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Emočne zrelý učeník: Od plytkého kresťanstva k hlbokej premene
Peter Scazzero vo svojej knihe predstavuje nový spôsob vedenia učeníkov v cirkvi.
Pripomína nám známu vetu: „Kam ide líder, tam ide cirkev.“
Či už si vedúci spoločenstva, vedieš nejakú službu alebo malú skupinku, či už si dobrovoľník, člen chválového tímu, administratívna výpomoc, misionár alebo ktokoľvek iný, zmena vždy začína od teba. Tvoja osobná transformácia sa premietne do života cirkvi a bude mať vplyv na svet.
Scazzero popisuje sedem znakov zdravého učeníctva a ich následné uplatňovanie v našom živote.
Ako sám hovorí: „Emocionálne zrelý učeník spomaľuje, aby bol s Ježišom. Vnára sa pod povrch svojho života a dovoľuje, aby ho Ježiš hlboko premenil. A napokon z tejto hĺbky vychádza, aby ponúkol svoj život ako dar druhým podobne, ako to robil Ježiš.”
Pripomína nám známu vetu: „Kam ide líder, tam ide cirkev.“
Či už si vedúci spoločenstva, vedieš nejakú službu alebo malú skupinku, či už si dobrovoľník, člen chválového tímu, administratívna výpomoc, misionár alebo ktokoľvek iný, zmena vždy začína od teba. Tvoja osobná transformácia sa premietne do života cirkvi a bude mať vplyv na svet.
Scazzero popisuje sedem znakov zdravého učeníctva a ich následné uplatňovanie v našom živote.
Ako sám hovorí: „Emocionálne zrelý učeník spomaľuje, aby bol s Ježišom. Vnára sa pod povrch svojho života a dovoľuje, aby ho Ježiš hlboko premenil. A napokon z tejto hĺbky vychádza, aby ponúkol svoj život ako dar druhým podobne, ako to robil Ježiš.”
244 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2023
842 people are currently reading
2443 people want to read
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March 30, 2021
American Christianity has often been described as “a mile wide but an inch deep.” In other words, there is a mismatch between the quantity of believers and the quality of their discipleship. The rise of the “nones”* has narrowed American Christianity’s adherence since the 1990s, and Peter Scazzero worries that its discipleship has become even less deep over the same period. In Emotionally Healthy Discipleship, he outlines both the cause and cure of shallow Christianity.
According to Scazzero, traditional discipleship programs operate on the thin surface of people’s lives. Church leaders assume that if people convert, attend church, and participate in the congregation’s ministries with their time, talent, and treasure, they will impact the world. Multiple studies — most famously Willow Creek’s Reveal — call that assumption into question. Program participation does not necessarily result in deep change.
Why? Scazzero traces the answer to “four fundamental failures”:
1. We tolerate emotional immaturity.
2. We emphasize doing for God over being with.
3. We ignore the treasures of church history.
4. We define success wrongly.
Each failure is worth considering, but in my experience, the fourth is the one that trips people up most.
Too often, Christians think of authentic faith as something that leads to more when it comes to money and better when it comes to health. That is why the prosperity gospel is so prevalent in American Christianity. We have “Christianized” the American dream. Ministers are not exempt from this more-and-better mentality. Too many of us use buildings, dollars, and people in the pew as metrics of our success, as if quality could be measured by quantity.
For Scazzero, this more-and-better mentality is not a biblical one. “Success, according to Scripture, is becoming the person God calls you to become, and doing what God calls you to do — in his way, and according to his timetable.” In other words, success is being like Jesus. Scazzero writes, “An emotionally healthy disciple slows down to be with Jesus, goes beneath the surface of their life to be deeply transformed by Jesus, and offers their life as a gift to the world for Jesus.”
