Margaret Guenther, associate rector at St. Columba’s Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C., shares in, literary grace and style, the applications of the Benedictine Rule for our lives. She highlights the rule from the core of the Benedictine vows: obedience, stability, and conversion of life—each one of which will be discussed later in the essay. Guenther challenges the reader to consider a rule of life that is life-giving and affirming; She suggests that the Benedictine Rule would be a perfect place to begin. Thus, for this essay, we will consider the meaning of a rule as well as Benedictine spirituality as it is known from its core values—its vows.
A RULE OF LIFE
Guenther admits that we follow rules all the time. In fact, we are in need of them—they govern our way of life throughout our personal, professional, and religious lives. Whether we know it or not, we choose these rules for our benefit—what we eat, when and where we exercise, in pursuit of an education, etc. We tend to succumb to them, though we may not always with such a willing heart. But what she challenges us to consider is developing a rule that matters and gets to the heart of what we ultimately are striving for—to know the ineffable…the Holy Other:
A thoughtful rule of life is quite another matter. Even when it deals with the small things in our lives, a rule of life never trivial. It cannot be coerced; it must be voluntary. Prisoners, conscripts to the military, refugees in camps, even the biddable children of my early school days all live under a rule that they have not chosen. A voluntary rule is different; it has a life-giving freedom even when it seems restrictive to outsiders…Making a rule, like devising a trellis, must have something to do with real people trying to get through their days mindfully and fruitfully. The very phase ‘rule of life’ suggests something far removed from modern life, and there is always the danger of romanticizing the past and seeking to live by and unreal and absurd standard that cannot be maintained. A rule of life for the rest of us has to be rooted in the here-and-now; it has to be germane and useful (p. 13).
Marjorie J. Thompson, a Presbyterian minister and Director of Pathways Center for Spiritual Leadership at Upper Room Ministries in Nashville, Tennessee, also suggests that when we begin to think of a rule of life, such as a trellis (a support), we need to think of this as an organic whole from which patterns and rhythms flow in and out of our daily living:
A rule of life is a pattern of spiritual disciplines that provide structure and direction for growth in holiness. When we speak of patterns in our life, we mean attitudes, behaviors, or elements that are routine, repeated, regular. Indeed, the Latin term for ‘rule’ is regula, from which our words regular and regulate derive. A rule of life is not meant to be restrictive, although it certainly asks for genuine commitment. It is meant to help us establish a rhythm of daily living, a basic order within which new freedoms can grow. A rule of life, like a trellis, curbs our tendency to wander and supports our frail efforts to grow spiritually (1995, p. 138).
In other words, a rule of life for the Christian is about intentionally seeking God’s presence within the daily life of the pilgrim. And what Guenther suggests is that the Benedictine Rule provides us with such a starting point.
THE RULE OF SAINT BENEDICT
If one begins to peruse Benedict’s Rule, the first notable characteristic will be its length—seventy-three chapters in all. But under closer scrutiny, the chapters are justified in that they give guidance and direction for communal living. Guenther never really gives a succinct answer as to “why” one should look to the Benedictine Rule as a source or dynamic for developing one's rule of life; though her book implies such reasoning and, more specifically, a nudging of sorts.
I believe Elizabeth J. Canham, a contemporary of Guenther’s and fellow Episcopal priest and writer, provides a clear argument as to why Benedictine spirituality or rule is appropriate for us occidental Christians—providing a way to reflect on our insatiable need to consume:
The Rule of Saint Benedict embodies the conviction that we have all we need—we have enough. Conversely Benedict also tells us that we need all we have, for all our gifts, personal history, and life experiences make up the raw material out of which we are formed in God’s image and grow together in community…Knowing that we have enough takes us out of the never-ending tension created by greed, out of the constant envy of others that causes us to overlook our own riches, and out of the turmoil of unmet desires (1999, p. 13).
In light of Canham’s argument, I find solace in that there just might be a way in which to exit such a maddening existence. An existence and/or tension we all have to face, whether we want to or not. And this is the juncture at which Guenther alludes to the three Benedictine vows—obedience, stability, and conversion of life.
Obedience
Guenther views this vow as mutual obedience—an obedience that is not forceful or heavy-handed but instead is a movement of compromises and respectful overtones within relationships:
True obedience is a gift we bring to each other in love. And it is related—if we trace it back to its Latin roots—to a strong, ordinary little word: audire, to hear. Obedience is to be lovingly present and attentive to another; to hear, truly to hear what the other is saying, with words and sometimes without. We owe obedience to all those with whom we live in covenanted relationships. Hurtful things cannot thrive, but all kinds of good things can flourish when we are carefully attentive to one another (p. 18).
