Eugene Peterson was a solo pastor of a small church for over 2 decades. So that makes him someone who I admire. Faithful plodders are my kind of pastors. Give me someone who sticks to it no matter how hard it gets over someone who hits the ministry scene with a splash only to shrivel because of their lack of faithfulness to God. I find a lot of helpfulness in this pastor's wisdom. Did I like everything? Nah, but who has ever found someone that they completely agree with? This book made me think and ponder, and that makes it valuable to me and any other pastor in this world. The value of this book is in how Peterson distills the pastoral ministry to its most potent essentials. So, if you as a pastor wants a book that makes you think, helps you simplify, and blesses your SOUL, give this book a read. If you read it, you'll also know why I wrote SOUL in all caps.