An Oasis in the Busyness of our lives

Lay Ministers of Word and Sacrament consider a Rule of Life together

On October 22nd at St. Timothy’s, 100 Mile House, Lay Ministers of Word and Sacrament from throughout the Territory of the People, gathered together for their semi-annual Study Day.

The Rev. Alexis Saunders who is currently the interim priest at St. Michael’s and All Angels, was our facilitator and guide for the day as we discovered how to develop a personal Rule of Life.

So what is a Rule of Life?

A Rule of Life is an intentional framework we choose for ourselves to live more fully into our baptismal vows. This is a tradition of the Church which equips the baptized people of God for daily renewal of their life. It is to open our life to the healing transforming and renewing power of the Holy Spirit.

A Rule of Life is never intended to be done in isolation. We need to work on it with a fellow Christian; for once baptized we are members of the body of Christ and so whatever we do is always a part of the community of faith. As we journeyed through the day, Alexis provided an opportunity for us to share from our own personal experiences, we participated in lectio divina - a traditional Benedictine practice of scriptural reading, meditation and prayer intended to promote communion with God and to increase the knowledge of God's Word

We brainstormed together about what constitutes the Kingdom of God, and what we consider to be spiritual practices, and Alexis provided some practical tools to enable us to develop our own Rule of Life. We referred to the Rule of Life as outlined on page 555 in the Book of Common Prayer (BCP), the Baptismal Covenant we all reiterate at each and every baptism in the church, as outlined on page 159 in the Book of Alternative Services (BAS), and the profound message contained in the Hear O Israel (p.53 BAS).

We were given time on our own to begin to develop our own Rule of Life which should include (from the BCP):

Regular attendance at public worship, and especially Holy Communion

The practice of private prayer, Bible reading and self discipline

Bringing the teaching and example of Christ into ones everyday life

The boldness of our spoken witness to our faith in Christ

Personal service to the Church and the community

The offering of money according to ones mean s for the support of the work of the Church at home and overseas (tithing). 

Alexis shared the Greek concept of the “Golden Mean” – harmony, beauty, symmetry, proportion and order, and the importance of harmony in life. An analogy was made to music in which there are rhythm and rests – without rests the music is relentless. Rests and pauses are important, not only in music but also in our lives. We build rhythm and rest, beauty and harmony as the scaffold, the rule of our life.  

We discussed spiritual healing and growth - the daily practice of faith and trust in God, developing personal habits of

Sacred Reading – reading the Psalms and Bible stories

Prayer and spiritual reading

Good nutrition and exercise

Spending time in creation every day and always giving thanks

Intentional quiet time

Examen – the practice of an evening reflection of our day to give thanks, ask for help, and praise God

Practicing the presence of God throughout the day

Journal keeping

Spending quality time with family and friends

and most of all having fun!  

Throughout the day we were treated to the wonderful hospitality of the parish of St. Timothy’s with baked goods, fresh fruit and refreshments, as well as a delicious lunch of home-made soups and buns with all the fixings.

In summary, the day was an oasis in the busy-ness of our lives, a time to reflect with others, to share, eat, learn and grow, to nourish our souls and equip us better for developing our ministries more fully. Thanks to Alexis, and thanks be to God!

Canon Margaret Mitchell Lay Minister of Word and Sacrament St. Paul’s Cathedral, Kamloops