The Hope I See
Eugene has entered his rest and though I’m sad, I’m not just sad. I’m also hopeful because I see pastors—in small churches and large churches alike—taking Eugene’s work seriously. I see pastors living into what Eugene called “vocational holiness” and walking away from the cheap “careerism” that can easily creep in; I see pastors finally believing that our work is “local” and “personal” in a society that wants to make everything universal and general; I see pastors sinking down into a life of contemplative prayer, working to develop “an interior adequate to the exterior” demands of pastoral ministry; I see pastors trying to discover their “proper work” so they don’t become “event planners” or “religious shopkeepers”; I see pastors “walking the neighborhood” so that their gospel proclamation is contextualized to the actual people they serve; I see pastors working to “tell it slant” in a confrontational society that runs on outrage; and I see pastors working to live “unbusy” lives so they can lead God’s people into rest.
In short, I see pastors carrying the legacy of Eugene Peterson as we make our way through the wilderness and into the Promised Land.
This article originally appeared here.
