The Common Rule: Augustinian and Benedictine Rules of Life for the 21st Century Dentist
Gordon Wong
This article originally appeared in the September 2025 issue of FOCUS.
The pace of our North American lifestyle has driven us to distraction. We lead lives of consumerism, worry, clinical depression and social isolation. Most ordinary North Americans long to be shown how to put order back into their daily lives that integrates both mind and habit.
What is a Rule?
A “habit” is a repeatable behaviour that occurs automatically. A “rule” is a group of habits you devote to for drawing you closer to your love of God and love of neighbour. The “Common Rule” emphasizes community rather than personal rhythms, “common practice by common people.” A “Rule of Life” is a method of habits for community building. St. Augustine’s Rule says, “Before all things, most dear brothers, we must love God and after Him our neighbour.” St. Benedict’s Rule says, “nothing harsh, nothing burdensome,” but walking with God in “ineffable sweetness of love.” In essence, the main goal of life is to love God and neighbour. (Matthew 22:37-40)
Harmful Habits of Dentists
Awake in the morning fatigued again because I didn’t get to bed on time.
Check work emails on phone before leaving bed.
“Grab and Go” breakfast.
At the dental office, no break for lunch or having lunch at your desk.
Keeping your phone on and within reach during work hours.
Never saying “NO” to unreasonable requests.
Not setting boundaries or limits, “the Slavery of Freedom.”
Taking work home.
Staying out late at meetings or dinners instead of making a timely exit and heading home.
Observing the Common Rule
It takes two to three weeks to turn a new behaviour into a habit. Practicing a new behaviour for one month is the optimum way to ingrain new rhythms of habits and to displace old habits. If a month is too long, try a week. You don’t have to try all new habits every day. Try one habit, and then you can decide if you want to go for the month. Try a habit at the beginning of a season of the year, such as New Year, or Lent, or Advent.
Jesus said, “For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:30) The Common Rule is not meant to overwhelm you. It is just a distinct way to live. It is meant to purify your habits. You do more purposeful things by doing fewer things. The Common Rule consists of four daily habits and four weekly habits. They are meant to practice your love of God and your love of neighbour.
DAILY HABIT #1: Praying Posture at Morning, Noon, and Bedtime
Our lives are made up of words, and even tiny, recited words have power. A “keystone” habit is a “super-habit.” It affects all other habits. Consistent, focused prayer is a “keystone” habit for spiritual formation. Structuring our day around prayer, we surround our day in love.
Methods
Try written prayers such as found in the Book of Common Prayer. Morning prayers can be as simple as, “Good morning, Lord. Your will be done today, Lord” or “This is the day that the Lord has made; I will be glad and rejoice in it.” Consider setting your alarm for a half hour before the rest of the family stirs to put aside a quiet time for devotions. Try praying with your body. Kneeling helps the body and mind to focus on prayer. Try sitting in a comfortable chair with a cup of coffee, praying with your palms facing upwards on your knees, or walking about the room.
Reflections
Consider communal prayers, such as praying with others in your practice. Be open to variations. On first arrival in your office, pray over your day sheet schedule, asking blessing and protection for each patient. At the end of your office day, kneel and thank God for your day, the enjoyment of work, the safety and protection of both patients and staff.
And welcome repetition. Repetitive prayers are not worthless. They help to form us because they are sustained. Examples of repetitive prayers are, “In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen,” or “Not to us, but to thy name be glory,” or “Maranatha, come Lord Jesus,” or “Lord Jesus, Son of God, have mercy upon me a sinner.” Practice “Lectio Divina” by meditating on a short passage of Scripture four times.
Reading 1: Wait silently.
Reading 2: Meditate on a verse that speaks to you.
Reading 3: Meditate on a word or phrase or image God is showing you.
Reading 4: Listen again to how God is calling you to respond. Afterwards, sit quietly and reflect on the whole experience.
DAILY HABIT #2: One Communal Meal
North Americans are increasingly eating alone today than ever before. Our culture of busyness tends to see eating as an inconvenience. We were created to eat, so the dinner table should be our “centre of gravity.” One daily communal meal forces us to adjust our routines around food and one another.
Methods
Try working a rhythm around family meals, for example, breakfast or dinner. Have a standing dental colleague lunch. I have met every Wednesday for lunch with two dentist friends for many years. If you must eat alone, try eating communally by eating weekly at the same restaurant without a phone. This can encourage conversation.
Reflections
Provide space for eating and talking by removing clutter off the dining room table. Make meals “intentionally relational.” At dinner, you might try asking, “One good thing, one bad thing, one funny thing that happened to me today?” Try to invite a new friend or colleague for a meal.
DAILY HABIT #3: Turn phone off for 1 hour
We were created for being present, but our phones distract us into absence. Turning your phone off creates presence with family, friends, and coworkers. Seeking silence attunes us to the voice of conscience, God, and our neighbour’s need. Blaise Pascal famously said, “All of man’s problems stem from his inability to sit quietly in a room alone.”
Methods
Turning your phone off at home for the same hour each day generates a rhythm of presence. Choosing one hour off each morning at work may be a good start. One hour of silence at the beginning or the end of the day may provide worthwhile time for silence and solitude.
