Sisters of the Common Life

In her biography of Amy Carmichael, missionary to India for fifty-three years, Elisabeth Elliot discusses the ways in which Amy sought to disciple the women who joined her family as fellow servants and laborers for Christ.  What strikes me in particular about this extraordinary group is the “confession of love” that each woman committed to before gaining admittance to the group, which was known as the Sisters of the Common Life.  I love how this poetic vow summaries the core truths each aspired to as they desired nothing less than godliness and perfect devotion to Jesus Christ. The confession of love is recounted by Elliot on pages 241-242 of A Chance to Die:

My Vow.

Whatsoever Thou sayest unto me, by Thy grace I will do it.

My Constraint.

Thou art able to keep that which I have committed unto Thee.

My Joy.

To do Thy will, O God.

My Discipline.

That which I would not choose, but which Thy love appoints.

My Prayer.

Conform my will to Thine.

My Motto.

Love to live, live to love.

My Portion.

The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance. 

Teach us, good Lord, to serve Thee as Thou deservest; to give and not to count the cost; to fight and not to heed the wounds; to toil and not to seek for rest; to labor and not to ask for any reward save that of knowing that we do Thy will, O Lord our God. 

May we, women of God and fellow heirs to this sisterhood, take up the servant's heart and commit our lives to the pursuit of nothing less than whole-hearted love and devotion to our God.