Book Review: Memoirs of an Ordinary Pastor
Wednesday, March 26, 2008 at 3:35PM 
The Life and Reflections of Tom Carson by D. A. Carson.
I’ve listened to quite a few of D. A. Carson’s sermons and lectures (Okay, I’ll be honest. I’ve heard every single one I can download for free.), so I already knew some of his stories about his family and upbringing. I already knew that there were at least a few parallels between my own upbringing and his. My dad, for instance, was a small church pastor and missionary like Carson’s father, Tom Carson, and some of what I’d heard Don Carson say about his father made me think that he might have been a bit like my dad. My own mother used old adult-sized clothing to create cute clothing pieces for my sister and me, while Margaret Carson, Tom Carson’s wife, remade hand-me-down suits for her husband. And like D. A. Carson, I grew up poor, but unaware how much less we had than most people around us until later.
This is the reason I was hoping I’d be able to read and review Memoirs of an Ordinary Pastor, Carson’s new book on the life of his father, who was a missionary pastor in Quebec. I can’t pass up a good biography, anyway, and if there are similarities between the people portrayed and the people I know and love, so much the better. And this was a good biography. I received my review copy in the mail on Thursday and finished it a couple of nights later because I stayed up reading until 2:30AM on Easter morning.
As it turns out, Tom Carson was different than my own father in many ways. Still, the parallels are notable, making the book all the more engrossing for me. Like my dad, Tom Carson was a faithful, ordinary pastor. His congregations were small; he wrote no books. His circumstances were often difficult, but he kept on serving and loving God, serving and loving his family, and serving and loving God’s people. He was disciplined in his use of time, one thing I’ve decided I need to work at more consistently.
The marketing for Memoirs of an Ordinary Pastor seems to be directed primarily to pastors. If you aren’t a pastor, don’t let that keep you from adding this book to the list of books you wish to read. You may be particularly interested in reading about the life of Tom Carson if
- You are an ordinary pastor. We all enjoy little peeks into the lives of others who’ve had lives similar to our own, don’t we? I bet you’ll find encouragement and wisdom for your own walk in this account of Tom Carson’s life.
- You were (or are) an ordinary pastor’s kid. It’s a good thing to be reminded again of the sacrifices our parents made and the discipline their vocation required.
- You have an ordinary pastor. Let this book give you a better understanding of your own pastor’s life.
- You are Canadian. Those of us who are Canadian are probably ahead of the game when it comes to understanding some of the circumstances surrounding Tom Carson’s experiences. Plus, this book contains a little piece of Canadian church history. And let’s face it: There aren’t that many biographies of Canadian missionary pastors, so when one comes out, we’re probably obligated to read it.
- You enjoy biographies. This one is a pleasing mix of real journal entries from Tom Carson, excerpts from his sermon notes and letters, and Don Carson’s engaging retelling of his father’s life.
- You are an ordinary Christian. The example of an ordinary Christian who remains faithfully dedicated to doing God’s work through the common problems of life can spur us all to remain faithful.
Reader Comments (8)
Rebecca, thanks for this review. I have been reading a lot of D.A. Carson of late, and have really come to appreciate him. And yes, as a Canadian, I want to see a little bit of Canadian church history. We have a visiting missionary come to our church once who talked about the difficulty in working in Quebec. I think I might just like to get this book.
Thanks for the review, Rebecca. I'm looking forward to reading it. My husband is going to the Refocus conference in Vancouver & Don Carson is speaking; if his book is not in the free book bag, he will definitely be buying it. Don Carson is also one of our favourite speakers and writers.
My dad is also one of those ordinary pastors and I am so thankful for him. It's such a blessing to be able to look back and see how God has brought him through and used him in many different ways. He's retiring this year after 40 years in ministry and I am so thankful for God's gracious hand on our family over the years.
I know you'd both enjoy reading this.
Kim, because it's history and light reading compared to some of the other stuff you read!
And Juanita, because anyone who was a pastor's kid will feel a special connection to this story.
I am married to an ordinary Canadian pastor so I'm very interested to read this memoir. Thanks for the recommendation Rebecca!
I'll have to add an amend - I think he's extraordinary!!
*grin*
Ordinary pastors are extraordinary, aren't they?
I didn't think of it, but I should have added "If you're married to an ordinary pastor" to my list!
Ah, great minds and all that. I reviewed this book today. I purchased it after Tim Challies review. I was trying very hard to space my review after Challies and before Frank Turk so I wouldn't seem like a copy-cat who buys everything Tim Challies reviews (which would actually be a pretty accurate assessment). And so I review it the same day as you. Oh, well. It was a great book and even though I'm just an ordinary Christian and not Canadian, a pastor's wife or a pastor's kid (but for what it's worth, I am an ordinary pastor's sister-in-law) I enjoyed it very much.
Rebecca, thank you for this review. Now I'll just have to get this book! :)