Sometimes the end is just the beginning. I know from experience that when I come to the end of a Bible study, a Sunday school class or a retreat that has been helpful to me, I often feel a bit lost. What will I do now? How will I possibly be able to continue the good things God seems to be working in me? Having come to the end of this series, some readers will be asking, What do I do now? The first answer is, Be with God in all of the ways you can, and continue letting the teachings of Jesus shape your mind.
There is one final exercise that I recommend, which is to create a plan for continued growth developed by you and God, and perhaps others. It is not written in stone but is for your life right now, which will likely change over time.
I have found that having a strategy, as well as a community to support me, to be extremely helpful. And yet it is something very few Christians practice. Why? There are two false narratives that inhibit people from creating a plan and joining with others: (1) I don’t need a plan, and (2) I can do it on my own.
For some reason we think that our life with God does not require effort or planning; it will just happen. Unfortunately, it never does. Regarding the first false narrative, if you fail to plan you are planning to fail. Nothing in life happens without planning, without a strategy. If you want to plant a garden or lose weight or learn how to speak Spanish, you need a plan. The same is true for spiritual formation.
Regarding the second narrative, you cannot do it on your own, nor are you expected to try. We are not designed to live in isolation. Other people can offer us support, encouragement, wisdom and discernment. The Christian life is meant to be lived in community, with people who are intentionally with you, who support you and will do what they can to help nurture your faith. There are many people who are willing to walk with you. Perhaps you already have such a group. If not, seek the help of a local church or try going online to The Apprentice Series website (www.apprenticeofjesus.org). You may be able to find an apprentice group in your area or a church that uses this curriculum and may already have “Apprentices for Life” groups you can join.
How can you continue on this path? I would encourage you to do two things: first, establish a plan to keep studying Jesus’ core narratives and keep practicing the spiritual exercises that go with them. Second, find others who will walk with you in this endeavor, holding you accountable in a loving way and encouraging you to keep going.
An Ancient Practice
Early Christian communities used the word rule to describe their strategy for growth. The idea of a rule comes from the Latin word regula, which refers to a rule or covenant that states your intentions. The first regula was an early Christian document called the Didache, probably written in the early second century. It detailed a way of life for the early Christians. Another rule was written by Saint Augustine in the fifth century. The most popular and enduring regula was written by Saint Benedict in the sixth century. Many other rules have been written for Christian communities through the ages, both Catholic and Protestant. The Methodist movement contained rules for the societies, classes and bands, which laid out the plans and expectations of those who called themselves Methodists. The word rule can seem legalistic and confining, so I have found the words plan and strategy to be more helpful.
What does a strategy do for people? It is a balanced and wholesome pattern that helps define how we want to live. It is a constant reminder of how we would like to live. It can help us to go beyond merely good intentions and into action. It is not a set of laws or an oppressive, guilt-inducing document that will make life miserable.
Unlike the rules of Saints Augustine or Benedict, I am not recommending a standard rule for every member of an apprentice group. Instead I will offer some guidelines for helping you create your own balanced program for living as an apprentice of Jesus. Then I suggest you share your plan with a group—if possible a group of people who have been through the series. (They will have a shared vocabulary and will have engaged in the same exercises.) Please note that the strategy I am suggesting is not a set of laws but a life rhythm. Though not a rigid set of exercises, neither is a rule mere suggestions we can choose to ignore—at least not if our desire is to continue to grow.
1. Writing a Soul-Training Plan— ARegulafor Life
When asked what the greatest commandment is, Jesus answered:
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (Matthew 22:37-40)
The first and greatest commandment is that we love God with all that we are: heart and soul and mind. The second commandment is that we love our neighbor as we love ourselves. This implies that we ought to love ourselves. Love, as defined in this series, is “to will the good of another.” We are to labor to care for ourselves and for one another.
“Love God and take care of yourself and each other” might be a summation of the passage. If this is our greatest task, then we need a plan, a strategy, to ensure that we are doing it as best we can. A helpful way to do this is to practice ways that allow us to do all three. The soul-training exercises at the end of each chapter of the books in The Apprentice Series can be divided into these three areas: ways we increase our love for God, ways we take care of ourselves and ways we work for the good of others. Below are the thirty-three soul-training exercises that have been recommended in this series, divided under the three headings of God, self and others.
