The Contemplative Pastor

How can we suffer personally and alongside others without losing our joy?
In this episode, join John Mark Comer and John Ortberg for the second part of their conversation exploring the possibilities and pitfalls in the pastoral vocation. In these final movements of the interview, John shares honestly about healing from wounding, what we can do when we are joy-challenged and what will matter in the end. This session was held at the Practicing the Way Pastor Conference in Los Angeles, California, in 2026.
John Ortberg is a pastor, author, and speaker. He’s been in ministry for over 40 years and teaches around a central theme of spiritual formation. John is a deep believer that the main thing God gets out of your life is the person you become. He desires for people to know God in an interactive, life-transforming way. Presently, John leads the ministry Become New, focused on helping you grow spiritually one day at a time.
To find more resources and experiences tailored just for you—the pastor—visit practicingtheway.org/pastor.
This podcast and its episodes are free, thanks to the generosity of The Circle and other givers. You can learn more about The Circle or contribute toward future resources like this podcast at practicingtheway.org/give.

What is my shadow mission?
In this episode, join John Mark Comer and John Ortberg as they explore the possibilities and pitfalls in the pastoral vocation. They discuss the dangers of over-relying on giftedness, the importance of detaching from outcomes, and the power of identifying what John refers to as a "shadow mission"— what your life could be if it veers just a few degrees off course. This session was held at the Practicing the Way Pastor Conference in Los Angeles, California, in 2026.
John Ortberg is a pastor, author, and speaker. He’s been in ministry for over 40 years and teaches around a central theme of spiritual formation. John is a deep believer that the main thing God gets out of your life is the person you become. He desires for people to know God in an interactive, life-transforming way. Presently, John leads the ministry Become New, focused on helping you grow spiritually one day at a time.
To find more resources and experiences tailored just for you—the pastor—visit practicingtheway.org/pastor.
This podcast and its episodes are free, thanks to the generosity of The Circle and other givers. You can learn more about The Circle or contribute toward future resources like this podcast at practicingtheway.org/give.

How is this era in church history inviting us into creative exploration? 
In this episode, Tyler Staton invites us to recover a renewed sense of pastoral imagination. Drawing from the creation account in Genesis, he reflects on God as a creator and artist, considering what it means for pastors to participate in God's enduring work to cultivate life, beauty, and renewal. This teaching calls us to step off the treadmill of urgency and to join God boldly and creatively in the here and now.
This session was held at the Practicing the Way Pastor Conference in Los Angeles, California, in 2026. 
To find more resources and experiences tailored just for you—the pastor—visit practicingtheway.org/pastor.
This podcast and its episodes are free, thanks to the generosity of The Circle and other givers. You can learn more about The Circle or contribute toward future resources like this podcast at practicingtheway.org/give.

Is there a gap between our public and private life?
In this episode, Gemma Ryan invites us to consider the hidden life beneath our ministry and leadership. Through the practices of solitude, secrecy, and confession, she explores the narrowing gap between who we are in public and who we are when no one is watching. With honesty and tenderness, she shares deeper questions about our work and activities, calling us away from performance and towards a quieter, humbler life lived before God alone.
This session was held at the Practicing the Way Pastor Conference in Los Angeles, California, in 2026. 
To find more resources and experiences tailored just for you—the pastor—visit practicingtheway.org/pastor.
This podcast and its episodes are free, thanks to the generosity of The Circle and other givers. You can learn more about The Circle or contribute toward future resources like this podcast at practicingtheway.org/give.

Where does deep transformation in the church begin?
In this episode, Drew Hyun is joined by John Mark Comer to wade into the everyday pastor’s wrestle with the slow, often hidden work of formation in leadership. Together, they reflect on issues of patience and ego, community, vulnerability, burnout, and the tension between fostering a vision for renewal and staying faithful within the constraints of a specific church and season of life.
This session was held at the Practicing the Way Pastor Conference in Los Angeles, California, in 2026. 
To find more resources and experiences tailored just for you—the pastor—visit practicingtheway.org/pastor.
This podcast and its episodes are free, thanks to the generosity of The Circle and other givers. You can learn more about The Circle or contribute toward future resources like this podcast at practicingtheway.org/give.