14 Eugene H. Peterson Quotes for You to Enjoy

Eugene H. Peterson

American Clergyman

Born: Nov 6, 1932

Church God Life People Think You

Related authors: Billy Graham Charles R. Swindoll Henry Ward Beecher Jim Elliot Joel Osteen John C. Maxwell Norman Vincent Peale Thomas S. Monson

If you don't take a Sabbath, something is wrong. You're doing too much, you're being too much in charge. You've got to quit, one day a week, and just watch what God is doing when you're not doing anything. Eugene H. Peterson

One way to define spiritual life is getting so tired and fed up with yourself you go on to something better, which is following Jesus. Eugene H. Peterson

Life Spiritual Tired You Yourself Better Way Define One-Way Following Something Spiritual Life Fed Fed Up Go Up Getting Which Jesus

There is nothing terribly difficult in the Bible - at least in a technical way. The Bible is written in street language, common language. Most of it was oral and spoken to illiterate people. They were the first ones to receive it. So when we make everything academic, we lose something. Eugene H. Peterson

Bible People Language First Lose Nothing Difficult Everything Way Something Written Spoken Academic Most Make Terribly Least Were Oral Common Common Language Illiterate Technical Street Receive

That's the whole spiritual life. It's learning how to die. And as you learn how to die, you start losing all your illusions, and you start being capable now of true intimacy and love. Eugene H. Peterson

Life Love Spiritual You Learning Losing Intimacy Spiritual Life True Learn How Die Being Capable Your Whole Now Illusions Start

People are not problems to be solved. They are mysteries to be explored. Eugene H. Peterson

People Problems Mysteries Solved Explored

I believe God takes the things in our lives - family, background, education - and uses them as part of his calling. It might not be to become a pastor. But I don't think God wastes anything. Eugene H. Peterson

I think pastors are the worst listeners. We're so used to speaking, teaching, giving answers. We must learn to be quiet, quit being so verbal, learn to pay attention to what's going on, and listen. Eugene H. Peterson

I get asked, 'What do you miss most about being a pastor?' I think it's the intimacy, the incredible gift of intimacy. You go through death with somebody, with their families, and there's an intimacy that comes through that that is just incomparable. Eugene H. Peterson

Death You Gift Somebody Think Incredible Intimacy About Through Miss Most Go Pastor Families Get Just Being Asked Incomparable

When you are part of a megachurch, you have no responsibility to anybody else. Eugene H. Peterson

You Responsibility Else Part Anybody Anybody Else

If people don't know their pastor, it's easy to put the pastor on a pedestal and depersonalize him or her. It's also easy for pastors, who don't know their congregations, simply to classify congregants as saved or unsaved, involved or not involved, tithers or non-tithers. Eugene H. Peterson

People Saved Pedestal Easy Classify Put Simply Know Involved Also Him Pastor Pastors Who Her

People learn to shop for churches; there is no loyalty to the church. They're consumers being attracted to one product or another. I think it's sacrilege, to tell you the truth, it really is. Eugene H. Peterson

Truth Loyalty You People Church Think Churches Tell Consumers Attracted Learn Another Shop Being Really Product

In high school I was very much involved in poetry. You cannot read a poem quickly. There's too much going on there. There are rhythms and alliterations. You have to read poetry slow, slow, slow to absorb it all. Eugene H. Peterson

You School Too Much Slow Too High High School Poem Poetry Absorb Involved Read Very Quickly Going Cannot Rhythms Much

Eugene H. Peterson Quotes

No more Eugene H. Peterson quotes