What does this with-by-for-Jesus life look like? Most of Emotionally Healthy Discipleship is devoted to explaining and putting into practice seven marks of healthy disciples. They are:
1. Be before you do.
2. Follow the Crucified — not the “Americanized” — Jesus.
3. Embrace God’s gift of limits.
4. Discover the treasures hidden in grief and loss.
5. Make love the measure of spirituality maturity.
6. Break the power of the past.
7. Lead out of weakness and vulnerability.
What these marks do well is identify things that are necessary to produce deep change in the lives of individuals and congregations. The first mark may be the most important. Too many churches focus only on the spiritual, but humans are not merely spiritual beings. As Scazzero puts it, “wholeness certainly includes the spiritual aspect of who we are, but it also includes the physical, emotional, social, and intellectual dimensions as well.” Emotionally healthy discipleship addresses all five dimensions of human being.
What these seven marks do not describe is the totality of a church’s discipleship program. They assume that a church engages attendees with Bible teaching, doctrinal instruction, and training in corporate and private worship. Moreover, they assume that certain systems are already in place. As Scazzero notes, “each of these marks falls within this larger biblical framework of community, including life-on-life discipling relationships, small groups, and serving.”
If church leaders want to produce emotionally healthy disciples, then, they need to use Emotionally Healthy Discipleship as a supplement to (and/or corrective of) existing programs, not as a total replacement. According to Scazzero, Emotionally Healthy Discipleship (the book) and The Emotionally Healthy Discipleship Course (a training program) address what was “missing in present-day discipleship.” They do not outline a complete program.
I have not reviewed the discipleship course, but the book is excellent, and I recommend it to church leaders. If you are a pastor, read it with your leadership teams. It will no doubt lead to important and constructive conversations and, I hope, a better, deeper practice of Christianity in your church.
Book Reviewed
Peter Scazzero, Emotionally Healthy Discipleship: Moving from Shallow Christianity to Deep Transformation (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2021).
* The term “nones” names people who claim no religious affiliation whatsoever. For more on them, read The Nones by Ryan P. Burge, which I reviewed here. I also interviewed Burge for the Influence Podcast here.
P.S. If you like my review, please click "Helpful" on my Amazon review page.
P.P.S. I wrote this review for InfluenceMagazine.com. It is posted here by permission.
According to Scazzero, traditional discipleship programs operate on the thin surface of people’s lives. Church leaders assume that if people convert, attend church, and participate in the congregation’s ministries with their time, talent, and treasure, they will impact the world. Multiple studies — most famously Willow Creek’s Reveal — call that assumption into question. Program participation does not necessarily result in deep change.
Why? Scazzero traces the answer to “four fundamental failures”:
1. We tolerate emotional immaturity.
2. We emphasize doing for God over being with.
3. We ignore the treasures of church history.
4. We define success wrongly.
Each failure is worth considering, but in my experience, the fourth is the one that trips people up most.
Too often, Christians think of authentic faith as something that leads to more when it comes to money and better when it comes to health. That is why the prosperity gospel is so prevalent in American Christianity. We have “Christianized” the American dream. Ministers are not exempt from this more-and-better mentality. Too many of us use buildings, dollars, and people in the pew as metrics of our success, as if quality could be measured by quantity.
For Scazzero, this more-and-better mentality is not a biblical one. “Success, according to Scripture, is becoming the person God calls you to become, and doing what God calls you to do — in his way, and according to his timetable.” In other words, success is being like Jesus. Scazzero writes, “An emotionally healthy disciple slows down to be with Jesus, goes beneath the surface of their life to be deeply transformed by Jesus, and offers their life as a gift to the world for Jesus.”
