Preaching is difficult yet rewarding work. Every week pastors around the world read their congregation, read God’s Word, and prayerfully consider what they should say. Eugene Peterson is probably best known for his translation of the Bible, The Message, or his books on spiritual formation or spiritual theology. As Kingfishers Catch Fire reminds us that Peterson’s deft handling of God’s Word was rooted in his 29 years of preaching at Christ Our King Presbyterian Church in Bel Air, Maryland.

This collection contains 49 sermons—seven times seven, a good biblical number. These messages, selected from his years of pastoral ministry cover the entire canon: Moses, David, Isaiah, Solomon, Peter, Paul, and John.

Peterson’s understanding of the canon combined with his deft use of language sets these messages apart. Take his reflection on the beauty of holiness, for example:

Beauty: splendor, grandeur, adornment. Life—core existence—spills over the containers of mere survival or utility. There is something more going on in this world than just getting across the street. And holiness: an interior fire, a passion for living in and for God, a capacity for exuberance in the presence of God. There are springs deep within and around us from which we can drink and sing God. Beauty is the outside and holiness the inside of what is essentially the same thing: life full and vibrant, life God created and God blessed, life here and now. (78)

This pastor found pastor Peterson’s words to be rich and life-giving. I made a habit of reading one of Peterson’s messages each morning. It was time well spent.

Peterson, Eugene H. As Kingfishers Catch Fire: A Conversation on the Ways of God Formed by the Words of God. Crown, 2017.