Matt Erickson
One of the most compelling encounters with God:
“After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.” (1 Kings 19:12-13)
Here is “The Weekend Wanderer” for 4 October 2025 - a weekly curated selection of news, stories, resources, and media on the intersection of faith and culture for you to explore through your weekend.
I’m so excited to share that pre-orders for my first book, The Pastor as Gardener: A Renewed Vision for Ministry are now available! This book explores a vital question: How do we minister fruitfully and with hope in our present time?
Dear friends in ministry, can you help me with something? Please share some of your responses to this question:
“What are some of your biggest questions about ministry today, whether for yourself or for the context of ministry or something else?”
“Radical Generosity” - my sermon from yesterday at Eastbrook Church on Acts 4-5. Being captivated by the generosity of God in Jesus Christ shapes us as generous people.
Currently reading: The Very Rich Hours of Jacques Maritain by Ralph McInerny
Here is “The Weekend Wanderer” for 27 September 2025 - a weekly curated selection of news, stories, resources, and media on the intersection of faith and culture for you to explore through your weekend
“Guess What? You’re Blessed” - Exploring the Beatitudes in Matthew 5 at my blog today.
Invited our staff at Eastbrook Church to memorize the Beatitudes together this Fall. We need words like this in our hearts and minds at days like this…and always.
Last night I happened to read “Pray Without Ceasing” by Wendell Berry in Fidelity. It felt like a timely and meaningful story in our present moment. I am continually surprised by the healing power of fiction. 📚
Does anyone have any feedback on whether it is worth reading the entire 3-volume Gulag Archipelago by Solzhenitsyn or whether the approved one-volume abridgment is just as valuable. I feel bad asking this as an undergrad English major, but it is an enormous commitment to read the entire work.
“A Prayer for Our Distressed Times” - something I shared in services yesterday at Eastbrook Church.
Here is “The Weekend Wanderer” for 20 September 2025 - a weekly curated selection of news, stories, resources, and media on the intersection of faith and culture for you to explore through your weekend.
“Putting on Christ’s Character in Divided Days” - some reflections on Ephesians 4 that I find helpful in times like these
Just finished reading Love’s Braided Dance by Norman Wirzba, which seems entirely appropriate for our current days. 📚
Here is “The Weekend Wanderer” for 13 September 2025 - a weekly curated selection of news, stories, resources, and media on the intersection of faith and culture for you to explore through your weekend.
And finally, after a multi-year hiatus where I paused reading about 2/3 of the way through the book, today I finished Sources of the Self by Charles Taylor 📚
While hiking yesterday a segment of the Ice Age Trail took me through an urban setting. I snapped this quick photo while walking because something about it just captured my imagination.
Here is “The Weekend Wanderer” for 6 September 2025 - a weekly curated selection of news, stories, resources, and media on the intersection of faith and culture for you to explore through your weekend.
This past weekend in services at @EastbrookChurch we asked people to fill out a card that completed this sentence: “I am praising God for…”
Reading through these cards, I experienced both tears and smiles, and was blown away by God’s goodness again and again.
When I draw near to the end of a sermon series, I usually share resources I utilized in my study and preparation for sermons. Here is a bibliography for “The Pursuit of God: The Life of David.”
Just finished reading: Being Consumed by William T. Cavanaugh 📚
