Austin House of Prayer

The Third Rule is a set of statements about identity, calling, commitment, and expectations that can be adopted for a year or longer. It is intended to provide a way to live out the purposes and values of AHOP in a more focused way, while still having a full-time occupation such as student, youth pastor, homemaker, or bread winner.

Throughout the history of the church to the present day, communities of believers who have found themselves with a common call and mandate have formed orders, monasteries, convents, and similar institutions. While these communities have differed in many aspects such as the location, time, focus, and origin, one thing they have held in common has been “the rule” – a common commitment that members adopted upon joining the community. The characteristics of good rules are that they are simple, practical, and inspiring. Examples of communities who have lived by a rule include the Franciscans, who from the 13th century until today have devoted themselves to simplicity of life and good works to the poor; the Moravians, who in the 18th century gave themselves to continuous prayer and missionary activities; and the present day community of Taizé, dedicated to reconciliation, prayer, and serving youth throughout the world. While these communities have most often been Catholic, currently there is a resurgence in the Protestant world as well (see, for example, www.newmonasticism.org), which was famously predicted by Dietrich Bonhoeffer[1].

This concept is drawn from the monastic tradition throughout the life of the church. Many monastic orders have three levels of commitment, signified by 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd. Typically the 3^rd order is comprised of lay people who live out the ideals of the community in the wider world, adhering to a rule that does not have all the 1^st- and 2^nd-order vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.

Not yet. We have thoughts that eventually there will be a Second Rule adopted by those who commit intensively for one or two years to prayer, work, community, & hospitality. And also thoughts that some day the First Rule will consist of those who make a longer term commitment – many years at a time. So though it may seem like working backwards to establish the “Third” rule first, the advantage of doing so is that it is a lighter commitment, thus the easiest to both define and say yes to.

Actually, there is, though it is not well publicized and has not ever been called such. Early on in the life of AHOP a document called “The AHOP Rule” was signed by all prayer leaders. This is effectively the Fourth Rule, and will likely be resurrected as such soon, for all prayer leaders, because it’s really good! (The text follows at the end of this document).

Does the “Third Rule” now define what it means to be an “AHOP Community Member”?

No. The AHOP Community will continue to be a fluid, voluntary group of Christians praying towards reconciliation. There is no formal definition of “Membership” in the AHOP Community – some people have their name on the prayer board (may there be more!), some people give time, talents, or treasure (may there be more!), some people show up only occasionally at community meetings or prayer times, and some people engage intensely for a while then drop out of sight for a while. This will not change.

So, what is the relationship of the AHOP Third Rule to the AHOP Community as a whole?

Those who adopt the AHOP Third Rule are a subset of AHOP Community Members. They were and still are members of the AHOP Community, and will be if they choose not to readopt the rule a year later. They simply have chosen to make a specific set of commitments for a specific period of time.

[We don’t know. Need to discuss and decide as a community. There are pros and cons to both. Public and visible is good for inspiration, for knowing who to talk to, and for the level of commitment of the person. But it can also lead to pride, jealousy, and division.]

The Third Rule offers an opportunity for deeper and more focused service to those who are hungry to give themselves more fully to prayer & reconciliation. It is often helpful to have a structure to define such a commitment, as well as an understanding for what to expect as a result. It makes the commitment “more real,” as an act of faith that God can take and use.

There are four steps each year. First, you either present yourself as a candidate or are presented by someone else. This is done simply by putting name & contact information on a slip of paper and dropping it into the “Third Rule Candidates” box outside the prayer room. The opportunity to do this will typically be from New Years to Ash Wednesday. Second, you will undergo a process of discernment (see next section on this page), in which the AHOP Leadership works with you to discern whether this is a right and good step for you and for AHOP. The right answer is not necessarily “Yes,” even if you strongly desire to adopt the Third Rule! This process of discernment will be completed by Easter. Third, you will meet with the AHOP Leadership and your pastor – without your pastor’s blessing, you should not adopt the Rule. This will take place before Ascension Thursday. Fourth, on Ascension Thursday, you will have an opportunity to adopt the Third Rule during a prayer service at AHOP.

Note, this schedule will be a little compressed for 2007, because the Rule and process are being defined, and Ash Wednesday has already passed! So this year the time of candidacy will be until March 16, and the time of discernment and discussion with your pastor will be combined and last through May 17.

No. It is a commitment for about a calendar year – from Ascension Thursday of one year to Ascension Thursday of the next year. For example, for 2007-2008 it would be May 27, 2007 through May 1, 2008.

Married and engaged couples adopt the Third Rule as one. This means several things. First, if one spouse is not in agreement, the other cannot adopt the rule. Second, all responsibilities can be fulfilled by one or the other spouse. For one example, one spouse might do the prayer time, the other do the active involvement in reconciliation. For another example, only one spouse might attend the community meeting. This is not to limit both spouses from doing everything, but to honor the unity of a married couple and give them freedom to not have all of their precious family time taken up. As a community praying toward reconciliation, the last thing we want to do is to cause division in marriage relationships!

While we do not require prayer leaders to explicitly sign this statement, nobody who could not assent to it should be in visible leadership in the prayer room. It has altered somewhat from the original “AHOP Rule” to make it fit for all prayer leaders.

I believe in the essentials of the Christian faith as stated in the Apostle’s Creed.

My first commitment is to my local church fellowship in Austin . I will only engage in leadership in the Austin House of Prayer with the express blessing of my pastor, priest, or other covering authority. I will not substitute participation in the Austin House of Prayer for participation in the life of my local church or campus ministry.

I respect each person in Austin as a bearer of the image of God; I see each Christian in the city as a brother or sister in God’s family; and I honor each local church in the city as an integral part of His body in this city. Following the pattern of Jesus and the apostles, my prayers for the church and for business and governmental leaders in Austin will be characterized by thanksgiving and blessing.

Effective prayer arises from a life of integrity. In the small matters concerning my prayer times at AHOP, I will be both responsible and genuine with others. When I have a grievance with another person, I will not shrink from approaching that person privately, presenting my grievance with gentleness and humility, and seeking reconciliation and forgiveness.

The reason that I seek God in prayer, praise, and contemplation is that I believe He has made me to do so, and the first reward for earnestly seeking Him is a finding of my true self in Him. Accordingly, knowing God enjoys the heart-gifts I bring, I will walk in my prayer tradition with all confidence but with no pride. I will strive to reflect the image of God by likewise enjoying the authentic heart of devotion expressed in the different prayer models and traditions of others.

I will adhere to the three prayer leader guidelines at AHOP: show up on time for my prayer session, pray at least one Biblical prayer from the AHOP Prayer Book, and bless the next person or group who follows me.

[1] “...the restoration of the church will surely come only from a new type of monasticism which has nothing in common with the old but a complete lack of compromise in a life lived in accordance with the Sermon on the Mount in the discipleship of Christ. I think it is time to gather people together to do this...” (Extract of a letter written by Dietrich Bonhoeffer to his brother Karl-Friedrick on the 14th of January, 1935. Source: http://www.prayerfoundation.org/dietrich_bonhoeffer_on_monasticism.htm )