Practicing: Changing Yourself to Change the World

by Kathy Escobar

From the masses of young people spurning organized religion to faithful followers of Jesus, there is a deep hunger across gender, age, socioeconomics, and denominational backgrounds for practical, tangible ways to live a life of love, mercy, and justice in our divided, fragmented world. But where do we start? It's easy to feel overwhelmed by the world's problems, with solutions to violence and poverty and oppression seeming so far out of reach.

But you have more power to change the world than you realize and it starts with changing yourself.

In Practicing, Pastor Kathy Escobar inspires and challenges readers with practical encouragement to live their faith through real action using ten transformational practices, including listening more, including the marginalized, advocating for justice, and mourning with those who grieve. By putting our hearts, hands, and feet behind our good intentions, we can transform our groups, our communities, and our world. Extremely interactive, relational, and practical, Practicing can be read alone or processed together with a group, church, or class.

Genres: Spirituality, Nonfiction, Self Help, Christian

250 pages, Paperback

Published February 18, 2020

Reviews

[Melike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspiring and thought-provoking. The book is full of ideas on how to put our faith into practice by changing ourselves as the title suggests. At the end of each chapter, she has personal and group reflection questions as well as tips on how to put the particular theme into practice. Each chapter also has book suggestions for those who want to dig deeper into that particular topic. Overall, a great book that is easy to read and has a beautiful message.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Westminster John Knox Press for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The description for the new book, Practicing: Changing Yourself to Change the World by Kathy Escobar, caught my attention right away. In particular the tag lines that Christians want to "live a life of love, mercy, and justice," but "it's easy to feel overwhelmed" was a siren song that enticed me to pick up the book. Escobar details a variety of practices that are a blend of spiritual disciplines and actions in ten chapters. The practices include a variety of items that also focus focus on bringing people together across differences and divides in order to promote healing, reconciliation, and change the world by empowering those who have been denied or stripped of power due to sex, color, economic status, or gender.

Each chapter contains numerous stories and examples of how Escobar has lived out these practices in her own life and through the church she co-pastors. Escobar draws upon other writers for several spiritual traditions to demonstrate the practices. Many suggestions are provided which give hands-on, specific ways to incorporate the practices described. Each chapter also includes questions for personal reflection, group discussion, practice, and suggested readings titled "Dig Deeper" which include a variety of titles from both a faith-based and secular point of view.

I found Escobar's writing thought-provoking. Several practices, particularly statements about "with" rather than "to" or "for" regarding the practice of including, really resonated with me. Some other statements I'm still chewing on and I'm not quite sure I agree with. Regardless whether you agree with the entire book, anyone will come away from reading Practicing with new ideas and new practices to consider and will be stretched in their thinking. The discussion questions and other additional resources make this a perfect book to read and discuss with others.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received Practicing from Westminster John Knox via NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

[Stacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you ever felt hopeless about how freaking messed up this world is? SAME. This guide, Practicing, helps give a life line when you are drowning in the ocean of an emotionally polluted Earth. The reality that this book encourages the use of tools that we already have at our disposal, if you so choose. The chapter "Mourning" helps touch on grief in an honest way, and helps give us ideas for how to support our friends when we feel like we don't know what to do or say. The entire book has something for everyone, and is relevant if you want to make a difference in this world. Kathy has a way of coaching that truly makes you want to be a better human. 5 out 5, highly recommend.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book. This book is life-giving and has motivated me to look within myself to honestly live in a way with more personal peace and congruity with my beliefs and behavior. I found it practical and encouraging without any guilt or shaming. The easy-to-read style coupled with wisdom and direction to begin and practice change with oneself is powerful and doable. I strongly recommend this enjoyable and inspiring book. BE THE CHANGE !

