Volume 31, Issue 4, September 2025
In the preceding article, we introduced John Mark Comer, discussed his rise to popularity including some of the reasons he has energized many, especially younger evangelicals, and briefly explored the direction of his ministry and teaching. In this paper, it will be Comer’s practices, along with sources from which he has drawn these practices, that will be examined. In the next paper, we will look closely at Comer’s theological beliefs and reveal some deeply disturbing concerns. A final article will focus on one serious doctrinal concern: his understanding of the atonement.
Sources
Numerous evangelical leaders have recognized that Comer is offering to his audience (Gen Z seems to be his target) nothing particularly new (see Part One in this series). Elements of the Spiritual Formation Movement (Richard Foster and Dallas Willard), the emergent church (Rob Bell), charismatics (John Wimber), secular psychology (Jung and Freud), and much more are all bundled into Comer’s “Rule of Life.” As a matter of fact, Comer’s network of experts is so broad and eclectic that almost anyone can find some area of agreement him. This is perhaps much of his appeal in a culture that shuns objective truth claims, dogmatic theology, authority figures, and gravitates toward more fluid patterns of beliefs and lifestyles. While Comer draws some from Scripture (although he does not exegete it) and from a few of the practices of Jesus, his true sources are the ancient mystics, many modern day false teachers, Spiritual Formation leaders, psychological theories, and a wide range of Christian traditions. In Practicing the Way,[1] the following are quoted favorably:
- Mystics: St. John of the Cross, Madame Guyon, Quakers, Brother Lawrence, Thomas Kelly (p. 39), Ignatius of Loyola (p. 46), and St. Benedict (pp. 66-69, 161).
- False Teachers: Mother Teresa (p. 18), Martin Luther King (pp. 18, 153), Kallistos Ware (p. 25), Jesuit priests (p. 34), various Eastern Orthodox teachers (pp. 47, 217), and Catholic leaders (pp. 55, 170, 201), Stephen Covey (p. 170), John Wimber (p. 248), Rob Bell (p. 235), and Kahlil Gibran (p. 153).
- SFM Leaders: Dallas Willard is Comer’s go-to man, quoting him extensively throughout (e.g. pp. 5, 17, 39), plus David Benner (p. 49), Simone Weil (p. 51), Henri Nouwen (pp. 53, 58, 127, 131-132), John Ortberg (pp. 159, 169, 176), Andy Crouch (p. 165), Ruth Haley Barton (p. 174), Gary Thomas (p. 194), Thomas Keating (p. 212), Robert Mulholland (pp. 78, 243), and Richard Foster (pp. 105, 175).
When all of these citations and mentors are combined with Comer’s acknowledgement that his spiritual life director is a Jesuit priest (Comer has been in psychological therapy for years and is now a teacher in residence at the Anglican Vintage Church LA, which claims connection to “the worldwide Anglican Communion” yet does not mention the hallmarks of the Anglican tradition on its website), then no one should be surprised that his theology and practices are a virtual, spiritual smorgasbord. Kevin DeYoung draws a similar conclusion in his critique of Comer:
If the genius of the book is that it can be laid on top of almost any broadly Christian tradition, that is also the book’s biggest danger. Because the theology lacks definition (and is generally kept in the background), and because the ethics aren’t more developed than a general call to love, and because the Rule is self-generated and focused on personal goals, the reader is free to fill in the gaps with whatever doctrinal, ecclesiastical, and moral commitments he sees fit.[2]
As has already been mentioned, Comer draws from a large assortment of authors (both Christian and secular) and spiritual traditions: Carl Yung, the Myers-Briggs type of indicator test, Catholic writers and saints, mystics, Mormons, monks, Quakers, unsaved “spiritual seekers,” the Dalai Lama, Harvard psychologists, “mindful experts,” Richard Foster (often), Dallas Willard (often), Henri Nouwen, Mother Teresa, St. Francis, self-help literature and “gamification.” In his book The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry,[3] all these sources and more get a nod in Comer’s search for supporters of his views. Scripture is occasionally cited as well, but sadly almost always out-of-context. For example, Ephesians 5:15-16 is used to promote his understanding of the need for Sabbath observance (as well as Thoreau’s journey into the woods) rather than its contextual meaning regarding believers walking in wisdom (p. 73); Jesus’ 40-day desert experience (in Matthew 4) is used to encourage solitude rather than Jesus’ unique testing at the hands of the devil and His victory, demonstrating His deity (p. 122); Hebrews 4:11 is not talking about the rest of an unhurried life as Comer claims but eternal rest (p. 150); God’s resting on the seventh day is not the same as doing nothing on the Sabbath (p. 153); and the calling for a quiet life in 1 Thessalonians 4:11 is not the vision statement for success but a command to work so that you can take care of your own needs and be a testimony to unbelievers (p. 253).
What Comer’s sources demonstrate is that rather than developing his understanding of life from the Scriptures and turning to those who can aid him in its interpretation through proper hermeneutics, he has turned to inferior, even contradictory, sources and has forced his personal opinions onto Scripture. Therefore, it is not surprising that his ill-informed guides and eisegesis lead him to faulty practices.
