A long Obedience in the same Direction:

Discipleship in an Instant Society

By Eugene H. Patterson

InterVarsity Press, 2000, 212 pages

Review by Chartley McMaster Bondurant

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Friedrich Nietzsche wrote, "The essential thing ‘in heaven and earth’ is. . . that there should be a long obedience in the same direction; there thereby results, and has always resulted in the long run, something which has made life worth living." From this idea came the title for Eugene H. Peterson’s work, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction.

Eugene H. Peterson recently retired as James M. Houston Professor of Spiritual Theology at Regent College. In addition to his wildly acclaimed translation of the New Testament, The Message, he is the author of numerous books, including Run with the Horses and Reversed Thunder.

The 20^th Anniversary Edition of A Long Obedience in the Same Direction is hardly changed from the original released 20 years ago. The primary change was the translation of the fifteen Psalms of the Songs of Ascents, Psalms 120-134. The Psalms had always been the ‘primary means by which Christians learned to pray everything they lived, and live everything they prayed over the long haul." The supposition is made that the Psalms of Ascents were "likely sung by Hebrew pilgrims as they went up to Jerusalem to the great worship festivals." The title implies the upward journey to Jerusalem, a well as the upward journey toward God.

Mr. Peterson’s pastoral work was rooted in his belief that prayer and scripture are the keys to our faith—prayer is our speaking to God and scripture is God speaking to us. Throughout the milleniums scripture has been our prayer and the Songs of Ascents takes us back to that beginning. "A psalm is not a lecture, it is a song. In a psalm we have the observable evidence of what happens when a person of faith goes about the business of believing and loving and following God."

The Songs of Ascents begin with Psalm 120, which is a song of repentance. Repentance is deciding you have been wrong and that you are willing to change to be in God’s will. Psalm 121 is a song of providence—nothing and no one can upset the enjoyable relationship that has been established by faith in Jesus Christ. Worship is the idea expressed in Psalm 122. It is the gathering of believers to worship their God, an essential act that nurtures our relationship with God.

Psalm 123 is a call to service. We choose to serve God and expectantly await his word. Service to God is not coerced or demanded, it is placed before God as an offering. Of all the Songs of Ascents, Psalm 124 best describes the hazards of discipleship and the help we receive from God. It is a testimony of God’s help. We are not abandoned in our trials, God is with us;

"If God hadn’t been for us when everyone went against us,

We would have been swallowed alive…"

God is our security. Psalm 125 reassures us that God is with us and surrounds us with his care. Our discipleship is a covenant in which God establishes conditions and guarantees results. "Our life with God is a sure thing." Psalm 126 shows us that joy is a product of abundance in our relationship with God. Philippians 4:4,5 celebrate this joy, "Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him…" A warning is posted in Psalm 127. We are to be working, for work has dignity and purpose. We work not only as a way to provide for families, and ourselves it is our ‘response to God and develops relationships.’

"Enjoy the blessing! Revel in the goodness!" Psalm 128 is a celebration of our potential as children of God. God is interested in our response to him. Will we shrink God down to our capacity of understanding, or will we be blessed by his majesty? Perseverance is the lesson of Psalm 129. It is authentic in its cry for the " humiliation of those who hate Zion." Perseverance is not the ‘result of our determination, it is the result of God’s faithfulness.’ God sticks with us even when we behave in ways that are not in keeping with God’s will for us.

Psalm 130 is our cry for help and the blessed assurance that God is there to provide hope and to deliver us. Our suffering is proclaimed and real. Just as God is real. The song tells us to wait and watch—to hope. We are grounded with humble hearts in Psalm 131 and Psalm 132 is the fulfillment of hope—which is obedience. Our community of believers is shared in Psalm 133 and Psalm 134 brings us back to the blessing of God.

This is the evidence of the way of discipleship. Discipleship begins with an act of repentance and concludes in a life of praise. "Do that for which you were created and redeemed; lift your voices in gratitude; enter into the community of praise and prayer that anticipates the final consummation of faith in heaven. Bless God."

Praying scripture has not been one of my habits. During certain times when I have been is such pain that I could not express it, I would indeed read the Psalms during my time of meditation with God. Over the course of the last few weeks I have found comfort in the prayer of these particular Psalms—acknowledging the authenticity of my feelings and expressing them honestly to God, thereby allowing God to speak to me and comfort me. These ancient prayers are real today . . .they provide a framework for discipleship through; repentance, providence, worship, service, help, security, joy, work, happiness, perseverance, hope, humility, obedience, community, blessing. God is faithful. Bless God!