Trinity Cathedral Rule of Life
03/06/2017
Trinity Cathedral Rule of Life
How do you stay grounded in your faith? How do you keep your heart open and loving? How to you abide in hope? How do we, as a community of faith, join Christ in loving the world into wholeness? In times of personal struggle, or national strife, it can be difficult to draw from the well of spiritual strength found in our faith. For centuries Christians have adopted spiritual practices that promise, over time, to ground us in the love of God making us resilient and loving. This Rule of Life offers a set of four practices that grow out of the promises of the Baptismal Covenant. It is our belief that adopting these practices will, over time, transform our hearts and our lives. They are offered for a season, with the hope that they may become long-term habits.
The Commitments
- Connect Daily: Commit to daily spiritual practice
In the beginning there was nothing. God created all the wonders of the universe: the multitude of stars and planets, the array of plants and animals, and the mass diversity of humankind. God created it all, and nothing is apart from this creativity and love. Everything is Holy and blessed. It is our practice of disconnect and individual numbing that causes us to act apart from this reality. In a chaotic world, daily spiritual practices call us to intentionally return to the source, to God’s love and God’s call.
The Practice: Commit to daily spiritual practice whether it is for one minute, or sixty – practice daily.
- Stay Loving: Respect the dignity of every human being
Every person is a beloved child of God, deserving of and capable of love. Too often we deny this basic goodness in ourselves and others. In judgement, we distance, demonize and diminish the dignity of other people. We also turn this judgmental eye onto ourselves. In contrast Jesus lived a life of forgiveness and reconciliation. He tells us to love others as we love ourselves, to love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us.
It is difficult to stay loving when confronted by cruelty, violence, arrogance, and selfishness. There is a strong temptation to respond in kind. Jesus calls us to a higher way: to not let the cruelty of others rob us of our ability to love. Jesus modeled this when he asked God to forgive the very people who were killing him. While we may not have the spiritual strength of Jesus, we can strive to keep our hearts loving as we strive for justice in the world.
The practice: Pay attention to your thoughts and when you start berating yourself, or denying the dignity of others, redirect your thinking. Perhaps say a short prayer or mantra, such as “every person is a beloved child of God,” or “I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” Do not participate in conversations that demonize others. Pray for people you dislike or who threaten you.
- Practice Community: Worship and study together
Shortly after Jesus’ death, his followers found themselves called to live radically different lives than that of the dominant culture. Called to recognize all as beloved children of God, to cross human boundaries, befriend outcasts, and challenge oppressive powers in the way of Jesus, many fell short. They realized the need for specific practices that would give them stamina and ground them in faith and courage. Some found these practices in community, setting aside regular and specific times for eating, studying, worshipping, and praying together. Others sought silence and time apart. All found a need to return to the source of all life, and reconnect.
In two thousand years, this need has not changed. In a divisive and chaotic world, we too need practices which nurture the source of life within us. Practicing community, Jesus’ followers founded a faith which unexpectedly spread beyond boundaries in a hostile world. Their simple practices of community - sharing stories, listening deeply, eating together, sharing resources, and praying together – formed their lives, and strengthened their hearts. Whether it is to commit to weekly worship, and/or one weekly group learning activity, in this Lenten season, we invite you too to enter into the practice of community.
The practice: Commit to weekly worship and one weekly group learning opportunity.
- Do Justice: Strive for justice and peace in the world
We live in a beautiful and broken world. Believing as we do in the unity of God’s love, harm that affects any of our brothers and sisters is harm that affects us all. No matter who we are, or where we are in our spiritual journey, God calls us to be agents for justice, healing, and hope. The good news is that we have already begun. In our baptismal covenant, we promise to strive for justice and peace among all people, and to respect the dignity of every human being. In the Lord’s Prayer, we pray for God’s kingdom to come and God’s will to be done on earth as in heaven. And we have the words of the prophet Micah ringing in our ears: that what God requires of us is to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God (Micah 6:8).
When we turn our hearts to issues of injustice, suffering, and unrest, we engage in work that we cannot do alone. Thus, we open ourselves to being used and changed by God in ways that we can neither control nor predict. In this, lies hope for us and for the world.
The practice: Stay present and actively grapple with current events. Commit to one justice area and regular action. Share your experience in conversations with members of the church.