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| My prayer altar |
Rhythm and Rule is a term used by Spiritual Directors to describe how to create a balance between work and prayer in one’s normal day. The idea originally comes from the monastic traditions. They use Jesus as an example of one who creates such a balance better than anyone.
However, these are not normal days. Many of us are sheltered in place, working at home. Many of us experience either isolation or overload if we are juggling work and home schooling or childcare. Many of us have extra time on our hands that we don’t know how to fill. We would rather face the demands and distractions of the work world than be alone with ourselves.
I am certainly no role model on how to manage my time, but I will share with you how I have been organizing my days since the onset of the quarantine. Please understand that there is no "one way" or "right way" to construct a rhythm and rule. This is simply my way. The times are quite flexible and can be interrupted at any time for family or friends or other demands that come up occasionally. My schedule varies somewhat from Fridays to Sundays when my wife Esther is not at work. For example, we participate in a virtual prayer group on Friday mornings and a virtual Sunday School meeting on Sunday mornings.
This “schedule” gives me a “rhythm and rule” for the days that I am alone and in isolation. This gives me a day with lots of variety to keep me from becoming down or bored. It includes both physical and spiritual exercises along with productive time and relaxation.
5:00-6:00 am Exercise: Stationary bike at home.
6:00-6:30 am Meditative walk outdoors. Sometimes I switch around the times of walking and riding the stationary bike.
7:00 am Breakfast
8:00-9:00 am Read online news
9:00-9:30 am Devotional readings: Thomas Merton (currently) and German Bible (I am reading through the Bible in German)
10:00-10:30 am Centering Prayer in silence
10:30 am Meditative porch time (sitting or pacing in stillness, viewing nature)
11:30 am Lunch
12:00pm-12:30 nap
1:00pm-4:00pm “Productive time” writing, translating, household chores, class prep., etc.
4:00-4:30 Dinner preparation
4:30 Dinner. Early dinner in order to have a fourteen-hour fast: 5:00pm-7:00am
5:00pm-9:30pm Catching up with Esther and relaxation: crossword puzzles, reading novels, social media, listening to music, TV or streaming movies
9:30pm to bed (Consciousness Examen-review of the day. Where have I experienced God today? What distracted me from experiencing God?)
Sharing our personal "rhythm and rule" is a way to learn from and share with each other. What is yours like?
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