About this episode

John Mark Comer and John Ortberg discuss suffering, joy, and the pastoral vocation in the second part of their conversation.

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…

People in this episode

Host: John Mark Comer

Guest: John Ortberg

Topics covered

• suffering
• joy
• pastoral vocation
• healing
• spiritual formation

Keywords

• suffering
• joy
• pastoral ministry
• healing
• spiritual growth

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Practicing the Way

Places: Los Angeles, California

More episodes of The Contemplative Pastor

• A Conversation Between John Ortberg and John Mark Comer (Part 1) · June 18, 2026 · 31 min

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