Rule of Life Commitments Series
The Rule of Life Commitments Series was birthed during a season in my life where I was exploring my dream of practicing a monastic vocation in a practical, contemporary, and life-giving way. As I journeyed through my experiences of living into traditional monastic commitments, I wanted to explore our rule of life from a biblical perspective, desiring to explore the lives of biblical personages who demonstrated each monastic commitments when facing challenges in the real world they lived in.
Along the way I found myself changing: becoming more aware of my true self and seeing the world more clearly, expanding my soul and yet simplifying my life, listening to God and others and yet finding my own voice, facing my demons and soaring with angels. For each passage, each story, I wrestled with the same question, “What questions is God asking me about my own life through this story?” What I discovered is that God asks hard questions! Often the only answer I had was, “I don’t know,”. However, I began to discern that those are the very questions I should be most diligent about engaging with if I want to really explore what God has for me.
Now I am sharing my scriptural explorations with all of you, including the probing questions that God asked me as I studied these ancient and powerful stories. I am compiling my reflections into an 8-volume e-book series. In each volume, you will:
~ be encouraged to reflect on passages from the Holy Bible
~ consider some of my reflections on the passage
~ engage with reflection questions to help you explore connections between the biblical narrative and your own experiences
~ explore the invitations God is extending to you for each rule of life commitment
Less is More: Reflections on silence, solitude & simplicity
Volume 1
Cost: $7.50
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Less is More: Reflections on silence, solitude & simplicity, the first volume of the Rule of Life Commitments series, explores the commitments of silence and solitude through the life of Jesus of Nazareth and simplicity through the life of John the Baptist.
What does it say about silence, solitude, and simplicity that the Messiah and His forerunner would both choose to radically practice them despite their wild popularity? What drove them into the wilderness, into isolation and subsistence living? Maybe they knew something that we don’t. Perhaps we’ve lost something with our houses stuffed with possessions, our minds chock full of data, our bellies full of junk food, and our schedules booked end-to-end.
In Less is More: Reflections on silence, solitude & simplicity, we journey into the pages of the biblical stories of Jesus Christ and John the Baptist to reflect on just what happens when we take time away to just be with God and be honest with ourselves. Our eyes begin to open to that which is just outside of our purview, that which feels so elusive and mysterious.
Let us assume that God is beckoning us into quietude, that there is a gift waiting for us in the silence. Could it be possible that our loneliness could be assuaged through a deeper sense of companionship with God that can only be discovered when we are alone and open-hearted? Perhaps the greatest fullness in life comes through the elimination of complexity, distraction, and societal expectations. Jesus and John thought so.
In This Together: Reflections on discernment in community & shared work
Volume 3
Cost: $7.50
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In This Together: Reflections on discernment in community & shared work, is the third volume of the Rule of Life Commitments Series. This volume explores the commitments of discernment in community through the lives of Barnabas and Saul (Paul) and shared work through the lives of Aquilla and Priscilla.
What does it say about discernment in community and shared work that the early church leaders would choose to consistently practice them despite the success of the church’s rapid expansion? What compelled them to join together, to believe that decisions are better made together than separately? That the work of life, both practical and spiritual, was more complete when it was shared? Maybe they knew something that we don’t. Perhaps we’ve lost something with our individualism, our self-promotion, our constantly competing for the attention and accolades of others.
In This Together: Reflections on Discernment in Community & Shared Work takes us on a journey into the pages of the biblical stories of Barnabas, Saul (Paul), Aquilla and Priscilla, to reflect on just what happens when we trust that “in an abundance of counselors there is safety” (Prov. 11:14). We begin to see how the Holy Spirit guides and directs through multiple perspectives.
Let us assume that God is beckoning us to invite others into our discernment process, that there is a gift waiting for us in communal discernment and work shared together. Could it be possible that our sense of confusion and uncertainty could be assuaged through the settledness that group discernment can offer? Perhaps an understanding of God’s will and the fulfillment of God’s purpose comes through linking arms, hearts open to God sitting side-by-side in prayer and consideration. Barnabas, Saul (Paul), Aquilla and Priscilla thought so.
Deep Honesty: Reflections on spiritual companionship
Volume 5
Cost: $7.50
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Deep Honesty: Reflections on spiritual companionship is the fifth volume of the Rule of Life Commitments Series. This volume explores the commitment of spiritual companionship through the lives of King David and the Prophet Nathan.
