Growing a Rule of Life
Facilitator’s Guide V.3
#ssjegrow | www.SSJE.org/grow
Background
These lessons have grown out of the life and practices of the Brothers of The Society of Saint John the
Evangelist (SSJE), a religious order for men in the Episcopal (Anglican) Church, located in Cambridge and
West Newbury, Massachusetts, U.S.A. (www.ssje.org ). The Brothers live out the Gospel of Jesus Christ
together through the ancient monastic traditions of prayer, worship, study and service, and by keeping a
common Rule of Life. This course has been co-authored by the SSJE Brothers and by the Center for the
Ministry of Teaching of the Virginia Theological Seminary. It is designed to bring useful elements of
monastic spirituality into the everyday lives of the course participants.
Overview
This series is designed to allow individuals and small groups to identify and grow into a deeper life with
God, both on their own and as a community. The facilitator will guide the participants through the major
steps of the growing process as they establish their own Rules of Life. Ultimately each participant will
create a unique and balanced Rule of Life or ‘Garden Plot’ to sustain and expand beyond the class.
The Brothers of SSJE have created a free video series which offers a mix of Brothers sharing their own
experiences and teaching about the rewards and challenges of living a Rule of Life. These videos are
available at www.SSJE.org/growrule and should be seen as complementary, but not essential, to the
resources in this Facilitator's Guide and the accompanying Participant’s Workbook. These videos are also
suitable for use by individuals.
Objectives
Participants will be able to:
 Explain the monastic origins and the purpose of Rules of Life.
 Give a definition and several examples of Rules of Life.
 Celebrate areas of their life that are going well and identify areas of their life that could go better.
 Design a concrete plan of living into a deeper relationship with God, others, self and creation.
 Understand the connection between the rhythm of nature and a Rule of Life.
 Offer support to other participants in modifying and strengthening their Rules of Life over time.
Group Size/Ages
Small Group: 10-12 participants/1 facilitator
Choose indoor or outdoor classroom space that is quiet and cozy
Appropriate for Adults and Mature Teens
Time
6 core classes/1 hour per class (+1 optional add-on class)
Allow flexibility for prayer, discussion & breaks
Materials for All Sessions
 Chairs (for all participants + extras)
 Participant Workbooks (for all participants + extras)
 Session posters (Appendix A)
 Art supplies: tape, markers, paper, pens
 Optional: Computer, projector, Internet access
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Facilitator Tips
Facilitating a group, big or small, can be a challenging and rewarding task. We offer here a list of tips to
help you along the way. Whether you’ve facilitated lots of groups or this is your first time, it doesn’t hurt
to review the list and remind yourself of the important role you will play in this course.
As a group leader, you will want to:
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Pray for participants by name before and after each session.
Create and maintain a clean, organized, attractive and comfortable space in which the group
will meet.
Listen, listen, listen! This is a time to guide the group gently. Listen where they’re taking you.
Make sure one participant doesn’t dominate the conversation. Keep the ball rolling!
See that all participants feel safe and comfortable. No one should be put on the spot or
forced to share.
Encourage participants wherever they are in their spiritual development. Each person has a
unique journey. What’s right for one person may not fit another.
Keep questions open-ended and flowing from one to the other. Avoid questions that can be
answered with a simple “yes” or “no” (they are usually ‘conversation stoppers’).
Be flexible. Try to follow the curriculum while going with the flow of the group.
Common Group Norms
Review these typical group norms before the class begins. Some of these may be more important than
others to implement depending on the nature of your group. You may want to post some or all of these
suggestions in your classroom space.
• Be willing to participate.
• Speak from your own point of view (use “I” language).
• Listen to one another. (Don’t rehearse a response while another person is still speaking.)
• Extend and receive welcome; what is offered in the circle is by invitation, not demand.
• Be as fully present as possible.
• Speak your truth in ways that respect other people’s viewpoints.
• No fixing, no saving, no advising, and no setting each other straight.
• Learn to respond to others with honest, open questions instead of counsel or corrections.
• Attend to your own inner teacher.
• Trust and learn from the silence.
• Observe strict confidentiality. Nothing a person reveals in the group should be spoken of
outside the group.
• Know that it’s possible to leave the circle with whatever it was that you needed when you
arrived.
• Maintain a prayerful presence, always trying to be sensitive to the Spirit as you listen to
others in the group and before you speak.
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Class Outline
Table of Contents
Phase 1: Exploring Rule of Life and Rhythm of Nature ...................................................... 4
Phase 2: Exploring Your Relationship to God..................................................................... 9
Phase 3: Exploring Your Relationship with Self ............................................................... 14
Phase 4: Exploring Your Relationship with Others........................................................... 18
Phase 5: Exploring Your Relationship to the Creation ..................................................... 23
Phase 6: Living in Rhythm ................................................................................................ 28
Optional Phase 7: Weeding, Pruning and Fertilizing ........................................................ 33
Appendix A: Class Posters ................................................................................................ 36
Appendix B: Activity Handouts ........................................................................................ 38
Appendix C: Additional Resources ................................................................................... 42
Appendix D: Optional Video Guide .................................................................................. 43
Appendix E: Optional Ways to Expand or Modify the Curriculum .................................. 44
Appendix F: Templates for engagement............................................................................. 45
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Phase 1: Exploring Rule of Life and Rhythm of Nature
Understanding what a Rule of Life is.
Why is it important?
Opening Reading: from Soul Feast, by Marjorie Thompson
Closing Reading: “The clearing rests in song and shade” from A Timbered Choir, by Wendell
Berry
Activity: Seed Packet Collection
Session Prep
 Clean & organize classroom before session begins.
 Arrange chairs in a circle with enough for all participants.
 Collect Materials for All Sessions (p.1).
 Create/hang up Posters:
Rule of Life, Garden Fence, Opening Prayer (Appendix A).
 Print off Rule of Life handouts for groups (Appendix B).
 Pray for the participants by name.
Daily Video Questions
Sunday: What is a Rule of Life? (introductory video)
Monday: Why write and keep a Rule of Life? (introductory video)
Tuesday: How could a Rule of Life be helpful to you right now? (introductory video)
(Ash) Wednesday: How might the rhythms you observe in nature inform the way you live?
(Day One of the Program)
 Thursday: In the garden of your life, what is thriving and what is not?
 Friday: When you connect with nature, what makes it meaningful?
 Saturday: What ‘seeds’ (ideas) have you collected for your garden plot?
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Welcoming Time/Background
(5 minutes)
As participants enter the classroom, invite them to find a seat. During this time it may be appropriate to
have drinks and light snacks to offer. Let everyone know where the restrooms are located. Start the
session on time with a calm, welcoming introduction. Hand out Participant’s Workbooks and pens.
Explain that this class developed out of the practices and teachings of the Brothers of The Society of
Saint John the Evangelist in Cambridge and in West Newbury, Massachusetts (www.ssje.org ) They are a
community of men living out the Gospel of Jesus Christ together through the ancient monastic traditions
of prayer, worship, study and service, living under a common Rule of Life. This course is designed to
bring useful elements of monastic spirituality into our everyday lives. The course was co-authored and
produced by the Center for the Ministry of Teaching at the Virginia Theological Seminary.
Introduce the additional video offerings. Explain that links and reflection questions for the daily videos
can be found in their workbooks. These are optional and meant to provide further growth between
sessions of the course.
Briefly introduce yourself and explain to the group that each session will begin with a moment of
silence. This is an opportunity to invite the Holy Spirit into this space and to clear our minds and open
our hearts. Explain that you will end the time of silence with a short prayer. Spend a few minutes in
silence with the group. Then move on to the Opening Prayer.
Opening Prayer
Have this prayer posted in the classroom throughout the course. Start each session with this prayer of
praise that will connect the group with the rhythms of nature. Ask the group to pray with you by
responding with the parts in bold. The following reading comes from the Book of Common Prayer. This is
an excerpt from a canticle entitled A Song of Creation (BCP, p.88-90):
Let the earth glorify the Lord,*
Praise him and highly exalt him forever.
Glorify the Lord, O mountains and hills, and all that grows upon the earth,*
Praise him and highly exalt him forever.
Glorify the Lord, O springs of water, seas, and streams,*
O whales and all that move in the waters.
All birds of the air, glorify the Lord,*
Praise him and highly exalt him forever.
Glorify the Lord, O beasts of the wild,*
And all you flocks and herds.
O men and women everywhere, glorify the Lord,*
Praise him and highly exalt him forever.
(A brief prayer, offering praise to God and asking for the guidance of the Holy Spirit, may follow.)
Introductions
(15 minutes)
As we reflect on God’s creation and our part in it, invite the group to take a moment to think about a
special place or moment in time when they experienced God’s presence in the natural world or came to
a new or deeper understanding of God through an encounter with some part of God’s creation.
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Then, go around the circle and ask each participant to introduce him/herself to the group and share one
moment, place or experience in God’s creation that was particularly meaningful for them. Begin the
introductions with your own story. Let them know that they can pass if they would rather not share
aloud.
Thank the group for sharing. Explain that during this class there will be many opportunities to share and
listen. All are encouraged to participate at the level at which they are most comfortable. This is not a
time to give advice but more of a time to learn and grow together.
Garden Fence
(5 minutes)
As we move into developing our own Rules of Life or garden plots, we will want to create a safe space in
which to work as a group. Think of this as putting in a fence around our gardens which offers protection
and support for further growth.
Now show the group the Garden Fence poster. Read through the following list with the group (the list is
also found in Appendix A of this Facilitator’s Guide.) Make this brief, and explain that the Garden Fence
suggestions will be posted during each class as a reminder for the group.
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Be Open. Open yourself up to the process. Invite God into each question and idea.
Be Creative. Some spend time with God by painting or journaling. Think outside the box.
Be Gentle. Be gentle with yourself. There are no right or wrong answers. This is not a
competition.
Be Realistic. Simple and honest answers are far more useful than sweeping, idealistic ones.
Be Patient. This is a lifelong process. Give yourself time to think through these questions.
Be Flexible. Be willing to modify and adjust your hopes as your life goes through different
seasons.
Ask the group if they’d like to add any additional posts to this fence. These can be group norms or simply
things that they think would be helpful in their individual journey. Encourage them to add their ideas to
their workbooks and share them with the group if they’d like.
Note: Please find additional group norms in the beginning of this facilitator’s guide. This is mainly to
use as a conversation starter. Don’t read through the whole list. Just use it as a tool to throw out ideas
if you feel the group needs it.
Opening Reading
Now have the group listen as you share aloud the opening reading. Let them know that this short
reading will help initiate the group into the process of designing a personal “Rule of Life,” which will help
us grow our spiritual lives. Explain that this reading comes from a book titled Soul Feast. The author is
Marjorie Thompson. (You may invite them to read along in the Participant’s Workbook, or you may
encourage them to listen first as you read, then read and reflect on the quote later on their own.)
Certain kinds of plants need support in order to grow properly. Tomatoes need stakes, and beans must
attach themselves to suspended strings… Without support, these plants would collapse in a heap on the
ground. Their blossoms would not have the space and sun they need to flourish, and their fruits would rot
in contact with the soil. We would be unable to enjoy their beauty and sustenance.
