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A Path Called Compelling: Discovering the Christian Faith as a Path to Travel
While hiking in 2010, an ill-advised, off-trail climb left debut author K. Bradley Watson dangling precariously over the edge of a cliff. Narrowly escaping disaster, Watson then found himself lost in the woods, bushwhacking for hours before he found his way out of a dense canyon forest. The haphazard hiking moment became an epiphany for him, underscoring the importance of following trails.
As in hiking, so it is in life and to find our way, we need the direction of a path to guide us. In A Path Called Compelling, Watson reimagines the Christian faith as the Jesus Path, where three key events from Jesus's life (birth, baptism, temptations) are revealed to be more than events to believe in, but a path meant to be entered, travelled, and lived.
Acting as an expedition guide, raconteur, and pastor, Watson weaves masterful storytelling with thoughtful reflections on Scripture that will have readers chuckling to themselves in one moment while readying themselves to travel the Jesus Path in the next. Fresh and urgent, the book invites readers to rediscover faith as they walk and explore A Path Called Compelling.
As in hiking, so it is in life and to find our way, we need the direction of a path to guide us. In A Path Called Compelling, Watson reimagines the Christian faith as the Jesus Path, where three key events from Jesus's life (birth, baptism, temptations) are revealed to be more than events to believe in, but a path meant to be entered, travelled, and lived.
Acting as an expedition guide, raconteur, and pastor, Watson weaves masterful storytelling with thoughtful reflections on Scripture that will have readers chuckling to themselves in one moment while readying themselves to travel the Jesus Path in the next. Fresh and urgent, the book invites readers to rediscover faith as they walk and explore A Path Called Compelling.
209 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 19, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 3, 2023
As someone who normally sticks to fiction books I found this book well… compelling. Bradley K Watson is a superb storyteller who does a great job pulling you along through both his own and others tales. A great read if you have felt disenfranchised by the church and want a clear path forward.
October 1, 2023
Two years ago as we emerged from a prolonged COVID shutdown I found myself looking for a church church in a non professional capacity for pretty much the first time in my life. I had spent the last two decades working as a youth pastor on and off, and had moved from the Greater Toronto area to Waterloo to be closer to family. I was dealing with some pretty serious burn out and needed a church where I could recuperate and try separate my personal faith from my professional identity and duties.
I landed at a small church called Nexus in Kitchener where I met Pastor Brad Watson. I best describe Nexus as a refugee camp for post-evangelicals. It was exactly where I needed to be for the year I was there, and then God called me off and threw me into the next adventure. Recently Brad called me up and asked me if I would review his book and I agreed with two conditions: He had to understand I have to be honest if I didn't like it, and also that my schedule in the fall is ridiculous and it may be awhile before I could finish it. He agreed graciously to both conditions.
Fortunately for Brad, (unfortunately for me), I came down with a horrible cold this weekend with opened up my schedule to do some reading. I had already read the first four chapters, but I used the day to finish the second half of the book. It is not overly long and is an easy read.
I definitely enjoyed the book and recommend it. Brad is first and foremost a storyteller and the book is chock full of entertaining and often humorous stories. As someone who has made my living as a storyteller on youth ministry speaking circuit I appreciate Brad's craft. He draws the reader in, gets them laughing with his wry observational wit, and then masterfully weaves in the point he is making in a way that makes you think without feeling like you have been manipulated. I know how hard this is to do and I appreciate his skill at it.
Secondly Brad is a master at evoking wonder and and helping craft narratives of meaning. All of his stories pull the reader to be more aware of the transcendent in their everyday life and inspire belief that this life really matters. Many of the stories I recognized from my time at his church, and his book did a great job of translating his oral charisma onto the page in a way that equally engaged and inspired. As someone who has laboured on and off for years to try and jump the gulf from verbal stories to good writing I know that this should not be taking for granted.
A path called Compelling is at its heart a book that attempts to answer the question "why would someone want to follow Jesus in our day and age?". Rather than being an exercise in apologetics, Brad has chosen stories that awaken wonder and point toward meaning. This is an excellent choice. If I have learned one thing in the last 20 years it is that humans are rarely rational being, but we live and die by our stories and without meaning we fall into despair. Brad expresses from the outset that he can not argue or prove that Christianity is true, but instead he tries to tell the story of why he finds the life of Jesus compelling and hope to inspire others to follow the Path of Jesus.
Strangely the book only covers the first bit of Jesus' life: His birth, baptism and temptation. If I had a critique it would be that any book inspiring us to be followers of Jesus feels incomplete in not have chapters on the death and resurrection included, and the book felt somewhat abrupt in it's ending due to this. Perhap it will leave room for a sequel. I would certainly be glad to read it.
If you are like me: a Christian disillusioned and deconstructing, hurt by yet another church leadership scandal and looking to encounter Jesus in the ruins of your childhood faith...this is a book that will inspire you and point you onto the path of reconstructing something hopeful and better.
I landed at a small church called Nexus in Kitchener where I met Pastor Brad Watson. I best describe Nexus as a refugee camp for post-evangelicals. It was exactly where I needed to be for the year I was there, and then God called me off and threw me into the next adventure. Recently Brad called me up and asked me if I would review his book and I agreed with two conditions: He had to understand I have to be honest if I didn't like it, and also that my schedule in the fall is ridiculous and it may be awhile before I could finish it. He agreed graciously to both conditions.
Fortunately for Brad, (unfortunately for me), I came down with a horrible cold this weekend with opened up my schedule to do some reading. I had already read the first four chapters, but I used the day to finish the second half of the book. It is not overly long and is an easy read.
I definitely enjoyed the book and recommend it. Brad is first and foremost a storyteller and the book is chock full of entertaining and often humorous stories. As someone who has made my living as a storyteller on youth ministry speaking circuit I appreciate Brad's craft. He draws the reader in, gets them laughing with his wry observational wit, and then masterfully weaves in the point he is making in a way that makes you think without feeling like you have been manipulated. I know how hard this is to do and I appreciate his skill at it.
Secondly Brad is a master at evoking wonder and and helping craft narratives of meaning. All of his stories pull the reader to be more aware of the transcendent in their everyday life and inspire belief that this life really matters. Many of the stories I recognized from my time at his church, and his book did a great job of translating his oral charisma onto the page in a way that equally engaged and inspired. As someone who has laboured on and off for years to try and jump the gulf from verbal stories to good writing I know that this should not be taking for granted.
A path called Compelling is at its heart a book that attempts to answer the question "why would someone want to follow Jesus in our day and age?". Rather than being an exercise in apologetics, Brad has chosen stories that awaken wonder and point toward meaning. This is an excellent choice. If I have learned one thing in the last 20 years it is that humans are rarely rational being, but we live and die by our stories and without meaning we fall into despair. Brad expresses from the outset that he can not argue or prove that Christianity is true, but instead he tries to tell the story of why he finds the life of Jesus compelling and hope to inspire others to follow the Path of Jesus.
Strangely the book only covers the first bit of Jesus' life: His birth, baptism and temptation. If I had a critique it would be that any book inspiring us to be followers of Jesus feels incomplete in not have chapters on the death and resurrection included, and the book felt somewhat abrupt in it's ending due to this. Perhap it will leave room for a sequel. I would certainly be glad to read it.
If you are like me: a Christian disillusioned and deconstructing, hurt by yet another church leadership scandal and looking to encounter Jesus in the ruins of your childhood faith...this is a book that will inspire you and point you onto the path of reconstructing something hopeful and better.
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