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What does it say about spiritual companionship that King David, whom the Bible calls “a man after God’s own heart”, relied on the spiritual companionship of the Prophet Nathan to journey alongside him in discerning God’s will, hearing God’s voice, and seeing himself honestly before God? What did Nathan offer that David needed, that he couldn’t discover by himself? Maybe they knew something that we don’t. Perhaps we’ve lost something in our cultural pursuit of individualism and independence, in our assumption that our spiritual leaders and sages are all hypocrites and have outdated ideas.
In Deep Honesty: Reflections on spiritual companionship, we journey into the pages of the biblical stories of King David and the Prophet Nathan to reflect on just what happens when we allow ourselves to journey alongside spiritual companions. Our ears begin to open to that which we don’t hear from God within our own hearts; our eyes to those things we can’s see in ourselves.
Let us assume that God is beckoning us into spiritual companionship, that there is a gift waiting for us in the company of others in our faith journey. Could it be possible that our life’s direction can only be discovered when we are open to hearing God’s voice through other people’s voices? Perhaps the greatest confidence in knowing we are in alignment with God’s invitations for our lives comes through the consistent, intentional, and honest conversations we have with our spiritual companions. King David and the Prophet Nathan thought so.
Radical Inclusion: Reflections on service to the church & the kingdom of God
Volume 2
Cost: $7.50
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Radical Inclusion: Reflections on service to the church & the kingdom of God, the second volume of the Rule of Life Commitments Series, explores the commitments of service to the church and the kingdom of God through the lives of Philip the Evangelist and Simon Peter.
What does it say about the Kingdom of God that the early church continually found herself knocking down barriers to make room for their enemies—the despised Samaritans, the oppressive Romans, and other non-Jews? Continually faced with a choice between their societal norms and following the heart of Jesus, the Church found herself reinventing herself time after time as God reoriented their perspective of what was unclean, undesired. Perhaps we can learn something from this ever-widening expansion of God’s mercy for our time. Who might be the next ones that God will send us to, someone currently outside of the church’s circle of acceptance?
In Radical Inclusion: Reflections on service to the church & the kingdom of God, we journey into the pages of the biblical stories of Philip the Evangelist and Simon Peter to reflect on just what happens when we raise our hand to serve the church and use our spiritual gifts to expand the rule and reign of God’s kingdom in the world.
Let us assume that God is beckoning us into service, that we are invited to participate in the expansion of the Kingdom of God. Could it be possible that our shrinking church congregations could be revived through a deeper sense of connection with the heart of God for the “others”, that we can only discover the fullness of the Kingdom when we are willing to lay down our bias and welcome in those we have traditionally excluded? Perhaps the greatest fullness in the Kingdom comes through the elimination of bias, judgmentalism, and our fear of those we don’t understand. Philip and Simon Peter thought so.
Honoring One Another: Reflections on faults & affirmations
Volume 4
Cost: $7.50
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Honoring One Another: Reflections on faults & affirmations, is the fourth volume of the Rule of Life Commitments Series. This volume explores the commitment of the expression of faults and affirmations through the life of the Apostle Paul and his letter to the Roman church.
What does it say about the early church when the primary evangelist of that time speaks freely about his own faults? What do the letters shared with the early church communities show us about how God desires us to honor one another in our communications? Maybe they knew something that we don’t. Perhaps we’ve lost something with rapid-fire responses on social media posts and our culture’s glaring lack of civility and mutual respect.
In Honoring One Another: Reflections on faults & affirmations, we journey into the pages of the biblical stories of Paul and his letter to the Romans to reflect on just what happens when we communicate with one another in ways of humility, grace and love. We begin to discover the mutual encouragement that can feel so lacking in our broader society.
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Let us assume that God is inviting us to a more authentic, honest and hopeful form of communication. Could it be possible that often the way that God speaks life and grace to us is through each other? Perhaps the belonging and authenticity that we most long for comes when we share openly with one another about our faults and affirm the goodness of God we notice in each another. The Apostle Paul thought so.
Shared Oneness: Reflections on the consecration
of our love
Volume 6
Cost: $7.50
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Shared Oneness: Reflections on the consecration
of our love, is the sixth volume of the Rule of Life Commitments Series. This volume explores the commitment of the consecration of our love through the lives of Abram (Abraham) and Sarai (Sarah).