God
Silence and Awareness of Creation
Counting Your Blessings
Praying Psalm 23
Lectio Divina
Reading the Gospel of John
Solitude
Writing a Letter to God
Living One Day Devotionally
Reading a Devotional Classic
Reading the Bible During Free Times
Two Hours with God
Worship
Self
Sleep
Silence
Margin
Slowing Down
Play
Keeping the Sabbath
Media Fast
Nonspeaking
Finding an Accountability Friend
Forgiveness Exercises
Others
Hospitality
Praying for the Success of Competitors
Secret Service
Deaccumulation
Prayer
A Day Without Gossip
Four Acts of Peculiarity
Sharing Your faith
Treasuring Our Treasures
Loving Those We Disagree With
Stewardship of Resources
Look over the list and make mental notes of your experiences with the exercises. You may even want to put stars by some of them, or rate them on a scale of one to ten in terms of how they affected you.
Step 1: Picking from the list. The first step in writing your plan is to pick several (five to ten) soul-training exercises from the preceding lists that were especially transforming for you. Do not just pick those you liked the most; pick the ones that will most help you grow in your life with God. For example, doing a forty-eight-hour media fast may not have been pleasant, but it may have been very beneficial. Try to narrow your list to around six or seven exercises. This will be a good place to start. One of the key things about writing a rule is to start with small, achievable goals. A common mistake is when people want to do too much and end up failing to keep their plan. I suggest that you try to include at least two exercises from each of the three categories.
Step 2: Adding practices not on the list. The exercises listed are not the only ways people can nurture their life with God. There are countless other spiritual exercises that people find meaningful. For example, I like to read the sermons of John Wesley, Martin Luther and George MacDonald because they inspire me and increase my love and devotion to God. I also enjoy using the daily devotional The Upper Room.
In addition to spiritual exercises there are also other nurturing practices that you may engage in from time to time. Usually these fall under the second category, self-care. I really enjoy riding horses, walking my dog and reading old novels. I have friends who love to go sailing or to knit. One student once told me he loves watching old movies. Come up with a few things that you find fulfilling but you don’t usually get around to doing. They may not seem “spiritual,” but if they affect your well-being they are spiritual.
With these three to five additional practices added to your original list from The Apprentice Series, your list should include ten to twelve practices that you believe will help increase your love for God, self and neighbor.
Step 3: Timing and frequency. The next step is to determine how often and how long you will practice these exercises. For example, let’s say you chose Bible reading as a helpful exercise. Think about how often you would like to read the Bible each week: perhaps daily or maybe two to three times a week. Then determine how long (fifteen minutes or a half hour?) or how much of the Bible (one, two or five chapters?) you want to read. Another example: will you ride your horse every week or once a month? Think about how much you need to engage in these exercises in order to get the most benefit, without overdoing it, getting frustrated and quitting.
Step 4: Creating a plan with balance and moderation. There are two criteria I would like you to think about as you look at your list. First, is the rule you have created balanced, that is, are there the right number of exercises in each of the three areas (God, self, others)? Second, is the rule attainable? It must be balanced if you are to grow, and it must attainable if you are to sustain it. You may not be able to answer this question right away. The first rule I wrote was neither balanced nor attainable. I put too many exercises on the list, with too much focus on exercises that developed my relationship with God. The frequency was also too high. I should have known I would fail when I wrote “three hours of time alone with God each day.” This is nearly impossible in terms of my daily routine, and it is more than I needed in that area of my life. It is hard to know how you will do before actually trying it, but having others examine your rule to offer their guidance can help.