She reminds us that this vow is speaking to our humanness. In other words, we are not made in the image of God as mechanistic beings, though we may like to think of ourselves as such. We each play a role within the unyielding truth that we must be in community with others. And the way in which we respond to others or the lack thereof affects the broader community. Canham describes obedience as persistence:
Sometimes obedience consists of not giving up when efforts to listen to God through scripture seem unrewarding and when abandoning the attempt and opting for a less demanding activity seems easier. I often feel tempted to give up, but on one occasion my inability to focus and my decision not to give up taught me more than I might have understood at a time when I was able to be more attentive. That morning I sat with Bible, prayer book, candle, and strong coffee, trying to be still in the awareness of God’s presence. Beneath me I heard the jarring sound of heavy industrial fans drying out a basement from which six inches of flood water had just been drained. Outside fog blurred the trees, a metaphor for the cloudy muddle through which I tried to pass my attempt to pray. I could not stay focused on scripture, and inner questions escaped me….It was both unrealistic and arrogant to think that I could be as energetically attentive as I would like, and God’s invitation was to rest, let go, acknowledge the imperfection of my prayer, and offer it for God’s redeeming action (1999, pp. 142-143).
This type of persistence segues into the next vow of Benedict’s—stability.
Stability
Guenther describes stability as perseverance. Though this may sound uncannily close to what Canham describes as persistence in the vow of obedience, it is not: “This calls for perseverance, for holding on and hanging in, for making thoughtful choices and staying with them. (p. 20) Guenther further explains:
What might stability look like for today’s ordinary, on-the-go seeker? It might mean returning to the church even when you feel it has run off the rails, when the old rules of your childhood have disappeared along with the ‘Thee’s’ and ‘Thou’s.’ Or it might mean remaining committed to a congregation that seems hopelessly wrong-headed….Commitment to stabilitas demands that we at least give present circumstances a good try before we move on to the greener pasture down the street. Quite probably it too will disappoint, perhaps in new and different ways that we could never imagined (p. 21).
And yet, perseverance is not to be anchored by insecurities and outright fear. For example, we commit ourselves to those old, worn-out institutions because we know, through a reading of the scriptures, a remnant of God’s covenant remains. We persevere because we hold onto the covenant which is ours and God’s. Thus, we are always in the process of what Benedict calls a conversion of life.
Conversion of life
Lastly, Guenther remarks on the conversion of life as a life process. She highlights the fact that our choices and the places we have been and the places we are going form a pattern to the whole of life. And that these places or, better yet, stages in life provide us with nuggets of self-knowledge. Quite frankly, the gifts or charisms from God find their way through our many life choices, whether good or bad.
Guenther also recognizes that this vow of conversion is really a dedication of self to change: “It may be difficult to see that new life is coming, that our letting go and the redirecting of ourselves is movement toward a new life, and that our loss is only apparent—or at least outweighed by our gain” (p. 22). Guenther implies that these vows really constitute a cycle—that each vow tends to pull and tug at the other. Thus, Saint Benedict’s Rule is a dynamic endeavor rather than a static addition to the outdated and outmoded religious bric-a-brac that surrounds most of our lives.
FINAL REMARKS
There is much to glean from Benedictine spirituality. I know that I have been wrestling with the spirit of his vows for the past several months—wondering about the following: “What are my next steps?” “What type of education should I really pursue if any?” “Have I outgrown the church I serve?” “Is there a community out there that will accept me and my family, warts and all?” And I know I will continue to wrestle with these thoughts until they eventually transform into prayers and, hopefully, I will present them to God with a spirit of gratitude.
I have to admit, I am biased in reading Guenther’s work because I have heard her lecture before. And as with any great lecturer and teacher; I, as a student and hearer, wish I could have spent endless hours listening to her wisdom and teachings. In that respect, I am open to hear what God is saying through her writings and her presence. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading the prose of Margaret Guenther. She so eloquently places those nuggets of wisdom within sentence structure, that all can enjoy—laity, clergy, and scholars. She is truly a woman for all seasons.
References:
Canham, Elizabeth J. Heart Whispers: Benedictine Wisdom for Today. Nashville: Upper Room Books, 1999.
Guenther, Margaret. At Home in the World: A Rule of Life for the Rest of Us. New York: Seasbury Books, 2006.
Thompson, Marjorie J. Soul Feast: An Invitation to the Christian Spiritual Life. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1995.
The following interview is with Margaret Guenther as she discusses spiritual direction and/or spiritual companionship:
