Practicing the Way (https://amzn.to/42aScjB) is the new 2024 release from John Mark Comer. The book delves into the transformative journey of discipleship. This insightful book centers around three goals: being with Jesus, becoming like Jesus, and doing what Jesus did. With advice on establishing a Rule of Life, Comer guides readers through practices such as sabbath, prayer, and community. This book will be well received by seekers and seasoned Christians alike.

Checkout our review of John Mark Comer’s new book God Has a Name (https://amzn.to/3YxLxzI): God Has a Name by John Mark Comer

Summary of Practicing the Way

There are three goals of an apprentice. Firstly, be with Jesus. Secondly, become like Jesus. Thirdly, do what Jesus did. It is a whole life commitment. There has become a differentiation between merely being a Christian and being an actual disciple or apprentice of Jesus. The church has settled for producing Christians without calling them to be disciples. The gospel has been boiled down to: God loves you, Jesus died for your sins, believe in him and you will go to heaven when you die. This is exactly the same critique we made in our post The Gospel – What did Jesus Think He Was Doing. This version of the gospel does not capture the call that Jesus makes inviting us to a whole new way of life.

Be With Jesus

We all have a default emotional home that we are rooted in. This is where we continually return to when we find silence and solitude. We need to retrain our minds to continually return to the presence of God. This involves establishing new mental habits. These habits gradually lead us to be more attuned to God. Our prayers become more contemplative, more mystical. Comer provides several tips for approaching this. Firstly, find the right environment for contemplation. Always keep praying, don’t give up. Lastly, eliminate hurry from your life. John Mark Comer’s previous best seller The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry (https://amzn.to/3tSBxVx) is a good resource.

Become Like Jesus

The second goal builds on the first. We spend time with Jesus in order to become like Jesus. Comer defines spiritual formation as the process of being formed into people of love in Christ. The process takes time and intentionality. It is also something that happens to us. We are being formed. Love is the outcome of spiritual formation. The measure of formation is not how good we become at the practices. It is whether we are becoming a more loving person. Are we becoming more like Christ?

The problem is sin (what we do, what is done to us, and the fallen world all around us). The other problem is that we are not a blank slate. We are already formed by the stories we believe, our habits, and our relationships.

Transformation isn’t something that can be accomplished through willpower. Just reading our Bible more is not a solution either. We don’t need more information, but radical transformation. We also can’t just wait for a magical zap from heaven. That isn’t how it works.

So, what do we need? Comer provides a theory for change. We need teaching, practices, community, and the Holy Spirit. It occurs over time and often through suffering. The section concludes with a reminder that this isn’t a checklist of things to do because we are not in control.

Do As Jesus Did

The third goal also builds on the previous goal. We become like Jesus in order to be the type of person who can do as he did. Comer references the insightful perspective from Dallas Willard that our goal should be to do what Jesus would do if he were us. This approach helps us think practically about our lives. How would Jesus write software code? How would Jesus design a building? We can all come up with questions about how to do what we do based on what Jesus did.

So, what did Jesus do? Comer provides three categories. Firstly, Jesus made space for the gospel through hospitality. Much of his ministry was in the context of eating and drinking. This relational approach was effective for Jesus and can also be effective for us too. Secondly, Jesus preached the gospel. This can be done in the context of hospitality, joining in where God is already working, bearing witness to others about what God has done in your life, or through living a beautiful life. Thirdly, Jesus demonstrated the gospel through healing, deliverance, prophecy, and justice.

Practicing the Way Through a Rule of Life

Comer then includes a section on how to practically apply these principles by creating a Rule of Life.

A Rule of Life is a schedule and set of practices and relational rhythms that create space for us to be with Jesus, become like him, and do as he did, as we live in alignment with our deepest desires.

Practicing the Way – page 161

Comer provides advice for how to approach creating a balanced Rule of Life (and what not to do). Here is his starting list of nine practices to include in a Rule of Life.

• Sabbath
• Solitude
• Prayer
• Fasting
• Scripture
• Community
• Generosity
• Service
• Witness

Comer concludes Practicing the Way with a helpful reminder that becoming an apprentice of Jesus requires surrender. There is a cost to becoming a disciple of Jesus. But non-discipleship to Jesus has an even greater cost. Which one will you choose?

Top Takeaways from Practicing the Way

Rule of Life in Community

Our first takeaway from Practicing the Way is the importance of having a Rule of Life lived out in community. Hope is not a plan. A Rule of Life provides a plan. It is an essential element for an apprentice of Jesus. But it isn’t enough to just have an intentional plan. Accountability isn’t the only benefit of community. The people we spend the most time with is a big factor in what forms us. It is important to be in a community that aligns with your Rule of Life. Then you can spur each other on in the journey.

Sharing the Gospel

One of the most convicting parts of Practicing the Way is Comer’s discussion about sharing the gospel. There is an anxiousness in sharing the gospel for many evangelicals. Even those who buy-in to the apprentice-of-Jesus approach to spiritual formation. We are anxious because we fear what other people will think. We fear the awkward moments.

In our generation, the primary problem with evangelism isn’t that we’re doing it with bullhorns and low-grade bigotry, it’s that we’re not doing it at all.

Practicing the Way – page 135

Secular culture has created a perception that religion is unique in preaching a worldview. The reality is that every worldview is preaching a version of good news. Everyone is preaching a gospel. So, how do we preach the good news of Jesus in a hostile world? It probably isn’t preaching on the street corner for most of us. It likely looks like building relationships and showing love to the lonely people we encounter in our everyday lives. These relationships can then lead to opportunities to bear witness to what Jesus has done in your life. How do you share the gospel with others in your context? If you don’t, hospitality may be a great starting point for you too.

Critique of Practicing the Way

It is hard to find anything to critique in Practicing the Way. We agree that there is a lack of discipleship in the evangelical church. Comer provides a helpful approach to recapture what has been lost. Comer isn’t saying anything new. He would likely be the first to admit it. He is repackaging the spiritual formation insights primarily from Dallas Willard, and also others like Richard Foster and Eugene Peterson. Practicing the Way is very accessible. Many readers will find it an easy read. Comer quotes Dallas Willard many times. Some readers may instead prefer to go right back to the sources. Dallas Willard was a philosophy professor, so his writing style is denser, but also richer and deeper. If that appeals to you, we recommend reading The Divine Conspiracy (https://amzn.to/3vJe49F) and also Spirit of the Disciplines (https://amzn.to/42apMGG).

One risk of all spiritual formation approaches is that it can degrade into a technique. It becomes a list of tasks to accomplish. This makes spiritual formation something that is still within our control. This isn’t a critique of Comer’s approach specifically. He addresses this head on. But many readers will walk away from this book motivated to make a Rule of Life and still unable to surrender control to God. This is because Comer focuses mostly on the means for spiritual formation. Some people may instead need a compelling vision first. Renovation of the Heart (https://amzn.to/424GnLT) by Dallas Willard is a great resource for this.

Evaluation of Practicing the Way

We highly recommend Practicing the Way for all readers. For seekers, it provides an accurate and compelling concept of the Christian life that Jesus intended. Long time Christians that find themselves asking whether there is more substance and meaning to life and faith will find the answer is in moving from being a Christian to being an apprentice of Jesus. Apprentices of Jesus will find this book a good reminder and refresher on their journey.