What is this all about? Practicing a discipline? Or, disciplining a practice? Let’s break it down and see if we can get a handle on this important rule.
There are many kinds of prayer. In our tradition, the list can run long. According to Richard Foster, a Quaker who writes deeply and eloquently on both the subject of prayer and spiritual discipline, there are at least 21 categories of prayer. If that seems as daunting to you as it does to me, let me mention that Annie LaMott has boiled down all prayer to three singular words: Help! Thanks! Wow!
Categorically, that rolls up into petition, gratitude and praise. And that pretty much covers all the bases. How does this broad covering of prayer work into the Richmond Hill Rule of Life? Our rule provides us a framework which delineates some very concrete specifics—pointing to key boundaries of person, time and place.
First, the boundary of person. This is a spiritual discipline, involving not only the body, but the mind and soul as well. It could be akin to soul calisthenics—regular, rigorous exercise, played however you like—or, you could be quiet and yoga-like. The most important factor is your engagement.
The second boundary is time. This rule calls for practice daily, engaging in prayer at least once every 24 hours. Of course you can increase the frequency if you like and if you are able. Monks have a tradition of praying the Hours. They took the 24 hours that make a day and divided by 3 (in deference to the Holy Trinity). This yields eight 3-hour periods, designated “Hours”: I. Vigils (12 am - 3 am), II. Lauds (3 am - 6 am), III. Prime (6 am - 9 am), IV. Terce (9 am - 12 pm), V. Sext (12 pm - 3 pm), VI. None (3 pm - 6 pm), VII. Vespers (6 pm - 9 pm), VIII. Compline (9 pm - 12 pm). Here at Richmond Hill, we offer our prayers for the City at three times: 7 am, noon, and 6 pm, seven days of the week.
The last boundary is place. We pray specifically for the geography of this metropolitan area called Richmond. Metropolitan Richmond forms a single city of more than 1.3 million people, divided into 11 jurisdictions.
The next time you visit Richmond Hill, I invite you to pick up the Rule of Life and Weekly Prayer Cycle. This tiny pamphlet puts us all on the same page as we join together in praying for the healing of metropolitan Richmond (“Help!”), for the welfare of all our citizens (“Thanks!”), and for the establishment of God's order in our community (“Wow!”).
Amen!
Richard Rumble
November 2012
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