Most Popular Books by Eugene H. Peterson

Whereas much of the current literature on pastoring stresses up-to-date training and new techniques stemming from the behavioral sciences, Eugene Peterson here calls for returning to an "old" resource--the Bible--as the basis for all of pastoral ministry. Originally published in 1980 and now being reprinted to meet continuing demand, Five Smooth Stones for Pastoral Work shows how five Old Testament books provide a solid foundation for much of what a pastor does: Prayer-Directing: Song of Songs Story-Making: Ruth Pain-Sharing: Lamentations Nay-Saying: Ecclesiastes Community-Building: Esther Pointing to the relevance of ancient wisdom, adapting Jewish religious tradition to contemporary pastoral practice, and affirming a significant link between pastoral work and the act of worship, this book opens up to pastors a wealth of valuable practical-theological insights.

Eat This Book challenges us to read the Scriptures on their own terms, as God''s revelation, and to live them as we read them. With warmth and wisdom Peterson offers greatly needed, down-to-earth counsel on spiritual reading. In these pages he draws readers into a fascinating conversation on the nature of language, the ancient practice of lectio divina, and the role of Scripture translations; included here is the "inside story" behind Peterson''s own popular Bible translation, The Message.

Spiritual reading has fallen on bad times. Today, reading is largely a consumer activity, done for information that may fuel ambitions or careers -- and the faster the better. Take and Read represents Eugene H. Peterson''s attempt to rekindle the activity of spiritual reading, reading that considers any book that comes to hand in a spiritual way, tuned to the Spirit, alert to intimations of God. Take and Read provides an annotated list of the books that have stood the test of time and that, for Peterson, are spiritually formative in the Christian life. The books on this list range from standard spiritual classics to novels, poems, and mysteries, and include an equally broad spectrum of authors -- from Augustine and C. S. Lewis to William Faulkner and Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Annotations following each entry offer Peterson''s own significant insights into the power of each work.

The power of story as God''s word to the community of faith is never more clear than in the books of Samuel. Emotion, drama, complexity of character, and mystery fill the pages of these two biblical books. Eugene Peterson''s commentary emphasizes the resonance and interplay between these stories of kings and prophets and the social and cultural issues that concern us today. Books in the Westminster Bible Companion series assist laity in their study of the Bible as a guide to Christian faith and practice. Each volume explains the biblical book in its original historical context and explores its significance for faithful living today. These books are ideal for individual study and for Bible study classes and groups.

Eugene H. Peterson’s never-before-published wisdom for each season of the Christian year A CHRISTIANITY TODAY AND BIRMINGHAM CHRISTIAN FAMILY MAGAZINE BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR The glorious, never-dull reality of the gospel is this: Christ sets us free. All of us can be doers of the word, using the stuff of the everyday to make something to the glory of God. Long before his iconic paraphrased Bible translation, The Message, Eugene H. Peterson (1932–2018) faithfully preached for decades to the small congregation of Christ Our King Presbyterian Church in Bel Air, Maryland. As the seasons passed, along with the accompanying fasts and feasts, Peterson faithfully revealed ways to cultivate a robust, authentic life of faith, intimacy, obedience, and joy. Now you can gain new insights into Peterson’s preaching and pastoral life through this collection of his most compelling yet never-before-published sermons. Following the calendar of the church year, from the darkness of Advent to the light of Epiphany, the wilderness of Lent to the celebration of Easter, and the fire of Pentecost to the everyday glory of ordinary time, these remarkable sermons point to the eternity beyond our experience of time. With his trademark wit and wisdom, Peterson shows how to pursue a “long obedience in the same direction” through all the seasons, colors, and rhythms of our lives.

A devotional prayer book focusing on one year with the Psalms, the most sensitive and honest words written about daily stress and daily blessings. Prayer is both our most human action and our most human language. But, as with any other language, we may find ourselves clumsy and undisciplined in our attempts at it. Praying with the Psalms can help Christians become fluent in the language of prayer, encouraging us to pray even when we don''t feel like it, and to learn prayers that are both honest and right. Based on the life and words of David, the Psalms provide insightful reflections on depression, anger, frustration, fear, and insecurity, as well as joy, exhilaration, triumph, and gladness. Praying with the Psalms offers daily readings to guide us in expressing to God the wide range of human emotions. Through this enriched communication with God, we are led to deeper understanding—and a truer following—of his will.

