Book Review: PRACTICING THE WAY by John Mark Comer
On January 17, 2024, John Mark Comer’s newest book Practicing the Way will be released. I am so thankful that I was chosen to receive an advanced copy of the book for review. Below is my review. (Confession: I try to play it cool and match the tone of JMC, but really I can’t wait to talk about it with my community! I hope every single one of my friends will read it. In fact, I’ve already bought multiple copies to share with as many as I can as soon as it’s released).
Okay, full disclosure—I was already a huge fan of JMC’s teachings before I read this book, so when I realized that Practicing the Way is a synthesis of John Mark Comer’s most powerful (for me) teachings regarding apprenticeship to Jesus and incorporating spiritual disciplines (i.e., a rule of life) into my life rhythm, I was thrilled. And (this is a big and) even though I was already very familiar with these teachings, my heart burned with conviction as I read through this book. Practicing the Way outlines a compelling definition of following Jesus that at its core cannot be compartmentalized—it’s a whole-body, whole-lifestyle way to live with eyes completely fixed on Jesus our Teacher, or as JMC fleshes out in this book, our Rabbi.
One section that convicted my soul early on is the distinction he makes between the two groups of people who were following Jesus: apprentices versus “the crowd.” He goes on to distinguish the two based on their listening patterns. Did his followers listen to his teachings like a devoted apprentice and choose to follow, obey, and put into practice the way of living that Jesus was modeling, or were they listening like “the crowd”—those who simply heard the words Jesus was saying and then went about their regular lives?
The different forms of listening can be explained with a cursory understanding of the Hebrew word shema. The shema is a well-worn prayer given to us by Moses and even now still murmured by devout Jews multiple times a day: “Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone” (Deuteronomy 6:4 NLT). That word translated “listen” is shema, which means to listen and obey (or to put into action what was just heard). It’s two sides (listen and obey) to the same coin; you can’t have one without the other. “The crowd" was simply listening to Jesus’ words—as in the sound waves were vibrating their eardrums. But the apprentices of Jesus allowed those words to not only strike their eardrums but also pierce their hearts and compell them to put into action what Jesus was teaching and modeling.
I couldn’t help but wonder as I read, as a parent of three daughters, which category of follower am I modeling for my girls? Are Jesus’ teachings and way of life simply sets of compelling phrases that I pull out to ring in their ears at the appropriate time, or is Jesus’ way of living a rhythm I follow that cannot be extracted from who I am and compartmentalized into neat little bits of wisdom?
I realize this is a difficult standard for any follower of Jesus to truly embody, but this is why so many of JMC’s teachings resonate in my soul—because they come rooted in truth, expertly woven with supporting quotes from modern-day and ancient mystics alike, and delivered with grace and love: Go slow. Start with sabbath. If you fall down, as we all will, get back up and keep going. While your heart will burn with conviction while reading this book, do not be afraid. There is no pounding of pulpits, screams of fire and brimstone, or 20-step plan that sends your head into a sea of overwhelm. Instead, there is a guide that begins with what matters and why, leads to where to start, and finishes with ample encouragement to keep going when it looks messy or like failure—from a recovering control freak and perfectionist, these messages are balm to my soul and quiet to my very loud and articulate inner critic who is constantly pointing out my shortcomings.
For all the type-As reading this, I will warn you that this is only book one in a series—there’s more to come. You won’t find all the steps in this one book to answer all your questions and fill in all the gaps you encounter in this messy life we lead in a broken world. Instead you’ll find what you need for now—a focus for your spirit’s eyes and an encouragement to start. The rest will come later. What’s important is that you take this way of living off the “I’ll get to it later” shelf, and make it part of your life rhythm now. As apprentices of Jesus, this book is your invitation to “Be with Jesus. Become like him. Do as he did.” What a compelling invitation—one that brings peace and fulfillment rather than anxiety and stress. The choice is yours: will you take time to better understand Jesus’ call to apprenticeship by reading this book? I hope you do.
Thank you NetGalley and Yates & Yates for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions expressed here are my own.