What does this with-by-for-Jesus life look like? Most of Emotionally Healthy Discipleship is devoted to explaining and putting into practice seven marks of healthy disciples. They are:
1. Be before you do.
2. Follow the Crucified — not the “Americanized” — Jesus.
3. Embrace God’s gift of limits.
4. Discover the treasures hidden in grief and loss.
5. Make love the measure of spirituality maturity.
6. Break the power of the past.
7. Lead out of weakness and vulnerability.
What these marks do well is identify things that are necessary to produce deep change in the lives of individuals and congregations. The first mark may be the most important. Too many churches focus only on the spiritual, but humans are not merely spiritual beings. As Scazzero puts it, “wholeness certainly includes the spiritual aspect of who we are, but it also includes the physical, emotional, social, and intellectual dimensions as well.” Emotionally healthy discipleship addresses all five dimensions of human being.
What these seven marks do not describe is the totality of a church’s discipleship program. They assume that a church engages attendees with Bible teaching, doctrinal instruction, and training in corporate and private worship. Moreover, they assume that certain systems are already in place. As Scazzero notes, “each of these marks falls within this larger biblical framework of community, including life-on-life discipling relationships, small groups, and serving.”
If church leaders want to produce emotionally healthy disciples, then, they need to use Emotionally Healthy Discipleship as a supplement to (and/or corrective of) existing programs, not as a total replacement. According to Scazzero, Emotionally Healthy Discipleship (the book) and The Emotionally Healthy Discipleship Course (a training program) address what was “missing in present-day discipleship.” They do not outline a complete program.
I have not reviewed the discipleship course, but the book is excellent, and I recommend it to church leaders. If you are a pastor, read it with your leadership teams. It will no doubt lead to important and constructive conversations and, I hope, a better, deeper practice of Christianity in your church.
Book Reviewed
Peter Scazzero, Emotionally Healthy Discipleship: Moving from Shallow Christianity to Deep Transformation (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2021).
* The term “nones” names people who claim no religious affiliation whatsoever. For more on them, read The Nones by Ryan P. Burge, which I reviewed here. I also interviewed Burge for the Influence Podcast here.
P.S. If you like my review, please click "Helpful" on my Amazon review page.
P.P.S. I wrote this review for InfluenceMagazine.com. It is posted here by permission.
August 7, 2023
Excellent, but don’t start here.
I recommend every book in the emotionally healthy series, but I would not start with this book. This book is amazing and would be a wonderful tool for congregations in church staff, however, I think it is more helpful to start with the book “Emotionally Healthy Spirituality.”
In order to be present to others, and present to God’s presence, we first need to be present to ourselves, and emotionally, healthy spirituality is the anchor for the rest of the books in the series.
Read this book, use this book, it is excellent. But, use it in conjunction with the other books in the series. I believe you will get so much more out of it this way.
And make sure to take your time, emotionally, healthy spirituality cannot be rushed. It’s OK to stop and take a few days, maybe even a few weeks on each different section. Trust me, my life has been transformed in so many ways through this Process as I used these books during my CPE experience.
Strong recommend!
I recommend every book in the emotionally healthy series, but I would not start with this book. This book is amazing and would be a wonderful tool for congregations in church staff, however, I think it is more helpful to start with the book “Emotionally Healthy Spirituality.”
In order to be present to others, and present to God’s presence, we first need to be present to ourselves, and emotionally, healthy spirituality is the anchor for the rest of the books in the series.
Read this book, use this book, it is excellent. But, use it in conjunction with the other books in the series. I believe you will get so much more out of it this way.
And make sure to take your time, emotionally, healthy spirituality cannot be rushed. It’s OK to stop and take a few days, maybe even a few weeks on each different section. Trust me, my life has been transformed in so many ways through this Process as I used these books during my CPE experience.
Strong recommend!
May 2, 2023
Wow, so good. Deeply thought-provoking and gives very practical guidance on how to go deeper in discipleship and your walk with Jesus.
November 22, 2021
Had to put this one down after hearing these things:
"I sincerely believed it was more godly to suppress them and set my mind on things above. My spirituality was too heavenly minded. In contrast, all the desert fathers and mothers, including Arsenius, were actually very earthly minded...Evagrius of Pontus, another desert father, summarized it best, 'You want to know God, first know yourself.' In other words, the pathway to God inevitably passes through self-knowledge."