What does it say about the consecration of our love that couple who founded monotheism would both choose to abandon the pantheon of the world around them to radically worship and obey the One God together and sometimes completely alone? What drove them to love God and one another so exclusively, to trust those two loves when nothing in life made sense and dangers prevailed? Maybe they knew something that we don’t. Perhaps we’ve lost something when we live in a place where churches and synagogues are dotted across our landscape and “In God we trust” is imprinted on our currency.
In Shared Oneness: Reflections on the consecration of our love, we journey into the pages of the biblical stories of Abram (Abraham) and Sarai (Sarah) to reflect on just what happens when we take a leap of faith to give our hearts and lives to the One God and to each other, together, side-by-side.
Let us assume that God is beckoning us into a consecration of our love, that there is a gift waiting for us in the love we share with Our God and each other. Could it be possible that the love of God can overcome everything, even our faults and mistakes? Perhaps the greatest love in life comes through trusting God even when we’re confused about the unfulfilled promises between God, ourself, our partners and those around us. Abram (Abraham) and Sarai (Sarah) thought so.
REFLECTIONS ON THE RULE OF LIFE
My Monastic Journey
How does one get started on the monastic journey? Where does monasticism take us that we haven't already traveled? These reflections are personal, my own thoughts as I have explored and experienced membership in a modern Christian monastic order. Using the Rule of Life from the Order of the Common Life as my guide, I have spent many years reflecting on what being a monk means in my life. Now I'd like to share that journey with you. Want to come along?
ALWAYS START WITH PRAYER When I first submitted my application for postulancy in the Order of the Common Life (orderofthecommonlife.org), I wanted to bathe my new experience in prayer. Around that time the movie War Room was in theaters and I was excited to set aside a prayer closet in my house and start praying strategically about this new monastic journey. I developed a template of sorts on how I wanted to approach praying about each of the Rhythm of Life and Commitments described in the Invitations & Commitments book. I started by taking some time in reflection with three key questions. What is God Already Doing? What is God Already Saying? Where is God Going? I wrote out my thoughts on these questions longhand. A bit of an antiquated method, I know, but God spoke to me very clearly about how I needed to slow down my thoughts and my spirit and be still so that I could hear His voice more clearly than I can when I'm typing away on a computer. I then took my reflections and held them close to my heart and opened myself to Spirit so I could understand how I wanted to pray. Next I wrote out a prayer, most of them somewhat general in content so they would be meaningful throughout my monastic journey as I read them over and over again. I wanted to capture the themes of what I wanted God to do in each of these monastic commitment areas. Sometimes my prayers contained confessions, sometimes thanksgiving, sometimes petitions. They all came from the heart and they all expressed to the Lord exactly where I was in the present moment and where I wanted to go. Perhaps this short explanation of the process is all you need to get started. However, if you would like a bit more guidance, I do have the reflection and prayer process that I went through written out in workbook format that I can share with you. Just send me an email at the address shown on the bottom of this page and let me know which Rule of Life or Commitment area you'd like to start with. Not sure? Read our Rule of Life and see which one God puts His finger on as the place to start. To read our Rule of Life, visit this website:Â orderofthecommonlife.org
TIME-HONORED PATHWAYS As I imagined what my future in monasticism looked like, I was faced with some decisions about next steps beyond prayer and reflective meditation. My feet had started on a journey of purpose, but discernment was needed to discover what that purpose was or could become. To guide me along the discernment pathway, I embarked on a 9-month version of the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius. I experienced the daily meditations that served as sign posts that generations of monastics have looked to for guidance in their lives. The Exercises pulled back the veil on old questions that I had stuffed into the back closet of my mind and forced me to face them and to dialogue with God about them. The Scriptures pierced into the innermost parts of my soul and resonated with all that is true within me. I found my balance, and the real me started to break through. Each week my spiritual director listened and provided helpful insight into what God was putting His finger on. This time-honored pathway began to lighten the road ahead of where God was leading me to go. I used the book The Ignatian Adventure: Experiencing the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius in Daily Life by Kevin O'Brien as my road map. However, I would echo the generations of Ignatian travelers before me and caution you that this is not a journey that you want to take alone. Spiritual direction is a very important component to the Ignatian Exercises and should not be skipped in the process if at all possible. To find a spiritual director near you who can guide you on your journey, visit sdiworld.org. I later compiled some of the poems and thoughts that I experienced during the Spiritual Exercises into a book called Rhythm & Rhyme. To order the book, visit our e-store here: https://www.nourishyourbeing.org/product-page/rhythm-rhyme
