There are times when an event marks a significant change in the household of God, whether locally or regionally, nationally or worldwide. It’s always good to consider pausing for a moment to reflect, despite the trajectory one is on. In this case, the passing of Eugene Peterson, translator of The Message, seems to eclipse the present path of my series.
I can’t really boast of any personal connection with Eugene Peterson. However, Eugene Peterson did influence family, friends, and acquaintances. Perhaps these snapshots of his influence will be of interest. I have discovered, although I should’ve already known, that one of my old friends knew Peterson personally as a teacher and mentor.
What I’m sharing will center mostly on Peterson’s Bible version, and I would almost say translation: The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language
Rev. Matthew Ingle
Eugene Peterson was a great influence on the spiritual life of my brother, Pastor Matt Ingle. Matt started reading The Message back when Peterson was still printing it out in individual books or volumes. My Dad did as well, Rev. Vernell Ingle.
I can remember snippets of their conversations about how amazing it was, not necessarily as a strict word-for-word translation, but from a thought-for-thought standpoint. Dad is a Greek scholar and teacher, so his interest in the work, and his discussions with Matt, peaked my interest.
This was the first time Eugene Peterson was really on the radar for me. Who was this Peterson and how did he capture the imagination of my brother in common English?
You see, it was important to me that this new version was important to Matt. Matt and I were working together in our congregation. We both served in a variety of capacities and our roles overlapped. I was excited to see a Bible that was capturing his imagination, especially since we had both been raised in a preacher’s home. We thought we had seen it all!
This week Matt said, “For me I can look back on it [The Message] and see the seeds for outlook on the accessibility of the Gospel for everyone to be able to understand.”
Rev. Daniel’s Gift
A colleague who eventually became a close friend of mine, was also influenced by Eugene Peterson, and probably for many reasons I know nothing about. Rev. Daniel Davis and I served at Messenger College and commuted to AGTS together as seminary students. Eventually I became a student development professional on-campus at Evangel, and later Rhonda did as well (Daniel’s wife). So our small families lived near each other on-campus. Later, we all ministered together on pastoral staff at Echoes From Calvary Church (EFCC) in Salinas, CA. We eventually worked together at Messenger again.
Why is all that important? Mainly because our lives intersected in so many ways. Each of us has three sons. Early on, the two older sets were able to spend quite a bit of time around each other. The four of us adults have also spent time investing in each other’s lives. Somewhere along the line, Daniel gave me two separate volumes of The Message (New Testament and Psalms).
While at EFCC, Daniel and Rhonda arranged Sunday morning services, followed by the sermon from Rev. Dale McIntire our Lead Pastor. After the call to worship song, I would share a Psalm and pray every week. Daniel challenged me in my approach, my selection of the Psalm in line with a schedule, the formation of a prayer, and the choice of a translation. The Message was often the most appropriate choice because of its unabashed language, seemingly connecting deeply with the cry of the Psalmist.
Daniel is now the Executive Dean of Academic Affairs at TKU. He’s also completing his doctoral dissertation from Regent University’s School of Divinity.
In every church circle where I’ve ministered since that time, I’ve never stopped reading the Psalms after the call to worship. In fact, at one church I completed a three year circuit, highlighting every single Psalm at least once.
Although I use other translations as well, in my opinion The Message is unparalleled as a modern day English thought-for-thought version of the Psalms.
Not long ago, Daniel recommended a book that changed the way he ministers, Eugene Peterson’s Working the Angles: The Shape of Pastoral Integrity
When Eugene Peterson crossed over, Daniel had this to say on Facebook:
The article that Daniel is referring to is found in Christianity Today, “Eugene Peterson Has Completed His Long Obedience.”
Reading The Message
For those who don’t know, the older versions of The Message were sold in volumes, as Peterson had time to complete them. They had chapters, but not verses. I suppose this was a way of forcing us to read the Scriptures a little closer to the way they were intended to be read, not segmented. Peterson eventually allowed for paragraphs to show verse numbers, but not individual verses within the paragraph, in The Message//REMIX
I would say this is one of his most brilliant moves, since Books of the Bible had no chapters or verses originally. They were often read out loud in one sitting, and within one’s community of faith. Theologically, we call them Reading Communities, and they’re making a comeback. We do our best to understand the Scriptures as always, to study it appropriately. But then we ask our community of faith, “What are the Scriptures saying to us as a people?”
The Message is available online. I access it through BibleGateway.com. I usually preach out of other translations. However, after my research I often double-check with The Message to see how passages are worded. I’ve often been surprised to find that it’s pretty close to the original language.
Why not use The Message to clarify a verse, or highlight a specific phrase or word? My wife Crystal often does so when she speaks. How priceless is a moment of understanding that connects us as communicators with our listeners, and draws us all into the narrative of Scripture?
