The Common Rule by Justin Whitmel Earley

There are lots of books about spiritual disciplines, but this one is unique because it addresses the use of digital media head on. When our phones take up so much of our time, how do we, as Christians, create healthy habits around them?  

Justin Whitmel Earley encourages four daily habits and four weekly habits that are designed to draw us closer to God and wean us away from dependence on social media for affirmation and dopamine hits. The daily habits are 1) Kneel for prayer three times a day, 2) Eat one meal with others, 3) Spend one hour with your cellphone off, 4) Read Scripture before turning on your phone.

The weekly habits are 1) Spend one hour of conversation with a friend, 2) Curate your media (movies/videos) to four hours, 3) Fast from something for 24 hours, and 4) Keep the Sabbath.

The chapter on Daily Habit #3 (Turn of your phone for one hour a day) was the most important chapter in the book for me, not because I don’t already limit my cell phone use, but because it gave good theological reasons for continuing to do so. Presence is the essence of life itself. It’s at the heart of who we are because presence is at the core of our relationship with God. From creation to salvation, the story of the Bible is fundamentally a story of presence. Eden was Eden because the unmediated presence of God was there. God was with Adam and Eve till sin broke the bliss of that presence. After they sinned, Adam and Eve wanted to cover their nakedness and hide. This is the hallmark of life as we know it now.  We hide from each other and we hide from God. We long for the face of God, but we can’t bear his gaze either. Sin has turned a people meant for presence into a people of absence. Fortunately, the story of the Bible doesn’t end there. God in His mercy still pursues His rebellious children.

Although I appreciated this book very much, I found parts of it to be annoying (Earley’s bragging about how good he is at speaking Chinese was one example). Also, the subtitle of this book could have been “Spiritual Disciplines for Social Justice Warriors” because of how often he tacked on social justice issues to each discipline. Don’t get me wrong. I LOVED his emphasis on spiritual disciplines that are rooted in the two commandments to “Love God and love your neighbor.” What better motivation can you have for getting off your phone than to be fully present to those around you and to pursue the goals that God has put into your heart to fulfill His purposes?

But some of the ways he prescribes to do that are just plain odd. In the chapter on curating your media time, he strongly suggests that you watch things that show the injustice in the world so that you can feel miserable about it. But feeling bad about injustice is not biblical justice. (See Voddie Baucham's explanation of the difference in this video.)

Anyway, this book stretched me in a lot of ways and I'm glad I read it. Any thoughts?

Blessings, 

The Wayne Family Trilogy by Elizabeth Cadell

Elizabeth Cadell (1903-1989) was a British writer of light, clean love stories. Usually I'm not a fan of straight romance novels, but occasionally I'll read one to take a break from heavier fare. This series was unexpectedly delightful.

In the first book, The Lark Shall Sing, Lucille Wayne has decided to sell the family home, and her decision brings her five siblings from near and far to protest the action. The mayhem that ensues is hilarious. Cadell does a wonderful job of describing each sibling, and I couldn't help loving Julia, bibliophile and "ugly duckling" of the family. There is a fairytale quality to the story with characters who appear "out of the blue" to help make the satisfying resolution possible; I enjoyed both Pietro and Miss Cornhill as much as the regular members of the Wayne family. The inevitable romance was not front and center.

The second book, The Blue Sky of Spring, takes place a year later and its tone is not as jovial. In fact, instead of the family antics of the first book, this one includes a mystery regarding a spinster who dies suddenly after trying to change her will. A romance is predominant, but not annoyingly so. It was a pleasure to spend more time with each member of the family, watching them grow through the stresses and strains of their shared lives. 

The third and final book, Six Impossible Things, happens ten years later, which allows you to see young Julia all grown up. She has just returned from Italy where she has been studying piano under the famous "Albano". Nicholas, her older brother, fails to see how she has bloomed from an awkward youngster into a charming young woman. A large part of the story is their growing understanding of each other. Yes, there is the requisite romance, but quite a lot of other subplots as well. I loved the emphasis on community and the ties that bind people together. 

The only downside to the series was the occasional light swearing, but that did not keep me from enjoying the many afternoons I spent with the wild and wonderful Waynes. (I read these books through my Kindle Unlimited subscription, which I got for three months for 99 cents!)

Blessings,

Love as a Choice - quote by Jan Karon

Father Tim reflects on the long journey it has been to earn the love and trust of a "discarded" boy.

I had to love [Dooley] when he threw his shoe at the wall and  cussed my dog, love him when he called me names I won’t repeat, love him when he refused to eat what I’d cooked after celebrating and preaching at three Sunday services…. You get the idea. I enjoyed the warm feelings, the stuff of the heart, when it was present between us, as it sometimes was, even in the beginning. But when it wasn’t, there was the will to love him, something like a generator kicking in, a backup.

Excerpt from In the Company of Others, p. 261

I love that simile. When the "power's out" (our own human strength), God gives us the resources to keep on giving and loving.

(Photo by Gabriella Clare Marino at Unsplash)

Blessings,