"Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!" Hebrews Chapter 12:1-3 The Message
"The essence of monasticism is not in the dwellings or the location; it is rather a mindset, a way of life. That is the power of desert spirituality; you carry it within you where you go." - Dr. Lois Farag, Balance of the Heart: Desert Spirituality for Twenty-First-Century Christians
For the past four weeks I have been involved in a class here at seminary called Desert Spirituality. In this class we learn about the Fathers and Mothers of the ancient church of Egypt who would go out into the desert in search of God. For this class we were asked to create a final project and for mine I decided to try and live as much like a desert monastic in my crazy modern life as possible, following as close as I could to what Athanasius wrote about the rhythm of desert monastic life:
So there were in the mountains monastic dwellings like tents filled with heavenly choirs singing psalms, studying the Bible, fasting, praying, rejoicing in the hope of things to come, working in order to give alms, having love for each other and being in harmony with one another.1
After spending time reading about the lives of the desert Fathers and Mothers and thinking through how I might possibly make this work, I created my own ten rules for integrating desert spirituality into my life. I began on Ash Wednesday and am going to try to follow these rules for all of Lent.
1. Wake every day at 5:00
2. Pray four times a day - upon waking, noon, late afternoon, and before bed
3. Read the Bible at least once a day
4. Exercise for thirty minutes a day
5. Dress as simply as possible - no makeup or accessories
6. Eat cleanly, simply, and in moderation - no alcohol
7. No social media or video streaming (no Netflix, Korean dramas, YouTube, or anything else)
8. Be mindful of the music you listen too and the message it relays
9. Practice love for your neighbor every day
10. Watch your words
These ten rules seem like a great deal to follow. The past four days haven't been easy and I have failed in quite a few rules already. But the two days when I felt like I was able to complete everything made me so genuinely and truly happy I was practically skipping as I got ready for bed! It is important not to give up when a five o'clock alarm is missed, or a noon hour goes by without a break for prayer. Tomorrow is always a new day. The important thing about desert monasticism is that it is all about moderation. So on Sunday nights when my girlfriends and I regularly get together to watch our Korean dramas I will still go. If I have a date or a girls night out, I will still get dressed up. I will still look my best on Sunday mornings for church too. The key is always moderation and in many ways that takes more discipline than rigidly throwing everything out entirely.
Throughout the coming weeks I will be posting on this blog about how things are going, about why I created the different rules and how they correspond to desert spirituality, and how this project is affecting my life. I am truly excited to see how my life will change through these new practices and through a having a deeper commitment to God in my life.
1. Lois Farag, Balance of the Heart: Desert Spirituality for Twenty First Century Christians (Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, 2012), 100
