This is an autobiographical account of the life of Eugene Peterson, best known as the author of The Message. Peterson, however, defines himself as a pastor, but recounts his struggles to define exactly what this role involves.

The book covers from his birth and upbringing in a country Pentecostal church, his seminary studies where he unintentionally becomes part of the Presbyterian church, planting Christ Our King Presbyterian Church in Maryland, pastoring this church for 26 years, and his move to his current position as Professor Emeritus of Spiritual Theology at Regent College.

Unimpressed with most pastors he knew as a youth, he thought he would be a scholar instead, but while working as a pastor to support himself through doctoral studies he had a change of heart. Still he struggled for many years to understand what his role was, but clarification came as he met weekly with a group of local pastors, who called themselves the Company of Pastors.

This definition is contrary to the business model of pastoring he sees develop in America during his life. I found his warning against chasing numbers (following) to be very challenging.

“Classically, there are three ways in which humans try to find transcendence – religious meaning, God meaning – apart from God as revealed in the cross of Jesus: through the ecstasy of alcohol and drugs, through the ecstasy of recreational sex, through the ecstasy of crowds. Church leaders frequently warn against the drugs and the sex, but, at least in America, never against the crowds. Probably because they get so much ego benefit from crowds.”

This is a great book for pastors, those who want to understand pastors, or those just interested in the man who gave us The Message.

– David McLeod-Jones

By Eugene H. Peterson
Harper Collins, New York, 2011
ISBN 978-0-06-198820-2