The familiar “ding” of an incoming text message heralded an intriguing invitation: “John Mark Comer is speaking at a church in the south bay tonight. I have two free tickets if you want them. Please let me know asap.” Without hesitating, I shot back, “YES!”
I’d been reading Comer’s books and listening to his sermons and podcasts for a few years and had found his perspective to be fresh, inspiring, and biblical. So, driving an hour away on a Tuesday evening to see him in person was an easy “yes” for me. He was speaking on his latest book, Practicing the Way, which builds on his two previous books, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry and Live No Lies.
Although he was well known by the audience, Comer behaved nothing like “famous” Christian speakers I’d seen in the past. There was no pacing in the back, avoiding eye contact, or making an entrance flanked by security after the lights dimmed. As guests arrived and hunted for seats, he milled around near the front row looking a bit shy and awkward. Several people seemed to know him personally and he greeted them with warmth and enthusiasm, which made sense when he mentioned later that he’d lived in the area as a child.
His message gave us a taste for the contents of his book, encouraging believers to live as apprentices of Jesus who centered their lives around being with Him, becoming like Him, and doing as He did. He invited listeners into a deeper, more authentic relationship with the Lord.
Clutching my signed copy of Practicing the Way as we headed to the parking lot, I was eager to read more about themes he’d shared with us that evening. I dove into it later that week and found it challenging, thought-provoking, and inspiring. One of Comer’s biggest assertions is that, “Much preaching of the gospel today does not call people to a life of discipleship. Following Jesus is seen as optional—a post-conversion ‘second track’ for those who want to go further.”1 He describes a dynamic I lived in younger days and have seen in Christian circles my whole life; for many people there is a disconnect between believing in Jesus and actively engaging in a relationship with Him.
Comer points out that the word “Christian” is used only three times in the New Testament while the word “disciple” appears 269 times. He explains that a disciple is “a student of a teacher or philosopher—not just a learner but a practitioner of an embodied way of life, one who is diligently working to be with and become like their master.”2 Throughout the book, he invites us to view ourselves as apprentices of Jesus, “to walk alongside him in a posture of listening, learning, observation, obedience, and imitation.”3
Finishing Comer’s book a month later, I felt a mix of inspiration and resistance. His words felt jarring at times, but truthful. He encourages us to practice our faith using disciplines that many of us see as relics of history (including fasting and taking a Sabbath weekly). Yet he shows how the practices move us from the passivity of good intentions to intimacy with Jesus that produces spiritual fruit and deep joy. Drawing from Scripture and faithful people in earlier generations, Comer encourages readers to expand their capacity to receive God’s love and to respond with action. The book guides us to practice what Paul describes in Romans:
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:1-2, NIV)
I’ve been making incremental changes in my life and spiritual practices ever since I read the book several years ago. It’s been encouraging to recognize transformation in myself that has affected how I engage God and others. Still, one thing that’s nagged at me is Comer’s regular emphasis on community and the importance of doing many of the practices with others. Living in such an over-scheduled, fast-paced community, I feared that no one would want to read the book or be open to evaluating and changing the rhythms of their lives. I’ve prayed about it on and off, trusting God would bring an opportunity when the time was right.
So, imagine my delight when our church pastoral team posed the idea of inviting multiple ministries in our congregation to read Practicing the Way, learn about spiritual disciplines, and try putting them into practice together this fall. There will be opportunities to read, study related Scripture, hear teaching, and expand our comfort zones alongside others. It will be awkward and uncomfortable at times, but if we can push through and trust the Lord, there will be abundant opportunities for life-giving experiences and spiritual growth.
Practicing the Way isn’t simply a book, curriculum, or program, but an invitation to a way of life with Jesus at the center. Like me, you may have moments of resistance along with way. You may read something challenging and just need to sit with it for a while and pray. Rest assured, this isn’t an all or nothing pursuit. Nor is it an attempt to push those who read it to do every practice or to have identical faith journeys. It’s an opportunity to make an intentional shift in focus that invites the Lord to move in your life in new ways.
If you’re up for joining me in this endeavor, pray for a mindset of curiosity, wisdom, and discernment as you approach the material. Also, pray for the hearts of others you’ll be learning alongside. Let’s be open and expectant together, inviting the Lord to use what we learn in the next few months to help us be with Jesus, become like Him, and do as He did.
Order your copy of Practicing the Way using this link or buy it anywhere books are sold.
If you’re participating in a group in person at CPC Danville, copies of the Reading Reflection Guide will be given out at Focused Living AM and PM and are also available in the church office. If you’d like a digital PDF to download, please reply in the comments.
- John Mark Comer, Practicing the Way, Waterbrook Press 2024, 16.
- John Mark Comer, Practicing the Way, Waterbrook Press 2024, 11.
- ibid