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I've long had a theory that the most effective pastors are ones we'll never hear anything about. It's hard to believe this in a day of celebrity pastors and megachurch conferences, but our values are so far out of line with God's that I'm sure we'll be surprised one day at how God's estimation of things is different from ours.

Chances are that you've never heard of Tom Carson. He was an ordinary pastor who gained respect but never rose to prominence. He planted a church in Quebec when this was no small feat. He eventually left the church when he was not seeing the conversions that he had hoped for, and he finished his working life as a civil servant and a tent-making pastor. Throughout his ministry he struggled with a sense of inadequacy, no doubt in part because he was just an ordinary pastor. I'm sure there many pastors who can relate.

If Carson's son, noted New Testament scholar D.A. Carson, had not written this book, we probably never would have heard of Tom Carson's life, or benefited from his story. But I'm thankful that he did. Any pastor who feels ordinary, and who sometimes feels discouraged - and that's pretty much every pastor - could benefit from reading this book.

Memoirs helped me see the beauty of ordinary pastoral ministry as I observed it in Tom Carson's life. I was inspired by his example of faithfulness, integrity, and humility, especially when lesser men would have compromised. I recognized some of my struggles in his life. I was frustrated to see Tom Carson get discouraged when he probably did a better job in many areas than I'll ever do. The book helps us understand how the Gospel can help the pastor deal with discouragement in ministry.

D.A. Carson has managed to write an account of his father's life that is neither hagiography nor a tell-all memoir. The book concludes:

Tom Carson never rose very far in denominational structures, but hundreds of people...testify how much he loved them. He never wrote a book, but he loved the book. He was never wealthy or powerful, but he kept growing as a Christian: yesterday's grace was never enough. He was not a far-sighted visionary, but he looked forward to eternity...

When he died, there were no crowds outside the hospital, no editorial comments in the papers, no announcements on television...But on the other side all the trumpets sounded. Dad won entrance to the only throne room that matters, not because he was a good man or a great man - he was, after all, a most ordinary pastor - but because he was a forgiven man.

May God raise up more ordinary pastors like Tom Carson.

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The question behind Preaching to a Post-Everything World is simple: "Could I now reach who I once was?" Zack Eswine of Covenant Theological Seminary wants the answer to be yes.

Until we remember that God drew us to himself and nourished us before we even knew where to find the book of Exodus in the Bible or that such things as Arminianism and Calvinism even existed, we will withhold from others the same mercy that was required for us to learn what we now know.

To reach others in a post-everything world, Eswine argues that we need "preachers who understand biblical exposition in missional terms." How do we become this type of preacher?

First, we must prepare the sermon for a post-everything world. This means that we preach what is real, not what is simplistic. We preach what is redemptive, sensing echoes from within the text and within our culture of the redemptive storyline of the Bible. It also means that we avoid moralism. Eswine provides guidance on how to do this while connecting to real listeners who don't know or accept the biblical story of redemption.

Second, we can learn from God's homiletical range. Eswine helps us consider the various ways that truth is communicated through Scripture, including the models of prophet, priest, and sage. He writes:

Expanding our preaching postures and connecting them to identified cultural contexts will give us what we need to retool our biblical sermons to connect with our cultures. God has already provided the communication frameworks we need to meet the challenges we encounter.

Finally, we must engage the cultures of a post-everything world, recognizing the various issues that will arise as people hear Scripture. Eswine helps us deal with difficult topics and defeater beliefs, and to contextualize our message without compromising it. He also calls us to rely on the Holy Spirit and to engage in monastic practices, so that the "mess of life" does not "strip the missional preacher of his substance."

Eswine also includes two valuable appendices: one outlining a process for sermon preparation, and another that outlines a method for discerning culture.

The strength of this book is that it is both Christ-centered and missional. The weakness of this book is that the material is sometimes overwhelming. Eswine warns us that the book will alternate between an informal style and formal lectures. I struggled sometimes as his writing bounced between these two styles.

Nevertheless, I'm glad I read this book. There's a wealth of material, and I'm sure I'll return to the book many times in the future. If you are a preacher looking for ways to be both Christ-centered and missionally relevant in your preaching, then you'll find this book valuable.

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