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A Review of |
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I enjoy reading Eugene Peterson though he is often a bit too introspective and literarily pretentious for my tastes (do I really need to read a poem about Peterson’s mail carrier?). His books never fail to reward thoughtful consideration, however, and The Contemplative Pastor is no different. The subtitle: Returning to the Art of Spiritual Direction, reminds one of the focus: to remove the pastor from the “busyness” that has infected the culture and that affects both life and ministry and to remain focused on Scripture, prayer, and the care of souls. The first section, “Redefinitions,” is the best in the book and addresses directly the theme and thrust of the book. In the chapter “The Unbusy Pastor,” Peterson points out that “busyness” is something to which many aspire (though, we all claim we don’t want to be busy) because in our culture “busy” equals “important.” The pastor, however, has to ask, “What would I do if I had nothing else to do?” The answer to that question is the essence of pastoring and is what one should make time for. No matter how busy one is or how busy life is, a pastor can be one who prays, preaches, and who listens. Maybe because I love Moby Dick or maybe because it is an interesting image, I love the word picture and quote from Moby Dick that Peterson uses to close out the chapter: the boat slices through the water after the whale and in the midst of much activity, one occupant sits at rest: the harpooner. The explanation? “To ensure the greatest efficiency in the dart, the harpooners of this world must rise to their feet out of idleness and not out of toil” (my paraphrase). This is the pastor’s relationship to busyness: he cannot be effective when he is busy, so he must choose not to be busy. This does not mean he does not work, but that he works so that he is not busy. The key to finding the time for what is important is to set apart the necessary time on one’s planner and then appeal to the planner because, in this culture of busyness, the planner is sacrosanct. The following two chapters, “The Subversive Pastor” and “The Apocalyptic Pastor” are not quite so easily digestible. They ostensibly are about the pastor’s role in transforming society though he seems innocuous to those around him (I love the story of the businessman that opens chapter III) and the importance of patience in doing the work of ministry are less straightforward and thus will be frustrating to those who are not willing to sit still long enough to digest and really think about (dare I say, “contemplate”) what Peterson is saying. Peterson writes this way on purpose, I think, to demonstrate through his style of writing exactly the point he is making and so when one reads thoughtfully and not too quickly (a problem of many busy pastors nowadays) one begins to see the connections between Peterson’s point and the stories or images he uses. The bulk of the book is a section labeled “Between Sundays” and addresses various aspects of what a Pastor does, now that he is “unbusy,” to be subversive and carry out an apocalyptic ministry. This section addresses various things about prayer, study, and the care of souls in Peterson’s unusual but soothing style. The following and final section, “The Word made Fresh” is largely Peterson’s poems on various topics. Peterson is a brave man to put his poetry out there and I am sure that some will like them but they will not appeal to everyone. Peterson has a unique style which has endeared him to many. His works, though sometimes filled with sources of questionable spirituality (he finds spiritual messages in fishing and other out-of-the-way places and events) are thought-provoking and force one to think outside the usual paradigms in order to find inspiration and encouragement. Though I have not been as moved by the same books that move him nor do I practice spirituality the way Peterson seems to, he does encourage one to look everywhere for motivations to practice true Christian spirituality even while doing the work of ministry.
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