As the work of the Trust has unfolded we have found ourselves on a threefold journey:
- The Journey Inwards of prayer, reflection and contemplation as we seek to deepen our relationship with God, and our understanding of ourselves.
- The Journey Outwards seeking to live out our faith in practical action and service at work, in the home, in churches, in the communities in which we live, and in the wider world.
- The Journey Together with others supporting each other as we make these first two journeys and sharing our individual journey in the wider story of the faith community.
This has given us a framework for reflecting on the different areas, activities and responsibilities of our lives and how we might move towards a greater balance and rhythm in the way we live. It is only one possible framework, there are many different approaches to reflecting in this way. It is designed to be flexible, not prescriptive. How it is worked out in practical terms is as varied and personal as the people doing it. It is offered to be used as a tool if it seems useful rather than some kind of membership rite to Coracle!
Old and New Testament themes
This pattern and balance of three journeys can be seen to express an Old Testament motif:
"...And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love tenderly and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8
- “To act justly” echoes the theme of the journey outwards.
- “To love tenderly” reflects the theme of the journey together.
- “To walk humbly with your God” speaks of the journey inwards.
In turn this Old Testament theme is interpreted in the New Testament:
“Teacher which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment and the second is like it:” Love your neighbour as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22: 36-40
A Rule of Life
So what might this mean in practical terms?
First, articulating a rule or pattern around these three movements:
- We commit ourselves to taking the journey inwards in deepening our faith and relationship with God through prayer, reflection and study.
- We commit ourselves to taking the journey outwards in action as we seek to live and bear witness to God’s kingdom of love, justice and peace.
- We commit ourselves to taking this journey together with others forming community through listening, sharing and accountability.
Rule of Life diagram
These movements can be interpreted and lived out in many different ways. Small, simple commitments or intentions can be made in each of the three journeys. For example one person may make a commitment to meet with a spiritual director one a month as a way of attending to the journey inwards while another might decide to use the psalms as a daily pattern of prayer.
Attending to the journey outwards for one might mean organising their daily routines to allow them to recycle household waste while for another it might mean writing to their MP on an issue concerning them or seeking to engage in the issues faced by those who are homeless or being o the welcoming team at church.
The journey together for some might mean meeting with a friend to share and pray for one another, for another it may mean joining a church home group or Coracle discussion group.
The important thing is not how much is accomplished in each area but that the three areas inform each other and are kept in balance like a three-way set of measuring scales. This allows for small changes and additions as circumstances and the journey of faith dictate. It reminds us to keep the freedom of balance in our lives without being overwhelmed by everything we have not yet achieved! It may be helpful to articulate in our individual patterns how we might try to monitor and maintain this balance.
In order to sustain these journeys it could be useful to give attention to what contributes to the protection and preservation of our general wellbeing. It may be helpful to reflect on this and explicitly state within our individual patterns some activities or time relating to rest, recreation and the maintenance of our physical health.
Both implicitly and explicitly, we are trying to create atmosphere and offer the activities of Coracle in a way that might enable people to explore and clarify, and maintain a balance in these three journeys
