Matt Erickson
Attention “is the essential and necessary means of our growth in knowledge and of any progress that we make on the path toward wisdom. Attention shapes what we know and value, and therefore determines who we are and can become.” - Blum & Hochschild
“In the same books I also read of the Word, God, that his birth came not from human stock, not from nature’s will or man’s, but from God. But I did not read in them that the Word was made flesh and came to dwell among us.” - St. Augustine.
I’ve enjoyed preaching my way through various titles of Christ recently at @EastbrookChurch, including this past weekend exploring Jesus as the Word of God from the Gospel of John, chapter 1.
The latest edition of “The Weekend Wanderer” is here with Jemar Tisby, Roger Olson on evangelical ‘whiteness’, Oneya Okuwobi on multi-ethnic church, Wesley Hill on Nadia Bolz-Weber’s latest, and more.
I can never quite get over C. S. Lewis’ quote: “Joy is the serious business of Heaven.” But I love it even more in its context in Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer.
Snow day in Milwaukee means I am getting the chance to work my way through the first draft of the Lenten devotional, “Hungry for God,” for this year at @EastbrookChurch. It’s so great to read so many personal reflections on Scripture from our church community.
The latest edition of the “Weekend Wanderer” is here with Muslim conversions to Christ under ISIS, Instagram Christianity, changes in abortion laws, and so much more.
I appreciate your prayer support as I work on messages for @EastbrookChurch related to Jesus as the Son of God and Jesus as the Word of God as part of our “Name Above All Names” series.
I appreciate your prayer support as I work on messages for @EastbrookChurch related to Jesus as the Son of God and Jesus as the Word of God as part of our “Name Above All Names” series.
Unexpectedly, my message on Jesus as the Son of Man this past weekend at @EastbrookChurch was one of my most enjoyable to prepare and deliver because of the depth and richness in this title of Christ.
Today’s edition of “The Weekend Wanderer” is here with Asia Bibi’s court case, church bombings in the Philippines, Drew Dyck on self-control, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Walter Rauschenbusch, and so much more.
I’m so thankful for some real progress on various projects this morning. Just when I’m celebrating that, the post-lunch distraction demon starts afflicting me, and I throw myself on the mercy of God to strengthen me to stay focused and persevere through the afternoon.
Snow day in Milwaukee means that in-between roof raking and snow shoveling outside I can focus on outstanding writing projects, such as the Lenten devotional for @EastbrookChurch, as well as a few other loose ends.
The latest edition of The Weekend Wanderer is here, featuring Jemar Tisby on MLK, Peter Choi on Whitefield, Lady Gaga vs Mike Pence, Tish Harrison Warren, Robert Alter, and so much more.
The latest edition of The Weekend Wanderer is here with articles on religious persecution in China & Egypt, 10 social critics worth reading, great writers struggling with faith, and so much more!
Writing an essay on the eucharistic theology of Thomas Cranmer for a class I’m taking for fun next week. Then, the due date appears and, suddenly, it feels not only like my work is fun, but also that fun is going to take work.
“Distracted and Divided from the Good Life” - the first in a series of thoughts related to distraction, the undivided hearts, and the good life.
Here’s the latest edition of “The Weekend Wanderer”. Enjoy news and essays on faith and culture with Lamin Sanneh, the pastor who helped Cyntoia Brown, Mr. Rogers, David Brooks, and so much more.
There was that time I tried to use reverse psychology with college students on prayer and various other spiritual practices.
Going through a box of old sermon files that date back to my first days in vocational ministry. I’m thankful people survived my sermons in those days!
This came right out of my journal from earlier in this past year (with slight revisions): “Notes on the Crisis of Pastoral Leadership in the North American Church”.
I resonated with this excerpt from Dallas Willard’s Renovation of the Heart on the gaps and possibilities of personal spiritual transformation, particularly for pastors.
We had a wonderful time at the @EastbrookChurch Student Ministry Winter Retreat talking about the good life, distraction, and undivided hearts with Christ. The only downside of doing this is that I almost always come back sick. This year’s variety: cold with cough.
The latest edition of “The Weekend Wanderer” is here. Enjoy articles on diverse theologians to read, the tech-wise family, Jerry Falwell, Alan Jacobs on Merton, online Dante, and much more.