Throughout his many years of pastoral ministry, almost everything Eugene Peterson has done -- preaching, teaching, praying, counseling, writing -- has involved words. To keep himself attuned to the power of words and to help himself use language with precision and imagination, Peterson both reads and writes poetry. Holy Luck presents, in one luminous volume, seventy poems by Peterson, most of them not previously published. Speaking to various aspects of "Kingdom of God" living, these poems are arranged in three sets: Holy Luck -- poems arising out of the Beatitudes The Rustling Grass -- poems opening up invisible Kingdom realities through particular created things Smooth Stones -- occasional poems about discovering significance in every detail encountered while following Jesus Echoing the language of Peterson''s popular Bible translation, The Message, the poems in Holy Luck are well suited for devotional purposes. An ideal gift item, this volume is one that readers will look to again and again.

Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places reunites spirituality and theology in a cultural context where these two vital facets of Christian faith have been rent asunder. Lamenting the vacuous, often pagan nature of contemporary American spirituality, Eugene Peterson here firmly grounds spirituality once more in Trinitarian theology and offers a clear, practical statement of what it means to actually live out the Christian life. Writing in the conversational style that he is well known for, Peterson boldly sweeps out the misunderstandings that clutter conversations on spiritual theology and refurnishes the subject only with what is essential. As Peterson shows, spiritual theology, in order to be at once biblical and meaningful, must remain sensitive to ordinary life, present the Christian gospel, follow the narrative of Scripture, and be rooted in the "fear of the Lord" -- in short, spiritual theology must be about God and not about us. The foundational book in a five-volume series on spiritual theology emerging from Peterson''s pen, Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places provides the conceptual and directional help we all need to live the Christian gospel well and maturely in the conditions that prevail in the church and world today.

Book three of Eugene Peterson''s landmark Spiritual Theology series. Foundational reading for the Twenty-First Century Church. Continuing Peterson''s major evaluation of contemporary Christian spirituality, The Jesus Way asks what it means to authentically follow Christ in the modern world. As with other books in the series, The Jesus Way is written for both academic and serious lay audiences. Challenging but rewarding, it combines first-rate scholarship with illustrations drawn from raw human experience. u003e

Grow in your faith as you meditate on the Word of God each day. Eugene Peterson, creator of The Message Bible translation (which has sold more than 20 million copies), has helped us find surprising newness in confusing or overly familiar Bible passages. God''s Message for Each Day is a year-long devotional that gathers Eugene''s best-loved, most powerful writing into a daily invitation to grow closer to God. God''s Message for Each Day, a 365-day devotional, includes: Well-chosen scripture verses Brief excerpts from Peterson''s most compelling writing from classic books, including Run with the Horses, Leap Over a Wall, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction, and more Complex Bible subjects explained in clear language Ways to apply God''s truth to everyday life God''s Message for Each Day is a great gift for: Men and women alike Recent high school and college graduates Those starting a new job Anyone eager to grow in their faith Eugene Peterson''s insight and wisdom give the reader the perfect way to learn more about the Word of God in a way that''s easy to understand.

Best-selling authors Marva Dawn and Eugene Peterson offer encouragement to pastors. Pastors are strategically placed to counter the culture. No other profession looks so inoffensive but is in fact so dangerous to the status quo. Their weapon? A gospel that is profoundly countercultural. But standing firm in today''s world isn''t easy. Powerful forces, both subtle and obvious, attempt to domesticate pastors, to make them, in a word, unnecessary. In this book, two of today''s most respected authors help pastors recover their gospel identity and maintain a pure vision of Christian leadership. Marva Dawn and Eugene Peterson reconnect pastors with the biblical texts that will train them as countercultural servants of the gospel. Marva Dawn looks to Paul''s letter to the Ephesians for instruction for churches seeking to live faithfully in today''s world. In turn, Eugene Peterson explores Romans, 1 and 2 Timothy, and Titus, drawing from them the correct view of pastoral identity.