Practices
Comer’s central and consistent theme is that we should live by a Rule of Life. Before we look more closely at what he means by this, we will start with the methodologies he champions for developing such a rule. He believes what is missing in the life of Christians today is that few are being taught how to be apprentices of Jesus. Comer relabels “discipleship” (a biblical word) as “apprenticeship,” (a modern, business/educational term), claiming it means to become like Jesus and do as He did.[4] It is worth noting that apprenticeship is never used in Scripture as a synonym for discipleship. More importantly, apprentices are those who learn from a mentor, while a disciple not only learns and follows Jesus (in this context), but he also obeys Him. He is not just our Rabbi, as Comer likes to refer to Him. He is also our Lord and Savior, a truth that Comer seldom mentions and seems somewhat embarrassed to declare (more on this when we examine his gospel message in the next paper).
An apprentice learns by following the example of his trainer and, therefore, we become apprentices of Jesus by hanging out with Him and “doing what He did,” (the subtitle of Practicing the Way). The idea is that if we do what Jesus did, we will become like Him (another portion of the subtitle). And what did Jesus do that we should imitate? Primarily living out a commitment to the spiritual disciplines (although Comer relabels the disciplines as practices).[5] Included in his list of practices are the nine classic disciplines of the ancient mystics: Sabbath, solitude, prayer (also meaning contemplative prayer and lectio divina), fasting, Scripture reading (meaning lectio divina), community, generosity, service, and witness.[6] In The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, Comer narrows his list to four essential practices for unhurrying our life, devoting a chapter to each of the practices.
- Silence and solitude.[7] In this section, Comer offers some helpful advice and even ultimately champions what fundamentalists (clearly not Comer’s favorite Christians) have been practicing for years: a good old-fashion quiet time.[8] Starting each day in the Word and prayer has been a time-honored practice for many, and Comer thinks it’s time to return. Good for him. Unfortunately, he adds, “In that silence we hear God speak to us.”[9] Given the author’s leaning toward charismatic gifts, and love for teachings of Dallas Willard[10] he is referencing extrabiblical “communication” from God, not insights found in Scripture.
- Keeping the sabbath.[11] Like many Christians who encourage sabbath keeping, he separates the sabbath from the Old Testament instructions concerning the sabbath. Neither does Comer mention that the Lord gave the sabbath as a sign to Israel of the Mosaic covenant of law. Rather he goes back to Genesis one, where the Lord ceased His creation activity on the seventh day and then blessed that day (although the Lord does not call the seventh day the sabbath, nor is the word sabbath mentioned until Exodus 20:8 when it was included in the Ten Commandments to Israel). Comer sees a sabbath principle baked into God’s universe as a rhythm to be practiced. Such may very well be the case; however, the author goes to extremes. He writes that the sabbath is simply “a day to stop, stop working, stop wanting, stop worrying, just stop.”[12] He claims sabbath can be translated “delight” although it never is in Scripture and does not have lexicon support. But since it supposedly means “delight” in Scripture, Comer claims we should do whatever delights us on our sabbath (which could be any day we choose, not necessarily the sixth day as in Scripture). This is eisegesis, reading into the text whatever one choses, not exegesis.
- Simplicity.[13] Comer declares himself a minimalist and recommends simplifying our lives. This is one of the best chapters in Comer’s writings with some excellent and helpful principles on materialism. However, simplified living does not necessarily translate into godly living.
- Slowing.[14] Comer believes that if we slow down physically, we will slow down our lives spiritually; he offers 20 ideas on how to slow down. Again, while these suggestions might have value, slowing down does not automatically aid in our sanctification. Additionally, Comer is claiming that Jesus lived at a slow pace and as His apprentices so should we. But he is reading too much into the narratives of the Gospels, and ignoring the direct teachings of the epistles, which never list slowing down as a means to discipleship, nor as a fruit of the Spirit.
To the classic disciplines drawn from the ancient Christian mystics and modern advocates such as Henri Nouwen, Comer adds numerous other practices needed by apprentices. For example, he is an advocate for the continuation of all the sign gifts, using John Wimber as his guide, including prophecy, words of wisdom and knowledge, healing, miracles, casting out demons, and deliverance from generational curses.[15] After all, “To follow Jesus isn’t just to watch him do things like heal the sick and deliver the oppressed; it’s to train under him to do those kinds of things too.”[16]
On very scant evidence Comer believes that Jesus prayed the psalms (not just read them) and therefore so should we. He writes, “I usually pray the psalms (not read the psalms), meditate on a passage of Scripture, talk to God about my life, listen for His voice, and attempt to just let go. But most of the time, I just sit there. I breathe. And I look at what my eyes can’t see… You can sit before Jesus daily, letting him speak to you, teach you, direct you, and, above all, love you. This is ‘the life that is truly life.’”[17] Comer is describing what the mystics call contemplative prayer and sometimes breathe prayer which he believes will transform our lives. He recognizes that what he is recommending may be too mystical for many of his readers, but quoting from Karl Rahner, “The Christian of the future will be a mystic or he will not exist at all… [after all] the Christian of the past was a mystic. And if we don’t recapture contemplation we ‘will not exist at all’ in the corrosive soil of the secular West.”[18] The heart of Comer’s Practicing the Way can be stripped down “to this basic central point: you contemplate.”[19]
There are three practices, or doorways as he calls them, that can turn anyone into a contemplative Christian:[20]
- Meditation. Meditation on the truth of Scripture is called for throughout the Bible, but Comer is not using the word in this way. Rather his meditation is of a mystical nature, contemplating on our own thoughts, imagination, and experiences. This is classical ancient practices created and promoted by the medieval hermits, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox saints.
