Transcript
If we are led by the spirit, let us also be guided by the spirit. Please be seated.
Do you know what a rule of life is? Those of you who attended adult formation in Lent might remember what it is. And for those of us who aren’t sure, a rule of life is, and I quote, a set of guidelines and commitments directing one’s life. That’s according to an Episcopal Dictionary of the church. It’s not like road rules or legal laws. It’s not restrictive, and there’s certainly no punitive action to it. Instead, our rule of life is more like creating a rhythm to life, more like a way to organize our lives, giving space to prioritize the things we want to prioritize. Our rule of life sets guidelines. Or maybe like those bumpers in the gutters of a bowling alley. If you’re not really good at bowling. A rule of life is a tool to help us stay on the path we are supposed to stay on, the path that leads to Jesus and the kingdom of God.
When we lack a consistent and thoughtful way of doing life, we can end up distracted and overwhelmed by life. With a rule of life, we can work towards aligning our schedule, our daily lives with our values, helping us to achieve that inner peace. Helping us quote, Put a hand to the plow and not look back. Interestingly, the Latin word that we translate as rule- it was originally the word for a trellis in a vineyard. You know the thing, the grapes climb up as they grow. So maybe that’s a better idea about what a rule of life does. It does not give us more things to obey. It gives us support in our growth and our journey.
If you were to create a rule of life or consider one for yourself, think about what your values are and then how you live by them becomes your principles, the unwritten rules that help you live the life you want to live. And if you write all those down and intentionally follow them, you’ve created a rule of life. Maybe your rule of life would include take a walk every day or almost every day. This heat, I think, is an excuse to skip that one. Call or text my parent, child, sibling, grandparent, best friend, whomever. Once a week or once a day. Or even make a home cooked dinner once a week for the whole family to sit down together and share a meal and talk with each other and leave the cell phones in another room. Maybe there will be something about work or school, like trying to turn in the best work you can achieve without stressing over those little tiny errors.
And of course, a rule of life should have some spiritual pieces to like go to church every Sunday. You all are great. You did that one this week. Sit in silence for five minutes every day. Express gratitude to God as often as possible. Even be an active member of Saint John’s Church. Your spiritual community. You see, a rule of life is a way of living that refocuses our lives away from the things that pull at us and make us distracted. And towards the things that matter most: God and our neighbors. And by neighbors, I mean spouses, parents, children, friends, coworkers, teachers, neighbors, even strangers.
I suspect if Paul, who wrote the letter to the Galatians that Linda just read, I suspect his rule of life would look kind of like that passage. Don’t do the works of the flesh. I’m not going to read that list. As fun as it is to read it, and also do the fruits of the spirit. But a rule of life for us has to be more specific. Not just don’t do sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, and do love, joy, peace, patience. Instead, a rule of life needs to include the specifics. I will practice faithfulness by showing up to choir practice each week. I will offer generosity by serving as a LEM. I will not practice idolatry by striving to put God above all else in my life. That was a safe one to mention from that list. In other words, I will live by the spirit because it is the spirit that gives us these fruits, these good things that we should do more of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Now I will say, I.
Rule of life isn’t always easy. In fact, it can be challenging. Kind of like a New Year’s resolution or a Lenten discipline. You know, like giving up chocolate for lent. You may falter. You may forget. You may even intentionally decide, I don’t care. I’m not doing that one today. And it’s okay. Sometimes, as long as you go back to it. As long as you return to the plow, so to speak. Return to the way of life that has us following Jesus, not distracted by the various things that pull at us in the world around us, the mundane tasks of living life and struggling to live into the fruits of the spirit.
In fact, perhaps that is what Jesus is saying in today’s gospel reading. He’s not saying that we have to forget about our earthly commitments and cares. Instead, what if he’s saying that we should prioritize the things that make us more in line with God’s plan? Because then when you’re moving forward, when you put a hand to the plow. Then you can begin to progress to the harvest of spirituality. Then you won’t even want to look back, because you’ll realize this new version of life is so much better than all that other stuff.
So now I know all of us are thinking about what our rule of life is going to be. I know. Go ahead. Write it down. See what happens when you start to follow it. Who knows, you might just grow a little bit more. Kinda like a grape vine wandering up a trellis towards the sun. Amen. Amen.