This diary of Pastor Case Parker is a work of fiction. Thank goodness for that, because if this diary revealed the thoughts of an actual pastor, it would be a disaster for the church, a disaster that the church might never recover from, or would it? Would it be a disaster?

Hi, my name is Terence, and I’m your host for Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Today, I review The Heaven on Earth Conference: The Wondrous Diary of an Ordinary Pastor by Kees Postma. 110 pages, published by Highways and Byways in July 2023. Available on Amazon Kindle for USD 9.99.

Hopefully the Writer Still Has a Job

The writer, Kees Postma, is a Dutch pastor and is serving, hopefully still serving, after the publication of his books, in the rural north of Holland. Hence, the story takes place in Holland.

He has written three books, so far, starring Pastor Case Parker. I have read and enjoyed and reviewed the first, titled The Retreat: A Lighthearted and Humourous Story about a Soul-searching Pastor.

Postma writes as an insider, telling the inside stories, much like how The Big Bang Theory introduced nerdy culture to TV watchers, so he introduces Christianese, our beloved church culture to readers.

And at times, he makes me uncomfortable because: is he revealing too much of himself or of Christians at large? Does he tend to revel too much in a caricature of a pastor?

A Cringeworthy Start

Let me read the very first paragraph, and you have my permission to cringe as you listen to it. From the chapter titled, The Prologue:

I have dedicated myself to keep a diary so that the rabble can get a glimpse into my extraordinary life. An invitation, almost too good to be true, is at the heart of this endeavour. It looks like I’m being pulled out of the swamp of mediocrity. I will tell you all about it later this week. For the next couple of months, I hope to blow you away with all the things God will do through me for the benefit of others.

The reader immediately gets a sense of the writer. He is full of himself. The big story which is on the title of the book is Pastor Case Parker is invited to be the speaker at the Heaven on Earth conference. He writes in his diary:

They’re expecting just over ten thousand people to turn up for this festival. What a day that will be. That I, Case Parker, will walk onto the biggest stage possible for Dutch preachers! For most of my life, even after coming to Christ, I have felt inferior. I was the son that stayed in his bitterness, and the son that went away. I was the seed that fell among the thorns, the house built on the sand.

And he goes on and on for a bit. At this point in the book review, you might be wondering, “Do I really want to hear anything more about Pastor Case Parker? He seems to be an insufferable man.”

Well, he is an insufferable, which is why when he gets into some troubles, hilarious troubles, you can’t help but think it couldn’t have happened to a better man. Or do I mean a worse man?

He is funny in the way we think Mr. Bean is funny. Tell me honestly, if you had Mr. Bean as your neighbour, or your colleague, or a member of your church, would you not be infuriated by him? But if you are just watching Mr. Bean, this conceited, selfish, bumbling buffoon get through a day, it is entertaining to see what happens next. And it is the same for Pastor Case Parker.

Too Close to the Heart

In my review of the first book of Pastor Case Parker, I quoted G. K. Chesterton:

A man is angry at a libel because it is false, but at a satire because it is true.

That quote still holds true in book 2.

In the world of comedy, we have characters who are lawyers, presidents, scientists or the everyday man like Mr Bean, and there are also plenty of pastors and religious leaders. But I think many of these pastors or religious leaders are played out as shallow caricatures. They are quick sketches of what the audience thinks a pastor is. And I think the reason why I am uncomfortable at times with Pastor Case Parker is that what at first comes across as a shallow caricature reveals itself to not be what the audience thinks a pastor is, but what a pastor actually is.

I would describe the character of Pastor Case Parker to be multi-layered. He is a complex character hidden in the shell of a buffoon.

You see, Pastor Case Parker, even as he has this Heaven on Earth conference happening, there is a family crisis among his flock. For fictional books, I give spoiler-free reviews because I don’t want to ruin the book for listeners. I don’t think I am spoiling the book when I say that Pastor Case Parker has to minister to a family where a young girl has terminal cancer.

So, coming back to the Mr Bean analogy, which no longer fits so well. Now, you have a bumbling, narcissistic pastor who is also doing his sincere pastoral best for this family. And in doing so, he is going through themes that are heavy. The problem of suffering is one of, if not the biggest, topics of Christianity. It is a topic that has sunk many of the faithful, not because of doctrine differences, but because the hurting soul cannot answer the question, “Why God, why? And where are you when my child has cancer?”

This novel, or should we call it a novella since it’s so short, is written as a diary. So, we don’t get a sustained narrative; instead, we get slices of Parker’s thoughts as he encounters problems, personalities, and personification of doom, who, by the way, is also not subtle.

Is this Comedy or Commentary?

I remark on the lack of subtlety because as I read, it feels like I am being hit on the head with a hammer. I know the big reveal long before the payoff. And I think most readers would see it from a mile off.

So, is the lack of subtlety a feature or a bug?

Pastor Case Parker is larger than life, or his ego is larger than his life. But the themes Kees Postma explores in this book are shown to be larger than Pastor Case Parker. And out of the chaos and sorrow, there is a steady arc of grace.

I don’t mean to sound so cryptic, but I don’t want to reveal too much and spoil the story. Let me put it this way… There are moments after the comedy act, when things quiet down, and I read what is in front of me… and I go, “huh… this is quite heavy.” It feels like one of those genre switch movies, where you go in to watch a romantic comedy and halfway it becomes a documentary.

If I continue on, this book review will end up longer than the actual book. The book is only 110 pages. So, let me share one last piece of discomfort I have with the book. It is a discomfort that I hope will hook you into reading the book.

As I explained earlier, this book reveals the hidden thoughts, the narcissism or hypocrisy latent in a pastor’s heart. We deal with this discomfort by laughing at the pastor.

The Pastor-Hero’s Journey

And yet, by the end of the book, I am uncomfortable because at the end, he can no longer be the comedic character we laugh at. What Pastor Case Parker has witnessed, the thoughts he put in his diary, and the people he interacted with must have matured him. His character arc must move from selfishness to selflessness. In theological language, Pastor Case Parker has died and was resurrected.

Let me close this book review by sharing one example of this tonal shifts. You have heard me read from the prologue, and you cringed at the vanity of the man. Now, let me read from the same man’s diary, written somewhere in the story, and you tell me what you think of the man who wrote this:

There’s one prayer that has helped me through a lot of difficulties in life. I let it roll over my lips daily. “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer” (Psalm 19:15). A prayer through which I remind myself that He is big, and I am small. That I live my life for him, that He calls the shots. That I’m the receiver, but He remains the Provider.

Isn’t this a man you wish to have as your pastor?

In conclusion, if you are a church member and you want to make your pastor laugh and cry, give him this book as a present. And if you are a pastor and if you want your church to appreciate you more, give them this book and they will love you more.

This book seems to be the end of Pastor Case Parker but curiously, there is a third book! How will his story continue? I will let you know as soon as I read it.

This is a Reading and Readers review of The Heaven on Earth Conference: The Wondrous Diary of an Ordinary Pastor by Kees Postma. Thank you for listening. Bye-bye.