When it comes to spiritual growth, human beings are much like these plants. We need structure and
support. Otherwise… the fruit of the Spirit in us gets tangled and is susceptible to corruption… We need
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structure in order to have enough space, air, and light to flourish. Structure gives us the freedom to grow
as we are meant to.
There is a name in Christian tradition for the kind of structure that supports our spiritual growth. It is
called a rule of life.
A rule of life is a pattern of spiritual disciplines that provides structure and direction for growth in
holiness… It is meant to help us establish a rhythm of daily living, a basic order within which new
freedoms can grow.
Defining “Rule of Life”
(10 minutes)
Our opening reading compares our life with God to the growth of plants in a garden. Throughout this
course we will continue to make this comparison in various ways. As we move through each phase of
reflection and growth, we will work together to create our own Rules of Life. These will be our
“gardens” – to tend and nurture one day at a time.
Ask the group if they were familiar with the term ‘Rule of Life’ before this course? How would they
define this term? What are other ways to describe a collection of spiritual practices? At this time, let
folks share their thoughts.
Now ask four of the participants to volunteer to read aloud the four main points about Rules of Life
listed below. Give each one a card with a key point on it. After they read it aloud, have them tape the
card on the wall for all to see. Leave these posted throughout the course. (The four main points are
listed below and in Appendix A of this Facilitator’s Guide; a similar list can be found in Session 1 of the
Participant’s Workbook.)
The cards include the following points:
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The idea of a “Rule of Life’ comes from the Latin word regula and suggests a way to regulate or
regularize our lives to stay on an intentional path. A “Rule of Life” is not just a set of rules to live
by; rather, it is a gentle framework to guide and support us on our way.
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The first “Rules of Life” grew out of Christian monastic communities in the deserts of Egypt
during the 4rd and 5th centuries. Both communities as well as individuals can benefit from these
ancient practices.
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A “Rule of Life” allows us to live with intention and purpose in the present moment. It helps us
clarify our most important values, relationships, dreams and work.
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A “Rule of Life” is meant to be simple, realistic, flexible and achievable. It is a purposeful tool to
help us grow into a more meaningful life with God.
Activity: Explore Gardens & Collect Seeds
(15 minutes)
Now we are going to examine some sample Rules of Life. Explain that each rule has its own focus and
names specific, unique practices. Some are more reasonable than others. Some are unconventional
while others are more traditional. This is a time to learn from the practices of others and to begin
collecting seeds (ideas) for our own Rules of Life.
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Divide the class into small groups of 2-3 participants. Give each group one or more sample Rules of Life
to discuss. Have them think about and discuss what stands out for them in each particular Rule of Life.
What ideas or practices do they find attractive? What ideas or practices don’t particularly appeal to
them?
Now have the whole class come together again. Let each small group summarize their Rule(s) of Life for
the others. Ask them to share with the class what they noticed and discussed. Were some Rules more
realistic or more helpful than others? Were some more exciting or appealing than others?
At this time encourage the group to turn to the ‘Seed Packet’ image in the Participant’s Workbook. This
page provides a space to record particular spiritual practices that they’ve read about today or observed
in the lives of others that they especially drawn to. Give them time to jot down some of the practices
that appealed to them.
Final Reflection
(10 minutes)
Reinforce that every person has their own unique way of living into the fullness of God’s love. Some do
it with words, others with images. Some folks use their bodies, others find God in stillness. One seed,
one garden, is not necessarily better than another. It is important in this process not to feel
overwhelmed and try to do it all. Being realistic, patient, and creative is crucial for every good gardener!
This is an exciting opportunity to dream big and to think creatively about how you want to live deeper
into your own unique life with Christ. Try not to not limit yourself too much. Think about what kind of
garden plot is possible in this season of your life.
Throughout the next week, encourage the group to reflect on the following questions:
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What are the “givens” in your life? How will you take these into account as you think of ways to
nurture your spiritual growth?
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Why create a Rule of Life? How could a Rule of Life be useful to you today?
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At the end of your life, how would you like others to describe you and the way you lived? Does
your everyday life reflect these values? What would you like to change?
Encourage them to record their reflections in the Participant’s Workbook.
Closing Reading
Explain that in closing we will read from a poem “The clearing rests in song and shade” written by
Wendell Berry, a lover of God’s creation. Wendell Berry is a farmer, writer and preacher from Kentucky
who writes a poem every Sabbath day. This is part of his weekly Rule of Life. The poem is included in A
Timbered Choir: The Sabbath Poems, 1979-1997; by Wendell Berry (Washington, D.C.: Counterpoint,
1998), p.49.
Poem here:
http://www.journeywithjesus.net/PoemsAndPrayers/Wendell_Berry_Sabbath_Poem_VII.shtml
Close with a prayer of thanksgiving.
Remind the participants to bring their workbooks with them to the next class.
Offer closing words of your choice: Thank you! Good bye! See you next week! Be blessed!
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Phase 2: Exploring Your Relationship to God
Observing your own practices and hopes in relation to God
How is my relationship with God?
Opening Reading: from The Rule of the Society of Saint John the Evangelist
Chapter 22: Prayer and Life
Closing Reading: For Equilibrium, a Blessing - from To Bless the Space between Us, by John O’
Donohue
Activity: Garden Plot Drawing
Session Prep
 Clean & organize classroom before session begins
 Arrange chairs in a circle with enough for all participants.
 Collect Materials for All Sessions (p.1).
 Provide plenty of art supplies for garden drawings.
 Hang up Posters:
Rule of Life, Garden Fence, Opening Prayer (Appendix A)
Blank Poster to draw your Garden Plot
 Pray for the participants by name.
Daily Video Questions
 Sunday: Pick something in God’s creation to “consider” today. What did you notice or
observe?
 Monday: What makes you most aware of God’s love?
 Tuesday: Do you feel connected to God’s love on a daily basis?
 Wednesday: What do you long for in your relationship with God?
 Thursday: What needs to be weeded or cultivated in your soul for you to grow closer to
God?
 Friday: What spiritual practice might help you grow?
 Saturday: What would help you renew your relationship with God?
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Welcome/Silence
(5 minutes)
Welcome the participants back to the class. Encourage them to use the bathroom and to get water and
snacks before the class begins. Have everyone find a seat. Let them know that we will start with a
moment of silence. Remind them that this is a time to clear their minds and open their hearts to the
love of the Holy Spirit. Spend a few minutes in silence and then break the silence by leading the group in
the opening prayer. Remind them that we will start each session with this prayer of praise.
Opening Prayer
Ask the group to pray with you by responding with the parts in bold on the poster.
A Song of Creation (BCP, p.88-90):
Let the earth glorify the Lord,*
Praise him and highly exalt him forever.
Glorify the Lord, O mountains and hills, and all that grows upon the earth,*
Praise him and highly exalt him forever.
Glorify the Lord, O springs of water, seas, and streams,*
O whales and all that move in the waters.
All birds of the air, glorify the Lord,*
Praise him and highly exalt him forever.
Glorify the Lord, O beasts of the wild,*
And all you flocks and herds.
O men and women everywhere, glorify the Lord,*
Praise him and highly exalt him forever.
Session Overview
(10 minutes)
Review where the group has been on their journey so far and where you hope to take them today.
Explain that in the last session we began the journey by exploring the idea of a Rule and looking at some
sample Rules. Remind them that you left them with questions to reflect on over the week: What are the
“givens” in your life that you need to account for? Why do you want a Rule of Life? How could it be useful
to you today? At the end of your life, how would you like others to describe you and the way you lived?
What are the values you want to have reflected in your Rule of Life? Ask if anyone would like to share
any thoughts or ideas that surfaced over the week. Keep this part short and simple. Encourage them to
continue to pray about and reflect over these questions throughout the class.
Now as we move forward into our class today, we will be exploring our relationship with God. What
does your relationship with God look like? How can you nurture it? (Note: These are questions to
introduce the next phase. They don’t need to be answered yet; they will be the focus for this phase.)
The readings and activities of this session will help us explore some of these questions more deeply.
Opening Reading
Now we turn our attention to the opening reading. Explain that the opening reading is from The Rule of
the Society of Saint John the Evangelist, the religious community mentioned last week (www.ssje.org ).
This chapter from their Rule is on “Prayer and Life.” As you read this aloud, encourage the participants
to reflect on how it may apply to their own lives. They may follow the reading in the Participant’s
Workbook, and should be encouraged to read it and reflect on it later on their own.
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God the Holy Spirit longs to inspire in us prayer that includes and embraces the whole of our life. It is a
great privilege to be called to the religious life, which offers us every opportunity and encouragement to
welcome the Spirit’s transforming grace so that prayer may enter more and more into all that we are
and all that we do.
Resisting the tendency to restrict prayer to set times, we are to aim at Eucharistic living that is responsive
at all times and in all places to the divine presence.
We should seek the gifts which help us to pray without ceasing. The Spirit offers us the gift of
attentiveness by which we discern signs of God’s presence and action in creation, in other people and in
the fabric of ordinary existence. We are called to spiritual freedom by which we surrender fretfulness and
anxiety in order to be available to God in the present moment. There is the gift of spontaneity, which
gives rise to frequent brief prayers throughout the day in which we look to Christ and express our faith,
hope and love. There is the gift of prompt repentance, which encourages us to turn to God and ask for
forgiveness the instant we become aware of a fall. Through these and other like gifts, prayer comes to
permeate our life and transfigure our mundane routines.
The life of prayer calls for the courage to bring into our communion with Christ the fullness of our
humanity and the concrete realities of our daily existence, which he redeemed by his incarnation. We are
called to offer all our work to God and ask for the graces we need to do it in Christ’s name. In our prayer
we are to test whether God is confirming our intentions and desires or not. We are able to pray about
one another, our relationships and common endeavors. We are to bring him our sufferings and poverty,
our passion and sexuality, our fears and resistances, our desires and our dreams, our losses and grief. We
must spread before him our cares about the world and its peoples, our friends and families, our enemies
and those from whom we are estranged. Our successes and failures, our gifts and shortcomings, are
equally the stuff of our prayer. We are to offer the night to God as well as the day, our unconscious
selves as well as our conscious minds, acknowledging the secret and unceasing workings of the Spirit in
the depths of our hearts.
This deep intention at the heart of our life to find God in all things means learning to trust that divine
companionship continues undiminished even when we feel only boredom and frustration. We can learn
to stay still in our experience of numbness and resistance, and trust that Christ is just as truly alive in our
hearts in these times as in those in which we enjoy the sense of his presence.
Activity: Drawing Garden Plots
(20 minutes)
In this session we will spend time creatively reflecting on our own relationships with God. Just as there
are rainy seasons that bring abundance and dry seasons that produce drought, so we move through
changing seasons in our relationship with God. We want to learn from the seasons we have already lived
through and move towards a more abundant life with God in seasons to come. To do this, we’ll map
“Garden Plots” and try to learn from them.
Ask the group to turn to the “My Garden Plot” drawing in Session 2 of the Participant’s Workbook. On a
blank flip chart posted in the classroom, you can sketch out a blank garden plot for all to see. You can
move through the activity with the group on the flipchart as you explain each section to them. As a
