal practices that arrange our life so that we become more open and available to hear from God and see him speaking into every aspect of our life.
The practices are personal but also done in community, hence our desire for each one of us to agree to a basic set of disciplines that form a common bond across the Urban Monastery. As time wears on, each person will find a rhythm that fits their lifestyle while not abandoning our common commitment to the daily and weekly practices we have agreed to follow.
Tell me more about a “rule of life”?
In short, a “rule of life” is the way we choose to live the life of Jesus together. It is simply a repertoire of rhythms and routines (regular practices that shape our daily/weekly living), relationships (intentional relationships and community), and renunciations (the “no’s” we say which enable a stronger “yes” to Jesus). These free us to live well and grow more like Jesus by forming the life of God in us.
It is a support structure that empowers us to experience the fullness of God’s life in our lives. It is always invitational, voluntarily assumed, and freely embraced. A rule is not to add more burden to an already full life but to assist in the reordering of our lives around communion with God.
Am I willing to rearrange my life for what my heart most wants? The disciplines are a gift where we make ourselves available to God. They are not, in themselves, an automatic ticket into deeper fellowship with God and one another. It is an expression of our powerlessness to bring about spiritual transformation on our own efforts and an awareness that God will meet us when we allow him to speak into those spaces we open to be available.
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”