The Contemplative Pastor: Returning to the Art of Spiritual Direction

Eugene Peterson’s The Contemplative Pastor introduces several ideas on how to have a rewarding ministry while addressing the tension between the expectations of the pastor and the role the pastor needs to have in ministry. Peterson proposes a pastor that is almost countercultural to the recognized idea of pastor. This view of the pastor both reaches back into the tradition for examples on how the pastor is supposed to live in the community of the church while at the same time providing a way to do that in the modern day church. ( )

The work of ministry is rapidly changing along with our culture. Eugene Peterson sensed the influence of business models, marketing, and gimmick on the church late in the last century. He takes us on a walk to consider our roles as Pastors and how we remain faithful to shepherding souls and teaching them to center on God. This book is an outstanding primer for any one considering the ministry, but would do every pastor good to reflectively take this journey with Peterson every other year if not every year. He is reminding us and calling us to remain faithful to the call to Direct souls to God! ( )

this book is about the life of a pastor. Pastors can become so busy with people that they neglect the life of prayer, Bible study, meditation and listening.
Pastors get caught up in running a church that the time for growth in order to keep fresh become squeezed out.
Each chapter begins with a beatittude.
This book is not about what happes on Sunday, but one thing the author does discuss is what happens on the week days. This is the preparation time for Sunday.
The end of the book encourages a Sabbathical time for the pastor. For a pastor who stays in one church for a long period of time, this is necessary.