[Michelle Kidwell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Practicing
Changing Yourself to Change the World
by Kathy Escobar

Westminster John Knox Press

Christian , Religion & Spirituality

Pub Date 18 Feb 2020


I am reviewing a copy of Practicing: Changing Yourself to Change the World through Westminster John Knox Press and Netgalley:




There are parts of this book I agree with like when Kathy Escobar says “Part of an active, vibrant, tangible faith is becoming healthier human beings and learning to practice a better way.” The importance of personal healing and listening, really listening being emphasized are also something I agree with.


The fact that more ears and less mouth are emphasized are something I understand as well, because I believe truly listening is one of the ways we can reach out to others and show them that our faith is genuine. But as I said there are things that I don’t agree with, it’s almost as if the author is accusing Christians in general of not taking the time out to truly listen before forming an opinion, and though I’m sure that wasn’t her intention it was the vibe I got.


The fact that as a Christian she says we can spend to much of the loving God part and not enough of the loving our neighbor part gets to me as well, first of all we are supposed to love God with all our hearts, I do think we need to love our neighbors in a deeper and more profound way but that does not mean we should focus less loving God, if we do it right we can effectively do both.


I honestly found the way she lumped all conservative Christians into this broad category, of judgement and hate.


Honestly I struggled to get through this book because in many ways it felt like an unbalanced personal attack.


I give Practicing three out of five stars, only because this book was well written, and some of the arguments were well thought out!

[Regina Chari · Rating 5 out of 5]

We often hear the quote about being the change we wish to see in the world, in her book Practicing, Kathy Escobar shows us how to do that.

From the very first page, you will feel like you are having a conversation with a dear friend who is a wise sage. Kathy has organized and crafted this book in such an intentional way that it will without a doubt, help you live out your faith in a better more meaningful way.

Her chapters are organized around 10 topics that we all can grow in; Healing, Listening, Loving, Including, Equalizing, Advocating, Mourning, Failing, Resting, and Celebrating. Wouldn't the world be a better place if we all practiced our faith in these areas? The stories Kathy includes are from her and her friends. Each narrative, teaches us so much and was included in such an intentional way.

For each of these 10 areas, Kathy gives us practical ways we can live this out in our faith, she also includes discussion questions and prayers. This book is so engaging and well written that it is an easy read-- however I highly recommend taking your time and give room to put her wisdom into practice.

The publisher provided an ARC through Netgalley. I have voluntarily read this book and these thoughts and opinions are my own honest review.

[Kidron Tirey · Rating 1 out of 5]

I affirm Escobar's assertion that "theology won't heal the world" but her recommendations for how theology should be practiced fall short of the gospel imperative. Given that this is a book about the act of doing—as opposed to just thinking—her reluctance to draw from the biblical text as it was originally intended to be understood for the audience of its day and practiced is underwhelming. While I agree Christians today must do a better job in loving one's neighbor and avoiding hypocrisy, Escobar divorces her interpretations of what that reality looks like biblically and leaves the reader with a merely moralistic-therapeutic book. I would not classify this as a Christian guide.

I agree that too many Christians cover their wounds by adopting head-knowledge that they never let transform their inner lives. Escobar is right when she says "As a wider group, we often insulate ourselves from perspectives that don't align with our experiences or the homogeneity to which we have become accustomed." However, this book does not draw a connection between the necessity of dependence on Christ for a transformative work that runs primary to other secondary aids and supports found in the secular space.

[Marty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the honor of reading this book before it's release date. It was life changing. With the state of our country and our world, we need this book more than ever. And, personally I have found all the chapters relevant to so many different areas of my life. Highly recommend!

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Practicing discusses a variety of topics: healing, listening, loving, including, equalizing, advocating, mourning, failing, resting, and celebrating. The book talks about the difference between how we treat one another vs how we SHOULD treat one another.

[Robert D. Cornwall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of us have had grand visions of changing the world. Over time we discover that changing the world is more difficult than we thought. We can easily get disillusioned. Perhaps that's why so many ordained clergy leave ministry before they've been at it for five years. Over time, we may become more circumspect about the possibilities, or at least about our abilities to make this happen. Perhaps the answer for us is to start with ourselves.

