A Man Called Peter: The Story of Peter Marshall

This book arrived promptly and it was in "good as new" condition. It exceeded my expectations!

As someone related to those who have served in the clergy, I found Catherine Marshall's ardent tribute to her late husband, Senate Chaplain Peter Marshall particularly heartwarming and inspiring. As her husband (who became affectinately known as "Twittering-Birds Marshall" because of the flowery phrasing he gave to his wonderful sermons) painted vivid imagery with the parables he told, she paints a vivid image of his all-too-brief life. Through her words, we see the winsome Scottish lad who suffers the tragic loss of his father at age four, whose hardscrabble experiences and humble beginnings would lead him to have great compassion for others in similar circumstances, the spiritual depth he developed on the occassions when his Inner Voice saved him from accidental death, the inspiration he received from fellow Scottish churchman Eric Liddell, his Scottish wit, and fun-loving style. He was a man I feel I would have liked, as did many, and had he lived a few more years, he might have been highly instrumental in the struggle for Civil Rights, judging from the deferrence he gave to the writings of African American men of faith, James Weldon Johnson, and George Washington Carver, and his expressed concern for underpriviledged minorities. His sermon, "The American Dream", is still very timely in the modern world. Readers follow him through his immigration to the United States, his entrance into the clergy, his meeting of Catherine, the difficulty of finding time to spend with her due to mounting ministerial duties, his marriage, his camaraderie with other ministers, the high emotion of embracing U.S. Citizenship, the use of his sharp sense of humor to win people over to Christ, his enthusiasm for board games, sports, life itself, and also his great love for his family and humanity in general. I can hear the melodic trill of his brogue when his quotes appear in the story as his wife recaptures the rhythm of his speech patterns, and each chapter is headed with appropriate Biblical verses that summarize their contents. Dr. Marshall was nonimated as Senate Chaplain while serving in the church where Abraham Lincoln once worshipped, and upon his election became a much-loved confidant of Senators on both sides of the aisle. Michigan Senator, Arthur Vandenberg (who himself passed away around the time of this book's publication in 1951), affectionately called him, "Dominie", the Dutch word for "Parson". We share the couple's delight at the birth of their son, "Wee Peter" in the years prior to Dr. Marshall's rise to the Chaplaincy of the Senate, the challenges to their faith brought on by Catherine's bout with tuberculosis, and Peter's heart trouble, and see how much prayer meant in their lives at such time. We also see how Peter's illness inspired others to pray. But we are also made aware that not everyone admired the Marshalls and that the Good Reverend was subjected to anti-immigrant backlash as well as misinterpretations of the meaning of his sermon

The works of both Peter and Catherine Marshall live on even though they are no longer among us. Fortunate for us that their legacy is still available, as we're richer for it.Peter was Chaplain of the U.S. Senate, a position he had not sought. He was a Scottish immigrant to this country. This book describes how God orchestrated the circumstances that led to a life of accomplishment from an eternally significant perspective.On page 15 she tells us, "Peter Marshall did not grow up wanting to be a minister. That was God's idea--not his." She says often God has to shut a door in order for us to go through the door he wants us to go through.Eric Liddell was a significant influence in Peter's younger years. He was the Scottish olympian who was more committed to Jesus than to winning international acclaim.I underlined what was said about dreams in the part of the book on Peter's early years. "I learned that just because God loves us so much, often He guides us by planting His own lovely dream in the barren soil of a human heart," she notes. Later on she adds that if the dreams are really of God, even though they may be carried a long time, they often suddenly become reality.I also love what the way she describes the book-lined place Peter inhabited. "Books lined one wall--good books--inspiring and instructive--good books--good friends."One of several idiosyncrasies I share with Peter Marshall is that we're both "night owls." She says he was usually his best and brightest around midnight.Throughout this book on her late husband, Catherine puts her thoughts into a reflective framework. She talks about Jesus and living life with the long view in mind. Along those lines she talks about Jesus, noting that he never refused anyone who came to Him for help. She says even if we lack faith, we can ask Him for it because faith is a gift of God.She modifies the phrase which is so commonly cited, "God helps those who help themselves," by writing that actually, "God helps those who trust Him to solve their problems."This is a well-researched, well-written, inspiring, faith-building, positive book that will make you a better person from having read it.

The description of Peter's passing is alone worth the price of this book. Catherine (wife) tells how she sat quietly by his body, draped and covered on the hospital bed, and became aware that his presence and another presence was there in the room with her, which she describes as "vivid" and "transcendent". After precisely 50 minutes, the luminous presences left the room.You gotta read this book. His sermons are in the back. These too, are very inspiring.

The book was awesome. it was an inspiration to any christian