When You’re in the Mood for a Love Story…

Friends!  If you’re in the mood for a beautiful love story, I’ve got just the ticket for you…and, if for some reason you don’t feel like reading the book I’m about to tell you about, I bet you can find the movie based on this book to watch instead…

The book?

You may recall another book I reviewed by Catherine Marshall, To Live Again. (Here’s the LINK if you missed it.) Her writing is so compelling it made me want to read the book she compiled of her husband’s sermons (remember he died of a heart attack at the young age of 46), Mr. Jones, Meet the Master, which then led me to read her book about Peter, A Man Called Peter.

Here’s the book which includes his sermons: 

Believe it or not, all of this transpired in the late 1940’s, with the books didn’t get published until the ‘50’s and the movie didn’t come out until 1955.  Nevertheless, the stories and sermons are timeless, the story of Peter Marshall’s life is jaw-dropping fascinating with God’s hand guiding him all along the way.

Here’s a pic of the movie, also called A Man Called Peter, if you’d like to catch it:

Let’s discuss a little bit about the book.  Most people found Peter’s preaching and prayers to be powerful and captivating.  One observer said, “”He seems to know God, and he helps me to know Him better.” Don’t you love that? 

Catherine tells us, “Peter held an audience spellbound.” One of the minister’s at a meeting said Peter prayed, for example. 

Doesn’t that prayer just make you breathe a sigh of relief? 

I’ve got one more prayer of Peter’s he said at the beginning of one of their church services one morning.  He pretty much checks all the boxes of any possible challenge any of us could be facing and again, I’d venture to say the entire congregation breathed another huge sigh of relief.

Check this out (Note his specific requests covering a-z topics!):

“O God, our Father in Heaven, make this experience real. May it not be a theoretical ritual. Help us to feel that we are in communion with God and that in this sacred moment God Himself may commune with us. And enter into our hearts, that we may feel the surge and thrill of Thy power and know that Thou art here. We dare to pray that something may happen in this service, that as we go out from here and return to familiar places and familiar things, it may be with a new light in our faces, and a new song in our hearts…

Our Father, wilt Thou take away from us now all that does harass and annoy, all that lays upon our hearts burdens of anxiety and care. Wilt Thou help us now to relax before Thee, to lay our burdens down, to forget for one hour all the anxieties of the week, to open our heart to receive Thy blessing, that the furrows may be smoothed from our brows, the lines from our faces, the loads from our hearts, the doubts from our minds, and the fears from our souls.

Deal with us, we pray , as Thou dost deal with children. Calm our fears, soothe our distress and our sorrow, and help us to lean back on the everlasting arms. For Thou has never failed us in the past, and we have good assurance Thou will not fail us in the future.

Wilt Thou have mercy upon us? Extend Thy patience, we pray. Cast us not away from Thy presence, but in Thine infinite pity, renew right spirits within us and cleanse our hearts. Wilt Thou pluck out the briars, and wilt Thou soothe the wounds? Let us begin again. Even as the sun did rise to rule the day, to banish the darkness of another night, and to wipe out every shadow, so may Thy love and mercy dawn upon our hearts and give us new life, new light and new hope.

All these things, Our father, we ask in the strong and lovely name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.”

Not only do we get to read some of Peter’s prayers and sermons in the book, we get to see his relationship with Catherine unfold and watch how they endure some challenges.  For example, Catherine had tuberculosis for three years while they had little Peter.  Not only do we get to see their relationship strengthen, but Catherine’s faith exploded during her time of stress and fatigue. Every detail is simply beautiful.

I believe our own faith can grow from reading this book because Catherine teaches us from her husband’s and her own unwavering trust in the complete sovereignty of God.  It’s a faith booster for certain. She doesn’t just say, “Trust and Believe,” she shows us how to keep placing one foot in front of the other.

Here are a couple of cute photos of them in their earlier years:

Let me just close by saying I can’t recommend A Man Called Peter enough as it enriches us readers on so many levels.  I pray you enjoy it as much as I did.

Now run, don’t walk, to your nearest bookstore and grab A Man Called Peter (and maybe Mr. Jones, Meet the Master if you’re so inclined!). You’ll be blessed.

‘Til next time!

  Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the page above are “affiliate links.”