Book Review: Memoirs of an Ordinary Pastor

I love to read biographies, and of course the vast majority of biographies are written because of somebody’s significance. What drew me to this biography was the title MEMOIRS OF AN ORDINARY PASTOR: The Life and Reflections of Tom Carson by D.A. Carson. This sounded like a biography for the rest of us. Those of us that live “ordinary” lives. As far as biographies are concerned, this one was the most “ordinary” I’ve ever read. I mean that in a good ‘change of pace’ kind of way. I appreciate being invited in to the daily life of someone that has had a calling much like mine.

Tom Carson’s ministry was in a small Baptist church in Canada, and the church he pastored met in a room adjacent to his home, and the congregation never grew to more than 50 or so persons. He preached ever Sunday morning and evening, visited individuals throughout the week, and was know for his practical love and concern for all the people under his care.

Tom and his family lived near the poverty line throughout his ministry, and they never seemed to mind or complain.

Don (the author and the subject’s son) writes: “By today’s standards we were shockingly poor… Despite extended illness in the family, which sometimes cost huge amounts of money that we did not have, Dad and Mum would pray, and somehow the money would come in, to the last cent. Dad and Mum made no big deal of this; they were simply quietly grateful.”

He was on the receiving end of some unbelievably unfair treatment by the leader of his denomination which resulted in his support being cut off and his ministry not recognized, and he never spoke poorly of the individual to family or friends. He just continued on faithfully. His son (D.A. Carson) questioned his father later in life about that painful episode:

Don: “So how come you never told us kids any of this?”

Dad (after a long pause): “There were two reasons. First, you were children of the manse, and although you have seen the outworking of the gospel, you have also seen more than your share of difficult and ugly things. And we did not think it wise to expose you to this history when you were young. Second, Marg and I decided we needed to protect our own souls from bitterness. So we took a vow that neither of us would ever say an unkind thing about T.T. Shields. And we have kept our vow.”

Then follows a note from Tom’s daughter Joyce:

“As I look back on life with Mom and Dad, perhaps the one thing I recall most vividly is the memory that I don’t have. Try as I might, I cannot recollect one time when either of them spoke negatively about another person. Although Mom was an extremely astute judge of character, her analyses were well seasoned with grace and the latent potential for redemption.”

What an example and challenge to all of us as parents.

I’ll mention only one more moment from Tom’s life that speaks of his pastor’s heart: Don writes:

“I cannot fail to mention that on one memorable occasion while I was still in high school, I went looking for Dad after the morning service… He was not where he usually was. I found him in his study, the door not quite closed. He was on his knees in front of his big chair, tears streaming down his face, as he interceded with God for the handful of people to whom he had just preached. I remember some of their names to this day.”

Tom retired from his position a few years later, took a government job in translation work, and continued to be a lay pastor for the remainder of his life.

His final years were spent caring for his wife of 50 years as she succumbed to Alzheimer’s.

I am grateful for books like this one. Ordinary lives are the one’s God has chosen for the majority of us, but there is something of the supernatural in the faithful and ordinary, and it is beautiful.

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About Todd

Name: Todd Johnson
Location: Grass Valley, CA
Contact: todd@crossroadslive.com
About: Todd is the husband of Sharon, the father of Morgan, Caleb, Makenzie & Claire, and a pastor at Crossroads Church. He considers each of these roles the greatest of privileges.

Verse of the Week

“Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? ”

- 1 Cor 1:20-21 ESV

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Reading:

“The Reason for God” by Tim Keller

“Memoir and Remains of R.M.M’Cheyne” by Andrew A. Bonar

“Above All Earthly Pow’rs by David F. Wells

“The Supremacy of God in Preaching” by John Piper

“Jesus and the Eyewitnesses” by Richard Bauckham

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Coldplay - Viva la Vida
U2 - How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb

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