Find Your Way in Scripture.Scripture is another world. One we find our way into. And one that finds its way into us. Steeped in Scripture, Eugene Peterson''s faith-filled reflections open the door.The Message Devotional Bibleinvites you on a journey--call it practicing resurrection, call it eating this book, or call it simply a long obedience in the same direction. From the pastor who translated the entire Bible, The Message Devotional Biblesets you on the right path--devoted not just to the Bible but to God, who, in Jesus, became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood.Open the door between Scripture and your world.From Eugene . . . Over 600 scriptural insights 52 contemplative readings Introductions to the books and genres of the Bible Plus . . . Large print for relaxed, enjoyable reading More than 400 reflection questions 9 neighborhood-themed articles

The Life with God Bible combines the depth of a study Bible with the warmth of a devotional Bible, offering a new way to discover the full riches of the Scriptures. According to Richard Foster, bestselling author and the project′s editor, the Bible is all about human life "with God." As we read Scripture, we should consider how God is with us in each story and allow ourselves to be spiritually transformed. Many people are looking for a new way to read the Bible, not as a text to be mastered. but as a story to enter into and a lifestyle to pursue. This unique Bible, previously published as The Renovare Spiritual Formation Bible and spearheaded by bestselling authors Richard Foster (Celebration of Discipline) and Dallas Willard (The Divine Conspiracy), introduces the concept of life with God - or the "with-God life" - a model for seeing the whole of Scripture as the unfolding story of God′s plan for our loving relationship with the Creator. This central theme weaves throughout the essays, introductions, notes, and exercises, powerfully revealing how God is present to his people today and throughout history. Yet our relationship with God should not be passive. Concrete practices - Spiritual Disciplines - have been used throughout church history to guide disciples of Jesus. This Bible integrates the Spiritual Disciplines into the Christian life by showing how they are central to the Bible′s teachings and stories. Abraham and Ruth, Moses and Deborah, Jesus and the disciples all provide amazing examples of the life-changing power of prayer, worship, fasting, celebration, and many other Spiritual Disciplines. Scripture thus becomes a primary means for the discovery, instruction, and practice of these disciplines as well as a tool for spiritual formation. Combining the highest possible biblical scholarship with the deepest possible heart devotion, this new Bible project seeks to nourish inner transformation by unlocking and revealing the profound resources within Scripture for changing our hearts and characters and bringing them in line with what God wants for our lives. The Life with God Bible will redefine what the Bible means for Christian discipleship.

Adolescence is a gift, writes author Eugene Peterson. "God''s gift, to the parent in middle-age. This ''gift'' dimension of adolescence is my subject. For adolescence is not only the process designed by the Creator to bring children to adulthood, it is also designed by the Creator to provide something essential for parents during correspondingly critical years in their lives. Christian parents are most advantageously placed to recognize, appreciate, and receive this gift God so wisely provides." In Like Dew Your Youth Peterson shows how adolescence is a time for parents to enjoy a deeper, richer relationship with their children and for both parents and children to grow in their relationships with Jesus Christ. In addition to its wealth of positive, effective ways to deal with many of the problems and pains of growing up, this insightful book offers an understanding of parent-adolescent relationships that will help promote an atmosphere of communication, growth, frankness, forgiveness, love, and harmony in the home. Study questions at the end of each chapter help readers apply Peterson''s practical, Bible-centered teaching. There are also tips for using this material within the framework of parental support groups. Like Dew Your Youth provides a much-needed balm against the fear and anxiety bred by traditional views of this exciting period of life and properly orients parents and teenagers within this God-provided environment for spiritual growth.

The Life with God Bible combines the depth of a study Bible with the warmth of a devotional Bible, offering a new way to discover the full riches of the Scriptures. According to Richard Foster, bestselling author and the project′s editor, the Bible is all about human life "with God." As we read Scripture, we should consider how God is with us in each story and allow ourselves to be spiritually transformed. Many people are looking for a new way to read the Bible, not as a text to be mastered. but as a story to enter into and a lifestyle to pursue. This unique Bible, previously published as The Renovare Spiritual Formation Bible and spearheaded by bestselling authors Richard Foster (Celebration of Discipline) and Dallas Willard (The Divine Conspiracy), introduces the concept of life with God - or the "with-God life" - a model for seeing the whole of Scripture as the unfolding story of God′s plan for our loving relationship with the Creator. This central theme weaves throughout the essays, introductions, notes, and exercises, powerfully revealing how God is present to his people today and throughout history. Yet our relationship with God should not be passive. Concrete practices - Spiritual Disciplines - have been used throughout church history to guide disciples of Jesus. This Bible integrates the Spiritual Disciplines into the Christian life by showing how they are central to the Bible′s teachings and stories. Abraham and Ruth, Moses and Deborah, Jesus and the disciples all provide amazing examples of the life-changing power of prayer, worship, fasting, celebration, and many other Spiritual Disciplines. Scripture thus becomes a primary means for the discovery, instruction, and practice of these disciplines as well as a tool for spiritual formation. Combining the highest possible biblical scholarship with the deepest possible heart devotion, this new Bible project seeks to nourish inner transformation by unlocking and revealing the profound resources within Scripture for changing our hearts and characters and bringing them in line with what God wants for our lives. The Life with God Bible will redefine what the Bible means for Christian discipleship.

