B-L-E-S-S: one way to do a rule of life

Last updated on: May 28, 2010 at 11:17 am by Richard Dahlstrom

B-L-E-S-S: one way to do a rule of life 2010-05-28T11:17:49-07:00 Richard Dahlstrom

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

the bell tolls for thee...in a good way

I have a friend who runs a camp outside of Toronto. It’s one of the largest camps in North America. I spoke for the staff there a few summers ago, and just the staff numbered over 300. Their vision is to simply be the presence of Jesus by serving the campers. It’s more of an Emmaus Road experience (where people end up walking along the road with Jesus for a while before they recognize him) than a Damascus Road experience (where Paul is confronted by God’s truth and revelation).

When I spoke for CCCI this past April, my friend reminded me of the campwide form of “rule of life” that they’ve adopted. They have a big bell that rings several times a day, and when it rings it reminds the staff of the commitments that they’ve made by being there for the summer. Their commitments spell BLESS, making it so simple to remember that I could pretty much articulate the essence of it still, several years after being there. I offer it to you here, with the shortest of commentary on how each of these elements speaks to creating your own rule of life.

B = be a blessing – that’s why you’re here. Genesis 12 reminds us all that, as children of God, we’re put here to actively bless others. Each of us needs to find our way to do that, and finding our way is best done in community because we need each other to discover our strengths and callings. Reminding myself everyday that I’m here, not to consume, but to bless, is a sort of north star, orienting me to the proper priorities.

L = learn something new today – this has to do with inhaling, or receiving. Bible reading, listening prayer, and reading are a few of the ways we do this.

E = eat with someone you don’t know – though this is hard to put into practice in a non-camp setting, the principle of hospitality applies everywhere. Am I willing to make space in my life for people I don’t know? Am I willing to meet new people and invite them? This is significant, and many of us struggle with this because we feel a sense of relational overload. However, it’s important to realize that the gift of being present with another, really listening and responding, needn’t mean lifelong friendship. Sometimes one simple encounter is enough to change the course of a person’s life. My friend, Major Ian Thomas picked up a hitchhiker, a German youth, back in about 1947. As a result, the man came to Christ, and went on to direct a Bible School. A little hospitality goes a long way sometimes, but whether we see results or not doesn’t matter. How will I make room in my life today?

S = share what you’ve learned today with someone – this is significant because it forces us out of our isolation, forces us to think about what we’ve learned and share it with someone. This is good because thinking about this forces me to move outside my own skin and relate with others meaningfully.

S = serve someone by helping them – it won’t be hard, once we start thinking this way, to find someone who could use a little help. It might be a simple as opening a door for someone with their hands full. It might be as profound as flying across the country to mourn with a friend who’s lost a spouse. But big or little isn’t the point; orienting yourself to the world as a servant moves us away from being self-absorbed, and this is a move all of us could stand to make.

When the bell rings, you do a little mental checklist. I’m here to bless others so…am I learning, eating with someone new, sharing what I learned, and serving? Some people are afraid of legalism regarding this kind of stuff. I’m not. I don’t beat myself up when I forget or fail in my rule of life. Everyday’s new, so I forget about failures and start each day fresh. I’m more afraid that, in our fear of legalism, we’ll end up doing nothing to orient ourselves properly, and slowly drift into boredom, anxiety, and a meaning crisis. All this could be avoided by listening for the bell.

exhaling

Inhaling

Rule of Life

Previous Post

May 26, 2010

Next Tree...Next Church

Next Post

May 31, 2010 The things we picked up...step by step

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category body bridges church coffee with God Creation exhaling generosity Inhaling intimacy inviting justice leadership life questions Rest and Sabbath Reviews Rule of Life Uncategorized

Select a Month July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 August 2009

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz