Eugene
Peterson, a “shepherd’s shepherd,” passed away (joyfully) today at the age of
85.
“The
lantern is out, but the joy he carried with him to his final breaths endures,”
author Winn Collier writes in a Twitter post,
sharing the news of Peterson’s passing. “Eugene is now with the Triune God he
has loved his entire life. Memory eternal.”
Peterson’s
son, Eric, announced last week that his father was being moved into hospice care
after a “sudden and dramatic turn in his health caused by an infection.”
Peterson was being treated for pneumonia, heart failure and dementia. The
beloved author of The Message Bible and pastor of Christ Our King Presbyterian
Church in Bel Air, Maryland, for nearly 30 years, spent a week in hospice care
before moving on to heaven.
NavPress,
the publisher of The Message Bible, confirmed Peterson’s passing, and members
of his family released the following statement:
During the previous days, it was
apparent that he was navigating the thin and sacred space between earth and
heaven. We overheard him speaking to people we can only presume were welcoming
him into paradise. There may have even been a time or two when he accessed his
Pentecostal roots and spoke in tongues as well.
Among
his final words were, “Let’s go.” And his joy: My, oh my; the man remained
joyful right up to his blessed end, smiling frequently. In such moments it’s
best for all mortal flesh to keep silence. But if you have to say something say
this: “Holy, Holy, Holy.”
It feels fitting that his death came on
a Monday, the day of the week he always honored as a Sabbath during his years
as a pastor. After a lifetime of faithful service to the church—running the
race with gusto—it is reassuring to know that Eugene has now entered into the
fullness of the Kingdom of God and has been embraced by eternal Sabbath.
Collier
is currently working
on a biography of Peterson and considered him a
close friend. Part of Collier’s research work for the biography has included
carefully sifting through cabinets at the Peterson’s home on Flathead Lake in
Montana that are “stuffed” with letters from the “bajillion” people Peterson
corresponded with. Most of them were pastors; Peterson was known as a sort of
shepherd of shepherds who wrote encouragement to those who reached out to him.
Peterson’s
family is grateful for all the prayers and support that has been shown to them
during this final lap of life. They have plans to live-stream his funeral,
which will be held at First Presbyterian Church of Kalispell, Montana. A date
has not yet been announced.
In an
interview with ChurchLeaders
last year, Peterson said, “I think it’s important, according to me anyway, to
have some mentors in the cemeteries. People who did it right, before there were
crowds of people to become important.”
Eugene
Peterson has graduated to take his place among our “mentors in the cemeteries.”
He was 85.
