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Showing posts from May, 2017

As Kingfishers Catch Fire by Eugene Peterson

The regular printing of sermons is something that was commonplace in Civil War days and in the early 20 th century, but rarely do we now find sermons in printed form that are deep with wisdom and interesting also.   One notable exception to this truth is the new book of sermons entitled As Kingfishers Catch Fire by Eugene Peterson, author of the Message.   While much is praised about Peterson’s work on ministry and spiritual theology, these edited sermons bring the best of his deep knowledge of Scripture and love of God to the foreground.   In fact, after reading the book one can imagine Eugene as a scholar and a poet, who fuses the loftiness of scholarship with the real needs of the people. In writing about the relationship between Balaam and Balak in the OT, Peterson brings us to the fountain of humor.   He writes, “Hilarity is integral to Christian pilgrimage.   There is no question that being a Christian involves us in many sorrows, many struggle