Kathy Escobar, copastor of The Refuge, a church in Denver, has written a book that speaks to many of us. She addresses those basic concerns about the world and our place in it by suggesting practices that can strengthen us for the journey so we don't give up, but continue the journey. She writes out of her own experience. Like many of us, she has evangelical roots. Unlike me, she had to deal with the question of whether she as a woman can serve a ministerial position. She pushed through this, though not without many challenges, to become a person of faith and commitment to the work of God. In this book, she shares insights that have assisted her journey and can assist others who are spiritual refugees and others like them.

This is a book about spiritual practices, a concept that has been explored in different ways before, but her offering has some unique elements to it. This is what she says about practices and how they can change our lives so we can engage in changing the world. She writes that "Real change in ourselves doesn't come through a few minor tweaks in our behavior or from breezing through a book on practice. Practice is centered on deep inner work in our souls that propels us to habitually, intentionally, and repeatedly live out new, healthier ways over the long haul" (p. 4). While I disagree with what appears to me to be a dismissal of theology (p. 5), I found the book compelling. That's because faith is a verb. It has to do with the way live life.

Escobar lays out ten practices that can assist in transforming our lives so we can participate with God in acts of world transformation. These practices include healing, listening, loving, including, equalizing, advocating, mourning, failing, resting, and celebrating. I sense that at least a few of these listed practices will stand out to each of us. There is a progressive dimension to these practices. Think of including or equalizing. Then there's advocating.

Let's look for a moment at what she says about advocacy. She writes here of paying attention to prepositions. There is a difference between to, for, and with. She writes that to and for are the easiest for us to implement, "especially if were raised in church or involved in missions-oriented projects." She suggests that "to" is paternal, because it emerges from a belief that somehow we're better than others, and so we have something to give to those in need. The problem, she notes is that this can be patronizing and disempowering. As for the preposition "for," she says that it can be maternalistic. She writes that this preposition is centered on us, in that we want to do things for others, "so that our anxiety is relieved." The problem, she says is that it produces codependence. It produces a sense of control. So, she suggests the preposition with because it is incarnational. "It is built on equal value, mutuality, and arises from relationship instead of stepping in and trying to solve problems on our own terms" (p. 123). This makes sense.

Another practice that stood out to me was the chapter on failing. I think we've all experienced failure, at least I have. She notes that "perfectionism is not only exhausting, it's also paralyzing" (p. 166). So, "a core piece of the practice of failing is embracing our humanity. Owning it, leaning into it, wearing it, and remembering we are in good company with a whole bunch of others who are also struggling with feelings of failure" (pp. 167-168). But it's not just owning it, it's persevering through it. The practice leads to resilience. which she defines as "the ability to navigate adversity, failure, and change with as much health as possible. It's the ability to absorb pain and struggle but not let it kill us. It's a bounce-back-ness that isn't fake or denying of reality but deep and tangible." (p. 170).

Having explored each of these ten practices, she concludes by encouraging us to keep practicing. She reminds us that transformation takes time. It requires "repetition, intention, and ongoing improvement." (p. 218). She concludes each chapter with a prayer, a set of questions for personal reflection, a set of questions for group discussion, and finally practices. The prayer she offers in her conclusion is fitting.

"God, we need your courage to keep practicing.
Help us stay the course when we want to give up.
Stir our hearts, move our feet, rock our world.
We're ready, we're willing, we're open.
Help us keep changing ourselves so we can change the world.
Amen.

For those who wish to change the world, here is a well written and accessible book that is filled with stories of Escobar's own life, as well as the lives of those who have traveled with her on this journey. Especially right now, this is a book that can prove encouraging to many.

[Conrade Yap · Rating 5 out of 5]

We have often heard of pleas to walk the talk; to put ideas into action; and to put theories into practice. Whatever the expressions, the common theme is that people are sincerely wanting to live out their faith authentically and tangibly. Practice is also about change: Not more but deeper; not bigger but stronger; not better but integrated. For faith is not a static belief but active practice. For author and pastor Kathy Escobar, it is not just one but ten practices that we can do to change the world beginning with ourselves. In a powerful introduction, she gives several reasons why all Christians need this book. Generally, in a world where people talk more than they walk, we need to do the reverse, to declare faith as a verb to be practiced instead to be passively talked about. That does not mean that we do not talk. It simply means that whatever we talk, be ready to apply. So the word "practice" is the active verb throughout the book. She explores the nature of practicing via several dimensions. It is about being "tangible" to make our faith visible. It is about walking with people, to mourn with those who mourn, and to rejoice with those who rejoice. It is about becoming like Christ before others. It is about "improvement," where we move from popular words like "more, bigger, or better" toward "deeper, stronger, and more integrated." This improvement begins from the inside out. While emphasizing the practicing more than the talking, she admits that conversations are still necessary. She even gives us six broad sets of ground rules to begin the conversation process. In summary, we are called to be Christ's physical ministry to others. The ten practices are:

1) Healing: We need to be honest with ourselves that we all have various needs for healing. This is essential if we want to participate in such ministry to others.
2) Listening: We need more ears and less mouth, to increase our understanding of others.
3) Loving: Following Richard Rohr's words to put into action; "The best criticism of the bad is the practice of the better."
4) Including: Avoid the addiction of preferring the known and the comfortable. Remember that there is no "us vs them" but we.
5) Equalizing: From power differences to giving all individuals an equal sense of worth.
6) Advocating: To help those who cannot help themselves by "magnifying" their voices.
7) Mourning: Grief should not be avoided. Instead, we should make space for one another to lament and mourn any loss. Mourning with those who mourn also means letting one another express themselves without any other forms of interference.
8) Failing: Making mistakes is part of being human. We ought to cultivate resilience to rise up each time we fall, in order to learn and grow as real people.
9) Resting: We need intentional space to rest on a regular basis. It keeps us sane.
10) Celebrating: Helping people see and celebrate the good they have done, that sometimes they cannot see themselves.

Each chapter begins with a dictionary-like definition of the participle, or a continuous form of the verb. With the definitions, Escobar gives us a popular understanding of the word. Following that, she shares a thought from a practitioner about the direction of the chapter. There is a personal story, where Escobar shares not only from her past but her present struggles from family, ministry, and relationships. She then invites us into the practice by showing us how we are not alone in suffering the short end of the stick. Interestingly, she applies what were discussed to each succeeding chapter. What I like about Escobar's approach is the way she asks questions while teaching the meaning of the practice. One does not feel being talked to, but more like being invited to a learning conversation. This is something very beautiful in this approach because the author has been so open which in turn encourages us to be open. On top of that, she lists a few different examples to help us notice the many different ways in which the practice could be relevant to us. The discussion questions at the end of each chapter make for very good small group interactions. There is a prayer to ask the Lord for help to be open, to be honest, and to be willing to share constructively with one another. Escobar concludes each chapter with what to do next and how to "dig deeper" into the topic.

Three Thoughts
First, this book puts into practice the flesh needed to bring theology to life. It is a much needed book especially in a climate of suspicions and skepticism about the Christian faith. It reminds me of the importance of letting our faith do the walking as what letter of James 1:22 had taught us: "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." The author hits us at the jugular by pointing out Richard Rohr's observation, that "Christians are usually sincere and well-intentioned people until you get to any real issues of ego, control, power, money, pleasure, and security. Then they tend to be pretty much like everybody else." Theologically, it is about sin. Escobar is clearly one who have had enough with hypocrisy in Christian circles. On the one hand, we are all guilty, both believers and non-believers. On the other hand, as Christians, we are expected to be people of faith demonstrated in good works. Put in this light, this book gives us ways to go about doing that. In particular, I appreciate the constructive ideas at the end of each chapter that puts forth about how to go about putting the virtue into practice.

