Matt Erickson
Here is “The Weekend Wanderer” for 24 October 2026 with news of a church attack in Jordan, David Swanson’s theology of racial reconciliation, Brad East on deleting social media, empathy at the midterms, Matthew Loftus’ ‘Resisting Therapy Culture,’ and more.
“As I have said more than once here at BookNotes, The Pastor as Gardener is a splendid, well written book shaped by the metaphor of gardening and informed by the agrarian localism of Wendell Berry.” I’m so grateful to be included in this wonderful list by Byron Borger.
Today, I continued my writing on prayer with part 2 of “Praying Like a Master,” which explores parts of Jesus’ teaching in Matthew, chapter 6.
Watched: The Secret Agent 🍿
Here is “The Weekend Wanderer” for 17 October 2026 with Rich Villodas on formation, Brad Jersak on “Vulnerable God,” Mark the Monk speaks, “Can Religion Save Democracy”, psychiatrist Paul McHugh on gender, Chuck DeGroat on ministry scandals, and more.
Yesterday I received a text from one of my college kids that just said this, and it brought such a warm joy to my heart: “Love you dad!”
Such a good word: “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1)
I wrote about the life of prayer here, with special attention to Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 6 and how it relates to both our deep desire for prayer and our deep difficulties with prayer at the same time.
I am grateful for this generous review of The Pastor as Gardener in The Living Church.
Here is “The Weekend Wanderer” for 3 October 2026 with Dorothy Day on love, The Death of Religion?, Mary Ho on servant leadership, reviewing Tracy Daugherty’s bio of Cormac McCarthy, Pope Leo in France at Notre-Dame, U2’s new liturgical album, and more.
If you’ve ever thought of buying my book The Pastor as Gardener: A Renewed Vision for Ministry, Eerdmans is offering 40% off in October for Pastor Appreciation Month. Pick up a copy for yourself and a pastor you appreciate here.
As a lifelong Chicago White Sox fan, I am still in disbelief at how this season is unfolding into the postseason. After three consecutive 100-loss seasons to the playoffs? It is hard to even imagine.
I wrote about “Praying into God’s Power and Love” this morning.
Currently reading: The Long Loneliness by Dorothy Day 📚
Here is “The Weekend Wanderer” for 26 September 2026 with Doug Sikkema on formation with great books, Christians arrested in Algeria, Chris Smith on worship services, preaching with images, Alan Jacobs on Malick IRL, Clare Coffey on AC aesthetics, and more.
I wrote “A Litany for Pastors based on Matthew 23” - praying toward true humility and future fruitfulness.
Here is my latest article on preaching in CT Pastors: “Casting Pictures into the Imagination.”
Here is “The Weekend Wanderer” for 19 September 2026 with Brother Lawrence, Makoto Fujimura on America at 250, Meghan Sullivan on the good life, worry-free Wendell Berry, remembering the 16th Street Church bombing, Annie Dillard’s passing, and more.
While searching for a photo of a group hiking on a trail, I found this wonderful photo taken by one of my kids on a wilderness trip in the Uncompahgre Wilderness in Colorado four years ago. There’s something captivating to me about this shot.
“Tremble, earth, at the presence of the LORD, at the presence of the God of Jacob, who turned the rock into a pool, the hard rock into springs of water.” (Psalm 114:7-8)
Here is “The Weekend Wanderer” for 12 September 2026 with Pascal for today, Elizabeth Oldfield seeks beauty, Chris Hall on lectio divina, not resettling religiously persecuted, Jenny Odell on attention, spirituality and regenerative agriculture, and more.
