November  2008
A toolbox of wisdom to develop, nurture and encourage teachers, small group leaders and pastors in their teaching ministry.

Rules to Live By

 



By Diana L. Hynson

We like to have an easy-to-understand, concrete list of information, advice, and steps to follow to order our lives and tasks. Look at all the titles that imply a step-by-step process — 40 Days to a Closer Walk with God, 7 Habits of Highly Successful People, Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations, and so on. Perhaps we started a trend with the Ten Commandments!

Such ordering can be quite helpful, and John Wesley offered his "three simple rules" for the edification of his General Societies. The only membership requirement for the Society participants was "‘a desire to flee from the wrath to come, and to be saved from their sins.’ But wherever this is really fixed in the soul it will be shown by its fruits.

"It is therefore expected of all who continue therein that they should continue to evidence their desire of salvation, "First: by doing no harm, by avoiding evil of every kind, especially that which is most generally practiced [and there follows a lengthy list of examples];

"Secondly: By doing good; by being in every kind merciful after their power; as they have opportunity, doing good of every possible sort, and, as far as possible to all men [and women—and here follows another list];

"Thirdly: by attending upon all the ordinances of God; [with yet another list]" (The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church, 2004, pp 73-74).
Former Bishop Reuben Job has written a short treatise, Three Simple Rules, to help the person in the pew understand what these rules mean for 21st Century Christians. Indeed, they are easy to understand, but not so easy to do. Yet, it is expected by God that if we claim the name of Christ, we also follow in his footsteps of radical love, unerring justice, and personal and corporate discipleship.

Consider these observations from Three Simple Rules and do a brief self-examination to see how much you agree and how well you implement these rules in your daily comings and goings.

• "To do no harm is a proactive response to all that is evil... [It] harm means that I will be on guard so that all my actions and even my silence will not add injury to another of God’s children or to any part of God’s creation…. When I commit myself to this way, I must see each person as a child of God" (pp 30-31).

• "Doing good is a universal command [that] is not limited to those like me or those who like me... This command is also universal in that no one is exempt from it…. This way of living will require a careful and continual assessment of my life and the world in which I live... Every act and every word must pass through the love and will of God and there be measured to discover if its purpose does indeed bring good and goodness to all it touches" (pp. 37-38).

• "Living in the presence of and in harmony with the living God… is to live life from the inside out. It is to find our moral direction, our wisdom, our courage, our strength to live faithfully from the One who authored us, called us, sustains us, and sends us into the world as witnesses who daily practice the way of living with Jesus" (p. 54).

Diana L. Hynson is Director of Learning and Teaching Ministries at the General Board of Discipleship in Nashville, TN.

Resources...

 

The Albin Institute bibliography of resources

Sacred Challenge: Blazing a New Path for the Sunday School of the Future. Mike Ratliff. Discipleship Resources. 2006. ISBN 0881774790

Feedback?

 
 

We'd like to hear from you! What would you like to see in our next issue? Drop us a line and let us know. Write us at ChristianEd@GBOD.org

 
 This newsletter was created by the Christian Education Team at GBOD and is made possible by your generous giving to the World Service Fund. You're receiving this newsletter because you've submitted your email address to us.