Rule of Life

This assignment stopped me in my tracks. During the class period when we shared what

Rule of Life we were committing to, I heard some really creative ideas and an emphasis on

committing to spiritual practices many don’t naturally gravitate towards. I left the class realizing

this is sacred and holy work that is about to take place. I realized I needed to put more time into

thinking and praying about what my Rule of Life should be. I used the Spiritual Disciplines

Handbook to look over my choices. A few stuck out to me, so I read and re-read their description

to try to discern why they stuck out. Before I planned my course of action I read over the prayers

I wrote this semester and my class notes.

I don’t know why I feel called to grow in the same areas that I have been tested and

refined by all semester. Maybe these seeds were planted this semester and still need to be

attentively watered and fed. I think that is how all spiritual practices are. You need to keep

exercising the muscles that have already been a part of your gym routine in order to keep

progressing.

The areas that I have been tested and refined by all semester are teachability and

submission. My vision for teachability is to lay aside my agenda and allow the Lord to teach me

what I need to change for the better. Another way to say this can be found in our handbook:

laying aside your prejudices and entertaining something new. Submission is the end result of

teachability. In order to submit you need to be teachable. My vision of submission is allowing

God’s kingdom agenda to shape my choices, relationships, and vocation (quoted from the

handbook).

My intention is to read the book, Invitations from God by Adele Calhoun as a first step to

understand what specific ways I can be more teachable. I will read twenty three pages of this
book a day and finish by Christmas. While I read, I will take notes on things that stick out to me

that I can apply to my own life. After I read this book, I will reach out to a parent or mentor to

get me connected with someone they know who is really teachable. I will have a conversation

with them about what I learned. Next I will assess if I need to focus on contemplation or

submission to further engage in being teachable. Both are the act of surrendering our agenda,

listening and waiting on God. I’m not sure what will be next. I feel this is really timely as I want

to submit the next year and a half of college I have to the Lord. A possible weekly commitment I

could engage in after my plans above wrap up would be reading the book, Absolute Surrender by

Andrew Murray or Everything Belongs by Richard Rohr. These are books on submission and

contemplative prayer.
 Annotated Bibliography

Calhoun, A. A. (2011). Invitations from God: Accepting God's Offer to Rest, Weep, Forgive,

Wait, Remember and More. IVP Books.

I will also learn more about teachability through this book, and use it to discern what

specific areas I want to become more teachable in. I will read twenty-three pages of this

book between December 17 to December 25

Calhoun, A. A. (2015). Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Practices That Transform us.

InterVarsity.

I can use the Spiritual Exercises listed under Teachability, Submission, or Contemplation

as additional resources besides reading and talking with others.

Murray, A. (2017). Absolute Surrender. B&H Books.

This book will be a resource to learn more about submission and identify parts of my life

I am anxious to have control over.

Rohr, R. (2014). Everything Belongs: The Gift of Contemplative Prayer. The Crossroad

Publishing Company.

This book will open my eyes to the gifts of contemplative prayer and show me what

prayer looks like beyond expressing what we would like to be done in the world.

* I will be having a conversation with another adult about teachability. This serves as another

resource of a different medium. I plan to brainstorm additional sources that aren’t print.