Cathedral Volunteer Service Community Rule of Life - 1992-1993

Washington National Cathedral
Cathedral Volunteer Service Community (CVSC)
Rule of Life
1992-1993

Christian experience confirms these areas as helpful guideposts to those living in community and on a spiritual journey: intimacy, equality, authority, prayer, solitude, play, study, stability, and hospitality.

1. INTIMACY
Because this household is a primary source of friendship and nurturing for each member, time must be given so that quality sharing may take place.

Rule: Morning or Evening meals eaten together daily at regular and mutually agreed upon times.

2. EQUALITY
Within community life there is work of all times: the work of worship, the manual labor of the household, the work of study, and the work in the world. Before God, all persons are of equal status. At the same time, each person has different gifts.

Rule: Full sharing of responsibilities in:

1. leadership of corporate prayer times and worship
2. household chores and yard maintenance
3. planning and preparing meals
4. managing the household budget

We encourage discerning and honoring the special gifts that each person may bring to a particular area of work.

3. AUTHORITY

There is a healthy tension in being a person of authority and a person under authority. Community living involves both. Scripture puts the use of authority within the realm of service and humility (Luke 22: 25-27).

Rule:

1. corporate community meetings once a week for decisions about household standards, responsibilities and needs
2. a calling on and yielding to the authority of the Program director in situations as appropriate
3. Individual decisions that effect the life of the community be brought to the community for discussion

4. PRAYER
In order not to be torn to bits and pieces by the demands of daily life and work, some kind of reliable daily ritual is necessary if one is to grow in prayer and live in peace.

Rule:

1. honoring the natural daily rhythms of morning, noon, evening and night as occasions for corporate and private prayer
2. participating in the worship life of a church congregation.
3. lifting up special events for ritual and prayer, these may be times of celebration or sorrow, personal or communal

5. SOLITUDE
Times to pray, to be by oneself, to rest from the continual expectations and demands of work and community are a necessary balance in a busy life.

Rule: Regular periods of solitude interspersed in the daily and weekly activities of life, sought out and honored by all members of the community

6. PLAY
Integral to a balanced life is play and recreation.

Rule: the community and its individual members intend to find resources for play, time to play and ways to play

7. STUDY
Both the community household and the workplace are arenas for searching for God. Both are vehicles for expanding human awareness and knowledge and therefore schools of study and of learning this year.

Rule: A weekly reflection seminar under the guidance of the Program Director, will take place. Suggested foci:

1. sessions led by volunteers presenting a critical incident from their work experience
2. sessions led by outside resource persons on concerns related to our common humanity
3. sessions offering guided spiritual practices
4. sessions decided by consensus of household members on books, movies, events, etc. of common interest

8. STABILITY
Community life offers a particular place as well as a particular set of relationships within that place in which salvation (wholeness) is to be found and worked out. The particular place, and the relationships among the particular members of the household are the stable elements of the community. For these reasons, we expect all members of the household to enter into the life of the community as fully and honestly as possible, to respect the neighborhood standards in which they live.

9. HOSPITALITY
There is a delicate balance between the ongoing rhythms, routines and rituals of a household and the change that occurs when guests are received – be that guests for dinner or guests who stay overnight. Courtesy to other members of the household suggests that invitations to others be discussed and planned for as much as possible in advance.