The Episcopal Diocese of West Texas

The term "Rule of Life" calls up connotations of homeroom monitors or black-and-white-shirted referees, whose goal in life is to enforce a list of rules and to penalize any infraction. But in Shakespeare's English, the term "rule" was not a synonym for "regulation." Instead, its more common meaning was a straight-edge, for drawing lines and taking measure. In that sense, a "Rule of Life" is a tool that equips us to maintain appropriate boundaries and to measure our progress.

Creating a Rule of Life means becoming aware of how we are spending our time each day, and of how we might spend it better. Becoming aware of the "gap" between those two creates momentum for change. That energy can help us find the ways to nurture our relationship with God, on a daily basis. Once we find the courage and discipline to incorporate just one of those practices into our daily routine, we are encouraged to push ourselves a little farther and to add another. A growing intimacy with God is the reward of practicing a Rule of Life.

A Rule of Life is just one tool in a backpack of useful tools we can assemble for our journey into a deeper relationship with God. Our own Rule and those other tools - an inventory of our gifts, a knowledge of Scripture and church history, an awareness of our shortcomings, clarity about what brings us joy - all are sharpened with use over time. The listening heart, equipped with such tools, will be shaped into a more Christ-like pattern.

Joan Chittister, in her commentary in The Rule of Benedict, reminds us, "This is an enterprise between two spirits, in other words, God's and our own. We will fail often, but God will not fail us and we must not stop. . . . Clearly, great pursuers of the spiritual life know that the secret of the spiritual life is to live it until it becomes real."

There are many time-tested practices that might be incorporated into the pattern that forms a Rule of Life: reading and meditating on Scripture; praying regularly; participating in the sacraments, especially Eucharist and reconciliation; exercising sacrificial self-giving; observing periods of silence; and practicing hospitality. In addition to behaviors, attitudes can be brought under a Rule of Life: response to authority; acceptance of the "other"; rejection of grumbling or cynicism; forgiveness; respect for others.
It is essential that we adopt a Rule that fits us – not simply a comfortable Rule, but also one that stretches us toward God. Some choose to follow a Rule formulated by and for a community; others choose to shape their own. The practices of the Rule should be natural, intentional, and should be lived out in a rhythm that fits our ordinary lives.

Dr. Corinne Ware in St. Benedict on the Freeway credits the Desert Father Pachomius, who lived in the fourth century, with creating the first monastic community to organize itself around a Rule of Life consisting of prayer, study of Scripture, and manual labor. Through the centuries, numerous religious orders created their own distinctive community rules. St. Benedict of Nursia, living in Italy in the early sixth century, founded the Benedictine Order, whose rule became the model for numerous other communities and is in use to this day. Benedict wrote his rule for simple lay folk – "a little rule for beginners." He emphasized balance, gentleness with ourselves and with others, and the communal nature of the process.

In addition to monastic communities, seminaries, clergy groups, and communities of lay people often formulate a community Rule of Life to shape and direct the lives of their members.

Many lay people first encounter the concept of a Rule of Life through the Cursillo movement, which calls for participants to create such a rule for themselves and to meet in weekly accountability groups. There, the members report how they have lived out their Rule of Life, especially their prayer, study and action.

Those who choose to follow a Rule of Life often establish a relationship with a spiritual director, a trusted mentor. Such a person is usually consulted on a regular basis, offering both encouragement and accountability in living into the Rule.
— Demi Prentiss