He is trying to get at working through our human emotions, but the language he uses is dangerous.
To say we could be too heavenly minded is quite a statement to make, and it goes against Scripture (take Colossians 3:1-3 and 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 for example).
And the pathway to God is not through knowledge of ourselves. We can't trust "self-knowledge" as the guiding principle to God because our hearts and emotions cannot be trusted (see Romans 7: 14-25 for example). Rather, we find who we are in who God tells us we are; and we aim for the things that he tells us are good.
Emotional intelligence is important, and there are some good nuggets of wisdom mixed into this book.
But I can't recommend because of the messy theological statements.
"I sincerely believed it was more godly to suppress them and set my mind on things above. My spirituality was too heavenly minded. In contrast, all the desert fathers and mothers, including Arsenius, were actually very earthly minded...Evagrius of Pontus, another desert father, summarized it best, 'You want to know God, first know yourself.' In other words, the pathway to God inevitably passes through self-knowledge."
He is trying to get at working through our human emotions, but the language he uses is dangerous.
To say we could be too heavenly minded is quite a statement to make, and it goes against Scripture (take Colossians 3:1-3 and 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 for example).
And the pathway to God is not through knowledge of ourselves. We can't trust "self-knowledge" as the guiding principle to God because our hearts and emotions cannot be trusted (see Romans 7: 14-25 for example). Rather, we find who we are in who God tells us we are; and we aim for the things that he tells us are good.
Emotional intelligence is important, and there are some good nuggets of wisdom mixed into this book.
But I can't recommend because of the messy theological statements.
March 27, 2021
Many obstacles get in the way of deep transformational discipleship for many in the Christian faith. Peter Scazzero identifies four of them that ring true and resonated for me in my ministry context.
1. We tolerate emotional immaturity.
2. We emphasize doing for God over being with God.
3. We ignore the treasures of church history.
4. We define success wrongly.
The author defines and describes seven marks of healthy discipleship:
1. Be before you Do
2. Follow the Crucified, not the Americanized, Jesus
3. Embrace God’s gift of limits
4. Discover the treasures buried in grief and loss
5. Make love the measure of maturity
6. Break the power of the past
7. Lead out of weakness and vulnerability
Peter challenges the belief that success is measured in numbers and warns against quick but shallow growth.
Deep transformation of lives continues over a lifetime which is what is needed in the church and parachurch organizations today, and that Christ offered to his followers.
This book, like others Pete has written, is filled with his own journey of learning these deep truths and how his leadership has been transformed and passed on to those he leads. Pete writes with grace, humility and hope.
I have worked for an interdenominational Christian organization for 35 years and think this is a must read for any and all who are involved in spiritual discipleship of others.
The book emphasized, “Let your doing for Jesus flow out of your being with Jesus,” and “we need to enjoy the Jesus we share with others.”
1. We tolerate emotional immaturity.
2. We emphasize doing for God over being with God.
3. We ignore the treasures of church history.
4. We define success wrongly.
The author defines and describes seven marks of healthy discipleship:
1. Be before you Do
2. Follow the Crucified, not the Americanized, Jesus
3. Embrace God’s gift of limits
4. Discover the treasures buried in grief and loss
5. Make love the measure of maturity
6. Break the power of the past
7. Lead out of weakness and vulnerability
Peter challenges the belief that success is measured in numbers and warns against quick but shallow growth.
Deep transformation of lives continues over a lifetime which is what is needed in the church and parachurch organizations today, and that Christ offered to his followers.
This book, like others Pete has written, is filled with his own journey of learning these deep truths and how his leadership has been transformed and passed on to those he leads. Pete writes with grace, humility and hope.
I have worked for an interdenominational Christian organization for 35 years and think this is a must read for any and all who are involved in spiritual discipleship of others.
