Practicing the Way
Be with Jesus. Become like him. Do as he did.
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٤٫٨ - ١٦٧ من التقييمات
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- 12٫99 US$
وصف الناشر
WINNER OF ECPA’S CHRISTIAN BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD • NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The author of The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry calls us to rediscover the path that leads to a deeper life with God.
“One of the most important books I have read in a decade . . . If we would all follow in this way, our lives would change and the world would change.”—Jennie Allen, author of Get Out of Your Head and Find Your People
We are constantly being formed by the world around us. To be formed by Jesus will require us to become his apprentice.
To live by what the first Christian disciples called a Rule of Life—a set of practices and relational rhythms that slow us down and open up space in our daily lives for God to do what only God can do—transforms the deepest parts of us to become like him.
This introduction to spiritual formation is full of John Mark Comer’s trademark mix of theological substance and cultural insight as well as practical wisdom on developing your own Rule of Life.
These ancient practices have much to offer us. By learning to rearrange our days, we can follow the Way of Jesus. We can be with him. Become like him. And do as he did.
مراجعات العملاء
Top 3
Top 3 non-fiction book of all time. The last chapter sums it up best. Fall and Get Back Up. Over and over. GROW everyday.
Comer tries to fix the church's broken arm by breaking its neck.
Do not be fooled. What seems like an innocent book offering advice for experiencing God is actually a subtle redefinition of the Christian Gospel.
I'll briefly cover three things (1) Redefining the Gospel (2) Me-centered Theology (3) Wrong Idea of "Experiencing God"
(1) Redefining the Gospel
Comer wants to take the focus off of the cross. Sin and justification don’t even make the cut to be included in Comer’s Gospel (see Comer's definition at the very bottom of the review). Lip service is briefly paid to Penal Substitutionary Atonement (PSA), but is conveniently absent from his definition.
Ad nauseam, Comer speaks of how Jesus did not come to convert, but to invite people into a new way of living. Why dichotomize this? Being a follower of Jesus is not merely a new way of living. When someone truly converts, they are made new (regenerated), and then walk in newness of life. Separating the two is another aspect of downplaying PSA.
Truly, I agree with Comer that the "apprenticeship" aspect of the Gospel is under-emphasized. Amen! But the solution to that problem isn't to ignore that the primary point of the cross was atoning for our sin. The natural effect of shifting the focus off the cross is the next point:
(2) Me-centered Theology
What's the telos (goal) of the Christian life? For Comer, it's to "become like God". But biblically, the telos of the Christian life is to glorify God and the way that we glorify God is becoming more like him. Do you see the difference? Comer wants you to focus on yourself while the Bible wants you to focus on God.
He writes things like, "Jesus believes in you", "You can fulfill your purpose", "There's so much space to be who you are before God" and "through habit you can co-create with Jesus..." You. You. You. You can have "Your Best Life Now"... where have I heard that before?
(3) Wrong Idea of "Experiencing God"
Comer says that he wants to combat individualism, but nearly every way he speaks of experiencing God is individual. He practically never discusses the church, though he has half of a page on "community" (which includes both church and therapy). The message of this book is clear: You primarily experience God on your own. This is one of the main problems of neglecting the rest of the New Testament. The church had not yet been established! The church is critical to experiencing God but Comer's hyper-fixation on the Gospels won't let him see it.
He pays lip service to Bible study, but also includes "more Bible study" as a "Losing Strategy" to become more like Jesus. Nearly every time he talks about experiencing God, it's something mystical like "Solitude is the most foundational of all the practices of Jesus". When he talks about incorporating the Bible, it's lectio divina. Theology is outright ignored. The point is clear: Studying theology or deep Bible study is not a core part of experiencing God. Exciting people to experience God without encouraging them to develop a strong theological foundation is irresponsible.
In Conclusion
This book is dangerous. Comer identifies a real problem but his solution is sub-biblical. He has some good ideas for spiritual formation, but Practicing the Way is built on a foundation of sinking sand. Avoid it.
Comer's Gospel: "The gospel is that Jesus is the ultimate power in the universe and that life with him is now available to all. Through his birth, life, teachings, miracles, death, resurrection, ascension, and gift of the Spirit, Jesus has saved, is saving, and will save all creation. And through apprenticeship to Jesus, we can enter into this kingdom and into the inner life of God himself. We can receive and give and share in Love Loving. We can be a part of a community that Jesus is, ever so slowly, forming into a radiant new society of peace and justice that one day will co-govern all creation with the Creator, in an eternity of ever-unfolding creativity and growth and joy. And anyone can be a part of this story."
Amazing!!!
Amazing book to read - one that I will be reading several times. Thank you John Mark for writing this!!!!