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? I would be happy to share my list of Bible passages with you as a starting point. However, if you would like a bit more guidance, I do have the reflection and prayer process that I went through written out in workbook format that I can share with you. Just visit the link below and order a copy of one of the volumes of my 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. Each volume includes one of the prayers that I wrote during my Postulancy journey. https://www.nourishyourbeing.org/rule-of-life
FINDING MY VOCATION The first decision I presented to the Lord was about what further education I needed to prepare for my life's journey in the days, months, and years ahead. I struggled with this decision for a year, feeling pulled in three directions: chaplaincy, natural alternative medicine, and spiritual direction. All three had appealing aspects and much of my indecision was based on my uncertainty about what type of help I wanted to offer other people after I retire from my current career. My heart cry is for those who are old, sick or dying. I want to help followers of Christ who find themselves in crisis to see God in the midst of the chaos, and to welcome the peace of God into their pain, confusion and loss. All three educational options had beneficial aspects of strengthening me in my ability to do this work. The question was where to start. With the help of a group of friends who were praying for me and offering helpful thoughts and questions, I finally decided to enroll in the Sustainable Faith School of Spiritual Direction. Through this school I learned first and foremost how to listen and honor the words of those deemed invisible by society. Through attentive listening and insightful questions, I learned to aid those in crisis to find a sense of inner peace in their soul. If you are interested in learning more about how to become a spiritual director, consider training with our order. Visit https://www.orderofthecommonlife.org/asd for more info During my spiritual direction training, it became apparent to both myself and my instructor that the vision God had given me did not quite fit under the spiritual direction umbrella. Once again, my discerning community offered me prayer and companionship as I embarked on a program of study on holistic healing and began to explore deeper into the vision and burden God has laid upon my heart. A clearer image of the synergy between my vision, my life experience, and my authentic and true self took form. Now came the job of finding the appropriate credentials that would match the work God has given me to do. Finally, I stumbled across the Wellness Inventory and the whole person wellness model aligned perfectly with my vision. I completed the Wellness Inventory Facilitator training in May, 2019, and have stepped into my vocation in all aspects of my life. If you are interested in learning more about the Wellness Inventory, visit bodymindspirit.com. Physical, emotional, and relational healing rarely can flourish if the soul is not at peace. Through my training in spiritual direction and Wellness Inventory, I became better equipped to walk alongside the old, the sick, the dying and their caregivers as they present their life questions before God and dialogue with Him about their situation.​ I am convinced that monastic practices have significant health benefits and that the monastic tradition has stewarded these beautiful gifts of healing throughout the ages. My current vocation is built on the foundation that wholeness can be found physically, intellectually, emotionally, relationally and spiritually through engagement with silence, solitude, contemplation, simplicity, generosity, hospitality, mission, and the many other trademarks of the monastic way. If you would like to explore the holistic nature of a monastic rule of life, consider joining us for our midwinter retreat. For more info, visit our Events page here: https://www.nourishyourbeing.org/events
TAKING FIRST VOWS Throughout my monastic journey, there has been no question in my mind that God has called me to a monastic lifestyle. Looking back on my life, I can see a continual thread drawing me towards it from as far back as my teens. As my Novitiate Experience came to a close, I knew without a doubt that taking my first vows was the next step. ​ In the Order of the Common Life, we are encouraged to explore the Rule of Life and prayerfully consider what individual invitations and commitments the Lord may be drawing us towards. My abbot encouraged me to do a program of study on the vows, learning about how other religious orders organize their membership process and what vows they hold. Many orders commit to the traditional vows of chastity, poverty, obedience and many include a vow of stability or conversion of life. Some orders are more creative, finding ways to connect the vows to their particular faith community in ways that make sense for their context. ​ I knew the base from which I needed to begin. During the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, I had written a Principle & Foundation statement that had been an important sign post for my second half of life.  