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4.26 AVERAGE
4.26 AVERAGE
This book was so good! I would highly recommend it. The author does a great job of giving practical advice on habit formation while grounding the recommendations in both scripture and wisdom from scholars (Frederick Buechner, Annie Dillard, Marshall McLuhan, Andy Crouch, etc.). With each of the daily and weekly habits, Justin explores how they can be used not just as a way of self improvement but as a way to love God and our neighbors. I appreciated his ability to make the habits approachable for many different stages of life. Also, it was fun to see his connections to Richmond and Charlottesville (including the Daedelus Bookshop on the downtown mall)!
I almost didn’t buy this book because I know my tendency to put too much hope in plans or to-do lists. But this book wasn’t that at all! It is so full of grace and purpose. I am smitten with the idea of a rule of life and I really like the practices Justin has outlined. I’m excited to explore how they work in my own life. But more than that I have a vision of intentionality and how habits can become a trellis that actually FREES us to love God and neighbor, rather than another set of legalistic rules. Justin is very vulnerable in sharing his own story, which makes the book an engaging read. Highly recommend.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Light on theological depth and reasoning, but really great practical steps for adjusting the rhythms and habits of life to find rest, joy, and purpose in daily life.
Well this was a punch to the gut. Our lives are made up of habits, which dictate who/what we worship. Nothing we do is neutral. Forming spirit-led habits are essential to God-centered life.
Daily habits:
1. Pray on your knees morning, midday and at night. In prayer, we are imitating the Creator and following the first command he gave Adam: "be fruitful and multiply". Naming true realities (God, you are amazing, thank you for a another day) and creating true realities (let me love the world and those within it like you love them) helps you reframe the day around God rather than the self.
2. Eat with others every day. Hold family dinner as sacred and invite others in. Plan a time for eating with coworkers. Food is not just fuel for bodies, it is a sacrament.
3. Turn your phone off for an hour each day. With phones, we try to be omnipresent, but we are not God, we achieve absence rather than omnipresence. Phones foster divided attention and fractured presence. Learn to be alone with your thoughts and to tune into the Spirit. You will never get to know God or fellow man through the noice and chatter of social media.
4. Scripture before phone. Look each morning to God's love, then you can look to the world in love. I love when he says he doesnt look at social media when he is bored or has a spare moment. Spare moments are for staring at walls, which is infinitely more useful.
Weekly habits:
1. One hour of conversation with a friend
2. Curate media. He opens the section with a really good illustration: if you read 30 books a year your whole life, you won't even read all the stories in one bookstore. Every story we watch/listen to/read is a choice to not watch/listen to/read a different story. He suggests limiting media to 4 hours a week which seems outrageous to me, but just being more conscientious about the stories I choose is beneficial. He suggests to curate based on these criteria: beauty (humans yearn for beauty in and of itself), justice (does it help me see the world differently, offer a new perspective or lead me to seek peace and fairness?), and communtiy (is this something I can watch with others or talk with others about?)
3. Fasting (not necessarily from food) helps us rely on God for our sustenance.
4. Sabbath
I had to write them all out so I can refer back and start incorporating them! I wouldn't say I'm addicted to my phone or especially unthoughtful with my time, but I am excited to improve upon my habits and see what happens!
Daily habits:
1. Pray on your knees morning, midday and at night. In prayer, we are imitating the Creator and following the first command he gave Adam: "be fruitful and multiply". Naming true realities (God, you are amazing, thank you for a another day) and creating true realities (let me love the world and those within it like you love them) helps you reframe the day around God rather than the self.
2. Eat with others every day. Hold family dinner as sacred and invite others in. Plan a time for eating with coworkers. Food is not just fuel for bodies, it is a sacrament.
3. Turn your phone off for an hour each day. With phones, we try to be omnipresent, but we are not God, we achieve absence rather than omnipresence. Phones foster divided attention and fractured presence. Learn to be alone with your thoughts and to tune into the Spirit. You will never get to know God or fellow man through the noice and chatter of social media.
4. Scripture before phone. Look each morning to God's love, then you can look to the world in love. I love when he says he doesnt look at social media when he is bored or has a spare moment. Spare moments are for staring at walls, which is infinitely more useful.
Weekly habits:
1. One hour of conversation with a friend
2. Curate media. He opens the section with a really good illustration: if you read 30 books a year your whole life, you won't even read all the stories in one bookstore. Every story we watch/listen to/read is a choice to not watch/listen to/read a different story. He suggests limiting media to 4 hours a week which seems outrageous to me, but just being more conscientious about the stories I choose is beneficial. He suggests to curate based on these criteria: beauty (humans yearn for beauty in and of itself), justice (does it help me see the world differently, offer a new perspective or lead me to seek peace and fairness?), and communtiy (is this something I can watch with others or talk with others about?)
3. Fasting (not necessarily from food) helps us rely on God for our sustenance.
4. Sabbath
I had to write them all out so I can refer back and start incorporating them! I wouldn't say I'm addicted to my phone or especially unthoughtful with my time, but I am excited to improve upon my habits and see what happens!
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
One of my goals this year is to be more intentional about the way I am spending my time. This was a very practical book that gave me a lot of helpful topics and ideas to think about as I work on creating habits that reflect my identity as a child of God.
The Common Rule was, hands down, one of the best pieces of Christian literature that I’ve read. Full of beautiful words, raw honesty, Biblical truth, and practical application; I will be recommending it to absolutely everyone I know.