Second, we need to be cautious not to depend on human strength and wisdom to go about doing things. Spiritual things must not only be spiritually discerned, they need to be spiritually led toward Christlike living. It is tempting to jump into the practice without praying or seeking God. When that happens, things might work for a while, but it will not be sustainable. When Jesus tells us the need to abide in Him and He in us, He is reminding us that apart from Christ, we can do nothing. Any rush to do things, even the good things in the Name of God, would be folly. Proverbs also warn us against hasty living. Seeking God, seeking counsel, and seeking godly wisdom must come before the actual work itself. In fact, prayer and discernment are not limited to the beginning. They are meant to be practiced through the entire process. Kudos to Escobar for including a prayer at the end of each chapter to do just that. If there's anything to critique, I would say the prayers are way too brief.

Finally, this book should be a kick-start for more practices to follow. It should trigger the beginning rather than the end of any conversation. The ten practices Escobar had listed could easily spawn other topics. For example, listening could progress toward different levels of understanding for different situations. Both the personal and group reflection questions ought to inspire us to creatively formulate other acts and practices. The lists are probably worth the price of this book.

Great book to start a conversation as well as a movement.

Kathy Escobar is co-pastor at the Refuge, a Christian community and mission center in North Denver. She is a trained spiritual director, speaker, writer, group facilitator, and advocate for safe spaces for healing.

Rating: 4.5 stars of 5.

conrade
This book has been provided courtesy of Westminster John Knox Press and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

[Doreen Blair · Rating 3 out of 5]

PRACTICING
KATHY ESCOBAR

Having received this Kindle book for free for the purpose of review I struggled through. What each of us needs to PRACTICE, writing style seemed slow and not particularly interesting.

I did agree that a changed world begins with our own changes and then practiced among people in our every day life and those who may be completely different. It is valuable to treat everyone, be it friend or foe, kindly. "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you", Matthew 7:12.

Matthew 7:12 sounds easy enough and yet we know how difficult it can be. However, with each "Practice" it becomes more strengthened in our life.

So, all that said, I muddled through the book and found all suggestions worthwhile.

[Howard Boswell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do not know what I expected when I picked up this book. I didn’t know Kathy Escobar. After reading Practicing, I want to know more! This book is beautiful and well written. There is a logic in how the practices are presented. Escobar’s stories make each practice come alive. The inclusion of reflection and discussion at the end of each chapter makes the reader reflect and provides a way to study the book with others. So, if you want to know specific practices for turning faith into action, this book is a place to start. I plan on reading it again, but more slowly, so that I can practice what I preach!

[Joy Matteson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, I loved this. Pastor Escobar really knows how to challenge and lift me up during such a difficult year. I've loved how practical each chapter becomes, whether it's a challenge to rest, fail more (yes, really), advocate, celebrate, or create, she takes us deep into her own personal journey. My pet peeve is other pastors who tell us exactly how to live--the right doctrine, the right way to love--but hide their own person behind a veneer of perfection. We are all human. We all fail. We just need to practice more.
I had so much food for thought, I'll be reflecting on her words for a while now. Do yourself a favor and pick this one up, especially if the year is still 2020.

[Jen Feddema · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. I listened to this as an audiobook and promptly went out and purchased the hard copy form because I loved it so much. I would probably rate it even higher after reading the actual book because so much of what the other says are nuggets to be savored, highlighted and pondered.

My only complaint about the book is the author’s occasional use of the word “freakin’” in descriptive circumstances. Call me old fashioned, but I just find that it cheapens the tone and while I understand that it’s usage is to cause familiarity/kinship between the author and the reader, I just find it a tawdry and easy descriptor.

[Sara Pantazes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a book about spiritual practices but none of them are the "usual". Her ideas about listening, including, advocating and failing, among several others, are wise and speak wisdom into the fractured times we are living in. I also appreciated that these practices could serve us well to consider as individuals but also as a collective (i.e. how is a church community doing at healing, including, mourning...)? This would be a great book for a church group to read together.