Principle & Foundation I was handcrafted by my Creator to adore Him with my whole, true self; to respond to Him with my body, soul, spirit and intellect. I am ordained to listen for His voice, to watch for His hand of mercy, to nourish strength, contentment, community, health, and joy in all God’s creatures on Earth, human or otherwise. God has instilled in all creation a spirit of cooperation to help me discover the Heavenly places He made for me to be. I will remember at all times that the Earth and all within its bosom belong to the Creator who fashioned them. I may borrow them on my journey, but must be ready to surrender them to God at the slightest prompting from Spirit, especially if my attachment to them distracts, derails, or detracts me from God’s purposes for my existence. To accomplish this, I have been given the freedom to let all things go, to hold them loosely in the expectation that God may reveal to me a disordered desire that interferes with my adoration, response and nourishing work of God. Therefore, I have aligned my will solely with God’s heart, to want without reserve whatever He wants, and to never want under any pretext anything which He does not want. I will endeavor to not pursue success, legacy, or recognition for myself; to not expect the already and reject the not yet; to not seek activity over rest, speech over silence, escape over reality, work over stillness, or answers over questions. I choose God’s way over my own that I may please Him. With this as my foundation, I explored and discovered the world of the vows held by monastics all over the world. As I read the rule of life held by different religious orders, an overarching theme of Presence continually stood out to me. The vow of Chastity is being fully present to your spouse or, if taking a vow of consecrated singleness, being fully present to Jesus Christ as your spouse. The vow of Poverty is being present in solidarity with the poor. The vow of Obedience is being fully present to God's work in our lives. The vow of Stability is being present to one's faith community. The vow of Conversion of Life is being present to the journey of holiness and wholeness. As I read the rule of life for my own order, Presence again gleamed through each of our twelve commitments. Silence, Solitude and the Contemplative Life if being present to God. Spiritual Direction is being present to our own soul. Formational Healing is being present to the fractures within our own souls, our culture and our world; being present to the Spirit and to God's continued work of creation and restoration in the world. Spiritual Friendship is being present to those with whom we travel our faith journey. Discernment Within Community is being present to life decisions in light of our charism and vocation, monastic or professional. Hospitality and the expression of Faults and Affirmations is being fully present to those with whom we share life. Consecration of Love in Celibacy & Marriage is being fully present to your spouse or, if taking a vow of consecrated singleness, being fully present to Jesus Christ as your spouse. Service to the Church is being present to one's local faith community and to the church movement to which one has committed to love and serve. Simplicity is being fully present to the spaces in which we dwell. Shared Work is being present to those with whom we dwell. Shared Economy is being present to our monastic community. ​ With those realizations in mind, it just was a matter of tying it all together into a succinct vow statement. ​ My Personal Vows Statement I desire to make a vow of presence in all of its forms and to creating space in my interior and exterior life that will enable me to be fully present to God, myself and others. I commit to welcome and practice the presence of God and to being present to the work of God in my own life and in the lives of others. I commit to being present to my vocation and to the fractures in my own soul and in our society through discernment, detachment, humility and love. I commit to being present to others in our strengths and weaknesses, our joys and sorrows, the tasks of the common life, and in our needs. I commit to being present to my husband, my family, my faith community, my monastic community, my neighborhood, and to the Earth and its inhabitants. ​ On June 26, 2019, I took my first vows in my dining room. The witnesses in the room with me were my husband, my stepson, and one of my small group leaders from our church. On the dining room table was a laptop computer that was dialed into a video conference call with my monastic community, dispersed as they are across the country. I couldn't stop smiling. I took my vows with great joy and fulfillment. My lifelong dream, one that was perhaps at times less vivid than in recent years, has come to pass in real life, in the real world. ​ Every day I wear two pieces of jewelry, a ring and a necklace. The front of the medal on the necklace has the logo for the Order of the Common Life. The back has an inscription that reads "Dream Come True". My ring is two strands intertwining with one another, a reminder of my vows to Jesus as a religious sister and to my husband as his wife. ​ Now comes the joy and privilege of living this out, day by day, moment by moment. Living a fully integrated life, being able to bring my whole self to every aspect of my life, is absolutely incredible. It has been a long journey to find myself, my vocation, my monastic community, but I wouldn't trade the journey behind nor the journey ahead for anything.