Practicing the Way of Jesus: Life Together in the Kingdom of Love [Paperback]

Mark Scandrette (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 27, 2011

Take a casual survey of how people practice their faith, and you might reasonably conclude that Jesus spent his life going door to door offering private lessons, complete with chalkboard and pop quizzes. We think about God in the comfort of our own minds, in isolation from one another; meanwhile the world waits for a people to practice the way of Jesus together. Mark Scandrette contends that Jesus has in mind something more lively for us: not a classroom so much as a kingdom, where our formation takes place not only in our heads but in our hearts and our bodies, and in the company of one another, in a way that blesses the world we've been entrusted with. In Practicing the Way of Jesus Scandrette draws from his experience as a spiritual director and leader of an intentional community, as well as the best contemporary thinking on kingdom spirituality, to paint a picture of life lived together, in the way of Jesus--which is another way of saying life lived to the full.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"In Practicing the Way of Jesus Mark Scandrette has brought together a remarkable array of stories, ideas and practical exercises that will enable us all to engage our faith more holistically. I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a more kingdom-focused, justice-oriented approach to spiritual formation." (Christine Sine, author, activist and executive director of Mustard Seed Associates )

"This book provides something we urgently need today: a practice-based approach to spiritual formation. It is an honest account of someone, and several someones, who actually tried to do the things Jesus taught us to do. This book is inspiring because it shows a willingness to take risks, and is honest at the same time. Focusing on practice can tend toward legalism, but Mark avoids any hint of legalism by stressing the inner character over the outer action and, as he puts it so beautifully, not merely engaging in pious practices, but 'learning to dance to God's song.' In an age when we talk more about spirituality than we practice it, this book will provide us a healthy balance. It is a much-needed approach to Christian formation for the current generation and beyond." (James Bryan Smith, author of The Apprentice Series )

"We often think that spiritual formation is following the way of Jesus and abiding 'in' him. However, the author helps us to see that spiritual formation is to live 'out' the way of Jesus who abides in us. Our ultimate goal of spiritual formation is to be more like Jesus through our spiritual exercises and practices. This practical manual of spiritual formation will help you to be a little Jesus." (Rev. Joshua Choonmin Kang, author, Scripture by Heart and Deep-Rooted in Christ, and senior pastor, New Life Vision Church, Los Angeles, California )

"I am convinced that God's good news spreads best, not through force, but through fascination. Mark Scandrette is fascinating. He lives with imagination and beauty. He is a poet and artist. But he is not just about creative thinking; he is about creative living. His book is an invitation to love creatively and recklessly, so that we might do something to interrupt the status quo, surprise the world with God's goodness and fascinate the world with grace." (Shane Claiborne, author, preacher, activist and recovering sinner, www.thesimpleway.org )

"It has been a long time since I was this stirred and humbled by a book. Mark Scandrette is a voice for all who are 'sensing a pull towards a spirituality that is more holistic, integrative and socially engaged.' This inspiring leader of an intentional community gives me deep hope for the future. Reading this book I felt personally moved to be more intentional about living my life the way Jesus would live my life if he were me." (Gary W. Moon, Ph.D., Vice President and Chair of Integration, Richmont Graduate University, and author of Apprenticeship with Jesus )

"Wow. A beatnik Tolstoy who makes 'overcoming temptation' seem like a potentially playful enterprise. This book is full of examples of how a community might embody faith. It's immensely practical and inspiring." (Debbie Blue, author of Sensual Orthodoxy and From Stone to Living Word )

"Mark Scandrette has been a great inspiration to me for years now. In his latest book he gave me goose bumps just thinking about the possibilities that could arise if a group of people really did find a space where they could work out the vision and teachings of Jesus together in real life. Practical, wise, thoughtful and grace-filled, this book is a gift." (Michael Frost, author, Exiles, ReJesus and The Faith of Leap (with Alan Hirsch) )

"Mark Scandrette is better than most in helping us move our faith from a thought to a lifestyle. In a magnetic and compelling way, he offers us an irresistible invitation to open our lives to the many ways in which we can follow Jesus. Reading about his 'experiments' in faith makes you close the book and think, 'I can do this! I want to do this!'" (Nancy Ortberg, author of Looking for God: An Unexpected Journey Through Tattoos, Tofu and Pronouns )

Review

"In Practicing the Way of Jesus Mark Scandrette has brought together a remarkable array of stories, ideas and practical exercises that will enable us all to engage our faith more holistically. I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a more kingdom-focused, justice-oriented approach to spiritual formation." (Christine Sine, author, activist and executive director of Mustard Seed Associates )

'I am convinced that God's good news spreads best, not through force, but through fascination. Mark Scandrette is fascinating. He lives with imagination and beauty. He is a poet and artist. But he is not just about creative thinking, he is about creative living. His book is an invitation to love creatively and recklessly, so that we might do something to interrupt the status quo, surprise the world with God's goodness and fascinate the world with grace.'

