tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1566026416214601282.post5200706332958648429..comments2023-03-17T06:10:42.146-07:00Comments on Jacob's Café: The Heart of a Pastor @christianaudio @caReviewersJosh Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17796695523851847714noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1566026416214601282.post-25340495678254456032011-04-28T20:46:55.559-07:002011-04-28T20:46:55.559-07:00Thanks for your always thoughtful and wise comment...Thanks for your always thoughtful and wise comments, Cal! You're right on on all those points!<br /><br />The "good death" idea struck me as powerful, too. We so often avoid death and think death is always bad. But we can, indeed, have good deaths.Josh Morganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17796695523851847714noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1566026416214601282.post-52918130944938207762011-04-28T12:22:55.623-07:002011-04-28T12:22:55.623-07:00It's ironic that I was reading this book at th...It's ironic that I was reading this book at the same time as you, and not because of any pre-planning. I totally agree with this assessment. The book is probably the most wise, literate, authentic, and spiritual account of what it actually means to be a pastor that I've ever read. He "gets it." Reading this evoked the response "Yes, that's why I'm a pastor." <br /><br />Peterson understands the ordinary, messy, ambiguous, and personal nature of pastoring. Most books on congregational life, especially if the term "leadership" is lurking anywhere in the title, skip over that. Real congregations are not neat canvases upon which we can paint our personal stories of epic success. And real church leadership is not about a starring role that validates the ego or about whipping people into shape so that they obediently charge in the direction of our bidding. It does not feel like cosmic heroism most of the time. It's messy, human, and ambiguous. And yet that's the beauty of it. <br /><br />Peterson also portrays the importance of balance. "Being busy" is often a way of evading what's most important. We can't contribute to congregations anything that we aren't quietly cultivating in the way we actually live our lives when we aren't engaged in completing tasks. <br /><br />Peterson's reflections on the role of pastoring in preparing people for "a good death" struck me as particularly profound. Magnificent buildings, big crowds, and full offering plates evoke images of success and help us engage in what Ernest Becker calls the "denial of death." And yet facing death has historically been a major task of the church and of the pastor. Not glorious or glamorous but one of the most important aspects of real life. <br /><br />Above all, Peterson grounds his work in the great acts of God, in scripture, and in prayer. A much needed corrective in this day of consumer Christianity where Jesus becomes just one more commodity or product line. <br /><br />Well worth the read.<br /><br />CalCal Thomsenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11567992817992228344noreply@blogger.com