The book emphasized, “Let your doing for Jesus flow out of your being with Jesus,” and “we need to enjoy the Jesus we share with others.”
July 14, 2023
We can’t be spiritually mature if we remain emotionally immature.
November 4, 2024
I’m just really glad there are churches who place a high value on this and press into emotional and spiritual health. Grateful to have journeyed through this book with a new small group in a new church.
February 8, 2024
Läsvärd. Mycket bra poänger och tankar. Huvudpoängen är att vi inte kan vara andligt mogna och emotionellt omogna. En präst som ex. predikar jättebra men sedan går hem och slår sin fru lever i total obalans. Det är det som är skillnaden mellan religion och den kristna tron/relationen. Den andliga visheten måste ner i våra hjärtan och omvandla oss så att vårt liv reflekterar kunskapen vi besitter. Ingen skillnad hur mycket teologi du kan om du inte älskar din nästa.
Boken bidrar till mycket självreflektion. Värderar jag en människas kunskap högre än en människas karaktär och hjärta? Ser jag en människa som ”mera andlig” för att de kan förklara olika skillnader mellan inriktningar, än om de troget arbetar på sitt jobb, hjälper människor i sin närhet och är självuppoffrande? Hur är det i mitt eget hjärta; på vilka områden i mitt liv behöver jag mogna? Var är jag omogen? Är min prio ett att älska? Gud, min nästa, mig själv (ta beslut som är väl för min eviga människa)?
För att kunna tjäna Herren och vara hans tjänare behöver jag också mogna i min människa. Gud har skapat oss till människor med känslor, vi kan inte kämpa emot dem/ignorera dem, utan vi får ta i tu med dem. Vi är inte mera heliga om vi bara kämpar vidare, det kommer bita oss i arslet i slutändan, vi behöver bli emotionellt mogna för att tjäna Herren, men framförallt, bli och vara sådana han tänkt oss vara.
Boken bidrar till mycket självreflektion. Värderar jag en människas kunskap högre än en människas karaktär och hjärta? Ser jag en människa som ”mera andlig” för att de kan förklara olika skillnader mellan inriktningar, än om de troget arbetar på sitt jobb, hjälper människor i sin närhet och är självuppoffrande? Hur är det i mitt eget hjärta; på vilka områden i mitt liv behöver jag mogna? Var är jag omogen? Är min prio ett att älska? Gud, min nästa, mig själv (ta beslut som är väl för min eviga människa)?
För att kunna tjäna Herren och vara hans tjänare behöver jag också mogna i min människa. Gud har skapat oss till människor med känslor, vi kan inte kämpa emot dem/ignorera dem, utan vi får ta i tu med dem. Vi är inte mera heliga om vi bara kämpar vidare, det kommer bita oss i arslet i slutändan, vi behöver bli emotionellt mogna för att tjäna Herren, men framförallt, bli och vara sådana han tänkt oss vara.
August 24, 2022
Discipleship is not just about learning and theology. It transforms the heart. Many Christians are not self-aware and emotionally healthy. Peter Scazzero talks about the importance and process of caring for the heart.
Main idea: If we don't change our heart and disciple our emotions, then our relationship with Jesus is shallow.
Main idea: If we don't change our heart and disciple our emotions, then our relationship with Jesus is shallow.
July 16, 2023
Highly recommend for everyone to read!! Will be re-reading and reflecting on this for years to come.
August 22, 2022
“Where do we get the idea that it’s possible to be spiritually mature while remaining emotionally immature?”
I found the first half or so to be very insightful and engaging but felt like that dwindled the further along I got. Overall, feel like Scazzero is initiating a really important conversation in the church.
I found the first half or so to be very insightful and engaging but felt like that dwindled the further along I got. Overall, feel like Scazzero is initiating a really important conversation in the church.
