More Like a Set of Guidelines

Early in our life together we sat down and tried to think through what actual practices we would use to shape this life. In the classic monastic model, monastery/convent communities develop a “Rule,” most of which are based on a model developed by Benedict of Nursia in the 6^th Century A.D./CE. The model attempts to balance work, study, and prayer and usually structures everything around a standard set of fixed-hour prayers – often seven times a day. This model works great for monks.

But, as we have said many times, we are not monks. Nonetheless, our common life will only be common if we engage in common practices. So, we sat down and first came up with a number of goals for our life together. These included a common prayer life, a continued connection to CDSP's prayer and worship life, shared meals, time to learn about each other, shared fun time, a commitment to hospitality and welcoming others into our house, and, if possible, service of some kind to the world.

Out of this we then looked at our life schedules – classes, work, travel, etc. - and came up with the following “Rule” -

Monday - bring your own breakfast at 8am & music, check in 8:30pm in the chapel

Tuesday - dinner at 6:30pm & together time (every other week a different person shares something they care about with the group), check in 8:30pm in the chapel

Wednesday - Spanish morning prayer at CDSP (leave the house at 7am), bring your own dinner at 5:30pm if around, check in 8:30pm in the chapel

Thursday - CDSP community night

Friday - morning prayer in the chapel

Most of this is self explanatory. “Check in” refers to prayer-oriented life checking. We take what is on our minds and in our lives and pair it with some kind of text – Biblical, Book of Common Prayer, Hymnal, Poem, etc. - and use the time to see how God is working in our lives.

One aspect of this rule, though, is that a la Pirates of the Caribbean and the “Pirates' Code,” it is less of a “rule” and more of a set of “guidelines.” Or, better, as pointed out by our spiritual advisor/chaplain Dan, it fits with the original Latin sense of the term “rule” or “regula” - meaning something we commit to trying to be regular about, but not anything with punitive consequences.

I would have to say, based on 3 weeks of living our regula, that a couple of things seem to be working well. One is that we acknowledge our lives and that we aren't monks. We built it around our lives, not excluding them as somehow not part of our community and formation, and thus it works on both a practical and spiritual level. The second is that we are flexible. We don't all make every one of these. But we know they are happening and they are part of who we are, they do keep us connected and intentional.

This regula would probably not work for every community, mostly as other communities will have other goals. I personally think we will also need to revisit this regula after a couple of months of practice. The tension I expect we may have will be between being flexible enough to accommodate our life in the world, but not so flexible that we cease to be intentional about our life together.