Peterson writes movingly about the eventual impact his mother's Christian example and ministry practice had upon him in his fledgling ministry (pages 40-46). I haven't got that kind of background to draw upon. And yet it slowly (and I mean slowly) dawned on me that my upbringing in a nominal, non-practising Christian environment, with all its complexities and sin-scars, was also capable of being redeemed by God and co-opted into his service and into my formation as a gospel minister.
I won't go into greater detail but in my ministry I've had several times when I was able, ultimately, to be truly thankful for my childhood experiences and influences, as God, in his infinite goodness, made something useful out of the most unpromising mess.
The cross of Jesus is truly amazing in its transformative power.
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Thankyou.
ReplyDeleteThis section just struck me too, and I began to wonder (as he does on p45) why he entered Christian ministry. And I had a flashback to sitting at my table in my bedroom with my bible, thinking: I need to learn more, and I think I could communicate it too...
I think that was the start (and I also did not have that kind of upbringing, so my formative bit starts much later.
I wonder where that simplicity goes?