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4.26 AVERAGE
4.26 AVERAGE
Finally a book about getting rid of distractions/limiting screen-time that is actually helpful and gives suggestions on what to replace screen-time rather than just saying “ just turn your phone off”.
This is worth reading for anyone. It will change my days, weeks, months, and years. Get ready for growth.
Earley exhorts his readers to consider the habits that structure their lives to discern whether or not they will enable them to withstand the pressures of our rapidly changing world. It was his own experience that led Earley to write The Common Rule because he came to a place in his pursuit of what he knew to be right and Biblical where his bad habits began to undermine his ability to function properly as a Christian.
How can Christians keep their lives from coming to the brink of collapse even as they seek to dedicate their lives to pursuing what is good? We must push back against the pressures of the world through cultivating proper habits. These habits must not only help us resist worldly pressures; they must also aid us in embracing our God and the calling he has given us to love our neighbors.
The Common Rule is divided into two parts. In part one, Earley explains what he means by rule, which he defines as a set of habits you commit to in order to grow your love of God and neighbor. He also gives an overview of the eight habits that he has developed in his own life in order to resist evil and embrace love of God and love of neighbor. These habits are broken up into four daily habits and four weekly habits. The four daily habits are: (1) kneeling prayer at morning, midday, and bedtime; (2) one meal with others; (3) one hour with phone off; and (4) Scripture before phone. The four weekly habits are: (1) one hour of conversation with a friend; (2) curate media to four hours; (3) fast from something for twenty four hours; and (4) sabbath. Part two makes up the bulk of the book in which Earley discusses the benefits of each of these habits and how they can be practically implemented. Each chapter in part two is devoted to one of the habits, and Earley explains how each habit relates to resistance, embrace, love of God, and love of neighbor.
Favorite Things:
- it takes 2-3 weeks to form a habit (totally doable)
- do more meaningful things by doing less things
- there are more or less healthy ways to escape, but it’s hard to escape the desire to escape
- we haven’t spent the day so much as the day has spent us
- say your prayers until your prayers say you
- to be in two places at once is to be in no places at all
- someone who works hard with their hands should Sabbath with their mind and someone who works hard with their mind should Sabbath with their hands
- the way we handle failure shows who we truly are and who we truly believe God is
- something worth doing is something worth doing badly
Earley exhorts his readers to consider the habits that structure their lives to discern whether or not they will enable them to withstand the pressures of our rapidly changing world. It was his own experience that led Earley to write The Common Rule because he came to a place in his pursuit of what he knew to be right and Biblical where his bad habits began to undermine his ability to function properly as a Christian.
How can Christians keep their lives from coming to the brink of collapse even as they seek to dedicate their lives to pursuing what is good? We must push back against the pressures of the world through cultivating proper habits. These habits must not only help us resist worldly pressures; they must also aid us in embracing our God and the calling he has given us to love our neighbors.
The Common Rule is divided into two parts. In part one, Earley explains what he means by rule, which he defines as a set of habits you commit to in order to grow your love of God and neighbor. He also gives an overview of the eight habits that he has developed in his own life in order to resist evil and embrace love of God and love of neighbor. These habits are broken up into four daily habits and four weekly habits. The four daily habits are: (1) kneeling prayer at morning, midday, and bedtime; (2) one meal with others; (3) one hour with phone off; and (4) Scripture before phone. The four weekly habits are: (1) one hour of conversation with a friend; (2) curate media to four hours; (3) fast from something for twenty four hours; and (4) sabbath. Part two makes up the bulk of the book in which Earley discusses the benefits of each of these habits and how they can be practically implemented. Each chapter in part two is devoted to one of the habits, and Earley explains how each habit relates to resistance, embrace, love of God, and love of neighbor.
Favorite Things:
- it takes 2-3 weeks to form a habit (totally doable)
- do more meaningful things by doing less things
- there are more or less healthy ways to escape, but it’s hard to escape the desire to escape
- we haven’t spent the day so much as the day has spent us
- say your prayers until your prayers say you
- to be in two places at once is to be in no places at all
- someone who works hard with their hands should Sabbath with their mind and someone who works hard with their mind should Sabbath with their hands
- the way we handle failure shows who we truly are and who we truly believe God is
- something worth doing is something worth doing badly
Essentially a compilation of a number of other books, Earley presents a brief, accessible summary of 8 practices for faithful living in a modern western context. If you have more time, I'd recommend you read 6 or 7 of the other books (actually suggested by Earley at the end of each chapter), but given that this is aimed at people already overwhelmed by life this book would do as a good spark-notes version.
A fantastic, clear-eyed, pragmatic approach to ordering our modern lives in a way that points our days toward God and others, and away from self. Earley doesn't ask, as so many authors do, that you forsake modernity and its technological trappings, but that you develop deep, foundational habits that help you put those things in their proper place in your life. Really excellent.
challenging
informative
medium-paced
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Easy to consume, convicting to digest. Straightforward language that doesn’t mince truth and offers practical application — a quick and necessary read.
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced