The Contemplative Pastor: Returning to the Art of Spiritual DirectionAny pastor who needs and wants to get back to basics will do well to absorb this book. Eugene Peterson, well known as "a pastor's pastor," here speaks words of wisdom and refreshment for pastors caught in the busyness of preaching, teaching, and "running the church." In The Contemplative Pastor Peterson highlights the often-overlooked essentials of ministry, first by redefining the meaning of pastor through three strengthening adjectives: unbusy, subversive, andapocalyptic. The main part of the book focuses on pastoral ministry and spiritual direction "between Sundays": these chapters begin with poetic reflections on the Beatitudes and then discuss such themes as curing souls, praying with eyes open, the language of prayer, the ministry of small talk, and sabbatical--all with engaging, illustrative anecdotes from Peterson's own experience. The book ends with several meaning-full poems that pivot on the incarnation, the doctrine closest to pastoral work. Entitled "The Word Made Fresh," this concluding section is a felicitous finale to Peterson's discerning, down-to-earth reflections on the art of pastoring. |
Contents
1 | |
15 | |
17 | |
27 | |
The Apocalyptic Pastor | 39 |
Ministry amid the Traffic | 53 |
Curing Souls The Forgotten Art | 55 |
Praying with Eyes Open | 67 |
Is Growth a Decision? | 95 |
The Ministry of Small Talk | 111 |
Unwell in a New Way | 117 |
Lashed to the Mast | 129 |
Desert and Harvest A Sabbatical Story | 141 |
Poets and Pastors | 155 |
Poems | 157 |
First Language | 87 |
Other editions - View all
The Contemplative Pastor: Returning to the Art of Spiritual Direction Eugene H. Peterson Limited preview - 1993 |
Common terms and phrases
action active apocalyptic asked attention become believe better biblical busy Christ Christian church comes congregation conversation creation creative culture deal develop don't energy enter everything experience eyes face fact faith feel forms friends gift give given God's going gospel grace hand happen Holy hope human images important involved Jesus John keep kind kingdom knew language light listen lives look Lord material matter means meeting middle mind ministry mysteries nature never ourselves passivity pastor person play poet practice pray prayer preaching problems question reality response running sabbatical Scripture seems sense shape silence sinners souls sound speak spiritual story subversive Sunday talk task teaching things tion turn vocation voice week witness words worship writing