[Rick Fifield · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book truly for the times that we live in now especially, Chapter 5 The Practice of Equalizing. We live in challenging times, deal with difficult people and experience difficult situations, this book will help. Kathy Escobar is a different kind of pastor, with a different take on the usual, typical responses from other pastors.

[Kelly Fulghum]

While the book is faith based, the author has great insights and thoughts valuable to anyone looking for ways to make a positive impact in today's world. My women's group used this book as our weekly study. It was our desire to take our time going through this book thus the reason it took us months to complete. I highly recommend this book.

[Rebecca E Mentzer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this with my small group and now with my weekly book group. The personal stories and experiences in the book easily translate to our own. There are many ways to reflect on how we live these practices, how what we do or don't do, say or don't say, etc really makes a difference. The ideas for practicing loving, including, equalizing, etc. will continue to be something I reference.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am glad I read the book. The book is a nice, easy read. The author is honest and thoughtful about her own journey and others. The pastor of a church called The Refuge in Colorado she shows that you can make your own way, based on the spirit in the lives of the people around you.

[Brenda Klaassen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finally finished this book. I really could not read this book fast and I could only read a few chapters at a time. The author packed her ideas very well into this book. I really examined my life while reading this book.

[Michelle Pulignani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great insight.

[Jennifer Vancil · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book benefits my life daily.

[Joni · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is full of good ideas for self improvement. It made for good conversation in our book group.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mrs. Escobar writes about what Christians need to do to live out our faith in a tangible way. To quote Escobar in the first chapter, "Practice is centered on deep inner work in our souls that propels us to habitually, intentionally, and repeatedly live out new healthier ways over the long haul."

Recommended for small group discussions, as well as, public libraries.

[Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. Great ideas broken down into chapters that are filled with practical help for getting started on things like listening, loving, and including. Kathy uses her own story and the storied of people she know to bring life to each chapter. I was challenged and encouraged on my faith journey!

[Aisling · Rating 5 out of 5]

I originally received this book through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review. Before I was halfway done I had ordered a copy. It's the kind of book you want to keep close by, so you can scribble in the margins and underline sentences and have available for use in your day to day life. 
This is a book explaining ten practices that any Christian can do, to help change the world. A little bit at a time. As Kathy Escobar says in the introduction, faith is a verb. Each chapter describes a faith practice explained through practical advice and stories. Each chapter ends with a prayer, questions for personal reflection, questions for group discussions, a list to help you get started on that practice, and book suggestions for digging deeper.  

[Kristen McClendon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kathy Escobar is a voice this world needs. She is inspiring and empowering and her writing is transformative. Practicing is a book that will make you feel understood and seen. It will challenge you and change you in the best way. This book is exactly what the world needs right now!

[Nick Nicholson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing! The relevancy in our society today is a must read. A complete eye opener in the art of inclusivity and constructive dialogue. Kathy Escobar has written a book that is right on for my own art of practicing. I love this book. My personal growth has been challenged in the most perfect way. This is a best seller!

[Emily P · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I haven't read any of Escobar's writing before now, I often read authors that I might not have found if I hadn't seen an ad for their books. Such is the case with "Practicing."

Escobar is a pastor who, during the course of the book publishing process, lost her son. This experience has wound its way through the manuscript, adjusting and fitting along with what was already there. She is a self described "pot-stirrer," so don't expect to read her work and still feel like the status quo is the answer to everything.

There's room for lots of self-reflection and the encouragement to reach across the aisle to those who aren't like you, creating community that lives in the tension of imperfect people serving an amazing God. There are tools, ideas and encouragement in the book that will allow the reader to evaluate their current role in God's Kingdom and the ways we build barriers to true community.

While we may not agree on everything, we should continue to seek to understand those around us who might not share the same ideas we on faith and how Jesus asks us to live. "Practicing" is a book that will challenge and encourage growth, regardless of your faith views. Worth a read!

I was an early reader, thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher, Westminster John Knox. All opinions are my own and I chose to leave a review.