—Shane Claiborne, author, preacher, activist and recovering sinner, www.thesimpleway.org

'It has been a long time since I was this stirred and humbled by a book. Mark Scandrette is a voice for all who are 'sensing a pull towards a spirituality that is more holistic, integrative and socially engaged.' This inspiring leader of an intentional community gives me deep hope for the future. Reading this book I felt personally moved to be more intentional about living my life the way Jesus would live my life if he were me.'

—Gary W. Moon, Ph.D., Vice President and Chair of Integration, Richmont Graduate University, and author of Apprenticeship with Jesus

'Mark Scandrette is better than most in helping us move our faith from a thought to a lifestyle. In a magnetic and compelling way, he offers us an irresistible invitation to open our lives to the many ways in which we can follow Jesus. Reading about his 'experiments' in faith makes you close the book and think, 'I can do this! I want to do this!''

—Nancy Ortberg, author of Looking for God: An Unexpected Journey Through Tattoos, Tofu and Pronouns

Product Details

• Paperback: 220 pages
• Publisher: IVP Books (May 27, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0830836349
• ISBN-13: 978-0830836345
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #27,723 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dallas Willard, on the ground., June 9, 2011

By 

Michael Stavlund "Mike" (Washington. DC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Practicing the Way of Jesus: Life Together in the Kingdom of Love (Paperback)

I have a friend-- now an earnest Christian-- who occasionally tells the story of his spiritual journey. Though he was born into Christianity, he wasn't very involved in church while he was growing up. In college, he engaged an exhaustive investigation of world religions, after which he joined a group of Tibetan Buddhists in his town. After several years, he came to a point of personal crisis in his life where he was not involved in Buddhism and did no meditation at all for over one year. At which point he declared that he was no longer Buddhist, because he wasn't practicing. And, as he says, a Buddhist who is not a practicing Buddhist is not a Buddhist at all.

I remind myself of this story frequently, because it reminds me of something obvious that I nevertheless missed for most of my life: Christianity is a set of practices. Like the other Eastern religions of the time, Jesus intended to lead people into a life that put into practice his teachings. He called people to `follow' him, even more in his deeds than in his words. He promised salvation not to those who gave ascent to his teachings, but to those who did what he said. In my years of pondering this, I've come to wish we possessed a term like `practicing Christian' to underscore the importance of this oft-ignored truth.

Mark Scandrette's new book Practicing the Way of Jesus put this issue front-and-center for me. In both his words and in the actions that he describes, Mark is a person who puts Jesus` teachings into practice. And in so doing, he sidesteps many of the trappings of the folk-religion that passes as Christianity, and many of the theological debates that inoculate us against the power for life transformation that Jesus offers. This book posits Jesus as more about ethics and worldview than theology and doctrine. It claims that Jesus was living in a way, rather than just reciting teaching. And that when he was teaching, Jesus was teaching things that were meant to be performed, rather than memorized or displayed in cross-stitch. It shows Jesus as a sage whose followers were doing just that-- following him, in word and in action.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a first person account, September 20, 2011

By 

Rob Boyd - See all my reviews

This review is from: Practicing the Way of Jesus: Life Together in the Kingdom of Love (Paperback)

PRACTICING THE WAY OF JESUS: Life Together in the Kingdom of Love.

This is a "first person account" book. And just as the "EVANGELISM EXPLOSION" program taught us many years ago that "evangelism is more caught than taught", so today this book reminds us that the way of Jesus must be practiced to be understood. And here also we are reminded that in our holistically-oriented culture today, skeptical people are curious to see whether Christian belief and practice actually make a difference in the character of a person's life.

It is a practical approach to spiritual formation that is serious about Scripture, action-focused, communal, experiential, and connected to real world challenges and opportunities. I have served the Lord for over 50 years of ministry with the Baptist General Conference and for about the last 20 years I have had the privilege of knowing personally Mark Scandrette and his family and of witnessing this ministry first hand. In that light I can assure you that this book is a "first person account", it is indeed a true and accurate description of the daily life and ministry of Mark and his family. Mark has not only written the words he shares with you here, he lives them.

Rev. Robert M. Boyd - Director of Church and Pastoral Vitality

Minnesota Iowa Baptist Conference, St. Paul, MN 55112

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jesus-wisdom for life today, June 9, 2011

By 

utealum - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Practicing the Way of Jesus: Life Together in the Kingdom of Love (Paperback)

in a discourse overloaded with heady academia and philosophical blathering, mark scandrette manages to set forth practical, livable, exciting Jesus-wisdom for life today. practicing the way of Jesus challenged me, gave me the excuse to try new things and was incredibly liberating and exciting to read. ptwoj will be formative and foundational for twenty and thirty-somethings and should be required reading for their parents as well.