Rule of Life: Dig Into the Word of God

After spending my 6-month postulancy completely engrossed in reflective prayer, I was ready to dig into the Word of God and study more about these monastic commitments from a Biblical perspective during my Novitiate Experience. I felt led by God to approach my reflective meditations using primarily the narrative passages in the Bible. Often the life commitments made by monastics can seem abstract and hard to grasp. Intellectually, I knew that each of these commitments were based from Biblical concepts, so I knew there had to be concrete examples of what these commitments look like when they are fleshed out in real life. I sat before the Lord and asked Him to show me people whose life stories are in the Bible who modeled these Commitments well. I selected a person (or in some cases multiple persons, such as couples or friends) for each Commitment area described in Invitations & Commitments then read their stories to see how they demonstrated that Commitment area. I then selected specific passages that I felt represented that person's commitment to God in that particular area. Perhaps you are familiar with a monastic practice called lectio divina. With each passage I selected, I used the lectio divina reflection method to chew on the passage and write out how it spoke to me.  Lastly, I waited before the Lord to see what questions God would ask of me as I looked at my own life through the lens of the experiences of the heroes of the Bible. I wrote those questions down and then took time to reflect on them and write out a response to God for each one. For some of the Commitments, the Lord would only highlight two or three passages to reflect on. Other times there were six or seven which stood out. I often found that the Commitments with more passages were also the Commitments that Jesus had put His finger on for me to open up to Him and let Him do a deep work in my heart. At times the application questions brought up old wounds from my past, struggles of my present, or uncertainty about the future. Whatever the case, God met me in every meditation and I feel like He's just getting started. Do you feel drawn to meditate on Scriptures that exemplify the monastic life? In The Rule of Life Commitment e-book series, I share my list of Bible passages with you as a starting point. each e-book includes the reflection and prayer process that I went through.

To get started, just visit the link below and order a copy of one of the volumes of The Rule of Life Commitment e-book series that you'd like to start with. Not sure? Check out the description of each volume on the website below and see which one God puts His finger on as the place to start. https://www.nourishyourbeing.org/rule-of-life