By Rev. Chris Harris
The season of Easter is a time of new life, new beginnings, and new growth. Having spent the last 40 days reflecting on what we might prune from our lives to make room for God and to make clear the way of love in our lives, Easter is a time to enter into the reality of what it means to live a resurrected life. One tool that Christians have used for centuries is to create a “Rule of Life.”
What Is a Rule of Life?
A rule of life is not a rigid set of rules or a legalistic checklist. Nor is it one more thing to do (or to fall behind on) in our already busy lives. Rather, a Rule of Life is more like a structure that helps us stay connected to the way of love in the midst of our busyness. Just as a vine needs a trellis to thrive, we need a rule to shape our lives. It helps us shed our old self and allows our new self in Christ to emerge. A Rule of Life is an intentional commitment to a set of practices that provide guidance, rhythm and inspiration for living a meaningful and life that brings Christ’s light to the world. As we place these practices at the heart of our daily lives and join with companions who share the commitment, we grow more and more in the unselfish, hope-filled Way of Love that Jesus embodied in the world.
You do you!
And importantly, they are not a one-size-fits-all! A Rule of Life is, by definition, personalized. We create them in concert with the unique way God made each of us so that they fit our style, our rhythms, and our personality. And while they all point us in the same direction – The Way of Love – each is our compass of our own making that we can refine and adjust as we go.
Crafting Your Rule of Life
If the idea sounds interesting to you, join us Thursday nights beginning April 11, as we gather for an 8-week series called “The Way of Love” in which we will create a rule of life for ourselves, week by week, around a set of seven spiritual practices. MORE INFO AND SIGN UP HERE.
Watch this preview VIDEO here.
Contact Rev. Chris Harris charris@christchurchcranbrook.org for more information.