Porch SF Rule of Life

What is a rule of Life?

A Rule of Life is an ancient Christian idea that involves building intentional structures and disciplines into our lives in order to make room for our faith to grow. Peter Scazerro said it best when he wrote: a Rule of Life is “an intentional, conscious plan to keep God at the center of everything we do.... The starting point and foundation of any Rule is a desire to be with God and to love him.”

A helpful analogy is that of a trellis and a vine. Just as a trellis provides support for vines to grow, a Rule of Life serves as a framework for nurturing our faith. While the trellis itself may not garner much attention, its purpose is essential in facilitating growth. Similarly, a Rule of Life functions as a well-constructed trellis, enabling our faith to flourish.

Recognizing that our brains are wired for habit, we acknowledge the role of habits in shaping our very identity. Adopting a Rule of Life entails intentionally choosing habits that will point us in the direction we want to go instead of adopting the unspoken habits of our culture and ending up as someone we never really wanted to be.

At The Porch, we have adopted a collective Rule of Life, organized into four areas: Daily, Weekly, Monthly, and Yearly liturgies. For further insight into how this framework operates and its benefits, explore the sermon series “Let’s All Be Monks,” where Jon guides us through its underlying principles.

Porch SF Rule of Life

Daily liturgies

#1 Scripture
∙ Before phone
∙ At least fifteen minutes a day

#2 Prayer with Posture
∙ Morning
∙ Lunch
∙ 4:00pm for The Porch
∙ Evening

#3 One Hour with Phone Off

#4 Listen to a Worship Song Without Distraction

Weekly liturgies

#1 One Hour of Conversation with a Friend

#2 Sabbath and Church Liturgy

#3 PABST Intentionality

#4 Meal with Others

Monthly liturgies

#1 Fast from Something for 24 Hours

#2 PABST Accountability
∙ Check in with Someone from Church

#3 Tithing/Giving

Yearly liturgies

#1 Rule of Life Evaluation

#2 Buy Someone a Generous Gift

Worship Playlists

Here are a few playlists of the songs we sing at the Porch on Sundays (and a few that we don’t). Go ahead and use these for your fourth daily liturgy (Listen to a worship song without distraction).

Spotify | Youtube | Apple Music