Book Review: Practicing the Way by John Mark Comer

I was part way through reading 'Theology of Hope' by Jurgen Moltmann when two books came at me needing urgent reading, so I've had to put that down for a while to focus on these.
The first of these was 'Practicing the Way: Be with Jesus; Become like him; Do as he did' by John Mark Comer (he's American, so please excuse his spelling of 'practising'). This January we were starting a sermon series in church based around this book, and since I had to deliver a sermon last Sunday, it was important that I read this beforehand.

This is the second book from Comer that I have read, the first being his other best-seller 'The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry', which I found very impactful on my spirituality. I think this one is going to be similar. Yes, there's good theology in it, but really it's about spiritual practices.
He asks the question, "Who are we following?" arguing that we are all following something or someone, but is it Jesus? Jesus called his first disciples to follow him, not simply to believe certain things, but to be with him, walk with him, learn from him, and ultimately become like him and do as he did. "Are you a Christian or an apprentice?" is his question.

We have so many influences that impact on how we live: habits; relationships; the stories we believe; our environment; time and experiences. Are we spending time with Jesus to allow him to impact our lives? He proposes spiritual practices (nine of them) to counter our habits; community (the church) to counter the negative impacts of our relationships; teaching to counter the stories we believe; the Holy Spirit to counter the impact of our environment; and time and suffering to counter the effects of time and experiences.

We are now two weeks into the Practicing the Way course in our church. Time will tell how this material will change us as individuals and as a church, but I am personally engaging with it to see where it takes me on my spiritual journey.

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Planning your Visit

A Warm Welcome

The following information is specifically for those planning a visit, so that you know beforehand what to expect on a Sunday morning.

Where and When

We meet in St Andrew's Church (details here) for our Sunday services starting at 09:30 am. For more details on our schedule of services, check here.

Accessibility: There is wheelchair access to both the Church and the Church Centre. We have two designated accessible parking spaces on our private access road close to the church building, and one in the car park by the Church Centre. We have a sound loop in the church. Please sit in a pew in the main body of the church (not in the South Aisle by the entrance), behind the entrance gangway, where there are signs in front of the pews with the loop system logo, in order to take advantage of this facility. Please let one of the Welcome Team know on your arrival and they will guide you. There are no toilets in the church building. The nearest toilets are available in the Church Centre, including an accessible toilet.

Modern layout of church - hear

Our Sunday Service

The service begins at 09:30 am with a warm welcome from one of our team, and usually with notices if applicable. We use a variety of modern liturgy and sung worship which ranges from traditional hymns to modern worship songs. We include readings from the Bible and a sermon which aims to explain the scriptures and to apply them to our lives. Some of our readings and sermons follow the Church of England lexionary, and some form part of themed sermon series. The length of the service is usually about one hour.

Church Full 2

After the service, we serve refreshments in the St Andrew's Church Centre. It is a great way to get to know one another. All refreshments are free.

What about children?

Our children's activities take place at other times than the main church service (see here). However, we love children coming to our church services with their parents, and throughout the service we have a range of children's activities available in the St Thomas Chapel, for use under parental supervision. You can still hear what's going on in the main service from there, and be assured - we really don't mind the sound of children enjoying themselves!

Children

Getting Connected

Home Groups

While Sundays are a great way to meet new people, it is often in smaller gatherings that you can really get to know someone. Being part of one of our home groups allows you to make new friends, share together and support each other. We have a variety of groups that meet throughout the week, some afternoons and some evenings. Check out Home Groups and see if there’s one that you could join, or we can put you in touch with a small group leader who will be more than happy to invite you along to their group.

Serving and Volunteering

If you want to get involved in the life of the church and help us make Sundays run smoothly, you can sign up to serve on a team.

Get in touch with us to plan your visit

If you would like to come and visit the church beforehand you are more than welcome! The church building is open for visitors most days from approximately 10 am to 4 pm. If you have questions beforehand, please let us know below.

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We hope that whoever you are, you will feel truly at home at our church.