facilitator, this is not a time to worry about perfecting your artistic skills or sharing your own personal
story in detail. Use your image as a tool to guide the participants through the process of imagining and
designing their own garden plots.
Lay out markers and additional art supplies for the group. Let them know that they can be as elaborate
and creative as they’d like. They can also keep their gardens simple and to the point if they prefer. No
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pressure either way. Encourage them to have fun with the activity, and to let their creativity be a kind
of prayer.
First, let’s start with the soil. Have the group mark off the bottom section of their paper to indicate the
ground or soil. Ask them to think about what kind of soil supports and sustains their relationship with
God. Encourage them to think about particular practices, places and people that provide nourishment
for their relationship with God. Have them draw, paint, and/or write their answers in the soil section of
their page. Try to keep an eye on the group to see when they are ready to move on to the next section.
Now let’s move on to the plants. Have them draw flowers, plants or trees growing above the soil. Ask
them to think about the kind of relationship with God that they hope to have. What kind of fruit would
they like their lives to produce as a result of their relationship with God? Have them draw, paint and/or
write their answers in the plant section of their page. Keep an eye on the group to see when they are
ready to move on to the final section.
Finally, let’s think about the sky. Have them draw the sun and/or clouds to indicate the sky. Ask them to
think about how they can incorporate prayer and regular worship into their lives. What spiritual
practices could help them grow in their relationship with God? In what ways could they live a life more
infused with prayer? What might help them grow in intimacy with God? (Think of how human beings
grow in intimacy with each other. What characterizes the intimacy of human relationships? What fosters
intimacy in relationships, and what erodes it?) Have them draw, paint, and/or write their answers in the
sky section of their page. Keep an eye on the group to see when they’re ready to go on to the next
activity.
Sharing their Gardens
(15 minutes)
Now allow some time for the participants to share their gardens with each other. You can gather the
group in a circle again and go around the circle one at a time. Or you can let them stay where they are,
and let folks stand up in front of the class as they share randomly. Just make sure everyone can hear and
see each person that shares. If your group is large, you may want to invite them to share with one or
two other people in a smaller group, then come back to the whole group.
Have them briefly describe their garden drawings to the group. Encourage each participant to focus on a
few key points from each section – soil, plants and sky. This should be a time of sharing where the
participants can learn from one another and encourage each other.
If needed, you can guide this time by asking, “What are some things that nourish your relationship with
God? What fruits do you hope to see grow out of that relationship? What are ways to grow deeper in
your relationship with God?” Keep this time simple and positive. Some folks may just want to share one
or two parts of their gardens. Others may want to share more with the group.
Final Reflection
(5 minutes)
Let the group know that you appreciate their participation in these activities. This has hopefully been a
fruitful time to reflect on their relationships with God.
Throughout the next week, encourage the group to reflect on the following questions:
● What spiritual practices have been helpful to you in the past (or are helpful in the present)?
● Is there a spiritual practice that you would like to try this week that might deepen your
relationship with to God?
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● How is God opening your heart now? What is God’s invitation to you in this season of your
life?
Encourage the class to record their reflections in the Participant’s Workbook and add to it as new ideas
come to them.
Closing Reading
For our closing reading, we will hear a poem by John O’Donohoe. He was a poet, author and priest from
Ireland. This poem is taken from the book To Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings.
For Equilibrium, a Blessing:
Poem here: http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/68613-for-equilibrium-a-blessing-like-the-joy-of-thesea
Offer the class an opportunity to comment on the poem. What is the poet talking about? How does it
relate to what we are reflecting on?
Close with a prayer of thanksgiving.
Remind them to bring their workbooks with them to the next class.
Offer some closing words of your choice: Thank you! Good bye! See you next week! Be blessed!
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Phase 3: Exploring Your Relationship with Self
Observing your own practices and hopes in relation to Self
How is my relationship with myself?
Opening Reading: from The Way of Discernment, by Steven V. Doughty and Marjorie
Thompson
Closing Reading: from Altar in the World, Barbara B. Taylor
Activity: Laying in the Grass – Head-to-toe Meditation
Session Prep
 Clean & organize classroom before session begins
 Arrange chairs in a circle with enough for all participants.
 Collect Materials for All Sessions (p.1).
 Lay out blankets and mats, light candles, turn on calm music
 Hang up Posters:
Rule of Life, Garden Fence, Opening Prayer (Appendix A)
 Pray for the participants by name.
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Daily Video Questions
Sunday: What do you love about yourself?
Monday: How has your relationship with your body changed? How might it change?
Tuesday: What frailties or weaknesses in yourself might you befriend?
Wednesday: How are you creative?
Thursday: How does it feel to imagine God looking at you – with adoring love?
Friday: How might your mind and body need to be nurtured?
Saturday: How can you find and maintain a healthier balance in your life?
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Welcome/Silence
(5 minutes)
Welcome the participants back to the class. Encourage them to use the bathroom, get water and snacks
before the class begins. Have everyone find a seat. Let them know that we will start with a moment of
silence. Remind them that this is a time to clear their minds and open their hearts to the love of the Holy
Spirit. Spend a few minutes in silence, then begin with the opening prayer of praise.
Opening Prayer
Ask the group to pray with you by responding with the parts in bold on the poster.
A Song of Creation (BCP, p.88-90):
Let the earth glorify the Lord,*
Praise him and highly exalt him forever.
Glorify the Lord, O mountains and hills, and all that grows upon the earth,*
Praise him and highly exalt him forever.
Glorify the Lord, O springs of water, seas, and streams,*
O whales and all that move in the waters.
All birds of the air, glorify the Lord,*
Praise him and highly exalt him forever.
Glorify the Lord, O beasts of the wild,*
And all you flocks and herds.
O men and women everywhere, glorify the Lord,*
Praise him and highly exalt him forever.
Session Overview
(10 minutes)
Review the main points discussed in Sessions 1 and 2, and draw their attention to what we’ll be talking
about today. Remind them that in the last session we started to review and re-imagine our relationship
with God in more depth by creating “Garden Plots.” Encourage them to revisit their Garden Plots in their
Participant’s Workbook. At the end of the last session, you left the group with several reflection
questions: What spiritual practices have been helpful to you in the past (or are helpful in the present)?
Is there a spiritual practice that you would like to try this week that might deepen your relationship with
to God? How is God opening your heart during this season of your life? Ask if anyone would like to
share any thoughts or ideas that surfaced over the week. Keep this part short and simple.
Now as we move forward into our class today, we will be exploring our relationship with ourselves.
What does your relationship with yourself look like? How can you better nurture yourself? (Note: These
are questions to introduce the next phase; we are not inviting participants to answer or discuss these
questions at this time.) The readings and activities in this session will help us explore some of these
questions more deeply.
Opening Reading
Now share the Opening Reading aloud with the group. They can follow along in the Participant’s
Workbook (Phase 3). Explain that this reading comes from a book titled The Way of Discernment. The
authors are Stephen V. Doughty and Marjorie Thompson.
The monk Thomas Merton once asked an earnest student a question that he immediately answered
himself: ‘How does an apple ripen? It just sits in the sun.’ The student, James Finley, thought long about
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that image and years later wrote, ‘A small green apple cannot ripen in one night by tightening all its
muscles, squinting its eyes and tightening its jaw in order to find itself the next morning miraculously
large, red, ripe and juicy.’ The apple just sits in the sun. It is naturally positioned to receive the daily
nourishment it needs to ripen. This is similar to how we mature in the fullness of God’s life, except that
we are not naturally positioned like the apple. We must place ourselves where we can receive the light
of God, and this is the purpose of spiritual disciplines. Through them we position ourselves to receive the
sunlight of God’s grace.
Ask the participants to respond to this reading. What is the author talking about? What does his image
of an apple turned towards the sun suggest to them? What does this have to do with spiritual
disciplines? Now explain that today, as we think about how we want to live, we are going to try to
position and open our whole selves to receive the sunlight from God’s grace.
Activity: Laying in the Grass -- Head-to-Toe Meditation
(20 minutes)
For this activity, you want to create a calm, relaxing atmosphere. You may want to dim the lights and/or
light candles. You might turn on peaceful background music or open the windows to hear the sounds of
creation. You can even move the group to a grassy spot outside under a tree, if appropriate. Do
whatever feels right for your group, taking into account their abilities and needs. You may decide to
move chairs and lay out blankets and mats. (If possible, set this up in a separate section of the room
before the session begins.)
Ask the group to think about a special place in nature that calms their spirits. We will be letting our
minds go there as we relax, reflect and listen. In this exercise we will focus on our bodies, from head to
toe. Each breath, each thought, is to be warmly welcomed during this time.
Have them set aside their workbooks. Encourage them to lie down, close their eyes, and be still. Those
who are not able to lie down may simply sit in a comfortable position. Encourage them to quietly ‘go to’
a special place in nature that calms their spirits. Have them relax as they allow their minds to wander to
this peaceful spot.
Instruct the group as follows: Start with your head. Take a deep slow breath in and now a slow breath
out. Invite the Holy Spirit into your mind. How do you nourish your mind and encourage creative
thoughts? What are ways you could provide more nourishment and stimulation for your mind? Ask God
for guidance at this time.
Move on to your shoulders and neck, the place where most of us carry our stress. Let the Spirit move
through these muscles. Slowly breathe in and out. How do you make time for rest in your life? What are
ways that you could ensure that you are getting sufficient rest? Do you set aside Sabbath time each day?
each week? Ask God for guidance at this time.
Move on to your stomach, your heart and other internal organs. Invite the Spirit to move through the
internal parts of your body. Slowly breathe in and out. How do you take care of your body? What are
ways that you could improve the health of your body? Ask God for guidance at this time.
Move on to your legs and feet. They provide balance that helps you stand and move. Invite the Spirit to
move through these parts. Slowly breathe in and out. How do you keep your life balanced? Is there any
part of your life that feels out of balance at this time? What are some ways you could create more
balance in your life? Ask God for guidance at this time.
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Finally invite the Spirit into your whole being. Slowly breathe in and out. What brings you joy, love and
fullness in life? Offer thanks to God for these things. Now invite the group to open their eyes.
Personal & Group Reflection
(15 minutes)
The participants may stay seated on their mats and blankets or they can move back to their chairs. Invite
them to open the Participant’s Workbook to the ‘My Own Self’ drawing in Session 3. Encourage them to
briefly fill in some of the blanks in this section with thoughts that may have come up during the “headto-toe meditation” exercise. You, as the facilitator, might fill out your own Body Drawing during this
time.
Now have the group sit in a circle to share some of their reflections from the activity and their drawings.
Was there anything about this exercise that felt difficult? What did they notice during the exercise and
in their reflection time? Let them share as much or as little as they’d like. Move through the Body
Drawing to guide this time of reflection, talking about one part at a time.
Final Reflection
(10 minutes)
Let the group know that you appreciate their participation in these activities. This has hopefully been a
fruitful time to reflect on their relationship with Self. Throughout the next week, encourage the group to
reflect on the following questions:
 What is one practice you would like to establish this week that would improve your relationship
with self?

