Monthly Archives: March 2025

the trellis

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After this mornings reading I have spent my working day thinking over the whole idea of a rule or rhythm of life being like a trellis. A trellis is used by a gardener to help a plant to grow. Every example of the same plant looks totally different on the trellis as the plant decides which way to grow. Although they have the same genus each one develops differently according to its context: soil, air, environment. The plant develops accordingly in line with what is around the plant.

Taking that principle we can think of rules of life as being a trellis that allows us to grow in our own way and not a structure that wants to limit us. Without the trellis we would lay on the floor, grow laterally and look a bit of a mess. This means we can follow the rule (Trellis) and express it in our own individual way. They way I do silence or prayer may look totally different to how you do silence and prayer ,,, but we are both following the rule and using silence and prayer.

This following of a rule in my own context has been key to my growth over the last few years. For me personally it’s been a tough decade and I am convinced that my faith would have suffered or been cast aside (or even totally lost!) if I was not already in the practice of following my rule of life. When things could have seriously gone wrong fr my life, the strength of my faith has held me …. actually more than that, it has allowed me to excel again in a new context. Like a phoenix, I have risen from the burnt out ashes and can live again …. but only because of the supporting structure of my rule of life.

Guidance

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I’ve been reminded today that a rule of life is essential to the process of truly understanding what it is to be a disciple of Jesus.

In the same way that you can’t journey without a map, or bake without a recipe, you can’t discover more of God without a rule of life.

This rule guides us as we traverse our worlds before us. I ask God to help me to structure my life so I can learn more of what it means to live out my faith in a meaningful way. I trust that the thoughts and ideas that come after prayer are from God and need to be actioned on.

time

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In today’s reading we hear how regular prayer in integral to all monastic rules of life. Every monastery has a bell tower which is rung to remind and call people to communal prayer.
I have adopted this process using my watch which silently alerts me at set times during the day to simply stop, consider where I am encountering God in my task, and to pray. I find that this practice gives me an opportunity to take a fresh look at the day again and again as I journey through it.
Today’s reading challenges us on how we use our time and how we might be able to organise our time to make space for prayer. For me this works best when I am out walking or running. It’s an added bonus if I’m walking or running by the sea. For others it might be while sitting in a train or changing tube stations. For others it might be at coffee or smoke break times. It doesn’t matter how, but adding those little times with God in some regular pattern does influence how we see the day.
What works for you? or …. What do you think you could start with?

Influencers

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Today’s reading from Celtic Lent illustrates how the different monastic communities and rules have influenced each other over the centuries. It’s thought monasticism was imported from Egypt to Ireland which influenced the British which then reinfluenced the Irish and so on.

Today I am going to be asking myself and mulling over what and who has influenced me and forged the way I live out my faith today. I can think of many people who have had a positive impact as well as, sadly, some who have done more harm than good. I am choosing , however, today to contemplate on those positive people and practices, to give thanks to God for them and to ask how these good influencers can continue to inspire and encourage me as I move forward in my life and journey with God.

Who and what has influenced you?

Rule of Life

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In today’s Celtic Lent reading we are introduced to the concept of a rule of life.
I have followed my personal rhythm of life for many years and, if needed, I update it annually after a period of reflection.

David Cole references Pelagius who states:

In a single day we make so many decisions we cannot possibly weigh up the good and evil consequences of each decision. We are liable to make foolish and wrong decisions. …. we need a rule …a simple set of principles we live our life by. This won’t be foolproof but our decisions will more often be right than wrong.

Elements of my rhythm repeat daily, weekly, monthly and annually. For example, daily I aim to spend time in prayer and meditation, weekly I aim to run 3 times, monthly I volunteer for a local project and annually I go on retreat.

I have taken those ideas and principles from monastic communities and made them work for me. Hopefully this week we will get to look a different rules and rhythms and see which we might gain benefit from in our personal journeys with God.

Inspired?

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Today’s reading asks us if we have been challenged or inspired by the Green/White actions of the saints we’ve considered over the last week?

I think I’ve been challenged to look at new ways of discipling and living out my faith in the spheres that are nw available to me. I don’t quite see what this looks like at the moment. Maybe that’s because the in Lent journey I often find myself surrounded by fog. As I keep moving forward the fog eventually clears and I get a great surprise when I find out where I am.

into the unknown

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Todays reading shares the story of Brendan’s voyage.

Brendan was amazing. After a time of prayer Brendan, and a few friends, decided God was calling them to literally go into the unknown. They took the words of Jesus in John 3:8 seriously and decided to simply put themselves in the way of God through the wind and sea and be taken wherever it was that God would have them go. This is classic Celtic spiritually of green and white martyrdom with a solid reality check of knowing this could so easily end up as an act of red martyrdom (see my previous post if you need a reminder).

Sometimes I have felt God calling me to do something, or rather to explore something, that seems impossible to do. These have been both exciting and scary times. Brendan and his friends had no idea where they were going and must have wondered if they were going to fall off the end of the sea. Sometimes that sea would be calm and they would be drifting while others they would have experienced massive waves and just clinging on for dear life as they waited for calm.

Today, are we able to take those kind of risks for the gospel?
Today are we willing to step out into the unknown, not really knowing where we will end up or what will happen?

This resonates quite strongly with me and my journey at the moment. My journey is in no way as scary or as brave as Brendan’s. I am, however, in a situation where I am simply placing myself in front of God on a daily basis. Each day I ask that question ‘where do you want me to be?’ I have not heard any answers yet … so I , as most of us do, will continue to drift and ride waves until I see where God wishes me to be present. Id love to hear from others your experiences of stepping out into the unknown.

Consequences

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In today’s reading from the book we learn of and consider Columba.

Columba had to start again due to the consequences of his actions, which caused him to be banished from Ireland. Today we are asked to contemplate and consider that sometimes we do things that cause us to have to give things up.
It’s not the end.
It can be massively painful as we have no one else to blame other than ourselves.
By returning to God we can rise again, from the self inflicted debris around us.
Just like the phoenix, which I believe to be a Lent creature, as she rises from the ashes of past dreams, mistakes and broken lives

We can thank God that, even when there are consequences of our actions, we can rely upon God’s grace and discover a new path ahead.

To give up or to hold on …. a ‘choice’ or ‘both and’?

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Celtic Lent today introduces the story of Cuthbert.
After a vision Cuthbert gave up his old life to start anew as a monk with God. He journeyed on a horse with a spear and a servant walking beside him to the monastery door. When there he gave the servant his spear and horse and walked into the monastery with just the clothes on his back.

I have struggled with this question over the years because I think there is a bit of a balancing act to do here. I wonder if giving up everything to follow God is all that is required if we are to learn and change on our journey.

During my early Christian life I believe I gave up too much. I gave up a career, which I still believe was the correct thing to do; but I think I also gave up my true character and social class. This was due to a desire to fit in but it resulted in me denying who I was and am.

I have come to understand that Jesus called me as me. Jesus called me as the very left wing, working class, dancing, drinking, loud, dreaming and challenging, and often annoying, character that God created me to be. I may say more about this at a later date. God called me as me, with my faults and sharp edges, because God wanted me to meet others with similar faults and sharp edges so that we could learn more and travel further together.

So, as we travel today and think of Cuthbert and the others we have learned from this week; yes … let us think about what we can lay aside or give up. But let’s also commit to keeping, growing, forming and allowing those bits of our characters that God wants to use to become what God wants them to be.