March 28, 2021
Insights that Will Change You and Those You Lead
Emotionally Healthy Discipleship is a book that I will be rereading and referring back to again and again. What I love is that this book centers on our relationship with Christ, and it is grounded in Scripture. Emotionally Healthy Discipleship addresses four failures that undermine deep discipleship, and then the rest of the book focuses on what it means to be an emotionally healthy disciple of Jesus. The author, Peter Scazzero, says an emotional disciple, “...slows down to be with Jesus, goes beneath the surface of their life to be deeply transformed by Jesus, and offers their life as a gift to the world for Jesus” (p. 26). This shows that an emotional disciple is all about Jesus, and this theme of what it means to be a Christ-centered disciple who disciples others is developed throughout the book. I would recommend this book to those who lead others both in a ministry context and those who are in the marketplace like me (I am a public school teacher).
Although this concept of an emotionally healthy disciple is deep and complex (and hard to live out!), the author has broken it down into seven marks of an emotionally healthy disciple and made them simple to understand through clear explanations of how to live out each discipleship mark as well as self-assessments, charts, illustrations, and quotes. Even the footnotes are filled with helpful descriptions and are proof of how much time and research went into this book. Also, it is apparent that the author embodies these marks of an emotionally healthy disciple and has often had to learn through his own suffering, life challenges, and personal mistakes. Recognizing the four failures that undermine deep discipleship and applying the seven marks outlined in Emotionally Healthy Discipleship will help you grow into an emotional disciple that cultivates your relationship with Jesus and lets Him transform you so that your life shines and blesses people.
Emotionally Healthy Discipleship is a book that I will be rereading and referring back to again and again. What I love is that this book centers on our relationship with Christ, and it is grounded in Scripture. Emotionally Healthy Discipleship addresses four failures that undermine deep discipleship, and then the rest of the book focuses on what it means to be an emotionally healthy disciple of Jesus. The author, Peter Scazzero, says an emotional disciple, “...slows down to be with Jesus, goes beneath the surface of their life to be deeply transformed by Jesus, and offers their life as a gift to the world for Jesus” (p. 26). This shows that an emotional disciple is all about Jesus, and this theme of what it means to be a Christ-centered disciple who disciples others is developed throughout the book. I would recommend this book to those who lead others both in a ministry context and those who are in the marketplace like me (I am a public school teacher).
Although this concept of an emotionally healthy disciple is deep and complex (and hard to live out!), the author has broken it down into seven marks of an emotionally healthy disciple and made them simple to understand through clear explanations of how to live out each discipleship mark as well as self-assessments, charts, illustrations, and quotes. Even the footnotes are filled with helpful descriptions and are proof of how much time and research went into this book. Also, it is apparent that the author embodies these marks of an emotionally healthy disciple and has often had to learn through his own suffering, life challenges, and personal mistakes. Recognizing the four failures that undermine deep discipleship and applying the seven marks outlined in Emotionally Healthy Discipleship will help you grow into an emotional disciple that cultivates your relationship with Jesus and lets Him transform you so that your life shines and blesses people.
April 11, 2021
This is a wonderfully researched and Spirit-led resource. Scazzero has been writing this for over 20 years as he's pivoted through the many struggles of church leadership, marriage and life walking with the Lord.
I love the analogy he uses at the end of the book about changing our operating system. That's what the Holy Spirit does, doesn't He? He transforms our heart, soul and mind (our O/S) so we grow and develop more like Christ. As Scazzero outlines the traditional Christian and discipleship model has been built around the practices of prayer, bible study and service. All good and essential practices. But often, in participating in such practices, we're oblivious to the 'stuff' hindering our growth including the impact of our past and our family's past and the misguided notions of worldly models of transformation.
After opening with 2 chapters of what's wrong with the current state of discipleship, Scazzero explores the 7 healthy habits of a new model. And yes, as one would expect, there is a course that is available for churches to purchase in order to implement the new way.