What particular area of your personal life needs the most attention during this season of your
life?
Encourage them to record their thoughts, feelings, and other reflections in the Participant’s Workbook.
Closing Reading
In closing, we will be reading an excerpt from An Altar in the World by Barbara Brown Taylor. Taylor was
an Episcopal priest and is now the Butman Professor of Religion at Piedmont College. She has authored
several books. She lives on a small farm in Georgia.
To make bread or love, to dig in the earth,
to feed an animal or cook for a stranger—
these activities require no extensive commentary, no lucid theology.
All they require is someone willing to bend, reach, chop, stir.
Most of these tasks are so full of pleasure that there is no need to complicate things by calling them holy.
And yet these are the same activities that change lives,
sometimes all at once and sometimes more slowly,
the way dripping water changes stone.
In a world where faith is often construed as a way of thinking,
bodily practices remind the willing that faith is a way of life.
Ask the group to reflect briefly on the reading. What did they hear? What was their response to these
words?
Close with a prayer of thanksgiving.
Remind them to bring their workbooks to the next class.
Use closing words of your choice: Thank you! Good bye! See you next week! Be blessed!
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Phase 4: Exploring Your Relationship with Others
Observing your own practices and hopes in relation to Others
How are my relationships with others?
Opening Reading: from Rule for a New Brother, by H.Van Der Looy
Closing Reading: a quotation from Saint Teresa of Avila
Activity: Web of Connection
Session Prep
Clean & organize classroom before session begins
Arrange chairs in a circle with enough for all participants.
Collect Materials for All Sessions (p.1).
Collect scissors and three different colored yarns
Hang up Posters:
Rule of Life, Garden Fence, Opening Prayer (Appendix A)
 Pray for the participants by name.
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Daily Video Questions
Sunday: Who are the “others” in your life with whom you are called to be in relationship?
Monday: Who has loved you unconditionally, and how did that love make you feel?
Tuesday: What relationships in your life need mending or strengthening?
Wednesday: What practices help you to thrive in your relationships with others?
Thursday: To what will you say ‘no’ in order to say ‘yes’ to what is most important?
Friday: How can you grow in the ways you give and receive love?
Saturday: How will you love the people in your life?
18
Welcome/Silence
(5 minutes)
Welcome the participants back to the class. Encourage them to use the bathroom and to get water and
snacks before the class begins. Have everyone find a seat. Let them know that we will start with a
moment of silence. Remind them that this is a time to clear their minds and open their hearts to the
love of the Holy Spirit. Spend a few minutes in silence. Now lead them in the Opening Prayer.
Opening Prayer
Ask the group to pray with you by responding with the parts in bold on the poster.
A Song of Creation (BCP, p.88-90):
Let the earth glorify the Lord,*
Praise him and highly exalt him forever.
Glorify the Lord, O mountains and hills, and all that grows upon the earth,*
Praise him and highly exalt him forever.
Glorify the Lord, O springs of water, seas, and streams,*
O whales and all that move in the waters.
All birds of the air, glorify the Lord,*
Praise him and highly exalt him forever.
Glorify the Lord, O beasts of the wild,*
And all you flocks and herds.
O men and women everywhere, glorify the Lord,*
Praise him and highly exalt him forever.
Session Overview
(10 minutes)
Review where the group has been on their journey so far and what they will explore in today’s class.
Remind them that in the last phase we started to review our relationships with ourselves in more depth
by doing a head-to-toe meditation. Encourage them to revisit the Head-to-Toe Drawings in the
Participant’s Workbook. At the end of the last session, you left the group with a couple of reflection
questions: What is one practice you would like to establish this week that would improve your
relationship with self? What particular area of your personal life needs most attention during this
season? Ask if anyone would like to share any thoughts or ideas that surfaced over the week. Keep this
part short and simple.
Now as we move forward into our class today, we will be exploring our relationships with others. What
do your relationships with others look like? How can we better nurture our relationships with those
around us? (Note: These are questions to introduce the next phase. This is not meant to be a time for
participants to give lengthy answers or to discuss these questions in depth.) The readings and activities
of this session will help us explore some of these questions more deeply.
Opening Reading
Explain that the opening reading is from Rule for a New Brother by H. Van Der Looy. The chapter is
entitled “Following Jesus.” As you read this aloud, encourage the participants to reflect on how it may
apply to their own lives. Encourage them to follow along in the Participant’s Workbook as you read.
Following Jesus does not mean slavishly copying his life.
It means making his choice of life your own,
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starting from your own potential and in the place where you find yourself.
It means living for the values for which Jesus lived and died.
It means following the path he took,
and seeing things as he saw them.
If there is anything in which this life, this way, can be expressed,
in which God has revealed himself most clearly,
it is the reality of love.
You are someone only in as far as you love,
and only what has turned to love in your life will be preserved.
What love is you can learn from Jesus.
He is the one who has loved most.
He will teach you to put the centre of yourself outside.
For no one has greater love than one who lays down his life for his friends.
He will also teach you to be unlimited space for others, invitation and openness:
‘Come to me all you who are weary and overburdened and I will give you rest.’
So be converted to love every day.
Change all your energies, all your potential, into selfless gifts for the other person.
Then you yourself will be changed from within,
and through you God’s Kingdom will break into the world.
You are called to follow Jesus closely.
With Him you will take the road up to Jerusalem,
the city of suffering and glorification.
With Him you will give everything that the Kingdom may come.
On this road you are called to be least of all and not master,
to carry others' burdens and not lay your own on them,
to give freedom instead of taking it,
to grow poor in order to make others rich,
to take the cross upon yourself thus bringing joy to others,
to die in order that others may live.
This is the mystery of the gospel, and there is no purpose in endless talk about it.
Be silent – for it will be true and genuine only if you practice it.
So keep Jesus Christ before your eyes.
Don't hesitate to go anywhere he leads you;
don't stay where you are and don't look back,
but look forward with eagerness to what lies ahead. Amen.
Activity: Web of Connections
(20 minutes)
Our opening reading encourages us to carry the burdens of others while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus.
This is a huge task that requires daily discipline. As we participate in this next activity, let’s think more
deeply about how our lives affect those around us in small and big ways.
Ask the group to stand in a circle. Make sure there is enough room for them to move around a bit. Hold
one ball of yarn and stand with the group in the circle.
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Explain that you will start off by asking them a question. Then you will answer the question and throw
the ball of yarn to someone else across the circle. It is important that you hold on to part of the yarn
before you throw it and don’t let go. After someone answers the question, they should hold on to the
yarn and throw the ball to someone else across the circle. This will eventually create a web of yarn.
Start off with the first set of questions: What roles do you have that connect your life to other people? In
what ways does your daily life interact with others? As they throw the yarn, they can share some of the
specific roles they have or people with whom they interact regularly. (for example: “I am a mom” or “I
interact with folks at the grocery store.”)
After everyone gets a chance to share one or more times, have them throw the ball of yarn back to you.
Hold on to the yarn and cut it. Now tie a new color of yarn to the end of yarn that you just cut. Ask the
group: What are ways that you show love to others? to family members? to friends? to coworkers? to
strangers? As they throw this new colored yarn, they can share different ways that they show love. (for
example: “I make my wife breakfast” or “I pray for my coworkers.”)
After everyone has a chance to share one or more times, have them throw the ball of yarn back to you.
Hold on to the yarn and cut it. Now tie a third color of yarn to the end of the yarn that you just cut. Ask
the last set of questions: What are some ways you can provide healing, justice and hope to those in
need? in your neighborhood? in your town? in the world?
Let the participants share for a while, passing the yarn from one speaker to the next. Then have the last
person throw the yarn to you. Stand with the group holding the big web that has been created. Explain
that we all have a number of roles to play in our lives and that we interact with a variety of people every
day, directly and indirectly. We are all connected to one another, as the yarn symbolizes. When we
begin to think about all of these roles and all the opportunities we have to offer love and service to
others, this web gets stronger and weightier. Like vines growing wild, we can expand the life of love
together.
At this time you can have the group slowly lower the web they’ve created to the floor. You can leave this
web in the classroom for the remainder of the session as a reminder for the group.
Personal and Partner Reflection
(15 minutes)
Now have the group open their Participant’s Workbook to the “My Web of Connection” drawing in
Phase 4. Encourage them to fill in the circles on their web with the names of the people who are most
important to them. We will be reflecting especially on those relationships that need extra care.
After they’ve had time to quietly reflect, encourage each participant to find a partner. Have them sit and
share their drawings with each other. They may want to share a confession or a challenge or a hope in
regard to their relationships with others. Ask each person to write the name of their partner in their
Participant’s Workbook. Ask them to intentionally carry their partner with them throughout the week,
remembering them in prayer and offering support as they focus on their relationships with others.
Final Reflection
(10 minutes)
Let the group know that you appreciate their participation in these activities. This has hopefully been a
fruitful time to reflect on ways of deepening their relationships with others.
Throughout the next week, encourage the group to reflect on the following questions:
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
What is one practice you could establish this week that would nurture one or more of your
relationships with others?