Reflections
Being considerate by letting people know that you will be unavailable is part of good communication. Be familiar with your phone settings to shape your time. Create a safe place for storing phones, such as a charging station. One grandmother at our church had a basket at the front door. When her grandchildren came to visit, they were all required to surrender their phones to the basket.
DAILY HABIT #4: Devotions before phone
Reading Scripture before checking your phone exchanges “What do I need to do today?” with “Who am I and who am I becoming?” 
Remember that the only solid identity we have is Jesus. Soaking ourselves in daily Scripture reading protects us from the distress of emails, the annoyance of news, and the jealousy of social media.
Methods
Commit to a daily reading plan. Try daily devotional books such as, Through the Bible through the Year by John Stott, or My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers, or liturgical readings ( such as the Book of Common Prayer). Try one month reading through the Psalms, Proverbs, or Matthew. Try daily Bible apps or Prayer apps. Design a novel routine, such as not touching your phone for the first hour of every morning, but instead start with Bible and coffee.
Reflections
There may be seasons that require your utmost energy and concentration. Try reading a psalm before checking your emails. Every believer should commit to in-depth study of the Bible. Take a deeper dive by studying a book or commentary or analysis of a passage as you are led during your quiet time. Journaling is a “keystone” or “super” habit. You can journal directly into your Bible or devotional book.
WEEKLY HABIT #1: Chatting with a Friend for 1 hour
We were created for relationships with God and our fellow men/women. It means confidential sharing and risk taking. Sharing regularly in the presence of each other is a Christian practice, to love and be loved. The Rule of St. Augustine says, “Whenever you go out, walk together, and when you reach your destination, stay together.”
Methods
Try setting up a regular meeting and place. As I mentioned earlier, I met with my two dentist friends every Wednesday lunch for over thirty years. Meeting as couples adds variety. Plan a meeting with housemates to talk over life issues over coffee or lunch.
Reflections
Ask God for discernment about private sharing to someone you can trust. Ask each other meaningful questions. Developing “gospel friendships” enriches both the enjoyment of your friendship but also the world around you.
WEEKLY HABIT #2: Limit curated media
Curating means to carefully select or organize. To withstand the constant bombardment of media, placing an hourly limit means we must curate what we view. Curate narratives that promote beauty, show us to love justice or Shalom, and focus on community, that is, away from isolation and towards others.
Methods
Monitor your media time for one week, then set an hourly limit for the next week. Make “must see” lists, including great movies, documentaries, shows and podcasts. This will encourage the habit of curating. Viewing the credits is part of movie watching. Turning off auto-play gives time to wind down, digest, and reflect on the movie.
Reflections
We curate outstanding stories when we come across great stories. They impact us, gratify us and give us the desire for more superb stories. Add to your movie watching an excellent novel or biography. Time-tested novels or movies are a good place to begin. My wife and I love watching the 1955 romance/drama film “Marty” over and over again. Take a sincere look at your YouTube and Instagram recommendations. The stories we view can tell a lot about us, who we are and what we love. You will probably curate more thoughtfully without Video apps.
WEEKLY HABIT #3: A 24-hour Fast
We always try to satisfy our spiritual vacuum with food and other delights. We neglect our soul and our brother/sister’s need by obsessing with food, alcohol, and drugs. Planned fasting reveals our true selves, the brokenness of the world, and Christ’s redemptive hand working around us.
Methods
When choosing something to fast from, we usually first think of fasting from food. But it could also be, “sugar, red meat, caffeine, alcohol, social media, TV, or the internet.” Try fasting sunset to sunset. The Jewish Sabbath is sunset Friday to sunset Saturday, and then is broken communally. But other days can work as well. Start small, such as missing a meal like lunch, and substitute prayer instead. Fasting with others not only makes it easier but more rewarding.
Reflections
Fasting with others is a more enriching experience than alone. You may want to start together or break together. When substituting prayer, you may find that going for a walk while praying reinforces fasting. A longer fast of several days may be helpful especially when you are going through difficult times as a means of repentance, but it is not something to rush into.
WEEKLY HABIT #4: Observe Sabbath
The weekly exercise of Sabbath reminds us that God is in charge, not ourselves. To take a day off to rest from our usual work routines goes against the grain. Observing Sabbath is a Christian practice to remind us of what God has done for us.
Methods
Sunset to sunset Sabbath, or any 24-hour period, will vary according to your career, work, or season of your life. Remember that Sabbath is a day of worship and rest. It may be helpful to write down three things to do and three things not to do. These will change with time. Sharing the Sabbath with family or friends is a great way to honour the Sabbath.
Reflections
Sometimes you may need to work on weekends. It is often better to spend Saturday working and setting aside Sunday to rest. Letting people know that you are off by a simple, “I will be away from my computer until 8pm today,” goes a long way. One also needs electronic Sabbaths away from screens. However, occasionally, I find that a good tennis match or a favourite classic movie can be just as restful and relaxing.
CONCLUSION
By integrating elements of this timeless spiritual discipline into your daily routine, I hope you will find ways to create more order and more opportunities to integrate your faith into every aspect of your life.