Building a Spiritual Trellis
Building a Spiritual Trellis
Having thought through the rhythms of discipleship and what we need to become resilient and growing disciples of Jesus, we are now ready to put it all together and build a spiritual trellis, or what has traditionally been called a Rule of Life. (Did you miss reading about the rhythms? Then start here.)
What is a Rule of Life?
A Rule of Life is a structure that gives us space and support to pursue a balanced life in Christ. It helps us to build life-giving rhythms into our lives that allow us to be in the presence of God, to be nourished by His Spirit, and to become his hands and feet in the world. Rather than being law, a Rule of Life is a guide for living our lives well and living them intentionally. For a great introduction to this practice, watch this video produced by Fuller Theological Seminary.
“A Rule of Life tries to answer two questions, ‘Who do I want to be”? and “How do I want to live?’”
Different Kinds of Rules
There are no right or wrong ways to building a Rule of Life. Some find more detailed and structured Rules to be helpful. Others (like me) find simple and flexible Rules to be of much more help. Below, I am going to provide some examples of three possible ways you can build a Rule of Life. The first is a simple Rule called Ebb & Flow. The second considers the a Discipleship Rhythms Rule that accounts for the spiritual nutrients & fertilizers of discipleship talked about throughout this Website. The third is a whole life model that takes the ideas of Steve Macchia’s “Creating a Rule of LIfe” and syncs it with the language I use about discipleship. In this kind of Rule, we not only take time to consider our discipleship rhythms but we consider all of life, including our relationships, finances , etc. etc. The last one is more intense so it is probably the kind of Rule you would consider once every few years as you move into new seasons of life.
A Simple Rule: Ebb & Flow/Breathe in & Breath Out
All of us need rhythms of rest and engagement. In their book, Healthy Rhythms for Leaders, Bevins and Dunwoody speak of the rhythms of ebb and flow that the monks of Lindisfarne engaged. If you are not familiar with Lindisfarne, it was an ancient Celtic monastery that was built on an island (which you can still visit). When the tides moved out at low tide, the land was exposed and one could walk from the mainland onto to the island. When the tides moved in at high tide, the island was cut off from the mainland. This situation meant that the monks engaged in two different rhythms. During high tide, they remained on the island to engage with rhythms of rest and prayer, and during low tide, they would walk off the island to engage in mission and evangelism.
In a similar manner, we can engage in rhythms of rest and engagement or what we might call ebb & flow. As another metaphor, we can engage in rhythms of breathing in God’s love, presence and empowerment & then breathing out His Light and Life in the world through the way we engage others and demonstrate our love, care, and compassion.
So, if you are new to the idea of a Rule of Life, perhaps start here. Take some time to consider your days, weeks, months, and years. What are intentional rhythms of Ebb & Flow you can incorporate into your life. What are practices that will help you spend time with the Lord and rest? What are your practices of engagement, whether that has to do with work, family life, or ministry/service to others?
Below, you can find some handouts you can download to consider the Ebb & Flow in your life.
Discipleship Rhythms Rule
In this Rule of Life, you consider the four nutrients of resiliency and growth and intentionally order your life of disciple around this. How do you want to order your days, weeks, and months around these four rhythms of Story, Presence, Journey, and Light & Life? What spiritual fertilizers would be of most help to you in this season of your life? Stay tuned for ways to create this kind of Rule in the blog below. In the meantime, here is an overview of the 4 nutrients and the 4 fertilizers per nutrient. You can refresh your understanding of these by reading this. Remember, each disciple is to engage the 4 rhythms throughout their lifespan, but the ways they do this can vary. The fertilizers provide some possible ways.
Whole-Life Rule of Life
Who do I want to be? How do I want to live? What do I most value in life?
These are the kinds of questions we seek to address in building a whole-life Rule of Life. After much thought and reflection, we come up with a road map of how we will live our lives in the next season, we write these down in some manner, and then we seek to live out that Rule as best as we can.
Now, getting more specific, we ask:
“How can I embrace my current Reality (not my hoped-for one) and tend to my Relationships, Roles, Riches, and Rhythms?” Let’s dig in a little deeper.
Reality: Who am I? How am I wired? What is my stage of Life? What is season of faith? What are my strengths and weaknesses? What are the areas where I most need to see growth? Pondering these sorts of questions help us create a Rule of Life that makes sense of how God has uniquely created us and what are the opportunities and limitations of this season are.
Relationships: Who are all the people in my life? What relationships are most important to me?
Roles: What roles do I play in life (i.e., mother, teacher, friend, church leader, etc. etc.) and what roles are most important?
Riches: How has God blessed me? What are the resources in my possession (i.e., money, home, available time available, skill sets, etc.) and how can I steward them well and be generous with them? How can I also care for myself well?
Rhythms: How can I engage each of the 4 discipleship rhythms (Story, Presence, Journey, Light & Life) in this season?
Once you sit with these questions, you are ready to go.
Click here for steps and worksheets to help you work through this Rule of Life.
