A younger pastor recently asked me what resources have most formed my thinking on pastoral ministry. He was somewhat familiar with most of the books I mentioned, but then I brought up the works on ministry written by Eugene Peterson. To my surprise and dismay, he was unaware of Peterson’s pastoral writings. All he knew of Peterson was The Message.

While The Message is undoubtedly what Peterson is best known for, and the work he’ll probably be remembered by, he spent most of his life as a pastor, and it was as a pastor that Peterson wished to be remembered.

Peterson was the founding pastor of Christ Our King Presbyterian Church in Bel Air, Maryland (a suburb of Baltimore), a church he served faithfully for 29 years until his retirement. During that lengthy pastorate, he “worked out” what he eventually “worked into” his several books on pastoral ministry: Five Smooth Stones for Pastoral Work, Working the Angles, Under the Unpredictable Plant, and The Contemplative Pastor.

In those books, Peterson provides a vision for pastoral ministry that’s still sorely needed, one that can immensely benefit pastors. If you’re a pastor or an aspiring pastor, and you’re largely unfamiliar with Peterson, I want to make you aware of one of the most significant pastoral voices of the last 50 years. If you’re familiar with Peterson but are on the fence about reading his books, I hope to help you see why doing so will serve you well.

Why You May Be Reluctant

While many younger pastors haven’t read Peterson because they’re unaware of his pastoral writings, others haven’t read these works because they’re unsure (perhaps even suspicious) of Peterson. For some, their uncertainty is based on faulty assumptions about The Message: Its popularity must mean Peterson is superficial. Or Peterson isn’t worth listening to since he wanted to “dumb down” the Scriptures.

Peterson provides a vision for pastoral ministry that’s still sorely needed, one that can immensely benefit pastors.

Those notions aren’t remotely accurate. The Message grew out of Peterson’s pastoral desire to see his congregation engage with Scripture’s heights and depths. Moreover, he was a skilled linguist adept in both Hebrew and Greek, so he had no desire to craft a Bible paraphrase that’s unfaithful to biblical truth.

Others’ uncertainty about Peterson is more theological and convictional. Admittedly, I hold different convictions than Peterson did on certain issues. There’s also been some confusion over Peterson’s views on marriage and sexuality, so caution is understandable. However, it’s unwise—not to mention uncharitable—to conclude that Peterson has nothing worthwhile to say.

Why You Should Take Up and Read

Here are five good reasons you should take up Peterson’s pastoral works.

1. Peterson’s pastoral writings are rooted in Scripture, and they consistently argue that the Bible is the basis for pastoral ministry.

Peterson’s books on ministry intentionally provide a biblical orientation to pastoral work. Five Smooth Stones derives pastoral principles from five Old Testament books: Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, and Esther. Working the Angles focuses on the importance of the Psalms for prayer, and it uses Acts 8’s story of Phillip and the Ethiopian eunuch as an illustration of the pastor’s hermeneutical work. In Under the Unpredictable Plant, the book of Jonah provides the narrative structure for Peterson’s considerations of the pastoral vocation. And The Contemplative Pastor is filled with biblical allusions and reflections—from the Gospels to the Beatitudes to Revelation.

To read Peterson on pastoral ministry is to read page after page of thought saturated in the Scriptures. His description of a Christian in A Long Obedience in the Same Direction is a fitting description of himself: He had “David in his bones, Jeremiah in his bloodstream, Paul in his fingertips, and Christ in his heart.”

2. Peterson was ‘a voice . . . crying in the wilderness’ (John 1:23), and as pastors ought to know, such voices should be heard.

Peterson says truths that few pastors and church leaders were saying at the time—and that still too few say now. When gimmicks and quick fixes continue to be peddled, and when immediacy is highly prized and exceedingly tempting, Peterson’s books remind us that pastoral work is often slow.

Today, building ministry platforms and gaining celebrity status is put forward as a healthy pastoral ambition, but Peterson reminds us that ministry is modest and often obscure. Some names and references he uses will feel out of date for most readers, but even that underscores the truth that real ministry isn’t based on the latest trends. Yes, Peterson’s pastoral vision is as relevant and needed as ever.

3. Peterson draws his readers’ attention to pastoral work’s first, basic, and most essential elements.

So much of what’s marketed to pastors today focuses on extraneous aspects of ministry, or even unhelpful and unnecessary practices. Peterson, by contrast, keeps our attention on what matters—prayer, meditating on Scripture, caring for souls, and giving spiritual direction. He refers to these practices as “trained attentiveness to God.” In a time when other priorities constantly vie for our attention, we need this pastor to remind us of what’s essential in ministry.

4. Peterson makes you feel grateful and honored to be called.

Peterson fully realizes the cultural assumptions pastors face, how people tend to see us and our work. But his writings were designed to rescue men from those cultural misunderstandings and to restore dignity to pastoral work. Whether it’s drawing biblical parallels to pastors, the historical legacy he situates us in, or the work’s privileges he highlights, they all serve to make you proud (in the best sense of that word) to be a pastor.

Sadly, that’s a rare feeling for most of us. But Peterson writes about our work in a way that shows its honor—both biblically and historically. What a gift.

5. Peterson is enjoyable to read.

From the imagery and language he uses to the stories he tells, Peterson’s writing is never dull. It’s obvious he cared about using words well. It’s not just what he says; it’s how he says it. His prose is poetic. And when you combine his excellent writing with this subject he knew so intimately, it’s no surprise his books for pastors have been enjoyed so widely.

Once again, pastor, if you’ve never read Peterson on pastoral ministry, I hope this article introduces you to a new friend who will become a trusted companion in your work. If you’ve been hesitant about reading Peterson, I hope you’ll give him a chance. And if you already have Peterson’s books but you’ve never opened them, I pray you’ll finally take them up and read. You’ll be glad you did.