Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-arc. Comer writers engagingly and clearly - a helpful book.

John Mark Comer has a particular style in his writing, reminiscent of Rob Bell. Short sentences, lots of personal reflection and plenty of white space on the page. What he does brilliantly in Practicing The Way (as he has done previously in Ruthless Elimination) is to curate the sayings and teaching, the observations and insight of others. A magpie theologian!

In Practicing the Way, I felt we had a fairly lengthy preamble before we got to the meat of following the way of Jesus. I guess the book is set to appeal across the board, for those new to faith or even just exploring it as well as seasoned Christians. This did mean the early part of the book didn't really grip me.

I was reminded though, and he is right not enough is spoken about this, that there has been a focus in the teaching about Jesus of "The Truth" and a lack of teaching and exploration of what it means to follow in "The Way". The book is accessible and easy to read, a cross between "Spirit of the Disciplines" by Dallas Willard and "The Vision and The Vow" by Pete Greig.

I love Comer’s work - it’s always thought provoking yet written in a way that is accessible. It’s a challenging read but also incredibly important - I have a feeling that at the end of the year this will be up there with the most important books I’ve read in 2024. It’s a great book for anyone exploring the way of Jesus, new to the way of Jesus, or looking to continue growing in the way of Jesus!

Discipleship means different things to different people, often with unhelpful connotations. But stay with me. This book is about being a disciple, which John Mark Comer terms as being an 'apprentice', perhaps a more healthy and more accurate word to use. It is about learning to follow The Way, which is just how Jesus talked about it. It implies a freewill choice, an attitude of wanting to learn, develop and improve. It implies an ongoing forward momentum, without any connotations of force or discipline.
John Mark Comer applies his usual common-sense, practical approach, coupled with plenty of input from many other Christian writers and thinkers, which is what you would expect from a well-read author. His advice is sound, his words are wise. His topic may be centuries old, but his thinking cuts away so much of the distraction that can cloud our faith in the world as it is now, offering a refreshing reminder of how simple our faith can be, and how often we over-complicate it.
He focuses the reader on the importance of intimacy with God, finding our 'secret place' and allowing ourselves to be infused, by being in His presence. This then permeates our thoughts and words and deeds, and the process of being an apprentice takes us on a path of increasingly deeper relationship.
He addresses the challenges to spiritual formation, how to move knowledge of Christ from the head to the heart, which seems to be on track with a lot of teaching that is in and around the church at the moment. He lays out some practical advice on how to align our life in a way that honours God and builds relationship, to become increasingly Christ-like.
He writes with a heart to help others. To encourage the reader in their walk with Jesus and to learn from some of the practices that he does himself, teaching from a place of understanding and empathy.
Having spent a short time last year on a retreat alongside Benedictine monks at a monastery, which was an amazing experience, it is encouraging to read John Mark supporting the virtues of that sort of lifestyle. One that we find very challenging to our way of life, but one that has so much to apply to our lives and learn from.
On a side note, it is interesting that the last two books I have read have encouraged the reader to simply "do the next thing" ... to not stress, but just take life one step at a time. I think someone is trying to tell me something! Do the next thing.