Who are people that you interact with daily that you may not have really noticed before? Take
some time to notice them and get to know them this week.
Encourage them to record their thoughts, feelings and reflections in their Participant’s Workbook as
they go through the week.
Closing Reading
In closing, let them know that you will be reading words by Saint Teresa of Avila, the sixteenth-century
Spanish Carmelite nun and mystic. Invite them to hear her words as an invitation to celebrate how we
are called to love and serve one another as the Body of Christ.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours,
No hands but yours,
No feet but yours,
Yours are the eyes through which is to look out Christ’s compassion to the world;
Yours are the feet with which he is to go about doing good;
Yours are the hands with which he is to bless men now.”
-- Saint Teresa of Avila
Invite the group to comment on this passage. What thoughts or feelings did it invoke?
Close with a prayer of thanksgiving.
Remind them to bring their workbooks with them to the next class.
Use closing words of your choice: Thank you! Good bye! See you next week! Be blessed!
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Phase 5: Exploring Your Relationship to the Creation
Observing your own practices and hopes in relation the Creation
How is my relationship with God’s creation?
Opening Reading: from Living in Rhythm: Following Nature’s Rule, by James Koester, SSJE
Closing Reading: “Wild Geese” – a poem by Mary Oliver
Activity: Creation Collage
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Session Prep
Clean & organize classroom before session begins
Arrange chairs in a circle with enough for all participants.
Collect Materials for All Sessions (p.1).
Collect Collage Materials: scissors, magazines, colored ‘healing’ nature images, black-andwhite ‘destructive’ nature images, cardboard, glue, paint and brushes
Set up video example for class to watch (www.SSJE.org/growrulecollage)
Bibles
Hang up Posters:
Rule of Life, Garden Fence, Opening Prayer (Appendix A)
Pray for the participants by name.
Daily Video Questions
Sunday: How would you describe the ‘soil’ of your heart and soul at this time in your life?
Monday: To what part of nature do you feel most connected, and why?
Tuesday: What spiritual practices help to strengthen your connection with the natural
world?
Wednesday: How would you describe your unique ‘vocation’ in the world?
Thursday: Where could your life be pruned to bear more fruit?
Friday: How can you connect with nature in ways that bring life?
Saturday: How will you find a healthy and meaningful connection with the natural world?
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Welcome/Silence
(5 minutes)
Welcome the participants back to the class. Encourage them to use the bathroom and to get water and
snacks before the class begins. Have everyone find a seat. Let them know that we will start with a
moment of silence. Remind them that this is a time to clear their minds and open their hearts to the
love of the Holy Spirit. Spend a few minutes in silence. Now lead them in the Opening Prayer.
Opening Prayer
Ask the group to pray with you by responding with the parts in bold on the poster.
A Song of Creation (BCP, p.88-90):
Let the earth glorify the Lord,*
Praise him and highly exalt him forever.
Glorify the Lord, O mountains and hills, and all that grows upon the earth,*
Praise him and highly exalt him forever.
Glorify the Lord, O springs of water, seas, and streams,*
O whales and all that move in the waters.
All birds of the air, glorify the Lord,*
Praise him and highly exalt him forever.
Glorify the Lord, O beasts of the wild,*
And all you flocks and herds.
O men and women everywhere, glorify the Lord,*
Praise him and highly exalt him forever.
Session Overview
(10 minutes)
Review where the group has been on their journey so far and what you hope to accomplish today. In
the last phase we used balls of yarn to illustrate the web of relationships each one of us has. Encourage
the group to revisit their Vine Drawings in the Participant’s Workbook and ask if anyone has anything
further to share related to this exercise. In our last session, group members spent time sharing with
partners. They were then encouraged to pray for one another throughout the week. Give them a chance
now to share any feelings and insights that might have arisen during these prayer times. Finally, return
to the questions posed in the previous session and ask the group to share their thoughts: What is one
practice you could establish this week that would nurture one or more of your relationships with others?
Who are people that you interact with daily that you may not have really noticed before? How have you
tried to connect with them? Keep this part short and simple.
Today we will be exploring our relationship with God’s creation. What does our relationship with
creation look like? How can we better connect with and care for the environment in which we live?
(Note: These are questions to introduce the next phase. We are not asking them to answer now.) The
readings and activities of this session will help us explore some of these questions more deeply.
Opening Reading
Our reading for today is excerpted from a small booklet entitled Living in Rhythm: Following Nature’s
Rule, written by Br. James Koester, SSJE.
From the very opening of the Book of Genesis – when we see God at work, making the earth – the
creation promises to offer us a direct link back to its Creator. By looking to the wonder of creation, we
begin to fathom the mystery of our belonging to the God who made us, too. As people with the eyes of
faith, we see in the yearly cycle of the seasons the transfiguring power of the Spirit, restoring all things in
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Christ who himself fills all things… (p.2) Restoration – the restoration of our balance with nature, as well
as the restoration of the natural world itself – teaches us our own place as creatures, natural creatures,
placed on this earth by a loving Creator. (p.3)
Over the last few years, as we Brothers have been deepening our connection with the property at Emery
House – working the land to grow food, conserving the land to restore native habitats – we’ve come to
appreciate more and more just how fundamental our connection to the creation is to our lives as monks
and our wholeness as human beings. We believe that living in rhythm with nature, by the structure of a
Rule, helps each of us to grow into that vibrant life the Gardener dreamed when we were created. (p.10)
We need to get our hands dirty. We need to be physically in touch with the creation. We need to get
reconnected to nature, in a place that isn’t just manicured lawns or city parks bordered by skyscrapers.
We need to experience the good ache of using our bodies in fresh air. We need honest sweat.
I think we need this because, ultimately, it reminds us who we are, that fundamental identity the
Catechism defines as ‘part of God’s creation.’ The creation connects us with the Creator. It grounds us in
the living rhythms of which we are a part. We remember not just that we have a body, but that we are a
body – a working, interdependent, natural, physical miracle that God made. ‘For you yourself created my
inmost parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I will thank you because I am marvelously
made…’(Psalm 139:12).
We need to live in rhythm with nature because we are nature. We’re not over and above or outside of
nature; we’re part of nature, we’re part of the whole ecosystem. When we live in rhythm with nature, we
take our place as one part of this magnificent whole that God has made. Our own restoration is
fundamentally linked with the preservation and restoration of the natural world we inhabit and of which
we ourselves are a part.
As we strive to live in rhythm – as God intends us to live – we feel ourselves called into the woods, the
desert wastes, beside the running waters, under the deep blue sky. We respond to the deep fellowship
with nature that the Spirit urges, and which is a fundamental part of our humanity. We learn from the
natural world the rhythms by which we can live richer, more human and humane lives. And when we
begin to heed these rhythms, in the words of early SSJE member Father Congreve, then the Creation
‘shall become a living and personal word revealing to each of us the heart of God.’ (p.11)
Creation Collage Activity
(30 minutes)
We will be exploring our relationship with creation through story-telling by creating collages. Storytelling through art can be very powerful. As creators and storytellers we can seek out a deeper place of
understanding together.
If you have access to a projector and computer, show the following video
(www.SSJE.org/growrulecollage) to the group as an example. Go to the link. Make sure everyone in the
class can hear and see the video clearly. Spend some time at the end hearing what the group thought.
What stood out to them? Let this be a brief time of sharing. (You could also send this link to the
participants to watch before class.)
There will be three main steps in the activity today: Step 1- Find a story about caring for creation and
put your own twist on it. Step 2- Create a collage that tells your story. Step 3- Share your story.
Step 1- Find a Story
As you think of God’s creation, what story do you want to explore further and share with others? What
story needs to be told/retold?
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Select one of the passages of Scripture that talk about the creation. Here are some places to start:
Isaiah 24:1-23; Psalm 19; Psalm 104:24-30; Psalm 96:10-13; Job 37: 14-18. Or you might select a classic
story such as the story of Creation (Genesis 1 or 2) or the story of the Flood (Genesis 6:1-9:17). What
does this story or passage say to you? What thoughts or feelings does it evoke? What is its message or
invitation to us in this present age? What might these stories or passages suggest to us as we face
pressing concerns related to God’s creation. How can they help us explore or reflect on the great
questions of our day about pollution, climate change, deforestation, litter and waste, overconsumption,
or the way our lives have become disconnected from the rhythms of the natural world? What story
might you tell, what prayer or poem might you write, that would express your concern for God’s
creation?
Ask what gives them hope in relation to God’s creation. Where do they see God at work in nature? What
signs of healing and life have they noticed? Do gardens, forests, or animals best represent their joy in
creation? Encourage them to explore life-giving images of flourishing environments as well.
Invite them to record some of their thoughts in their workbook (or in a separate journal).
Step 2- Create a Collage.
Now it’s time to create collages that tell stories about God’s creation. This should be a fluid process
where the stories unfold as the collages are made. Show them the supplies you have gathered for their
us. Have a variety of art supplies scattered out on tables. These supplies should include:
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Large sheets of paper or poster board, colored markers and crayons.
Pieces of recycled cardboard (old mailing boxes, cereal boxes, paper bags, etc.) and colored
construction paper. Explain that they can rip and cut the card board or construction paper into
whatever shapes fit their stories.
Enough glue, scissors, paint, brushes and magazines to choose from. Encourage them to grab
what they want throughout the class. This is a time to get messy!
A variety of images that you’ve cut out before class. (You might select black-and-white images of
oil derricks, deforestation, landfills, litter, etc. and colorful images of gardens, farms, forests,
ocean scenes, animals, etc.) Explain that they can select from these pre-cut images or find their
own images in the used magazines you have brought for the class.
Now give them time to create their collages. It may be helpful if you create your own collage alongside
the group for extra encouragement. Turn on music if you’d like as they’re working.
Step 3- Share your Story
After the participants have had plenty of time to create their collages, bring them together again as a
group. Ask if anyone would like to volunteer to share their story. Encourage the participants to listen
and observe prayerfully and with open hearts. This is a time to learn and grow together.
Some participants may simply want to summarize their stories and the steps they took to make their
collages with the group. Others may want to tell their stories in a more dramatic/creative way. Their
stories may be hidden under layers of paint or magazine clippings. Go with the flow of the group.
Make sure everyone that would like to share has the opportunity to do so. No one should feel pressured
to share at this time. After sharing, have participants display the collages around the room.
Personal Reflection
(5 minutes)
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Encourage the participants to spend some quiet time in prayer and reflection. Ask them to turn in their
workbooks to the ‘My Creation Collage’ drawing. In the outer square they can record ways in which they
participate in the abuse of creation. In the inner spaces they can record steps they want to take to heal
creation. This should be a brief time of reflection.
Final Reflection
(10 minutes)
Let the group know that you appreciate their participation in this fun time of creating. This has hopefully
been a fruitful time to reflect on ways to deepen their relationship with God’s creation. Throughout the
next week, encourage the group to reflect on the following questions:

What practice(s) might you establish this week that would nurture your relationship with God’s
creation?

What do you notice this week in God’s creation around you?
Encourage them to record their reflections in their Participant’s Workbook.
Closing Reading
Close the session with the poem “Wild Geese” by Mary Oliver. Mary Oliver is an American poet (and an
Episcopalian!) who has won a number of awards for her work, including the Pulitzer Prize. Encourage
them to reflect on their relationship with God, with self and with all of creation as they hear her words.
Invite them to share any thoughts or feelings that might have arisen as they listened to this poem.
Remind them to bring their workbooks with them to the next class.
Use closing words of your choice: Thank you! Good bye! See you next week! Be blessed!
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Phase 6: Living in Rhythm
Developing an individual Rule of Life
How can I grow deeper in my relationship with God? with others? with myself? with creation?
Opening Reading: from “The Rule as a Guide to Personal Reflection” – from The Rule of the
Society of Saint John the Evangelist
Closing Reading: My Lord my God- Thomas Merton
Activity: Create a Garden Chart
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Session Prep
Clean & organize classroom before session begins
Arrange chairs in a circle with enough for all participants.
Collect Materials for All Sessions (p.1).
Set up a ‘Tool Shed’ (see Appendix B)
Optional: candles, music, refreshments
Hang up Posters:
Rule of Life, Garden Fence, Opening Prayer (Appendix A)
Pray for the participants by name.
Daily Video Questions
Sunday: What has sustained you through challenging seasons in the past?
Monday: How does gratitude show up in your life?
Tuesday: How will your Rule help you grow into the person you can be?
Wednesday: How might others support you on this journey?
Thursday: How will you direct your energies towards that which gives life?
Friday: What boundaries would be helpful to put in place for yourself?
Saturday: Draft a written Rule of Life that will enrich and enliven your relationships (with
God, with self, with others and with creation).
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Welcome/Silence
(10 minutes)
Welcome the participants back to the class. Encourage them to use the bathroom and to get water and
snacks before the class begins. Have everyone find a seat. Let them know that we will start with a
moment of silence. Remind them that this is a time to clear their minds and open their hearts to the
love of the Holy Spirit. Spend a few minutes in silence. Now lead them in the Opening Prayer.
Opening Prayer
Ask the group to pray with you by responding with the parts in bold on the poster.
A Song of Creation (BCP, p.88-90):
Let the earth glorify the Lord,*
Praise him and highly exalt him forever.
Glorify the Lord, O mountains and hills, and all that grows upon the earth,*
Praise him and highly exalt him forever.
Glorify the Lord, O springs of water, seas, and streams,*
O whales and all that move in the waters.
All birds of the air, glorify the Lord,*
Praise him and highly exalt him forever.
Glorify the Lord, O beasts of the wild,*
And all you flocks and herds.
O men and women everywhere, glorify the Lord,*
Praise him and highly exalt him forever.
Session Overview
(15 minutes)
Review where the group has been on their journey so far and where you hope to take them today.
Remind them that in the last phase we started to review our relationship with God’s creation through
the Collage Activity. Encourage them to revisit their Creation Drawings in their Participant’s Workbook.
At the end of the last phase, you encouraged the group to reflect on the questions: What practice(s)
might you establish this week that would nurture your relationship with God’s creation? What did you
notice this week in God’s creation? Ask if anyone would like to share any thoughts or ideas that surfaced
over the week. Keep this part short and simple.
Now we are going to combine all that we’ve learned and reflected on in each of the previous phases.
We are going to finally create our Rules of Life! Just as a garden needs continuous upkeep through each
new season, we will create a Garden Plan to nurture our Rules of Life throughout each day, week and
season. As we move forward, let us listen to the opening reading from the Brothers at SSJE.
Opening Reading
A spiritual practice with deep roots and a close connection with monastic life is that of creating a
personal rule of life. A rule of life is not a rigid law that makes daily life into the working of a machine.
Rather, it is a kind of constitution or bill of rights that makes sure that all the different elements of a
Spirit-filled life in Christ are valued and given their due place in the whole. A rule recognizes that we are
subject to all sorts of pressures that work to make life one-sided, and repress essential aspects of our
calling.
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Each individual is in some way a miniature community, subject to internal and external pressures to
avoid or neglect some aspect of her or his wholeness as a member of Christ. So it is the practice of many
serious Christians to make a covenant with themselves, a pattern of practice and discipline to which they
commit themselves to live in as full and balanced a way as possible. This personal rule of life is not a
rigid law but a constitution that helps hold together the many elements of the whole self.
“The Rule as a Guide to Personal Reflection”
The Rule of the Society of Saint John the Evangelist, p.118-9.
Activity: Create Garden Charts
(20 minutes)
Before the group starts working on their Garden Charts, take a few minutes to revisit the definitions of a
Rule of Life. Read through each point using the posters as a guide. In addition, you might want to revisit
the Garden Fence poster. This should be a brief time to remind the group of the basics as they move
forward in creating their own Rules of Life.
Now have the group open their workbooks to the ‘My Rule of Life’ drawing. Explain that this chart will
help guide them through the process of developing Rules of Life.
Explain that there are 3 main circles on the chart:
Inner Circle -Daily Upkeep
In this circle, they should write practices that they plan to do on a daily basis.
Middle Circle - Weekly Fertilizing
In this circle, they should write practices that they plan to do once a week.
Outer Circle- Seasonal Care
In this circle, they should write practices that they plan to do from time to time (monthly,
quarterly, annually, etc.).
Each circle is broken into 4 sections:
Relationship with God
Relationship with Self
Relationship with Others
Relationship with Creation
As the class works to fill in each section of their Garden Charts, they can visit the Tool Shed for
assistance. This is a designated space in the room that is set up for inspiration and guidance. This should
be a table/space set aside with reading materials, special images and artwork to offer ideas to
participants. There will also be cards laid out that have suggested spiritual practices written on them
(Appendix B). Encourage participants to visit this space whenever they need extra guidance throughout
the session.
As an optional special touch, you can turn on calming music and light some candles. Working together
on their Rules of Life should be a joyful, prayerful process. Encourage them to listen for guidance from
God, asking: How should I live into this season of my life? How will my calendar reflect my priorities and
30
values? What spiritual practices and disciplines will nourish me and set me on a right path? (Note: These
are questions to guide their work and prayers. These are not questions to discuss at this time.)
Relationship with God
(10 minutes)
Start by considering the section of the circle entitled “Relationship with God.” Encourage the group to
revisit their Garden Plot drawings. They can read back through their reflections on nurturing their
relationship with God.
Invite them to think about a few simple, realistic steps they can take to nurture their relationship with
God each day, each week and throughout the year. Encourage them to visit the Tool Shed for
inspiration, if needed.
When they’re ready, they can write their answers in the appropriate spots on their charts.
Relationship with Self
(10 minutes)
Move on to the section entitled “Relationship with Self.” Encourage the group to revisit their Head-toToe drawings. They can read back through their reflections on developing their relationship with Self.
Invite them to think about a few simple, realistic steps they can take to nurture their relationship with
self each day, each week and throughout the year. Once again, encourage them to visit the Tool Shed
for inspiration.
When they’re ready, they can write in their answers in the appropriate spots on their charts.
Relationship with Others
(10 minutes)
Next, move on to section entitled “Relationship with Others.” Encourage the group to revisit their Vine
drawings. They can read back through their reflections on nourishing their relationships with others.
Invite them to think about a few simple, realistic steps they can take to nurture their relationships with
others each day, each week and throughout the year. Once again, remind them to visit the Tool Shed for
inspiration, if needed.
When they’re ready, they can write in their answers in the appropriate spots on their charts.
Relationship with Creation
(10 minutes)
Finally, move on to the section entitled “Relationship with Creation.” Encourage the group to revisit
their Creation Collage drawings. They can read back through their reflections on their relationship with
creation.
Invite them to think about a few simple, realistic steps they can take to nurture their relationship with
God’s creation each day, each week and throughout the year. Encourage them to visit the Tool Shed for
inspiration as needed.
When they’re ready, they can record their ideas in the appropriate spots on their charts.
Group Sharing
Now have the group come together to share (or pair off in groups of two or three). Taking one section at
a time, ask them to briefly read/describe the intentions they have named in that section. This may also
be an opportunity for participants to get ideas for their Rules of Life from others.
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Closing
(5 minutes)
Congratulate the class for going through this process! Ask the group if they have any last thoughts that
they’d like to briefly share.
Encourage the group to post their Garden Charts (Rules of Life) in a special place at home where they
will notice it every day. Encourage them to continue writing reflections in their workbooks as they
practice their Rules of Life – recording what is going well, what needs to be modified, what new insights
have occurred because of their practices, etc. Encourage them to support one another in following their
Rules through continued conversations and prayers. May this be a journey of new discoveries as they
work to live out their Rules of Life.
Explain that the closing prayer comes from Thomas Merton. Merton was a Cistercian (Trappist) monk
who wrote a number of books and essays on faith and peace. Let his words be our prayer as we come to
the closing of our class time and as we go into the world to practice our Rules of Life with the faith and
hope that we are doing God’s will.
My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I
am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.
I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.
Amen.
- Thomas Merton
Closing Refreshments (optional)
Since this is the last official class, it may be nice to bring special refreshments or organize a potluck with
the group. Let the last class be a celebration of their work together.
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Optional Phase 7: Weeding, Pruning and Fertilizing
Sharing and Modifying Our Rules of Life
Cleaning up your Rule of Life
How is my garden growing after one season? What could be added or removed?
Note: This class is designed to take place at least a month or more after the last class. The participants
should have a good amount of time to practice their Rules of Life and reflect on them.
Quick Prep Checklist
 Make sure the classroom is clean and organized before the session begins.
 Arrange chairs in a circle with enough for all participants.
 Collect “materials for all sessions” (p.1).
 Collect additional materials: envelopes, stamps.
 Pray for the participants by name.
Welcome/Silence
(10 minutes)
Welcome the participants back after a long time apart. Encourage them to use the bathroom and get
snacks and water before the class begins. Have everyone find a seat. Let them know that we will start
with a moment of silence. Remind them that this is a time to clear their minds and open their hearts to
the love of the Holy Spirit. Spend a few minutes in silence and then break the silence with the opening
reading.
Opening Prayer
Ask the group to pray with you by responding with the parts in bold on the poster.
A Song of Creation (BCP, p.88-90):
Let the earth glorify the Lord,*
Praise him and highly exalt him forever.
Glorify the Lord, O mountains and hills, and all that grows upon the earth,*
Praise him and highly exalt him forever.
Glorify the Lord, O springs of water, seas, and streams,*
O whales and all that move in the waters.
All birds of the air, glorify the Lord,*
Praise him and highly exalt him forever.
Glorify the Lord, O beasts of the wild,*
And all you flocks and herds.
O men and women everywhere, glorify the Lord,*
Praise him and highly exalt him forever.
Opening Reading
“Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and
ate it up. Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up quickly, since
it had not depth of soil. And when the sun rose, it was scorched; and since it had not root, it withered
away. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. Other
seed fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirty and sixty
and a hundredfold.”
Mark 4:3-8
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Session Overview
Let the group know how pleased you are to be back together after a period apart and that you are eager
to hear about their experiences. Based on our reading today we are reminded that not all of our
practices and good intentions will produce an abundant crop. Today we will reflect on the practices that
have been particularly fruitful as well as the ones that have never sprouted or have withered away. This
is a time for participants to share their experiences of following their Rules of Life so far. This is also a
time for the group to listen and encourage one another.
As they listen, remind them to not try to fix one another or offer advice. They can ask questions of those
who are sharing for further understanding. Encourage them to think of this as a time to share prayerfully
and to listen prayerfully with a loving heart.
Group Sharing
(25 minutes)
Encourage participants to open their workbooks to their Garden Charts/ Rules of Life. Give them a few
minutes to read over their charts and any notes they have taken since the last class.
Now ask participants to volunteer to share their experience. Make sure that one participant doesn’t
dominate the conversation. Limit the time each person has to speak. Give every person an opportunity
to share if they’d like.
Facilitate this process by asking some or all of the following questions:
Has living your Rule brought order and a better sense of balance to your life? Can you describe
what’s changed?
In what ways has living your Rule of Life renewed or refreshed you? How has this been lifegiving?
What has gone well? Not so well?
How would you like to adjust your Rule of Life as you move forward into this next season?
Modify Garden Charts
(15 minutes)
Provide each member of the group with a blank copy of the circular Garden Chart. Encourage them to
write in their revised Rules of Life in the spaces provided. They may keep most of it the same if they’d
like. Even with challenges, sticking with their original intentions may be the best option. Or they may
need to adjust some parts in order to make their Rule easier or more challenging to keep. Give them
time to make these changes before the closing of class.
Closing
(10 minutes)
Remind the group that the transformation of our lives is a life-long process. As they move forward with
their modified plans, ask them to think about:
What are some ideas that might help them stay on track?
What are some ways in which they could support one another?
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Now hand out a blank sheet of paper, pen and envelope to each participant. Let them know that instead
of closing with a prayer from someone else, you want each participant to close with their own prayer.
On the sheet of paper, encourage them to write out a prayer that expresses the intention(s) behind
their Rule of Life (tell God what it is that they desire). This can be a prayer for supporting others on their
journey as well as a prayer for their own journey. Remind them that it can be as simple as ‘I want to
grow closer to You!’ – or it can be something more elaborate. It’s best to just write what is in their
hearts at the moment. Encourage them to ask for God’s help.
Have each participant put their prayer in an envelope. Have them seal and address the envelope to
themselves. Explain that you will mail out the prayers in a few months as a way to encourage them on
their journey.
Make sure you collect all the sealed addressed envelopes at the end of class. Thank the group and send
them on their way!
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Appendix A: Class Posters
Rule of Life Cards
On separate large cards/posters, write the following points. Each card should have one point on it in
bold print. These should be presented during the first phase. Leave these up throughout the other
phases as well.

