“Mysticism” can be a foreign word to many Christians, particularly Protestants. The word may conjure off-putting images of St. Theresa of Avila swooning in ecstasy before the cross. But in The Mystic’s Way for Regular People, written in friendly, straightforward language, the author, James Alexander, lays out “the mystic’s way” to God—a way accessible to all, even “regular people,” as the title indicates, a way to come to know God more closely and personally. The book, only 83 pages long, is a good and highly readable introduction to a subject that need not scare away the average reader, the “regular” person. What it proposes is a way to frame the spiritual journey, a way to make it your own.According to the author, this way derives from heart knowledge of God. What he is interested in is opening our hearts to God and letting Him into all aspects of our lives. As such, this slim volume is not an academic review; don’t seek among its pages for any theological arguments, controversial dogmas of faith, or supernatural experiences. Instead what you will find is a non-intimidating introduction to “the mystic’s way,” presented clearly and humbly, from the perspective of a true searcher for God.Throughout his life as a former evangelical, Presbyterian minister, and college professor for 25 years; and now as an Episcopalian and follower of St. Francis in the Third Order Society of St. Francis, the author explains in his introduction that he has encountered many people with a “hole in the heart”— sometimes known as the “God-shaped hole,” or what St. Augustine called “the innate hunger for the infinite.” But Alexander does not frame it so grandly; he says simply that “in the search for God, our relationship becomes that of a friend to a friend.” And what could be less intimidating than friendship?Recognizing that friendships evolve differently over time, the mystic’s way that Alexander proposes is not a pilgrimage where point A must lead to point B and then to point C and so on with nary a deviation from the path. Alexander recognizes that some practices will appeal to some seekers and not to others, so he offers a wide array of vehicles on the varied paths to God. Different types of prayer and of drawing the treasures of the Bible into the heart are considered, along with practices of love, simplicity, joy, peace, and meditation. None are presented as arcane, difficult-to-master disciplines; in his writing, all are easily approachable ways to develop a friendship with our approachable God. And all are flavored with relatable personal examples from his own life.For beginners who need an introduction to forming a friendship with God, and for those further along in the journey who wish to go deeper, The Mystic’s Way for Regular People is a sensible, easy-to-read guide to the spiritual life.