Understand and enjoy the wisdom and beauty of God''s Word! Generation after generation of Bible readers have discovered that the Bible is written not only about us but to us. In these pages we become insiders to a conversation in which God forms, guides, and ultimately saves us. The Message Student Bible invites a new generation into this holy conversation, guiding young men and women into a lifelong love of reading God''s Word. Learn the essential context surrounding every book of the Bible as you fall in love with reading Scripture. Eugene Peterson''s understandable and enjoyable translation combines the authority of God''s Word with the energy and cadence of conversational English. The single-column design allows for comfortable reading as you find yourself leaning into the Bible to discover the surprises and wonders waiting there for you. Features Included: Introduction to The Message What You Need to Know about the Books of the Bible Well Known Stories from the Bible Maps

Though bringing people to new birth in Christ through evangelism is essential, says Peterson, isn''t it obvious that growth in Christ is equally essential? Yet the American church does not treat Christian growth and character formation with equivalent urgency. We are generally uneasy with the quiet, obscure conditions in which growth takes place, and building maturity in Christ too often gets relegated to footnote status in the text of our lives. In Practice Resurrection Peterson brings the voice of Scripture -- especially Paul''s letter to the Ephesians -- and the voice of the contemporary Christian congregation together to unpack what it means to fully grow up "to the stature of Christ." Peterson''s robust discussion will move readers to restore transformed Christian character to the center of their lives. This helpful study guide is designed to enable small groups in schools or churches -- or even individuals -- to delve deeper into the timely wisdom of Practice Resurrection: A Conversation on Growing Up in Christ. Peter Santucci here breaks up Peterson''s book into thirteen "sessions," each of which contains a summary, select quotes to consider, questions for interaction, and a prayer drawn from the text of Ephesians that is covered in the corresponding book chapter.

"The Scriptures are meant for us, to draw near to God and discover God''s vision for us. This devotional portion edition of The Message Women''s Devotional Bible invites women of all ages and life experiences to consider what it means to be made in God''s image and invited into God''s mission out of our unique design. With down-to-earth insights into the experience of women in the Gospels, and informed by the wisdom of women in our contemporary context, this Women''s Devotional Bible portion expands our imagination for faithfulness in our time."--

''''Over 200,000 Copies Sold''''. Since Eugene Peterson wrote this spiritual formation classic more than forty years ago, hundreds of thousands of Christians have been inspired by its call to deeper discipleship. Our society is still obsessed with quick fixes. But Peterson''s time-tested prescription for discipleship remains the same-a long obedience in the same direction. Following Jesus requires a deepening life of prayer, and throughout history Christians have learned to pray from the Psalms. Peterson finds particular encouragement for today''s pilgrims in the Songs of Ascents (Psalms 120-134). With prophetic and pastoral wisdom, he shows how the psalms teach us to grow in worship, service, joy, work, humility, community, and blessing. Now including a bibliography of Peterson''s works, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction is available as part of the IVP Signature Collection, which features special editions of iconic books in celebration of the seventy-fifth anniversary of InterVarsity Press. A companion Bible study guide is also available.

Celebrate your moment. Life is full of highs and lows. The Message Bible has the words to carry you through each one. Words of comfort and celebration. Words of heartache and hope. Enjoy the gifts that life brings and a Bible that can express each moment. The Message is a reading Bible translated from the original Greek and Hebrew Scriptures by scholar, pastor, author, and poet Eugene Peterson. Thoroughly reviewed and approved by 20 biblical scholars, The Message combines the authority of God''s Word with the cadence and energy of conversational English. For the first time as a gift bible, The Message includes all these popular features! Personalize your Bible with the colorful presentation page. Find passages with The Message''s unique verse-numbered paragraphs. Get your bearings with handcrafted maps, charts, and timelines. Use your Bible for years to come with its durable binding. Keep your place with a satin ribbon marker. Read The Message and fill your life with the unexpected passion and personality that fill God''s Word.