{"id":413,"date":"2010-05-28T11:17:49","date_gmt":"2010-05-28T17:17:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/raincitypastor.wordpress.com\/?p=413"},"modified":"2010-05-28T11:17:49","modified_gmt":"2010-05-28T17:17:49","slug":"b-l-e-s-s-one-way-to-do-a-rule-of-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/richarddahlstrom\/2010\/05\/28\/b-l-e-s-s-one-way-to-do-a-rule-of-life\/","title":{"rendered":"B-L-E-S-S: one way to do a rule of life"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

the bell tolls for thee...in a good way <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

I have a friend who runs a camp outside of Toronto. \u00a0It\u2019s one of the largest camps in North America. \u00a0I spoke for the staff there a few summers ago, and just the staff numbered over 300. \u00a0Their vision is to simply be the presence of Jesus by serving the campers. \u00a0It\u2019s more of an Emmaus Road experience (where people end up walking along the road with Jesus for a while before they recognize him) than a Damascus Road experience (where Paul is confronted by God\u2019s truth and revelation).<\/p>\n

When I spoke for CCCI this past April, my friend reminded me of the campwide form of \u201crule of life\u201d that they\u2019ve adopted. \u00a0They have a big bell that rings several times a day, and when it rings it reminds the staff of the commitments that they\u2019ve made by being there for the summer. \u00a0Their commitments spell BLESS, making it so simple to remember that I could pretty much articulate the essence of it still, several years after being there. \u00a0I offer it to you here, with the shortest of commentary on how each of these elements speaks to creating your own rule of life.<\/p>\n

B = be a blessin<\/strong>g \u2013 that\u2019s why you\u2019re here. \u00a0Genesis 12 reminds us all that, as children of God, we\u2019re put here to actively bless others. \u00a0Each of us needs to find our way to do that, and finding our way is best done in community because we need each other to discover our strengths and callings. \u00a0Reminding myself everyday that I\u2019m here, not to consume, but to bless, is a sort of north star, orienting me to the proper priorities.<\/p>\n

L = learn something new toda<\/strong>y \u2013 this has to do with inhaling, or receiving. \u00a0Bible reading, listening prayer, and reading are a few of the ways we do this.<\/p>\n

E = eat with someone you don\u2019t know<\/strong> \u2013 though this is hard to put into practice in a non-camp setting, the principle of hospitality applies everywhere. \u00a0Am I willing to make space in my life for people I don\u2019t know? \u00a0Am I willing to meet new people and invite them? \u00a0This is significant, and many of us struggle with this because we feel a sense of relational overload. \u00a0However, it\u2019s important to realize that the gift of being present with another, really listening and responding, needn\u2019t mean lifelong friendship. \u00a0Sometimes one simple encounter is enough to change the course of a person\u2019s life. \u00a0My friend, Major Ian Thomas picked up a hitchhiker, a German youth, back in about 1947. \u00a0As a result, the man came to Christ, and went on to direct a Bible School. \u00a0A little hospitality goes a long way sometimes, but whether we see results or not doesn\u2019t matter. \u00a0How will I make room in my life today?<\/p>\n

S = share what you\u2019ve learned today with someon<\/strong>e \u2013 this is significant because it forces us out of our isolation, forces us to think about what we\u2019ve learned and share it with someone. \u00a0 This is good because thinking about this forces me to move outside my own skin and relate with others meaningfully.<\/p>\n

S = serve someone by helping them<\/strong> \u2013 it won\u2019t be hard, once we start thinking this way, to find someone who could use a little help. \u00a0It might be a simple as opening a door for someone with their hands full. \u00a0It might be as profound as flying across the country to mourn with a friend who\u2019s lost a spouse. \u00a0But big or little isn\u2019t the point; orienting yourself to the world as a servant moves us away from being self-absorbed, and this is a move all of us could stand to make.<\/p>\n

When the bell rings, you do a little mental checklist. \u00a0I\u2019m here to bless others so\u2026am I learning, eating with someone new, sharing what I learned, and serving? \u00a0Some people are afraid of legalism regarding this kind of stuff. \u00a0I\u2019m not. \u00a0I don\u2019t beat myself up when I forget or fail in my rule of life. \u00a0Everyday\u2019s new, so I forget about failures and start each day fresh. \u00a0I\u2019m more afraid that, in our fear of legalism, we\u2019ll end up doing nothing to orient ourselves properly, and slowly drift into boredom, anxiety, and a meaning crisis. \u00a0All this could be avoided by listening for the bell.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I have a friend who runs a camp outside of Toronto. \u00a0It\u2019s one of the largest camps in North America. \u00a0I spoke for the staff there a few summers ago, and just the staff numbered over 300. \u00a0Their vision is to simply be the presence of Jesus by serving the campers. \u00a0It\u2019s more of an […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,8,17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-413","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-exhaling","category-inhaling","category-rule-of-life"],"yoast_head":"\nB-L-E-S-S: one way to do a rule of life<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"I have a friend who runs a camp outside of Toronto. \u00a0It's one of the largest camps in North America. \u00a0I spoke for the staff there a few summers ago, and\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, 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