This is final post in my series of reflections on my two days with Eugene Peterson at Q Practices.

Our focus for this experience was on Cultivating the Inner Life in an Age of Distraction.

It was such a rich time… and I continue to process and pray my way through my notes.

Our fourth and final session on Day 2 was focused on Church.

As someone who served as a pastor — at the same church — for 29 years, one might have thought that this final session on church to be a “how to” or a “best practices” session, tapping into 3 decades of experience, lessons learned and hardships endured… Or maybe a lament of how “the Church today has gone down hill” from what it once was — when Peterson started pastoring back in the early 60’s…

But instead, in true Peterson-fashion, he told stories and began to paint a picture of a beautiful Bride of Christ and the possibilities of living the with-God life here and now.

The Church is a colony of resurrection in a world of death.

The Kingdom of God is here — and it’s different from the Church — the Church is a colony within the Kingdom.

But not everything that’s Kingdom of God is labeled “church.”

The Kingdom of God is the whole operations of the Trinity in all its workings — in everyone — all around us.

God works in ways that not all of us understand, see, or can identify as “church” or “Christian.”

We need to learn how to cultivate acceptance, adoration, and mystery… We might be surprised by what God will show us, or how He’ll use us!

As a pastor, a part of our role is to teach our congregation what it means to be a pastor — in a non-confrontational, non-threatening kind of way.

In the same way we need to teach them what it means to be a congregation — a community of believers — that does life together.

We need to train their imagination to understand what we do and what they do. We need to know them if we’re going to be their pastor… and they need to know that what they do is as important as what we do.

Schism is the worst thing the Church can do today.

We need to learn from (and with) people who are different from us. We can’t discount entities that might be just as much a part of the Kingdom as we are.

Schism is a spirit of the Enemy.

Jesus says to love our enemies… but how can we do that if we’re walking out on them, or judging them?

Unity. Unity. Unity.

This Spirit is much smarter than we are… we need to allow it to lead!

We need less “business” and more prayer among our team(s) and team meetings.

Women in ministry are a gift, a blessing.

We stand at the edge of the visible and invisible and we need to use our imagination to bring them together.

A few final thoughts for those of us who lead communities of faith:

We must make choices (and be intentional) with how we spend our time.

A long obedience in the same direction does not mean “gutting it out.”

We need to fall in love with the Scriptures! And fall in love with our congregation!

It moves us from work to calling, vocation.

I know I haven’t captured Peterson fully — but I do hope that I’ve done him justice here.

My two days with him were days I will long remember.

I believe they will continue to shape my life and ministry as long as I live.