The idea of a “Rule of Life’ comes from the Latin word regula and suggests a way to regulate or
regularize our lives to stay on an intentional path. A “Rule of Life” is not just a set of rules to live
by; rather, it is a gentle framework to guide and support us on our way.

The first “Rules of Life” grew out of Christian monastic communities in the deserts of Egypt
during the 4rd and 5th centuries. Both communities as well as individuals can benefit from these
ancient practices.

A “Rule of Life” allows us to live with intention and purpose in the present moment. It helps us
clarify our most important values, relationships, dreams and work.

A “Rule of Life” is meant to be simple, realistic, flexible and achievable. It is a purposeful tool to
help us grow into a more meaningful life with God.
Garden Fence Poster
On top of a flipchart, write in bold letters: ‘Garden Fence.’ Then list the following points clearly for all to
see. Post this before the class begins. Leave it posted for the remainder of the sessions as well.

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Be Open. Open yourself up to the process. Invite God into each question and idea.
Be Creative. Some spend time with God by painting or journaling. Think outside the box.
Be Gentle. Be gentle with yourself. There are no right or wrong answers. This is not a
competition.
Be Realistic. Simple and honest answers are far more useful than sweeping, idealistic ones.
Be Patient. This is a lifelong process. Give yourself time to think through these questions.
Be Flexible. Be willing to modify and adjust your hopes as your life goes through different
seasons.
Opening Prayer Poster
Write this prayer out in big letters. Make sure you put the alternate phrases in bold print. This should
be posted and read at the beginning of each class. A Song of Creation (BCP, p.88-90).
Let the earth glorify the Lord,*
Praise him and highly exalt him forever.
Glorify the Lord, O mountains and hills, and all that grows upon the earth,*
Praise him and highly exalt him forever.
Glorify the Lord, O springs of water, seas, and streams,*
O whales and all that move in the waters.
36
All birds of the air, glorify the Lord,*
Praise him and highly exalt him forever.
Glorify the Lord, O beasts of the wild,*
And all you flocks and herds.
O men and women everywhere, glorify the Lord,*
Praise him and highly exalt him forever.
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Appendix B: Activity Handouts
Sample Rules of Life
Print these off and give each group several different examples.
Several more sample Rules of Life are available on the SSJE website: www.ssje.org/growrule.
Some Daily Practices of Pope Francis
Wake at 4:45 a.m. and spend time in prayer.
Meditate on the daily reading and write a reflection.
Take an afternoon nap.
Hug and be present with each person I encounter.
Some Daily Practices of C.S. Lewis
Write/read from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
In the afternoon, take a walk outdoors in silence.
Spend tea time in solitude.
Write from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Spend evening time with loved ones.
Practices of Martin Luther King Jr. and Protestors (during SCLC protests in Birmingham)
Observe with friend and foes the ordinary rules of courtesy.
Perform regular service for others and the world.
Refrain from violence of fist, tongue and heart.
Strive to be in good spiritual and bodily health.
Meditate on the life and teachings of Jesus.
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Remember always the nonviolent movement seeks justice and reconciliation – not
victory.
Walk and talk in the manner of love; for God is love.
Pray daily to be used by God that all men and women might be free.
Sacrifice personal wishes that all might be free.
“Dr. Does-a-lot”
To shape my relationship with God I will:
Begin each day with 50 minutes of meditation on the Scriptures.
Attend all services at my church.
To shape my relationship with others I will:
Participate in a Men's Bible Study and an additional book group each week.
Hold a party for all my office staff once a month at a time to be determined.
To shape my relationship with myself I will:
Exercise for an hour every day and do yoga before going to bed.
Learn Ancient Hebrew, Greek, and Latin in three years.
To shape my relationship with God’s creation I will:
Give 50% of my income to an environmental charity.
Sell my car and walk to work every day- rain or shine.
To help me keep my Rule of Life I will:
Write my Rule of Life from memory on my bathroom mirror every morning.
*Note the Rule above is overly ambitious. You can help the group reflect on this when they share.
“Miss Vague Valerie”
To shape my relationship with God I will:
Pray more.
Be thankful.
To shape my relationship with others I will:
Practice being polite.
Focus more on my relationship with my boyfriend.
To shape my relationship with myself I will:
Let things go.
Take more time for art.
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To shape my relationship with God’s creation I will:
Use less stuff.
Ride my bike more.
To help me keep my Rule of Life I will:
Look at it from time to time.
*Note: The Rule above is overly vague. You can help the group reflect on this when they share.
“Janet L. Doe’s” Rule of Life
To shape my relationship with God I will:
Count my blessings before each meal.
Spend 10-15 minutes each evening in prayer.
To shape my relationship with others I will:
Sing to my children at night.
Surprise a family member, friend, or colleague with a gift each month.
To shape my relationship with myself I will:
Join the church's choir this September.
Reduce the time I spend on the internet to under an hour a day.
To shape my relationship with God’s creation I will:
Install a water-saving device in the toilet before the year is out.
Go on 15 minute walk in the forest by my home each morning before work.
To help me keep my Rule of Life I will:
Review it each morning and thank God for having had the chance to write it!
*Note: The Rule of Life above is a good example. It is clear and reasonable. You can help the group
reflect on this when they share.
“John Q. Doe’s” Rule of Life
To shape my relationship with God I will:
Pray by myself for 30-45 minutes twice a week.
Read and reflect on all four gospels over the course of the year.
To shape my relationship with others I will:
Volunteer at the homeless shelter twice a month.
Take my wife out to dinner once a month.
To shape my relationship with myself I will:
Not do any office work on Sundays.
Take time daily (15 minutes) for silent reflection.
To shape my relationship with God’s creation I will:
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Participate each season in my community’s wetland cleanup.
Bike or walk to work 2 times a week.
To help me keep my Rule of Life I will:
Meet with a friend once a month to share our progress and to support one another.
*Note: This Rule of Life is also clear and reasonable. You can help the group reflect on this when they
share.
Tool Shed Setup
As the participants develop their Rules of Life, the ‘Tool Shed’ will be an area set aside in the classroom
with additional resources. This area should include (but should not be limited to): a selection of books
from the resource list, inspirational art and photos, cards with examples of various spiritual practices.
Feel free to add anything to the Tool Shed that you think would be helpful.
Some examples of spiritual practices that can be posted on cards:

Meditate on an image of an icon or an image in nature each morning.