However, the core essence of the material in this book is relevant to all believers and is a timely reminder that the current state of the church is ripe for transformation. Such transformation begins with its leaders but also requires willing believers to walk this road to encourage their leaders to adopt it for themselves and the churches they lead.
Highly recommended.
I love the analogy he uses at the end of the book about changing our operating system. That's what the Holy Spirit does, doesn't He? He transforms our heart, soul and mind (our O/S) so we grow and develop more like Christ. As Scazzero outlines the traditional Christian and discipleship model has been built around the practices of prayer, bible study and service. All good and essential practices. But often, in participating in such practices, we're oblivious to the 'stuff' hindering our growth including the impact of our past and our family's past and the misguided notions of worldly models of transformation.
After opening with 2 chapters of what's wrong with the current state of discipleship, Scazzero explores the 7 healthy habits of a new model. And yes, as one would expect, there is a course that is available for churches to purchase in order to implement the new way.
However, the core essence of the material in this book is relevant to all believers and is a timely reminder that the current state of the church is ripe for transformation. Such transformation begins with its leaders but also requires willing believers to walk this road to encourage their leaders to adopt it for themselves and the churches they lead.
Highly recommended.
June 20, 2021
Excellent book inviting us to a healthier and more whole way of following Christ. Scazzero names 7 marks of healthy discipleship, and sadly not many of them are the ones most Christians would name, but my sense is they are marks of Christ:
Be Before You Do
Follow the Crucified, not the Americanized, Jesus
Embrace God's Gift of Limits
Discover the Treasure Buried in Grief and Loss
Make Love the Measure of Maturity
Break the Power of the Past
Lead Out of Weakness and Vulnerability
Sometimes it felt a little like he was telling us to "Just do it," with these marks, but I know the intention is to allow the Holy Spirit to transform us. We can't make these things happen in our lives but must keep going back to Christ for this change.
Be Before You Do
Follow the Crucified, not the Americanized, Jesus
Embrace God's Gift of Limits
Discover the Treasure Buried in Grief and Loss
Make Love the Measure of Maturity
Break the Power of the Past
Lead Out of Weakness and Vulnerability
Sometimes it felt a little like he was telling us to "Just do it," with these marks, but I know the intention is to allow the Holy Spirit to transform us. We can't make these things happen in our lives but must keep going back to Christ for this change.
September 11, 2023
It was fine, nothing inovative. Just like every other discipleship book.
September 12, 2022
It's hard to say how impressed I am with this book. It happens pretty frequently that people tell me, "You should read [Pastoral Theology Book X] by [Author Y]," and I read it, and it does little for me. But *Emotionally Healthy Discipleship* is the real deal. A book that skillfully amalgamates truths from the biblical texts with hands-on applications alongside powerful metaphors, all of which functions to bring the book's lessons alive in your spiritual practices and in your life.
Two introductory chapters lay out why what the modern church calls "discipleship" is often shallow, unhealthy, and unsatisfying, teaching Christian practices that ultimately lead to burn-out. After these introductory chapters, Scazerro launches into the meat of his teaching, seven principles that lead to healthy discipleship. For example, the first of these, "Be Before You Do," looks at the story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10:38-42 and argues that we as Christians spend too much time trying to be like Martha and do for Jesus when we first need to be more like Mary and spend time with Jesus. This may mean doing less and saying "no" to some commitments, which Scazzero covers in another chapter on "Embrac[ing] God's Gift of Limits"--essentially, a chapter on boundaries (though Cloud and Townsend are not referenced).
Other chapters deal with things like coming to terms with your emotionally unhealthy family of origin, or accepting that a "successful" ministry isn't always the one that grows biggest or attracts the most people. His exemplar here is John the Baptist, whose ministry lasted less than two years and whose followers left him when Jesus began his ministry---yet Jesus tells us no one who lived was greater than John (Matt 11:11). "Success" on God's terms means playing the role God has for you to play, Scazerro argues, and that role may look a lot like failure to others, but that's okay.
