Here are my Lenten thoughts on rules of life...
I know it's a magasine article but I thought you might be interested
Do any of you follow a rule of life? Many people do, even if it’s only that we usually buy Vauxhall or Ford or Rolls Royce cars, we prefer Scarborough to Blackpool (or vice versa) or we shop at ASDA/Sainsbury’s/Co-op/Morrisons/locally*… *delete as appropriate.
Most of our rules are fairly trivial but some can affect us deeply and certainly in our spiritual lives can be part of what helps or hinders us in our faith. Someone who has part of their regular rule of faith that they always go to church on Sunday is going to have a very different experience of faith to someone whose rule is to always pray alone.
In order to prepare for Lent this year I have been on retreat for a few days at the newly reopened Scargill Community. In its setting near Kettlewell in the Yorkshire Dales it is an extraordinary complex of buildings and a perfect place to spend time. It is an unusual religious community consisting of many denominations, families, couples and single people who open their home to wayward vicars and groups to come and rest a while. Such a disparate group could easily fall apart and so they have a rule of life to guide them. It’s a very simple rule, but it is one that all community members have to formally sign up to. It struck me as something we all could learn from and it made me smile! This is how it goes:
Scargill Pathway of Life
With the creative assistance of the Holy Spirit, by following the example of Jesus, and with encouragement and guidance from the brothers and sisters who share this pathway, we try our very best to…
1. Speak often and regularly to our heavenly Father, on our own and with others, as well as unwrapping God’s gift of the Bible, allowing it to teach, illustrate, comfort and discipline.
offer everything we do and are to our heavenly Father to use as he wishes, trusting that he will enable us to mean it, and to endure the consequences.
2. Enjoy and carefully look after whichever part of the world has been generously entrusted to us by God.
3. Strengthen community through kindness and love, being sensible enough to keep the moaning inside and a smile on our faces until the right moment arrives to honestly release our complaints. Our goal is to consistently, constructively loving.
4. Welcome visitors and strangers as we would welcome Jesus himself, putting their needs before ours and treating each one as a royal guest.
5. Speak up bravely for people who are rarely heard, helping our heavenly Father to fulfil his dream of seeing the hungry fed, the sick looked after, the naked clothed and victims of injustice released from their chains.
6. Enjoy giving and receiving lots of treats - and laugh often.
Lent and Easter are a good time for reflection and in particular to examine our rule or way of life. Scargill community seem to be moving along the right lines. I wonder if we could sign up to a ‘rule’ like this or perhaps we need a different one for Cragg that includes Dock Pudding Breakfasts.
Incidentally the people at Scargill were lovely and I have had a wonderful retreat.
James
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