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The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry

How to Stay Emotionally Healthy and Spiritually Alive in the Chaos of the Modern World

John Mark Comer

About The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry

ECPA BESTSELLER • Ideal reading for Lent and a perfect Easter gift for anyone trying to live life to the fullest, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry is a fascinating roadmap to staying emotionally healthy and spiritually alive in the chaos of the modern world—from the New York Times bestselling author of Practicing the Way

“Prophetic, practical, and profoundly life giving . . . provides a way forward that creates hope, hunger, and a vision of a beautiful life. I consider this required reading.”—Jon Tyson, lead pastor of the Church of the City New York and author of Beautiful Resistance

 
“Who am I becoming?”

That was the question nagging pastor and author John Mark Comer. Outwardly, he appeared successful. But inwardly, things weren’t pretty. So he turned to a trusted mentor for guidance and heard these words:
 
“Ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life. Hurry is the great enemy of the spiritual life.”

It wasn’t the response he expected, but it was—and continues to be—the answer he needs. Too often we treat the symptoms of toxicity in our modern world instead of trying to pinpoint the cause. A growing number of voices are pointing at hurry, or busyness, as a root of much evil.
 
The perfect read to help you slow down during Lent or any other time of year, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry is a fascinating roadmap to staying emotionally healthy and spiritually alive in the chaos of the modern world.

Praise

“As someone all too familiar with ‘hurry sickness,’ I desperately needed this book.”—Scott Harrison, New York Times best-selling author of Thirst

“John Mark Comer is a hugely talented leader, speaker, and writer. You will find lots of wise advice here.”—Nicky Gumbel, vicar of Holy Trinity Brompton, London

“Necessary. Freeing.”—Annie F. Downs, best-selling author of 100 Days to Brave and Remember God

“Never has a generation needed a book as much as this. John Mark has beautifully written a remedy for our overworked and tired souls.”—Jeremy and Audrey Roloff, New York Times best-selling authors of A Love Letter Life

“Great guy; even better book!”—Bob Goff, author of the New York Times bestsellers Love Does and Everybody, Always

“Like a tall glass of ice cold water on the hottest day of the year, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry is refreshing, revitalizing, and a shock to the system. Beautifully and compellingly written by one of our foremost thinkers, it is a prophetic message for our time.”—Pete Greig, founder of the 24-7 Prayer movement and senior pastor of Emmaus Rd, Guildford, UK

“There are those rare books that every single waking person needs to immediately go read. This is that book. We’ve found no better conversation or a more much-needed antidote to our culture’s problem of busyness and hurry than John Mark’s words in this book. Beyond helpful and encouraging and insightful to us!”—Alyssa and Jefferson Bethke, New York Times best-selling authors of Jesus > Religion and Love That Lasts

“John Mark Comer has given a gift to the church. This book is prophetic, practical, and profoundly life giving. He confronts the idolatry of speed that is causing so much emotional and relational trauma, and he provides a way forward that creates hope, hunger, and a vision of a beautiful life. I consider this required reading.”—Jon Tyson, lead pastor of the Church of the City New York and author of The Burden Is Light

“John Mark Comer’s transparency invites us to reconsider how we live our lives by getting straight to the point: if we don’t eliminate our busyness, we just may eliminate our souls. The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry will inspire you to make the hard but practical choices that will utterly change your trajectory for the better.”—Gabe Lyons, president of Q Ideas and author of Good Faith

“Living as a spiritually and mentally healthy follower of Jesus in our technological, calendar-driven culture is, it turns out, quite difficult. In this book John Mark Comer shares his story of discovering a different way of life that’s inspired by the way and wisdom of Jesus. This is a practical, personal, and challenging call to imagine new ways that our lives can imitate Jesus.”—Tim Mackie, cofounder of the Bible Project

About John Mark Comer

John Mark Comer is the founding pastor of Bridgetown Church in Portland, Oregon, a teacher and writer with Practicing the Way, and the New York Times bestselling author of multiple books, including Practicing the Way, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, and Live No Lies.

Featured Videos

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Product Details

304 pages | Published by WaterBrook

On Sale Date: Oct 29, 2019

Trim Size: 5-3/16 x 8

Carton Quantity: 12

Sneak Peek

Read the first two chapters of The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry. Who are you becoming? That was the question nagging pastor and author John Mark Comer. By outward metrics, everything appeared successful. But inwardly, things weren't pretty. So he turned to a trusted mentor for guidance and heard these words: "Ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life. Hurry is the great enemy of the spiritual life." It wasn't the response he expected, but it continues to be the answer he needs. Too often we treat the symptoms of toxicity in our modern world instead of trying to pinpoint the cause. A growing number of voices are pointing at hurry, or busyness as a root of much evil. Within the pages of this book, you'll find a compelling emotional and spiritual case against hurry and in favor of a slower, simpler way of life.

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Lisa Beech, Asst. Publicity Director
lbeech@penguinrandomhouse.com /(719) 268-1917
 
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.
 
In The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry: Staying Emotionally Healthy and Spiritually Alive in Our Current Chaos (WaterBrook, 10/29/19), 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. Relying on the teachings and example of Jesus, Comer provides four down-to-earth practices for unhurrying your life:
 

·       silence and solitude
·       Sabbath
·       simplicity
·       slowing
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.”
 
For more information, visit www.waterbrookmultnomah.com or https://johnmarkcomer.com/. Facebook/Twitter: @johnmarkcomer
YouTube: John Mark Comer Book Trailer

                          
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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.
 
 
 
 
 

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