Spend time painting or knitting each week.
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Sing old hymns in the shower each night.

Swim laps focusing on a different song of praise or intercessory prayer on each lap.

Take a long quiet walk in nature each afternoon.

Write a poem once a week during your day of Sabbath rest.

Take a day of Sabbath rest each week in which you set aside your normal work.

Light a candle and spend quiet time alone for 15-30 minutes each day.

Post favorite verses in your kitchen, bathroom, or car -- and read these verses daily.

Visit an elderly person each week that is shut-in at home or in a nursing home.

Compost food at home each day and give thanks for the fertile waste.
*Add other examples of your own if you’d like. You can include more traditional practices as well that
are not listed in the list above.
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Appendix C: Additional Resources
A Timbered Choir: Sabbath Poems 1979-1997
By Wendell Berry. (Counterpoint; 1 edition (April 1, 1999))
Wild Geese
By Mary Oliver. (Bloodaxe Books Ltd (October 28, 2004))
Listening to God: Spiritual Formation in Congregations.
By John Ackerman. (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers (June 1, 2001))
The Statutes of the Carthusian Order
Charterhouse of the Transfiguration. (The Carthusian Foundation in America, Inc., 2007)
Rule for a New Brother. “Following Jesus.”
By H. van der Looy. (Templegate Pub (February 1997))
Crafting a Rule of Life: An Invitation to the Well-Ordered Way
By Stephen A. Macchia. (IVP Books (January 16, 2012))
Thoughts in Solitude
By Thomas Merton. (Farrar, Straus and Giroux (November 29, 1999))
A Hidden Wholeness: The Journey toward an Undivided Life.
By Parker J. Palmer. (Jossey-Bass; 1 edition (June 2, 2009))
An Altar in the World: A Geography of Faith
By Barbara Brown Taylor. (Harper Collins Publishers; 2009)
In the Heart of the City, In the Heart of God: Jerusalem Community Rule of Life
The Monastic Communities of Jerusalem. (St Paul’s Press, 1994)
The Rule of the Society of Saint John the Evangelist
By The Society of Saint John the Evangelist. (Cowley Publications; 2009)
Soul Feast: An Invitation to the Christian Spiritual Life
By Marjorie J. Thompson. (Westminster John Knox Press; First Edition edition (July 1, 1995))
Living Intentionally: A Workbook for Creating a Personal Rule of Life (booklet)
By Br. David Vryhof, SSJE. (“Monastic Wisdom for Everyday Living,” The Society of Saint John the
Evangelist)
Connecting to God: Nurturing Spirituality through Small Groups
By Corinee Ware. (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers (July 17, 1997))
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Appendix D: Optional Video Guide
To facilitate group use we are making compilation videos, which can be download as .MOV files,
available in advance of the dates the Brothers will post them. Visit the Resource page
www.SSJE.org/growruleresources to request access to these.
These videos are not available as a DVD.
Option 1: Showing the Videos in Class:
 Show the videos for each session at the beginning of class after the opening reading.
 If there is enough time, let the participants share their thoughts after each video.
 If there is limited time, give the group a moment of silence after each video to quietly
reflect.
 This option will work if you have access to the internet and a projector.
 Add 15-20 minutes to each session for in-class video showing.
Option 2: Viewing the Videos at Home:
 Have the participants subscribe to the daily email (www.SSJE.org.growrule) and view the
videos before each session at home.
 Remind them at the end of each session to view the videos for the next session. Explain
each week how to access them.
 Encourage participants to reflect on each question that is associated with the videos in the
backs of their workbooks or in a separate journal.
 Let them know that they don’t have to write long elaborate answers. Explain that these
videos are simply opportunities for further exploration.
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Appendix E: Optional Ways to Expand or Modify the Curriculum
Developing a Garden at your Church
 The group could develop a real garden plot at their local parish. As participants move along
this course they can work on nourishing the soil at their home church.
 Participants could develop one or two simple box gardens with flowers and herbs. Or they
could create a vegetable garden that supplies food for church potlucks or for families to use
at home. Or they could take it a step further and develop a meditative garden, perhaps
incorporating a labyrinth. The group can decide what best fits with their hopes and with the
setting of their church.
 Groups could gradually create these gardens as they take the course. Or they could wait
until the end of Phase 6 to create a garden together. After a season of practicing their Rules
of Life and working in their gardens, they could come back together for the Optional Phase.
 Additional Garden resources:
Gaia’s Garden; A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture. By Toby Hemenway. Chelsea
Green Publishing, VT- 2009.
The New Self-Sufficient Gardener. By John Semour. DK Publishing, NY- 2008.
Adjusting the program for Youth Groups
 This curriculum was originally created for adult groups but could easily be adapted for youth
groups. The activities, vocabulary and overall concepts could stay the same.
 Opening Readings could be replaced with shorter examples that would resonate with
younger people. For instance, a reflection on a modern-day saint or on an exciting social
justice movement may be appropriate.
 The examples of Rules of Life that the participants observe in the first session could also be
modified. Daily rhythms of youth could replace the examples that are provided. Reflections
from a member of a New Monastic Community or a youth working in the Episcopal Service
Corps or someone who is part of the Taize movement would make this portion richer for
youth groups.
 Additional Resources for Youth:
http://episcopalservicecorps.org/
www.schoolofconversion.org
http://www.taize.fr/en
Common Prayer. By Shane Claiborne, Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove and Enuma Okoro.
(Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan; 2010).
Using the Program in a Retreat Setting
 Even though the layout of this curriculum is geared towards a small group in a church that
meets weekly, it could be adjusted for a group on retreat.
 A small group may want to develop their own Rules of Life over a weekend retreat using the
material in this program.
 Each facilitator can adjust the time and layout so that it better fits their group’s needs.
A note to Facilitators:
Remember that you are free to modify the lessons outlined in this Facilitator’s Guide in any way you
choose. You may prefer not to do the suggested exercises, but to focus more on the questions posed by
the daily videos, for example. Adjust the classes to your setting, keeping in mind your participants
abilities and needs, and adjusting your plans to the time you have available.
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Appendix F: Templates for engagement
Draft text for an invitation email or bulletin text
Dear
Our church has decided to invite all our adults to participate in a Lenten program called "Growing a Rule
of Life". We all can experience being out of alignment with our inner selves and with nature. In our
current world it is almost too simple to be ‘plugged in’ and working around the clock. The Sabbath is no
longer officially kept, as families find themselves inundated with social obligations. Living a balanced life
requires growing and internalizing a whole set of new boundaries and rules, which may seem impossible
in the face of your already overcrowded schedule. But just as stakes and lattices nurture the growth of
young plants, so too can spiritual disciplines support the flourishing of our whole being.
This video series and accompanying workbook from the Brothers of SSJE and Center for the Ministry of
Teaching of the Virginia Theological Seminary is designed to help people bring useful elements of
monastic spirituality into the everyday lives of the course participants.
We will meet once a week [Add times here] and we will work together through the major steps of the
growing process as we establish our own Rules of Life. Ultimately each of us will create a unique and
balanced Rule of Life or ‘Garden Plot’ to sustain and expand beyond the class.
The Brothers of SSJE have created a free video series which offers a mix of Brothers sharing their own
experiences and teaching about the rewards and challenges of living a Rule of Life. These videos are
available at www.SSJE.org/growrule and should be seen as complementary to the work we will do
together.
The series asks people to think about how they relate to Time in their life over five weeks. The series
begins on Ash Wednesday, February 10th 2016 and runs through to Palm Sunday. Each day there is a
video, a provocative question and a call to reflect either in the workbook or via social media.
You can download a workbook to accompany the videos or pick up a copy at Church.
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Sign Up Sheet: Growing a Rule of Life
FOR LENT JOIN WITH MEMBERS OF OUR CHURCH.
Signup below and we will send you an email. You will receive an introductory email. Starting February
10th, 2016 you will receive short, daily videos from the Brothers of SSJE sharing their own experiences
and teaching about the rewards and challenges of living a Rule of Life.
WATCH THE VIDEOS AT HOME, ON YOUR PHONE, OR AS A GROUP
Name
Email
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Lent Formation Planning Calendar – Adjust this to fit your Church
2016
Notes:
Monday January 4
Workbooks available from
SSJE.org/growrule
Sunday, January 10
Decide how you want to support
your congregation: in groups and
individually
Sunday, January 17
Sunday, January 24
Sunday, January 31
Add a Bulletin insert, Poster and
signup sheet: Sign up by February
10th
$3 Single Workbook
$20 packet of 10 Workbooks
Sunday, February 7
Handout workbooks
February 10
Ash Wednesday
Handout workbooks
Sunday, February 14
Meet for Group Conversation on the
Rule of Life and Rhythm of Nature
Workbooks available
Sunday, February 21
Meet for Group Conversation on
Your Relation to God
Workbooks available
Sunday, February 28
Meet for Group Conversation on
Your Relation to Self
Sunday, March 6
Meet for Group Conversation on
Your Relation to Others
Sunday, March 13
Meet for Group Conversation on
Your Relation to Creation
Sunday, March 20
Palm Sunday
Meet for Group Conversation on
Living in Rhythm
Sunday, March 27
Easter Day
Sunday, April 24
(Optional) Phase 7: Weeding,
Pruning and Fertilizing
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Click here to edit and add your
information here
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Growing a Rule of Life was developed by:
The Society of Saint John the Evangelist
Cambridge, Massachusetts
www.ssje.org
The Virginia Theological Seminary's Center for the Ministry of Teaching
Alexandria, Virginia
www.vts.edu/cmt
With contributions from:
Trinity Episcopal Church
Bloomington, Indiana
www.trinitybloomington.org
We would like to especially thank:
Brother David Vryhof,
Novice Guardian, SSJE
Dr. Lisa Kimball
Associate Dean of Students and Director of the Center for the Ministry of Teaching, VTS
Kyle Matthew Oliver
Digital Missioner and Learning Lab Coordinator. Center for the Ministry of Teaching, VTS
Emily Sutterfield
Curriculum Editor Consultant, Center for the Ministry of Teaching, VTS
Ross Martinie Eiler
Director of Spiritual Formation for Adults, Trinity Episcopal Church, Bloomington, IN
Rev. Charlie Dupree
Rector, Trinity Episcopal Church, Bloomington, IN
Jamie Coats
Director, Friends of SSJE
Conor Byrne
Deputy Director, Friends of SSJE
Andrew Sinnes
2012-2013 Monastic Intern, SSJE
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