Figure 9.1 is an example of a rule written by my friend and fellow apprentice Jennifer Hinz. It is a good example of balance and moderation in caring for God, herself and others.
count my blessings every Sunday before I go to sleep
sew three times a month
pray through Psalm 23 every morning
take a drive every Sunday with my family to get ice cream
give myself margin every weekend
have dinner with friends two times a month
pray for competitors every night before falling asleep
go on a walk with my family once a week
hospitality—serve others twice a month
invite family and friends to our home for dinner twice a month
Figure 9.1. Jennifer’s plan for life
Jennifer’s plan is excellent. She is a naturally giving person, so it was good to see that she included sewing (something that nourishes her soul) and margin. Jennifer was able to keep her regula for a long time because it was life-giving and challenging without being too demanding.
Figure 9.2 is the rule of my colleague Matt Johnson. Matt, as you will probably guess by looking at his plan, is a contemplative person who enjoys and benefits greatly from his times with God.
doing dishes two times each day for fifteen minutes (a.m. and p.m.)
practicing God’s presence daily—6:45-7:00 a.m.
gardening/working outside three times per week for thirty minutes—Monday, Tuesday and Thursday—7:00-7:30 a.m.
guitar playing four times per week for twenty minutes—Monday through Thursday—9:20-9:40 a.m.
contemplative/intercessory prayer once each week on Monday morning
lectio divina two times per week on Tuesday and Thursday
solitude once each week for two hours on Wednesday—7:20-9:20 a.m.
welcoming prayer—review practice once each week on Thursday—8:30 a.m.
go out with Catherine once each week—one hour on Thursday night
sabbath three times per month Friday into Saturday
service—three acts of service each week (hard to measure)
spiritual direction once each month as scheduled
Figure 9.2. Matt’s plan
As you can see, Matt’s rule contains several times for private prayer and solitude. His regula includes spending fifteen minutes a day practicing God’s presence, a full hour of prayer on Monday morning, lectio divina twice a week and one hour of holy leisure three times a month. Those are very powerful spiritual exercises, but they are also very challenging for most people, who are not used to so much solitude.
Though his plan is weighted toward nurturing his relationship with God, I probably would not tell Matt to cut back on these practices because I know how much he benefits from them. I think he finds balance in that his regula includes enough self-care (gardening, guitar playing, dates with his wife and spiritual direction) as well as service to others (doing dishes daily, three acts of service a week). One of the best things Matt has going for him is that he works each month with a spiritual director, who is able to help him discern how his plan is beneficial and, if necessary, how to modify it.
2. Allowing Others to Shape Your Plan
I have found it very helpful to have other apprentices look at my regula and offer their input, especially in terms of balance and attainability. We are not always objective, and others may be able to see an area we have missed. One time I looked at the plan of a person in my group and immediately saw that it was imbalanced. It had two exercises that nurtured his life with God, no self-care exercises and ten aimed at helping others. This friend is a very giving, loving person who lives to serve. But I was able to point out the imbalance, which he could not see. This is a form of spiritual direction. We are allowing others to peer into our practices and offer their perspective, which is a great gift.
An alternative is to bring all of your plans together and write a common plan that everyone agrees to follow for a time. A friend of mine did this with a group of eight apprentices who had gone through the series together. When they finished the series, they took a month off to write their own rules. Then they came together and shared what each had written. Together they came up with a single rule with several exercises to be done each month that all of them agreed to practice (see fig. 9.3). Their group met every two weeks to share how they were doing. By email they also shared how they were doing, what was working and where they were struggling. This became a way to offer some tips they discovered along the way.
observe a sabbath on the third Sunday of the month
read the Gospel of John in one sitting during the month
daily reading of the Sermon on the Mount—approximately fifteen minutes a day during the workweek
ten to twenty minutes of silence each day
slow down: specifically drive the speed limit and be aware of God’s presence; bless each driver that passes by
at least once a week intentionally build up a new or current relationship by writing a note, sending an email or making a call
lift each other up in daily prayer
Figure 9.3. A group rule
Notice the exercises they agreed on, as well as the frequency they chose to do them. The sabbath, for example, was important to nearly all of them, but they also knew that it can be hard for everyone to keep a sabbath every week. So they decided to all have a sabbath time together on the third Sunday of each month. This allowed them to help prepare each other for that day, as well as share ideas that worked for them. In reality, it turned out to be difficult for them to keep it on the same day.
