Retrospective
The Rule of Life, Week 16
By Andrea Lingle
I commit to this rule of life and to the well-being of this community, out of gratitude to God who forgives, heals, and makes all things new. May my life be a blessing within and beyond God’s church, for the transformation of the world.
-From the MWF Rule of Life
So, we did it. We talked about a Rule of Life for sixteen consecutive weeks.
And I think it has changed my life.
The Importance of Witness
The Rule of Life, Week 15
by Adam White
We will share the redeeming, healing, creative love of God in word, deed and presence as an invitation to others to experience the transforming love of God
-From the MWF Rule of Life
You are a witness.
Really, you are! For instance, you are currently giving witness by way of reading a weekly devotional, for which we are very appreciative.
Pursuing Justice
The Rule of Life, Week 14
By Adam White
We will pursue peace with justice
-From the MWF Rule of Life
If you could live at anytime in history, when and where would it be? Who would you want to see? What would you do? Why?
As a once-student-of-history, these are the questions I still find time to dream about. Me? What period of time and location in history would I want to visit? Be careful asking that--this newsletter is supposed to be short!
Reflecting the Light Inside
The Rule of Life, Week 13
By Adam White
We will practice racial, gender, and other forms of reconciliation wherever we find sinful and destructive walls of division between people
-From the MWF Rule of Life
The first toy I ever remember playing with as a child was a glass triangular prism. I used to lie on the ground by the window on sunny days and play with the prism, refracting the light that was coming through the sun onto different surfaces. Sometimes, I’ll admit, I would shine the light into the eyes of my older siblings and parents. What captivated me most about this tiny, seemingly insignificant glass object was how the light could be refracted and present an array of colors that could change shape.
Enough
The Rule of Life, Week 12
by Andrea Lingle
We will practice regular Sabbath as a means of renewal so that we can lovingly serve God and neighbor
-From the MWF Rule of Life
Sabbath is a word that, for me, used to sound a lot like restriction. It might be a strange pronunciation, but it was not until I found myself practicing Sabbath in the context of community that Sabbath manifested itself into the practices of rest and freedom that truly reflect this ancient directive.
Ring-aRound-the-Rosies
The Rule of Life, Week 11
by Andrea Lingle
We will practice mutual accountability with a covenant group within the community, for how we serve God and neighbor
-From the MWF Rule of Life
Ring around the rosies,
I resemble my parents and my children resemble me. The writers of the creation accounts included in the Torah made it clear that human-kind resembles its Creator.
Blessed
The Rule of Life, Week 10
by Andrea Lingle
We will serve God and neighbor out of gratitude for the love of God
-From the MWF Rule of Life
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
My family lost a baby three years ago. We have not yet healed from this grief. Sometimes I still find myself staring into the middle distance lost in a moment so large and disorienting that I have to, mentally, follow the bubbles to the surface. In the weeks following her death, I was screened for depression. “Yes, I cry every day. Yes, I feel detached. Yes, I have lost interest in my normal activities.” We decided to watch and wait. Situational depression due to grief should only last three to six months.
Gifts for the Common Good of the Spirit
The Rule of Life, Week 9
by Adam White
We will use our spiritual gifts, talents and abilities to serve God within and beyond this community
-From the MWF Rule of Life
There are natural gifts and then there are learned gifts. If you ever wanted to find a way to understand what your natural gifts are and what gifts you can develop, then intentional monastic community is the place for you!
Caring Together for God's Gift of Creation
The Rule of Life, Week 8
by Adam White
We will honor and care for the gift of the earth and its resources, practicing ecologically responsible living, striving for simplicity rather than excessive consumption.
-From the MWF Rule of Life
“Debt” is a word that often makes me cringe. I think it is because throughout my life, and probably yours, there have been numerous warnings to stay away from debt. For instance, to have financial debt is to be in a lower position, having to owe money to someone or something.
Family Dinnner
The Rule of Life, Week 7
by Andrea Lingle
We will be hospitable to our faith community through participation in our worship, fellowship and mission.
-From the MWF Rule of Life
In my past I have thought of the word hospitable as something that you did that was larger than life. Hospitality was having a perfectly decorated Christmas tree. Hospitality was a clean house and a perfect meal. Hospitality emanated from the same ethos as glossy magazines and could be offered as soon as the pillows on your couch were in order.
Read more
Not Alone
The Rule of Life, Week 6
by Andrea Lingle
We will be hospitable to our neighbors in our families, neighborhoods and workplaces.
-From the MWF Rule of Life
Being hospitable is something that is absurdly simple and yet overwhelmingly hard. Where is the line between hospitality and recklessness?
The Contemplative Stance
The Rule of Life, Week 5
by Andrea Lingle
We will practice a contemplative stance in order to be present to the world and ourselves.
-From the MWF Rule of Life
How are you here? How are you absent? Do you believe that contemplation is a good use of time?
When a pilot is learning to fly in low visibility conditions, he or she is instructed to disregard the sensation of being upright and rely on the gyroscope. Without visual reference, a person cannot tell which way is up. That is why divers tell you to follow your bubbles.
The Struggle and Grace of Mutual Accountability
The Rule of Life, Week 4
by Adam White
We live in a world that struggles with accountability. The kind of accountability being addressed here can be defined as the sacred thread of mutual support that pierces through our individual self, others, and God. Our struggle with accountability though, really shouldn’t come as a surprise or shock us.
Read MorePraying in a Variety of Forms
The Rule of Life, Week 3
by Adam White
We will use a variety of forms of prayer
- From the MWF Rule of Life
The wonderful thing about prayer is that every person will bring to it her or his own unique emphasis, style, and rhythm. Bringing these individual practices into a house or group of persons who come together in prayer offers an intriguing and, at the same time, challenging space to embrace. Questions begin to arise like, “How do I personally and passionately connect to God while sharing with others?”
Prayer, God's Daily Multivitamin of the Holy Spirit
The Rule of Life, Week 2
by Adam White
What expectations and intentions are you bringing into prayer?
Be honest now! Prayer can be a difficult subject to approach because of the weight of the expectations and intentions we carry with us.
Read MoreWill I? Will You?
The Rule of Life, Week 1
by Andrea Lingle
For the next several months, we will be looking at our Rule of Life. A Rule of Life is a set of intentional practices that an individual or group adopts as a guide for living.
Missional Wisdom Foundation has a lovely Rule of Life.
