It seems to me that one of the basic principles underlying Peterson’s writing in this section, apparent from the very first in the Wendell Berry quote with which the section begins, is that we as Christians are called to be full participants in creation rather than simply users of it.
It also seems to me that this runs counter to a very popular modern teaching that this life is merely a “dress rehearsal” for the next; that this life is simply a test to be passed in order to gain entrance into “real” life. To view life in this way is to obligate one to use it in preparation for the next life rather than really living it now.
I like very much what Peterson says here because I believe it recovers an ancient truth that eternal life is not something we receive when we die, but something that begins now. The New Creation–a new heavens and a new earth–begins in us as new creations birthed by God’s Holy Spirit. To this end I appreciate Peterson’s emphasis on time and place, and the and the place of rhythm as expressed in ritual in sanctifying these things.

Rob,
That’s exactly what Peterson is onto — and I think it is worth pondering at this time of year — the season of Incarnation — just how much creation matters to God.

so much of Christian spirituality has been so hard, it seems to me, on creation. It’s like they want us to deny our humanity. When in reality it’s all about seeing our broken humanity in Adam go- and the new humanity in Jesus come.
Peterson excels in counteracting this false (neo-Platonic, gnostic) denigration of humanity.

my life to some degree has been a protest against what I viewed as a false spirituality denying the good of creation and enjoyment of it- and living as humans- with everything sacred.

and living in the rythms of time was an eye opener for me- as well as in the place God has. I’m just now settling in to grow in that area, it seems- and embrace all of life, as God gives it.

I wonder if somewhere along the line Peterson will address what I view as the eschatological tension of living in this world as Paul addresses it in 1 Cor 7:29-31. Enjoying God’s creation but not being caught up in it so as to lose sight of God’s kingdom in Jesus.

“Theology divorced from geography gets us into nothing but trouble” (77). God placed “humans” in the place he made: Eden.
I’m wondering what this says about the theology of the American church. Our cultural concept of place is certainly lacking. Having moved and lived in many different parts of the country, I struggle personally with the concept of place. I now live in a rurual area in which people do seem to have strong ties to place, but at times (it seems to me) it is an unhealthy view of place. A view in which progress/growth is minimal to non-existent. It is also a place where the coal mining industry has raped the land and not valued the creation. Perhaps farmers have a healthier view of place than most. Any thoughts?

Mark,
This is a good question, and one that did not strike me as I read the chp in Peterson. Namely, I like his idea that the work of God is in a place (not in some ethereal future) on earth for here and now right where we find ourselves.
But, contending that God’s work is in a place does not permit us to equate “our” place with God’s work. “God’s” place is the whole world and not just “our” place.

Scot, I noticed the great timing with Christmas as well. Really good stuff.
Peterson on time, ryhthm, place is so well done. I’m planning to do some posts at Reformissionary on ‘the art of slowness’ soon, and much of this has been helpful.
P 52 he writes, “Wonder is the only adequate launching pad for exploring a spirituality of creation, keeping us open-eyed, expectant, alive to life that is always more than we can account for, that always exceeds our calculations, that is always beyond anything we can make.”
I think what makes this most interesting is how he doesn’t just mean the stars and flowers, but most importantly people who are made in God’s image. His story of scolding the girl picking wildflowers is memorable and convicting.

Steve,
I loved that story on himself too.
Yes, it is more than John Muir — it may be inherent to my Embracing Grace, but seeing humans as Eikons is no small element of God’s work and our spirituality.
On slowness … very few know about Robert Banks, Tyranny of Time, but I loved that book back when I needed most: when I was a beginning professor and staying up until 3am to get lectures ready for the next morning so I could use weekends to finish the dissertation and Sunday morning for preaching and worship and the evenings for family time — and Banks told me to slow down. I’ve thanked him everytime I’ve seen it for that book.

I’ll look into it Scot. Thanks.
I forgot to mention that as a pastor I really appreciated how Peterson used Genesis 1 & 2 to explain his thoughts. He could have spoken of time and place more abstractly, but he didn’t. Very powerful and very pastoral.

This section intersects with something that struck me profoundly a few years ago from Peterson’s book Answering God, about the Psalms and prayer. He was speaking of David being a lay person – “His entire life was lived in the sacred ordinary that we are apt, mistakenly, to call the secular. The regular place of prayer is the ordinary life.” (p.50) I remember that one simple phrase “sacred ordinary” revolutionized my view of life.

Eugene Peterson, in some of his earlier writings, was the first to make me aware of old gnosticism dressed up in new Western evangelicalism clothes. There is something in American piety that resists thinking that Jesus had to use the WC, so to speak. A lot of popular renewal piety is determined to jettison the earthy, the temporal, the dirty for the heavenly, eternal and glorious. So many want to be “connoissuers of the sublime.” We are quick to clean the Palestinian dust off of Jesus and make him the shiny God-Man, hovering with a halo just above *terra firma*. I know from the recent book by Michael Wittmer, HEAVEN IS A PLACE ON EARTH, that gnosticism permeates the “go to heaven when you die” gospel. Where else in the threat of gnosticism present in our beliefs and praxis?

Thanks for the posts.
For me, locating the creation narratives in the social milieu of the exile is precious and then connecting the exile to today is brilliant.
Bruce Waltke, (formerly a colleague of Peterson at Regent, now with the Lord) alerted me to the “liturgical week” undergirding the creation narrative. I have relished that hermeneutical idea for some time.

Georges,
I had Bruce Waltke for Hebrew and O.T. Introduction, O.T. theology and O.T. textual criticism at Dallas Theological Seminary. Did Waltke die? If so, I didn’t know. He was a great teacher.

Hi, let’s talk present-day gnosticism in the church!

I really do agree on that one .Great work, Aliyah

Wow! Great website. I totally agree with the comments. I set your site as one of my favorites.Super fun website!.

A correction of Georges Boujakly’s comment: Bruce Waltke is alive and (I hope) well — although I suspect he would be happy to be characterized as being “with the Lord”! He appears to be speaking tonight in Oklahoma – http://www.whitefieldsociety.net/static/04-conf.htm – and next week at Westminster in Philadelphia – http://www.wts.edu/news/events.html