- Lectio divina. This is a mystical way of reading Scripture, not looking for content or truth but seeking an experience with God. It is very different from Bible study. It is worth noting that lectio is never taught in Scripture but was developed by the ancient monks as part of their spiritual exercises or “rule.”
- Imaginative prayer. Here God supposedly speaks to us in our imagination, which Comer claims becomes a pathway to God. “The key is to open our imagination to God and follow the Spirit’s leading to contemplation.”[21] Comer believes “there are sacred moments when the Spirit of God whispers to our spirit a promise, a vision of what will be, in His time.” [He then challenges the reader]: “What has God promised you?”[22] He is not speaking of biblical promises but of imaginative, subjective, mystical promises that we are supposed to trust (hope) are coming from God. Again, imaginative prayer, often called by others in the Spiritual Formation Movement centering prayer, breathe prayer, and contemplative prayer, is nowhere found in Scripture. It is the invention of ancient mystics who Comer views as spiritual masters, who drew Christians away from Scripture and into heretical teachings ultimately adopted by Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy.
Rule of Life
However, the uniqueness of Comer’s system is his Rule of Life, a rule that is purely subjective and personal. At first glance, anyone who knows anything about the ancient mystics thinks of Benedict’s Rule when they hear this kind of language. Benedict (480-547 A.D.) developed a strict set of rules and demands to control and order the monks under his leadership. Comer may be banking off Benedict, but his idea of a rule is not the external demand of a superior such as Benedict or even the commands emerging from Scripture but an internal rule, tailor-made by the individual for the individual. Therefore, there is no one right rule, and it is not law.[23] What a good rule is supposed to do is turn our vision into reality, help us experience peace, give our life the right pace, and help us balance freedom and discipline.[24] Our personal rule of life need not be drawn from Scripture but rather is a system that seems to work for us. It is essentially pragmatic, and we are our own authority.
As Daniel Schneiner, writing for 9Marks, says, “Comer’s thesis is that ’transformation is possible if we are willing to arrange our lives around the practices, rhythms, and truths that Jesus himself did, which will open our lives to God’s power to change… [but] Comer’s thesis risks pushing readers towards works-righteousness, as it did for many of the mystics Comer cites and admires.”[25] Comer’s Rule of Life turns the believer inward to develop an individualistic pattern that hopefully will lead to the good life (the way of pragmatism). Scripture instead turns us outward to look to Christ and the Word to walk in the way that is worthy of our calling (Eph. 4:1).
In part 3 in this series, Comer’s theology will be examined.
[1] John Mark Comer, Practicing the Way: Be with Jesus, Become Like Him, Do as He Did (Colorado Springs, CO: WaterBrook, 2024).
[2] Kevin DeYoung: https://clearlyreformed.org/is-this-the-waya-review-of-practicing-the-way-by-john-mark-comer/ p. 9.
[3] John Mark Comer, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, (Colorado Springs, CO: WaterBrook, 2019).
[4] John Mark Comer, Practicing the Way: Be with Jesus, Become Like Him, Do as He Did, p. 7.
[5] Ibid., p. 81.
[6] Ibid., pp. 181-190.
[7] John Mark Comer, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, pp. 119-142.
[8] Ibid., pp. 141-142.
[9] Ibid., p. 139.
[10] Ibid., p. 5.
[11] Ibid., pp. 143-173.
[12] Ibid., p. 148.
[13] Ibid., pp. 177-217.
[14] Ibid., pp. 219-244.
[15] John Mark Comer, Practicing the Way: Be with Jesus, Become Like Him, Do as He Did, pp. 124-127, 124-127, 136, 140, 144-147.
[16] Ibid., p. 144.
[17] Ibid., pp. 53, 54.
[18] Ibid., pp. 51-52.
[19] John Mark Comer, God Has a Name: What You Believe about God Will Shape Who You Become (Nashville, TN: Nelson Books, 2017, 2024), p. 265.
[20] Ibid., pp 272-279.
[21] Ibid., p. 277.
[22] Ibid., pp. 207, 208.
[23] John Mark Comer, Practicing the Way: Be with Jesus, Become Like Him, Do as He Did, pp. 173, 172.
[24] John Mark Comer, Practicing the Way: Be with Jesus, Become Like Him, Do as He Did, pp. 168-173.
[25] Daniel Schreiner, “Engaging with ‘Practicing the Way’: Nine Thoughts on John Mark Comer’s Best Seller, https://www.9marks.org/review/engaging-with-practicing-the-way-nine-thoughts-on-john-mark-comers-bestseller/