Episode 306 - Practicing the Way with John Mark Comer
Jan 11, 2024
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Guest: John Mark Comer - Author and Bible teacher leading others towards an apprenticeship with Jesus. Topics: John Mark Comer discusses spiritual formation and the importance of spiritual disciplines in times of pain. They explore the concept of the dark night of the soul and its impact on spiritual growth. The podcast also highlights the launching of a pain-to-purpose course for churches and addresses trauma and tools for healing. They share guidance on navigating the dark night of the soul, seeking God's presence, and the power of storytelling.
Spiritual formation involves the formation of one's inner spirit and character through union with God, emphasizing contemplative prayer, deep relationships, and suffering.
The dark night of the soul is a specific state where the felt sense of God's presence is withdrawn, but through perseverance and remaining in silent attention, individuals can deepen their life with God.
During seasons of suffering, it is important to move toward contemplative practices and cultivate deep relationships with trustworthy individuals for healing and growth.
Deep dives
The Importance of Curated Pathways for Finding Hope and Healing
Curated pathways are valuable resources that provide comfort and guidance to individuals walking through difficult times. These curated pathways compile the best resources from Nothing is Wasted Ministries, including podcast episodes, bonus content, and master classes. By accessing these curated pathways, individuals can navigate their specific pain points and find hope, healing, and support.
John Mark Comer's Perspective on Spiritual Formation
John Mark Comer views spiritual formation as a lifelong process of discipleship. He explains that it is not just a religious concept, but a human experience. Spiritual formation involves the formation of one's inner spirit and character through union with God, leading to a Christ-like transformation. John Mark emphasizes the significance of contemplative prayer, deep interpersonal relationships, and suffering in the process of spiritual growth and maturity.
Understanding the Dark Night of the Soul
The dark night of the soul is a term used in Christian contemplative spirituality to describe seasons where God's presence feels distant or absent. It is not synonymous with general pain and suffering, but rather a specific state where the felt sense of God's presence is withdrawn. In these seasons, prayer and spiritual disciplines may feel dry and desert-like. However, through perseverance, remaining in silent attention before God, and not giving up, individuals can grow and mature in their faith, ultimately experiencing a deepening of their life with God.
The Power of Communal Relationships in Times of Suffering
During seasons of suffering, our disciplined life often goes away and we're in survival mode. However, even in those seasons, God can meet us and do greater work in us. It is important to move toward certain contemplative practices, like Sabbath, silence, and contemplative prayer, that slow us down and create space, not just for God, but also for our own pain and suffering. Additionally, deep relationships with trustworthy individuals who can carry our burdens and walk with us through the pain are essential for healing and growth.
Understanding the Dark Night of the Soul
The dark night of the soul is a concept of experiencing God's divine absence or obscurity, where we may not sense His presence as we usually do. It is not punishment for sin or spiritual immaturity, but an opportunity for God to reveal His greatness and transcendence beyond our limited understanding. In this season, it is important to continue to seek God, be patient, and trust that He is working for our transformation and ultimate delight. The dark night can be a time of refinement and growth, leading us to a deeper intimacy with God on the other side of it.
How do we practice the way of Jesus when our lives are riddled with pain and suffering? What does it look like to grow spiritually when we are hurting?
Author and Bible teacher John Mark Comer has been leading others towards what he calls an apprenticeship with Jesus, teaching how we can learn the intended rhythms and practices God wants us to engage in by simply looking to how Jesus walked and talked in this world. We are all being spiritually formed by something, he argues, and if we want it to be a formation in the likeness of Christ then we need to learn to sit with Him, become like Him and do the things Jesus did. This is the very message of his latest book, Practicing the Way: Be with Jesus, Become like him, Do as he did, which can help Christians learn the spiritual disciplines that Jesus taught and modeled for all believers.
In this deeply insightful conversation, Davey and Aubrey chat with John Mark about what spiritual formation is, what types of spiritual disciplines we should be doing in our seasons of pain and suffering, and the important impact of community when we are hurting. They go on to talk about the dark night of the soul, a spiritual experience often described by theologians but rarely discussed in churches, in which God removes the felt sense of his presence while remaining as near as He ever was. It can be one of the most disorienting experiences for those who encounter it and yet as John Mark shares, there is a richness offered in the spiritual life of the one who walks through it.
If you've been struggling to do basic spiritual disciplines in your suffering or if you've been wrestling with a deep sense of God's absence in your life, this episode is a gentle reminder that God is with you when you are hurting and that He invites you into rest and to simply be when you don't have the strength to do.
Do you need resources to help guide you in your specific pain point? Our Curated Pathways are designed to give you everything we offer in one place when it comes to your unique journey: www.nothingiswasted.com/pathways
Pastors, looking for a way to establish a path towards healing and redemption within your church? Join Davey Blackburn for a live call on how Nothing is Wasted can help: www.nothingiswasted.com/pastors
Would you like to bring hope and healing to your church? Learn how your church can help people find healing from pain and trauma through the Pain to Purpose Course: www.nothingiswasted.com/churches
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