Rev. Eugene H. Peterson, Scholar and Former Pastor of Christ Our King Presbyterian Church in Bel Air, Dies

November 5, 2018

by Mike Ferguson | Presbyterian News Service

LOUISVILLE — Two handmade containers — one a cradle, the other a casket — were on display Saturday during a memorial service for acclaimed author, scholar and pastor Eugene Peterson. Peterson was celebrated as the author of 'The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language' -- a paraphrase of the Bible that sold more than 16 million copies. Petersen, who had been in hospice care, died of congestive heart failure on Oct. 22 at his home along Flathead Lake in Montana. He was 85.

A the service, Peterson’s son Eric, pastor of Colbert Presbyterian Church near Spokane, Wash., said he constructed the casket for his father. Eugene Peterson had built the cradle some time ago to hold Eric’s children and many other family members.

“These are the bookend containers of our lives,” Eric Peterson told mourners from around the world. The service was live-streamed from First Presbyterian Church in Kalispell, where his father grew up and preached his first sermon at 19 years of age. Members of Christ Our King Presbyterian Church in Bel Air, Maryland, where Petersen served as pastor for 29 years, gathered to watch the service with others around the country.

Peterson's son, Eric, said that he was “deeply grateful to have grown up with a man whose life was so integrated,” noting the man who served up mashed potatoes on Saturday night “was exactly the same man who served up the Word of God Sunday morning.” Even the many books his father penned were containers, he said, “words we will treasure for many years.”

Eric’s brother Leif read a poem he wrote for his father, marveling at how people thought that his father was like a magician in his long, black robe. “They only saw the magic — how you made the mysterious, ominous and holy into a cup of coffee. How you made God into something that could work for them . . . For 50 years you’ve been telling me the secret. It’s the same message over and over: God loves you and is on your side. God is coming after you, and He’s relentless.”

His father’s clear message, he said, was that “the Good News always plays out best in relationships.” Following a brief committal service, Peterson was buried at a Montana cemetery, dressed in a clerical shirt and collar and his Geneva preaching gown.

This article was excerpted from the article ‘The Message’ author Eugene Peterson remembered for his many gifts," which was published Nov. 5 by the Presbyterian News Service.

MEETINGS

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Spiritual Leadership Development meets at 12noon on Wednesday Nov. 14

Baltimore Dakota Partnership meets at 7pm on Tuesday, Nov. 13

Cuba Partnership meets at 7pm on Wednesday, Nov. 21 at FPC/Howard Co

Steering Committee meets at 1pm on Wednesday, Nov. 28

SUICIDE PREVENTION WEBINAR

This webinar will help equip faith leaders talk about suicide from a theological and biblical perspective, addressing common misconceptions that are often painful to those already suffering. he webinar also approaches the topic from a mental health perspective, considering warning signs that someone needs help and then giving tools for what kind of help is needed and how to find it.

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Churches

Discipline with Love

Saturday, Nov. 17 9:30am-11:30am

Ark and Dove Presbyterian Church

Come talk about discipline in the church

Addressing the challenging topic of discipline in the church, this workshop considers the basics for effective,

loving discipline and provides recommendations

for helpful strategies in the classroom and other settings

Click here for details

Catonsville Concerts at 3 presents violinist Jose Cueto and pianist Nancy Roldan for a concert themed, "A Touch of French," with music by Faure, Poulenc, Piazolla and others. This concert is at 3pm on Sunday, Nov. 25, 2018 at Catonsville Presbyterian Church, 1400 Frederick Road in Catonsville. Admission is free and no tickets are required. For more info call 410.747.6180.

Granite Presbyterian Church to Host Spring Bus Trip to "Jesus" Sight and Sound Production

Granite Presbyterian Church will host a trip on April 3 to Sight and Sound Theater in Lancaster, PA to see a production of "Jesus". The trip is limited to 56 people, first-come; first-served. Children are welcomed. Click here to learn more about tickets to this event.

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Earth Forum, Nov. 18th, 2 p.m. "Making a Better Future in the Age of Humans" will feature Erle C. Ellis, professor of Geography and Environmental Systems at UMBC and author of Anthropocene: A Very Short Introduction. (Anthropocene is a relatively new name of the current geologic epoch that is influenced by humans.) The First Presbyterian Church of Howard County hosts this speaker-led program, provides refreshments, and offers workshops on related topics. The Earth Forum is open to all interested persons, is free, and is located at 9325 Presbyterian Circle, Columbia, MD. Childcare is provided for infants and toddlers--call the church office (410.730.3545).

Community

Scholarships for Undergraduates Discerning a Call to Ministry

Is there a young person in your congregation with a mature faith and growing leadership skills? Perhaps he or she is sensing a call to Christian ministry. At Randolph-Macon College, we are assisting students who are discerning a lifetime of service to God through the church. We help them keep college costs manageable and offer opportunities to begin preparing for ministry even before seminary.

Randolph-Macon College's A. Purnell Bailey Pre-Ministerial Scholarship offers half-tuition during a student’s freshman and sophomore years at R-MC and full-tuition during the junior and senior years. The Bailey Program includes weekly meetings for vocational discernment, creating a strong, supportive peer group. During a student’s tenure in the program, there are many opportunities to visit with Theology School representatives, spend time with persons in a variety of professional ministry roles, and reflect on a personal sense of call. There are two internship opportunities, one for academic credit and one with a financial stipend.

Online Bailey Scholar applications are being accepted now, with a deadline of February 1, 2019. The program is open to Christian students of any denomination or Christian tradition. Learn more at http://www.rmc.edu/academics/pre-ministerial or by contacting the Rev. Kendra Grimes, Director of the Bailey Scholars Program, at [email protected] or 804.752.7374.