A rule of life for the modern era
We are shaped by an ancient practice, used by communities of Jesus followers for nearly 2000 years, called a Rule of Life. The meaning of Rule comes from the Greek word for trellis. A trellis is a tool designed to enable a grapevine to get off the ground and grow upward, to become more fruitful and productive.
In the same way, a Rule of Life is a schedule and set of practices and relational rhythms that create space for us to be with Jesus, become like Him, and do as He did. It is how we intend to live out our beliefs and our convictions.
When we say we want to “practice the way of Jesus, together, for the renewal of Charlotte”, a shared rule of life is what we mean. We’ve listed the nine core statements of our rule of life below for easy reference.
A rule of life is how we apprentice after Jesus.
Our Shared Rule of Life
We become a community of rest in a culture of hurry and exhaustion through the practice of Sabbath.
We become a community of communion with God in a culture of distraction and escapism through the practice of Prayer.
We become a community of holiness in a culture of indulgence and immorality through the practice of Fasting.
We become a community of peace and quiet in a culture of anxiety and noise through the practice of Solitude.
We become a community of contentment in a culture of consumerism through the practice of Generosity.
We become a community of courageous fidelity to orthodoxy in a culture of ideological compromise through the practice of Scripture.
We become a community of justice, mercy, and reconciliation in a culture of injustice and division through the practice of Service.
We become a community of love and depth in a culture of individualism and superficiality through the practice of Community.
We become a community of hospitality in a culture of hostility through the practice of Witness.
Resources
The Spiritual Health Reflection is a self-assessment tool designed to help you gauge your inner life with God and the person you are becoming in Christ. The Reflection is designed as an ongoing tool to track the trajectory of your formation over time.
The Practicing the Way Course features eight sessions of teaching, guided conversation, and spiritual exercises designed to lay a foundation for lifelong apprenticeship to Jesus. The Course is the on-ramp to the Practices and Eden’s shared rule of life.
The Rule of Life Builder is a digital tool that will help you organize your life in order to live intentionally in your apprenticeship to Jesus. This builder will help you build a personalized Rule of Life based off of Our Shared Rule of Life.