Review of “The Common Rule: Habits of Purpose for an Age of Distraction” by Justin Whitmel Earley (IVP, 2019)

Introduction to The Common Rule

We are shaped by our habits and rhythms. It is the small decisions we make hour after hour, day after day, week after week and year after year that determine who we are. In college, I started a daily pattern of Bible reading that I have continued to the present day. Many days, that particular habit does not “feel” very significant. But repeated daily for many years, that habit, like water dripping slowly on a rock, has steadily worn away some of the rougher edges of my heart. Similarly, I have had seasons of life where I was very intentional about keeping a weekly sabbath or disconnecting from technology for periods of time. Upon reflection, I can see that those habits (or the neglect of them) have had a tremendous impact upon the health of my soul and my relationships. Seeing the effects of my habits and rhythm of life over the course of years is what has me so excited about Justin Whitmel Earley’s book, “The Common Rule: Habits of Purpose for an Age of Distraction.” 

Background on the Rule of Life Concept

I first became aware of the concept of a Rule of Life through my doctoral studies at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary under the tutelage of Dr. Stephen Macchia who wrote a book called “Crafting a Rule of Life.” He did not come up with the idea—its roots date back to Benedictine monasteries and beyond—but Dr. Macchia authored a workbook of intentional questions to help anyone develop their own rule of life. I found the process very helpful and about ten years ago taught a class at our church helping others develop their own rule. (I recommend his book and also a visit to his website.)

For those who are less convinced of the need for such a rule, Earley’s book is an excellent introduction. Perhaps just as importantly, he provides a simple rule of life that readers can adopt (or adapt) as their own. The practices and rhythms he recommends are within reach of anyone, and the book closes with an extensive section of suggestions for how the rule can be incorporated into the life of skeptics, parents, employees, creatives, entrepreneurs, addicts, and the mentally ill. Earley also provides direction as to how a church or small group might intentionally embrace the common rule together.

Contents of The Common Rule

The book itself is divided into two parts: “Part One: How to Practice the Common Rule” which gives a brief introduction to the concept of a rule of life as well as an introduction to the eight habits which comprise “The Common Rule.” And then “Part Two: The Daily and Weekly Habits.” This section devotes a chapter to each of the eight habits, four of which are daily habits and four of which are weekly. The book is written so that each chapter is capable of standing alone and it does not need to be read in any particular order. Some readers may just want to skip ahead to a chapter that personally interests them. 

The four daily habits:

1. Kneeling prayer at morning, midday, and bedtime
2. One meal with others
3. One hour with phone off, and
4. Scripture before phone each morning

The four weekly habits:

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

These eight habits also correspond to two different spectrums. The first spectrum has to do with love of God and neighbor: 

–>love of God (sabbath, fasting, prayer, scripture before phone) and 

–>love of neighbor (meals, conversation, phone off, and curate media). 

The second spectrum divides between disciplines of embrace and resistance.

–>Embrace (sabbath, prayer, meals, conversation) and 

–>Resistance (fasting, Scripture before phone, phone off, and curate media). 

I appreciate the way he has helped us see that living by a common rule of life is not simply God-ward, but man-ward. Furthermore, a good rule of life is not simply about resisting, but also embracing. Realistically, embracing some things requires resisting other things, even good things. Before concluding, I want to take a look more closely at just one of the daily habits he recommends.

A Closer Look at the Daily Habit of Kneeling Prayer

Daily Habit 1: Kneeling prayer at morning, midday, and bedtime.

The point of this habit is to pause and intentionally pray at three different points in the day: upon rising, in the middle of the day, and at the close of the day. There is no magic formula to these three times of day and a person could certainly choose other times to intentionally remember God. There is no set prescription for what these prayers must contain or how long these times of prayer should be. It would be advisable for those newer to the practice to start with less. Additionally, kneeling is not a necessity, but something about the act of kneeling creates an intentionality that sets the moment apart from other moments throughout the day. 

From time to time, I have embraced a version of this habit by marking off five different times of prayer throughout the day and incorporating the psalms into my prayers. I pray upon rising, before breakfast, at lunch, before dinner, and before bed. At each of these times, I pray a psalm that corresponds to the day. So on December 1, I pray Psalm 1 upon rising, Psalm 31 at breakfast, Psalm 61 at lunch, Psalm 91 at dinner, and Psalm 121 before bed. On December 2, it is Psalm 2 upon rising, Psalm 32 at breakfast, Psalm 62 at lunch, Psalm 92 at dinner, and Psalm 122 before bed. In this way, each day is saturated with prayer and so is my mind. In the course of the month, I cover the entire Psalter. It’s a wonderful discipline, though I find it hard to maintain every month and tend to reserve it for special seasons. Earley’s three times of daily prayer may be a nice and easy alternative on those months when I lack the motivation to work through the Psalms each day. Readers may also want to consider incorporating a devotional aid such as Jonathan Gibson’s “Be Thou My Vision: A Liturgy for Daily Worship.“

Conclusion and Recommendation

As a reader, I appreciated his use of language, his conciseness, and his humility, as well as his emphasis on community. The Christian life is not meant to be lived alone. Each of the daily and weekly habits he covers in the book is practical and attainable.

If you are lacking intentionality in your walk with Jesus, or you would simply like to incorporate some meaningful disciplines to aid you in the journey, I highly recommend “The Common Rule.” Justin Whitmel Earley has done a tremendous service to the church in writing this work and I look forward to seeing how God uses it to shape my own life and the lives of those around me.