Book SummaryThe Common Rule, by Justin Whitmel Earley

1-Page Summary1-Page Book Summary of The Common Rule

Regular practices play a crucial role in cultivating spiritual development and deepening our love for the Divine and one another.

Our daily habits shape our lives in significant ways, frequently without us realizing it.

The cultivation of positive habits plays a more significant role in molding our character and is crucial for fostering spiritual development.

Earley emphasizes the profound, yet often overlooked, influence that our daily habits exert on our lives. He underscores research findings that suggest ingrained routines, rather than deliberate choices, dictate almost half of our actions each day. He argues, drawing on the perspective of William James, that our lives are fundamentally a series of habitual behaviors. Our character is frequently shaped by the routines we engage in, even if we are not aware of their influence.

The author emphasizes the profound impact that our routines have, shaping not just how we allocate our time but also sculpting our deepest yearnings and our identity. Our core desires, convictions, and emotions are significantly influenced by our daily habits, particularly our interactions with technology and the stories we take in. After a habit becomes ingrained, we tend to participate less in the decision-making process, which makes us susceptible to influences we may not be aware of. Consequently, Earley emphasizes the intentional cultivation of beneficial routines, recognizing that our spiritual advancement is dependent on aligning our instinctive actions with our conscious objectives.

Our consistent actions serve as rituals that mold our emotional inclinations toward either devoutness or the adoration of false gods.

Our routine behaviors often conceal our genuine commitments, which we must deliberately mold.

Earley illuminates the profound spiritual significance of habitual behaviors by discussing them as actions that could be described as "liturgies." Earley expands the idea typically associated with religious rituals to encompass any regular pattern of actions or spoken elements that are carried out habitually to show respect. Just as liturgical practices in a church service shape the hearts of worshipers, our daily habits function as unconscious "liturgies" that form our desires and affections.

The problem arises when the routines we've established fail to mirror our true beliefs. Earley argues that our daily habits often conceal what truly commands our allegiance, leading us to pursue lesser gods instead of the one true Deity. Constantly checking work-related messages can insinuate that our worth is tied to our productivity levels. Regular use of social media often leads to habits that promote jealousy and a tendency to compare oneself with others, resulting in a...

The Common Rule Summary Consistent daily practices play a vital role in fostering both personal and collective spiritual development.

Participating in daily rituals like prayer, studying holy scriptures, and communing over shared meals has the power to anchor us in spiritual affection and alter the trajectory of our existence.

Beginning every day by setting aside time for prayer reflects an acknowledgment of our need for divine direction and assists in averting an overly self-centered approach that emphasizes personal discipline excessively.

Earley highlights essential everyday habits that anchor our lives in God's love and direct our deeds toward Him. He initiates his day, pauses at noon, and concludes his evening with the discipline of prayer in a kneeling posture. The writer argues that consciously embedding this habit into our daily routines, we recognize our dependence on a higher power, which in turn shapes our outlook, actions, and the way we engage with those around us.

By kneeling in prayer upon waking, we acknowledge God's sovereignty over the day, offering ourselves to him and seeking his guidance. Earley promotes a practice that shifts our focus from evaluating our worth based on accomplishments to recognizing the steadfast love that the Divine extends to us. Pausing midday to offer...

The Common Rule Summary Contemporary life, which includes technology and media, influences personal involvement and community relationships.

The omnipresence of smartphones frequently hinders our concentration and diminishes our capacity to engage deeply with those around us.

We struggle to immerse ourselves fully in any situation, despite our skill in attempting to exist simultaneously in dual locations.

Earley explores the way that the omnipresence of technology, particularly smartphones, fragments our attention and hinders our ability to deeply connect with the sacred and with the people in our lives. He characterizes this state as trying to exist simultaneously in multiple locations, which results in a lack of complete engagement in any situation. He recalls the difficulty of managing various responsibilities, observing that his son often displayed actions to gain his attention whenever he was absorbed in using his mobile device.

Earley acknowledges the benefits and convenience technology introduces to our lives, but he warns that without intentional limits, we might rapidly become subservient to its demands. Research indicates that simply having a mobile device nearby, even when it's not being used, can diminish our cognitive abilities. Notifications, updates, and demands incessantly interrupt us,...

The Common Rule Summary Observing a day of rest and worship as part of one's religious practices.

Prayer profoundly influences our everyday existence, wrapping us in the soothing comfort of God's love and steering our most profound feelings.

Daily life is enriched with feelings of thankfulness, grief, and yielding, which are incorporated into each day's rhythm with prayers in the morning, at midday, and as the evening sets in.

Earley posits that prayer is a fundamental habit that shapes multiple facets of our lives by framing our everyday experiences in the light of divine love and guiding our emotions towards the divine. He encourages the establishment of a routine that begins with morning prayer, is reaffirmed throughout the day, and concludes at night, thus punctuating the day with moments of thankfulness, regret, and yielding.

Initiating every morning with a prayer is a recognition of the divine sovereignty over the hours that lie ahead. Taking a brief interlude to engage in prayer throughout the day offers a chance to momentarily disengage from everyday activities and worries, thereby creating an opportunity to reaffirm one's relationship with the divine purpose and reality. As evening descends, we enter a period of reflection and surrender, letting go of...