THE FOUR STREAMS: VISION FOR SPIRITUALITY AND RULE OF LIFE
Corporate & Individual Commitments to Help us Engage our Common Spirituality
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At Servant Partners, we believe that as God calls us to walk alongside the poor, He journeys with us. As a group we have strived to lean into God's presence in meaningful ways. In the tradition of many Christian communities throughout history, we have developed a Rule of Life to guide our continued conversation. We hope that it will not only show you something about our ways of being, but give you tools and talking points for your own spiritual journey as well.
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What follows is an introduction to our Rule of Life.
The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has
anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He
has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and
recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed
free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.
-Luke 4:18-19, NIV
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Our work is God’s call to us and how God plans to meet us. As we seek the shalom of the city, we find our own shalom. We need times and seasons of rest to focus solely upon Jesus, but we also remain attentive to His presence and work in us as we go about our daily lives, as we pray and work to see His kingdom come.
Because of this, we commit to this Rule of Life which encourages us to a common spirituality as a movement, a common finding of God in the midst of our collective call. Our Rule of Life has both corporate and individual commitments, to help us engage our common spirituality with discernment and intentionality. We do not want to create a legalistic, perfectionistic “to do list”, but rather we choose to live into this spiritual vision with the freedom and flexibility of the Holy Spirit.
WALKING
BY THE
SPIRIT
Emphasizing our relationship with Jesus
BREAKING THE
CHAINS OF
OPPRESSION
Emphasizing seeking
justice
PROCLAIMING
THE GOSPEL TO
THE POOR
Emphasizing communicating the Gospel
LIVING THE
JUBILEE
SABBATH
Emphasizing God's kingdom rest and restoration
Following these four streams of spirituality and by God’s grace and power, we Walk by the Spirit, we Proclaim the Gospel to the Poor, we Break the Chains of Oppression, and we Live the Jubilee Sabbath.
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The corporate Rule of Life commitments we have chosen are spiritual rhythms that enable us to create space in our lives to make Jesus the center, which enables God’s transforming work in every dimension. They are:
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Time each day for connecting with Jesus through personal worship, prayer and scripture
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Weekly days of Sabbath rest
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One day a month for retreats of prayer to deepen our relationship with Jesus
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A Sabbatical year every seven years
In addition to these rhythms, we have chosen spiritual practices that prioritize relationships with people and our communal relationship with God: We will each invest deeply in a focused, intentional way in relationships by mentoring two people; and we will study the word individually, as teams, and as a movement regularly when we gather together.
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To read more about the streams, as well as the commitments made by Servant Partners staff, view the full Rule of Life booklet. View the Retreat Guide, developed to help Servant Partners staff reflect on their Rule of Life commitments.