This month we have been focusing on Whole Health – Mind, Body, and Spirit. One thing that many people find beneficial to leading a healthy life is developing their own Rule of Life.
The idea of a Rule of Life developed in Christian monastic communities, the most famous of which is the Benedictine community which date from the 6th century. St Benedict described a Rule of Life as “a handbook to make the very radical demands of the gospel a practical reality in daily life.”
Bishop John Stroyan, former Bishop of Warwick, commended developing a Rule of Life:
“The discipline of a Rule of Life, freely chosen, can help us in our relationship with God, with ourselves and with others and be an important anchor in our Christian life and discipleship. There are a few parishes in the diocese where a Rule of Life has become an integral dimension of the corporate life of the people and a foundation for the ministry and mission of the church. In addition to this, there are many individuals who observe a Rule of Life, a number of whom are oblates or tertiaries of Christian monastic or missional communities.”
The Revd Craig Groocock, Vicar of St Andrew’s, Shottery, has had a lot of experience in developing Rules of Life. He has written a paper entitled ‘Developing your own Rule of Life’ which is designed to help people design a Rule of Life that works for them.