Chapter 20

This chapter focuses on the medieval monastic movement, which began to make its way through Europe in the 5th century and dominated the landscape, spiritually, culturally, and geographically, for many centuries. We owe a great deal to this movement, even if we are Protestants. Monasteries welcomed strangers, provided medical care, produced goods, educated youth, copied and preserved books, and prepared bishops, missionaries, and scholars for leadership in church and society. All monasteries lived according to a Rule of Life and a Rhythm of Life. This was necessary because monasteries emerged during a period of profound cultural disruption. The church needed a restart, which monasteries provided. The Rule of Life demonstrated how important it is to order all of life under God, the Rhythm of Life how to integrate work and prayer into a seamless whole. We might be entering a similar period of cultural disruption in the western world today. The church is suffering decline. It will find it increasingly difficult to operate under the old Christendom model. If it doesn’t live with clear purpose, it will either accommodate to the culture or isolate from the culture. Neither alternative will help it win the culture to and for Christ. What do you learn about living according to a Rule and Rhythm of Life in the following texts?

Deuteronomy 6 and Deuteronomy 16:1-17; Matthew 5-7; Romans 12:1-21; Colossians 3:1-17; Ephesians 4:25 - 5:2

Try to write a clear Rule of Life and establish some kind of healthy Rhythm of Life. Prayerfully do the following, and then stay with it for a while. Share it with a close Christian friend or your small group too.

• Write and live according to a Rule of Life

  • Start with a mission statement, something like Romans 12:1-2.

  • Identify five to eight principles that you aspire to live by. These might include: hospitality, generosity, and so forth. Then list three or four bullet points under each that are more concrete and practical.

  • Lay out a plan of action for the next month.

• Establish a healthy Rhythm of Life

  • Think first about what your present rhythm is. Are you too busy? Are you too rushed? Do you waste a lot of time? Are you bored? Do you neglect the more important things but give yourself to the less important things?

  • How can you build rest, relationships, leisure and refreshment, hard work, regular prayer, and movement (exercise!) into a weekly rhythm in a way that is true to who you are, what your current circumstances are, and how you want to live as a follower of Jesus? In short, how can you pace yourself, as if running a marathon? People living under a healthy rhythm don’t do it for the sake of productivity but for the sake of presence and attentiveness.

What did you learn about the benefits (and perhaps the problems) of living according to a Rule of Life and a healthy Rhythm of Life, as you learned about them in the chapter, the biblical texts, and the spiritual exercise?  What do you foresee might be the problems you face as you move forward in this endeavor? What questions and concerns do you have? How can you experience freedom and grace as you take on this challenge?

Colossians 3:16-17