Since starting this book, I find myself calmer and more relaxed, and I find that I'm spending more time with God. I feel less pressure to rush or to "do" for others (or even for God). The Martha stuff can wait; just be Mary, I tell myself.
I have not read any of the other books in the "Emotionally Healthy" series, but I'll certainly check them out now.
Two introductory chapters lay out why what the modern church calls "discipleship" is often shallow, unhealthy, and unsatisfying, teaching Christian practices that ultimately lead to burn-out. After these introductory chapters, Scazerro launches into the meat of his teaching, seven principles that lead to healthy discipleship. For example, the first of these, "Be Before You Do," looks at the story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10:38-42 and argues that we as Christians spend too much time trying to be like Martha and do for Jesus when we first need to be more like Mary and spend time with Jesus. This may mean doing less and saying "no" to some commitments, which Scazzero covers in another chapter on "Embrac[ing] God's Gift of Limits"--essentially, a chapter on boundaries (though Cloud and Townsend are not referenced).
Other chapters deal with things like coming to terms with your emotionally unhealthy family of origin, or accepting that a "successful" ministry isn't always the one that grows biggest or attracts the most people. His exemplar here is John the Baptist, whose ministry lasted less than two years and whose followers left him when Jesus began his ministry---yet Jesus tells us no one who lived was greater than John (Matt 11:11). "Success" on God's terms means playing the role God has for you to play, Scazerro argues, and that role may look a lot like failure to others, but that's okay.
Since starting this book, I find myself calmer and more relaxed, and I find that I'm spending more time with God. I feel less pressure to rush or to "do" for others (or even for God). The Martha stuff can wait; just be Mary, I tell myself.
I have not read any of the other books in the "Emotionally Healthy" series, but I'll certainly check them out now.
December 23, 2022
Almost 4 stars--very much liked the emphasis on "embracing grief" and "leading out of weakness", but I disagree with Scazzero's assertion that we need a new "discipleship operating system". Staying with his metaphor, I would simply affirm that the current model for discipleship simply has some very underused "applications". EH Discipleship has, however, piqued my interest enough to read other books in this series.
January 1, 2022
A really good gathering together of insights and learnings from Scazzero's other books into a summary book - with a focus on the theme of discipleship. Definitely a good one to read, and an even better one to implement into your life ... with others.
August 22, 2021
This is a very important, challenging book for Christian leaders. Scazzerro pushes us to see discipleship as more than just activity or mastery of content. The way of Jesus has to transform every part of our internal and external lives. And, as he says, you cannot be spiritually mature if you are emotionally immature or unhealthy. Lots to process.
August 27, 2021
Challenging read!
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February 20, 2022Solid stuff, especially on embracing limits, weakness, and vulnerability
April 23, 2024
A fantastic book to read slowly with a discipleship group!
June 11, 2024
Such an amazing book. Helped (and is helping) me navigate a rough season where I know depth with Jesus is offered but few know how to take hold of it. Pete has done a needed work in this book. Frfr
April 2, 2025
“When I was young, I set out to change the world. When I grew older, I perceived that this was too ambitious…. If I had started with myself, maybe then I would have succeeded!”
This quote pretty much sums up everything for me. Highly recommend! Good stuff!!!!
This quote pretty much sums up everything for me. Highly recommend! Good stuff!!!!
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November 5, 2025Chlapci, toto je gamechanger.
June 26, 2021
Powerful!
April 30, 2025
An absolutely stellar book. I love reading it and can already see the usefulness and fruit of some of the concepts.
January 4, 2023
Super powerful book that contained numerous challenges that consider a lot of prayer & action!
December 29, 2023
One I will read again.
August 22, 2024
Ouch man, this book was a beautifully written hard read. Trying to understand your own vulnerabilities and weaknesses is not easy and honestly caused a lot of past events or trauma to come up to process. So so hard but was truly worth it as a read. Will be reading it again with friends or students!!
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