The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer

Week 1: Preface & Introduction — The Problem with Hurry

Read the Preface and Introduction of The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry. Key passage: Mark 1:9–39 (a single day in Jesus' unhurried life).

Before diving into the argument, Comer invites us to pause and honestly name the pace we are living at. Take a breath before you begin these questions.

Discussion Questions

8 questions

1.Comer opens with a raw confession: he had built a large, "successful" church in Portland and found himself emotionally numb, irritable, and hollow. Have you ever experienced a season where outward success and inward emptiness existed side by side? What did that feel like?

2.He quotes his mentor and spiritual director who gave him a simple diagnosis: "The solution to your problem is to ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life." Why do you think that word *ruthless* was chosen? What would it take to be ruthless about something in your schedule?

3.Comer describes hurry as a "modern problem" deeply tied to technology, capitalism, and the cult of productivity. Do you agree that hurry is a uniquely modern crisis, or do you think it has always been a human struggle? What evidence would you point to?

a.What specific technologies or habits in your own life accelerate your sense of hurry?

b.Are there any ways your church or faith community has unintentionally baptized busyness?

4.The book's central thesis is that you must "ruthlessly eliminate hurry" not just for your mental health, but as a spiritual and theological necessity. In your own words, why would hurry be a *spiritual* problem and not merely a lifestyle problem?

5.Comer draws heavily on Dallas Willard's famous line: "You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life." What is your first instinct when you hear that? Relief? Resistance? Skepticism? What does your reaction reveal about you?

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Closing Prayer

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Lord Jesus, we confess that we have been living at a pace that leaves little room for you. We have called it productivity, ambition, and faithfulness — but often it is just hurry wearing a spiritual disguise. As we begin this study, give us the courage to be honest about the toll that speed has taken on our souls. We want to learn from you, the one who was never in a rush. Teach us to want that. Amen.

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