I’m going to pay attention to anyone who has translated the entire Bible.
Readers of The Message
Now I’ll refer to a couple of people who have read The Message, and have been deeply affected by it. I was surprised that both of them were interested.
First, I’ve been a long-time fan of U2, at least from a distance. I didn’t get to see their recent Joshua Tree anniversary tour. I’ve never seen them in concert. However, there is something real and raw about Bono’s Christianity that has intrigued me over time. He and Eugene Peterson met. I’ll let you watch and draw your own conclusions.
A second person who was affected by The Message was my Grandpa, Rev. O.V. Ingle. Late in life, he talked to my Dad about the newer translations. I can remember that Dad bought him The Message.
Grandpa had been a preacher, a pastor, the Bishop of Oregon/Southern Idaho, and a friend to many ministers and missionaries. He had seen miracles and healings many times in his ministry. He was an avid reader, a scholar, and had read the Bible countless times. Yet, in his old age, he still hungered for a fresh way to engage the Scriptures.
After he went to his everlasting home, I inherited his Bible, among some other books. Much later, while talking with my Dad in my study at the church, I was able to take The Message off of the shelf and give it back to him. He didn’t know that I had it. His note to Grandpa is still visible on the front cover page. May I always have a hunger for the Word like my Grandpa.
The Blight
Wasn’t there some sort of scandal last year about Eugene Peterson? Allegedly, he made some controversial remarks. A plot was aimed at discrediting Peterson by a reporter who is known for this type of subterfuge.
Christianity Today quickly stepped in and cleared Peterson’s name with a clarifying article. I’m not sure we should be so quick to judge a man of God.
Crossing Over
When Eugene Peterson passed, I was surfing the net for information, as I’m sure many people were. I happened upon the post of an old friend. Brian Williams and I were in Jr. High and High School together at CHCS. He went on to complete High School at Joplin High, then received his Bachelor’s from OCC.
We both liked the post new wave, post punk, alternative rock that was starting to carve out a niche in the music world.
Everyone doodles in school. He was especially good at drawing the Union Jack. Little did I know he’d end up in England.
I will also be forever grateful for the coffee shop that he and his wife Kim started with a friend, while we were all in college. Some people graduate summa cum laude, or something like that. I graduated caffe latte.
After OCC, Brian went to Regent College, where Eugene Peterson taught. I should have connected the dots, but it never dawned on me that they knew each other. Take a look at his comments.
Brian’s comments are his own, as someone who had the privilege of being mentored by Peterson. He also refers to a couple of articles:
“Eugene Peterson Has Died at the Age of 85,” Relevant Magazine
“Remembering Eugene Peterson,” Regent College
Brian completed his master’s at Regent. Then he served as a scholar in residence, or a committed scholar. He wrote the book The Potter’s Rib Mentoring for Pastoral Formation
Afterwards, he went to the UK and earned his doctorate from Oxford, where he studied and taught. He’s now the Dean at the Templeton Honors College at Eastern University.
Bringing it Home
Perhaps there are thousands of people who can write a blog like this. Countless people have read The Message. Certainly Peterson personally ministered to scores of ministers. He’s called the Pastor of Pastors.
What can we all take away from this event in Church History? There will be as many different answers as there are people who were influenced by Peterson.
I would like to simply remind us of something, referring to Christian leaders like Peterson, who have touched my life or those around me.
Robert E. Webber died on 04.27.07
David Wilkerson died on 04.27.11
Billy Graham died on 02.21.18
Eugene Peterson passed away 10.22.18
You can think of others, and I encourage you to do so. We all know there are people who God has raised up for our day and age. They have not only been leaders in their own spheres. God raised them up to be the voice of the prophet to America and to the nations. They have served as righteous judges to remind us when we’re wrong, and to point us back to The Way.
I can’t help but grieve, wondering if we have stopped making a sacred space for these type of scholar-preachers. We used to have more pastoral scholars, ministers who never wasted time catering to Christians who have “itching ears” (2 Timothy 4.3, KJV). Eugene Peterson translates this verse:
You’re going to find that there will be times when people will have no stomach for solid teaching, but will fill up on spiritual junk food – catchy opinions that tickle their fancy.
What has happened to all of these pastors over our nation, scholars who could speak to many levels of society? Who is God raising up now? Are we going to listen?
Eventually that entire generation died and was buried. Then another generation grew up that didn’t know anything of God or the work he had done for Israel. – Judges 2.10, The Message
Will this be our downfall as a nation?
May God continue to raise up prophets and righteous judges in our land. We can either listen to their cry as we did last century, or we can persecute them like many of the Hebrew prophets and the Apostles.
God grant rest to those who have gone before us. Christ have mercy on our land, and Spirit of God raise up voices to speak to us now!
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In