Their group regula is attainable for the most part, but the practice of reading the Sermon on the Mount daily was a challenge because of their schedules. Some found it easy, especially those who had time on their lunch break, to sit down and read. They were surprised by how much impact other activities on the list had. For example, driving the speed limit (which is the law) had a big effect on the group. The ten to twenty minutes of silence each day was also very helpful, though some in the group had to work up to that amount by starting with five minutes, moving to ten and then to fifteen.
These three plans reveal how important balance and moderation are. I hope you will use them as guidelines, and not something to slavishly imitate. Still, there is value in learning—and even imitating for a time—the practices of those who are more experienced than we are. Paul wrote to the Corinthians,
Though you might have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers. Indeed, in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. I appeal to you, then, be imitators of me. (1 Corinthians 4:15-16)
Paul told them to imitate him not because he was the perfect model but because he was the only model they had. When we start out, it is a good idea to try to do what seasoned apprentices do.
I learned this from my time with Richard Foster and Dallas Willard. In my younger days I imitated their practices. Richard’s prayer life was particularly inspiring to me, and I prayed as I saw him pray. I even imitated the way he sat in his chair, with his hands on his knees. When I lived and worked with Dallas Willard, I was impressed with how he memorized the Bible—in large sections. I observed him doing that late into the evening some nights before retiring. I was inspired by this and started doing it myself. But in time I learned to shape and modify what I was doing to fit who I am and what I need. And that changes over time. So I offer these rules and ideas for reflection. Pray about this and consider how you might practice a rule in your own life.
3. Living Your Plan in Community
Once you have come up with a balanced and moderate plan, it is time to put it into practice. Simply having a plan will do you no good; you have to live it. This means, first of all, looking over your schedule and planning when you will engage in these practices. This is a crucial step in the process and a place where many fail. They never schedule it, and it never happens. For example, if you are going to have a weekly sabbath, put it in your datebook and plan accordingly. Second, I have found it helpful to keep my plan in front of me as much as possible. Make some copies and put one on your refrigerator and another on your bathroom mirror. Out of sight leads to out of mind. Making your plan visible provides a constant reminder.
Next, find some people who can meet regularly to ask, “How’s it going with your plan?” This kind of accountability is of immense value. Studies have shown that people who are accountable increase their ability to achieve goals. You may not need it for the first week or two when your enthusiasm is high, but over time you will need to be accountable to keep going. I also suggest using processing questions to help assess the impact of your plan and to discover where you are struggling and need change. The following questions can be used to help you analyze how God is at work in your spiritual training program.
Examen for Individuals
How am I seeing God at work in what I am doing?
Which practices am I enjoying the most? The least?
What, if anything, needs to be modified or changed in my rule?
Examen for Groups
Which old, false narratives have you struggled with since we last met?
How are you doing with your rule?
What is God teaching you through the practices in your rule?
How can we support you?
The following values of an apprentice of Jesus come from The Apprentice Series. They are the kinds of values all followers of Jesus should strive to live up to. A group of apprentices should review this list to see how they are doing personally and as a group.
Values of an Apprentice of Jesus
noncooperation with wrongdoing
sensitivity in service to others
habitual prayer for all people and in all areas of my life
nonretaliation when others try to harm me
refusal to be ruled by avarice or sexual desire
use my resources to invest in heavenly treasures
refusal to gossip or judge others
conscious of and conscientiousness toward people in need
intentionally speak words of encouragement
labor to do all things well, which glorifies my Father in the heavens
A Final Word of Encouragement
If you have made it this far—reading all three books and putting these exercises into practice—you have done something pretty special. Having worked on these books for the past ten years and taken over a hundred people through these studies in small group settings, I know how challenging it is. The wonderful thing is that it works. If you are still reading this, I suspect you know it as well. There are so many great books and curricula available to us today—from Companions in Christ to Discipleship Essentials to Disciple: Becoming Disciples Through Bible Study—that we cannot say we lack in resources or ability. The real issue comes down to this: Will we do it? Will we stay the course? Will we keep working on deepening our love for God, taking care of ourselves and loving our neighbor? I pray that you have gained some ideas and practices that will help you as you continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
