104: John Mark Comer

The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry

Please welcome John Mark Comer to the Thriving Beyond Belief podcast this week talking about our world of HURRY and how we can eliminate it!!

Author and Former Megachurch Pastor John Mark Comer Advocates a New Practice for Your Spiritual Life: Slowing Down

Our worst moments tend to happen when we are in a hurry—late for an appointment, behind on our to-do list, cramming too much in our day. It occurs when we’re trying constantly to do more, creating a bone-deep tiredness not just in our minds or bodies but deep in our souls. In short, hurry doesn’t just make us weary. It is the great enemy of our spiritual life.

Author and pastor John Mark Comer proposes that the solution to being fully present to God, others, and our own hearts is found simply by following the unhurried way of Jesus. He explains, “Jesus invites all of us to take up the ‘easy’ yoke. He has—on offer to all—an easy way to shoulder the weight of life with his triumvirate of love, joy, and peace.”

Comer’s journey to discovering the life-changing remedy of slowing down began while he was pastoring a successful megachurch with six services each Sunday, a marathon lifestyle which left him feeling burnt out and detached from those around him. In a moment of desperation, he asked his mentor, John Ortberg, for advice. The response he received was the same as what philosopher and Christian spiritual formation teacher Dallas Willard had given to Ortberg years before: “You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life. There is nothing else.”

As Comer put this simple truth into practice in his own life, he experienced radical renewal in his mental, spiritual, and emotional well-being. The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry describes his transformation and offers hope amidst the toxicity in our fast-paced, modern world.

In a casual, conversational tone, he presents a poignant message: “This is an invitation—for all the tired, the burned out, the stressed, all those stuck in traffic and behind on their to-do list....If you want to experience the life of Jesus, you have to adopt the lifestyle of Jesus.”

John Mark Comer lives, works, and writes in the urban core of Portland, Oregon. He is the pastor for teaching and vision at Bridgetown Church. Prior to that, he was lead pastor of a suburban megachurch. He has a master’s degree from Western Seminary and is the author of Loveology, Garden City, and God Has a Name. John Mark lives in Portland with his wife, Tammy, and their three children.