Devised for core community members, this may be of wider interest

Committing
A Rule of Life has been described as "simply a structure in which spiritual formation is facilitated… It should be something you yearn to do. It is a tool for growth, not a pair of iron pants." The word Rule can have negative associations, but it also connects our life here with other religious communities down the centuries. They tried to sum up their experience and their approach in some such 'tool for growth'. This Rule is offered as a touchstone for core members, an expression of their commitment to an experiment in living. It speaks in a tone, not of harsh command but of gentle wise urging.

Work, worship, study and play – as established by Norman Motley – are the four 'strands' from which the daily life of Othona is woven. They are intertwined concepts: no one strand is more important than, or can be separated from, the others. When we approach work, worship, study and play with practical energy and loving awareness, the whole of life reveals itself as a sacrament, an outward sign of an inward blessing.

Relating
It is in relationships that community and spirituality come together. In our experience of relating – with colleagues and friends and family, with strangers, with enemies, with our environment and the whole cosmos, with God – we are continually offered both challenge and blessing. Any community alive to today's world will face the challenges of diversity. It helps if we cultivate an understanding of the many factors that produce difference. Some may be relatively obvious: gender, age, race, religion, physical and mental ability, nationality, social background, sexual orientation. Others are less evident but equally influential: personality type, ethical stance, spiritual maturity and so on.

Uniformity is not our aim. We hope to discover common ground by meeting honestly and living generously. No genuine sense of community can grow without integrity and honesty. The New Testament advises "speaking the truth in love". To discern a proper balance between truth and love, when to speak and when not, is a vital art. And we do well to remember how partial our own ideas of truth may be. Those who have responsibility and influence in the Community should be particularly open to hear criticism without a knee-jerk defensiveness.

Affirming
Many of us come into community feeling called to say Yes, to be always giving and affirming - and this way of life gives us plenty of scope. But being only human, we need our boundaries too. A tough but important lesson on the Core is how and when to say No. If we try to meet every expectation, we will probably end up unable to meet any. With each other's support we can also choose to say No, in part at least, to the seductive norms of our day: excessive individualism, addictive consumerism, a limitless hunger for new stimuli, the obsession with problems and short-term fixes, cynicism and apathy. We can embrace positive alternatives: interdependence, simplicity, the contemplative eye, stamina and sustainability, hope and commitment.

In our relationships with each other and with the wider community, we "seek to know each other in those things which are eternal" as Quakers say. Our founder Norman Motley used to put it this way: in community, as our fears and defences are lowered, we experience what Christians call the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit.

Work
• Be wholehearted. Offer the best of yourself in service to the Community, undertaking daily tasks with compassion, grace, humour and patience.

• Recognise that many tasks in community are necessary and worthwhile, though not all are interesting or obviously enjoyable. Be honest about your preferences, but do the jobs you dislike without undue complaint. The quality of presence and care you bring to such tasks may even help you appreciate them in a new way.

• Simple shared work, whether with Core colleagues or others, is a powerful basis for improved relationship. When problems arise, look to solve them, if possible with any individual concerned, otherwise within the Core and Executive. All of us have strong and weak points; there are many opportunities to help each other and receive help.

Worship
• Remember that worship is not limited to corporate acts in Chapel. More and more of our life can be imbued with a sense of the sacred. Value your own spiritual experience in all its breadth and depth, but beware of treating other people's as less valid.

• Take your part in the rhythm of corporate worship at Othona, and look to develop skills and resources for it. In the Core and the wider Community we can support each other's spiritual growth by sharing ideas, insights and mutual encouragement. Experience shows some regular meditative or contemplative practice is especially helpful.

• Honour religious traditions with a respect for their core values and therefore a passion for their renewal/evolution to serve humanity's future. You will be mirroring the example of Jesus in whose name Othona is founded.

Study
• The Othona programme offers many opportunities to deepen your knowledge and understanding. Make the most of these when other responsibilities allow. Within the Core particularly we should nurture each other in suitable training, as co-learners, teachers and facilitators.

• Try to be aware of what goes on beyond the confines of Othona, of how the world is changing. Be alert also to the hidden riches of life experience which all kinds of people bring when they visit. Sharing these resources at a level deeper than gossip can be every bit as educative as the news media or academic study.

• Bear in mind that even the most fascinating theological explorations, which Othona welcomes, have their limitations. Their only lasting fruit will be an orientation of the heart and a practical commitment in daily life. The key questions are "Am I open to being transformed? Am I ready for my part, however small, in transforming the world?"

Play
• Make space in your life for fun and relaxation, with regular days off and holidays. To believe you are indispensable is a tempting trap! Core members sometimes need each other's encouragement to get adequate sleep and take appropriate exercise. To be fit and healthy in body is part of a wise integral approach to "life in all its fullness".

• As a Core member you may have private use of television and other media which visitors mainly do without at Othona. Enjoy them if you wish, as entertainment, communication and education, but be sensitive to those who make a different choice. Use electronic media judiciously, knowing they are a mixed blessing.

• Cherish the many moments when life in community flowers into laughter and spontaneity. As well as giving sheer joy, they help us not to take ourselves too seriously.

• An unforced playfulness in the context of work is a sure reminder of the Divine.