This year, RBC is running a series of articles in the Beacon examining books that might be especially helpful to the life of the Church. We hope you will benefit from these book descriptions and suggestions.
Practicing the Way: Be with Jesus. Become Like Him. Do as He Did
by John Mark Comer
The question is not, “Are you a disciple?” It is, “What or whom are you a disciple of?” The question is not, “Are you abiding?” It is, “What or whom are you abiding in?” The question is not, “Are you practicing spiritual formation?” It is, “Into what is your spirit being formed already?”
These types of paradox-shifting statements are the backbone of John Mark Comer’s new book, Practicing the Way. Comer begins the book with sobering statistics: 63% of Americans identify as Christian, yet only around 4% follow the way of Jesus. (He admits this is a difficult variable to measure.) If we want to reap the benefits of our souls being healed, unity with God, and being pervaded with love from the inside out, we must practice the way.
The word “practice” necessitates action on our part. It’s not that we aren’t already practicing spiritual formation, Comer writes. It’s that we don’t always participate in practices that help us to be with Jesus, become like Him, or do as He did. We need a “rule of life”—habits, rhythms, and lifestyles that will naturally lead us on the road toward Jesus.
Comer has a beautiful way of writing about the urgency of practicing the spiritual disciplines while reassuring readers that the yoke of the gospel is light. Comer encourages us that often, especially in our consumeristic culture where time and effort are a commodity, spiritual disciplines should lead us to do less, not more. That is relieving. As a father, husband, employee, student, homeowner, and friend, the suggestion that following Jesus means cutting out some of the less important things in my life that clutter my calendar, house, and mind is truly good news.
Unfortunately, human hearts are easily swayed by the currents of cultures. We are readily persuaded that filling our homes and calendars with more things will benefit us somehow. That is why we must have these rules of life: sabbath, solitude, prayer, fasting, scripture, community, generosity, service, and witness. These practices are freeing and keep us aligned with the upside-down kingdom of God that the world sees as foolishness.
What parts of my religious life are chaff, taking up room in my life to prevent me from truly walking toward Jesus?
Comer’s book is theologically rich without requiring a seminary degree to digest. He uses plain language while challenging readers to consider profound truths. Practicing The Way is a gift to the church in that it simply invites us back to the way of Jesus with practical examples, offering wisdom that will help us as readers avoid common pitfalls that would prevent us from being successful in our walk with Jesus.
Comer’s message is not a garnish to your Christian life, something that you can add for appeal. It is the crux (pun intended) of our discipleship to Rabbi Jesus. I often think about how Jesus rebuked the religious people around Him. Think about this for a moment: the folks who were committed to their faith and were trying to do everything right were chastised by the Messiah because they had traded out God’s heart for religious fervor that was chaff in the wind. What parts of my religious life are chaff, taking up room in my life to prevent me from truly walking toward Jesus? To be with Him? To become like Him? To do as He did?
Comer is talented in communicating the heart of God and what that means for modern followers of Jesus. He doesn’t leave us with a call to action without also giving us practical advice on how to do it. Some may feel that Practicing the Way is too simple—a condensed and diluted introduction to the spiritual disciplines.
Comer frequently quotes many people who have previously written on spiritual formation. It seems that much of the book is an amalgamation of various ideas he’s picked up along the way in his spiritual journey. I still see this book as a gift. While simple in theory, it is a challenge to followers of Jesus to take their commitment to the way of Jesus seriously. If we call ourselves Christians, do we really look like Christ?
One Response
Thanks for sharing. This sounds like a book that I would like to read!!!