pastor || writer || speaker
A friend shared this wonderful excerpt from Wendell Berry's poem, "Rising," that deeply spoke to me in this season of loss. I thought I'd share it here on the blog. Any man’s death could end the story:his mourners having accompanied himto the grave through all he knew,turn back, leaving him complete. But this is not …
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Stanley Spencer, The Resurrection at Cookham; Oil on canvas; 1923-27. Death is something we all must face and all, in one way or another, fear. There is a finality to it that is shocking and feels unnatural to us. Even though we understand and experience the breakdown of our bodies, even "natural" death feels wrong, …
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This past Tuesday, January 7, 2025, my father, Keith Erickson, passed away after a seven-year battle with cancer. He was surrounded by family during the final days of his life, as we shared stories, prayer, tears, moments of deep quiet, laughter, and much singing around his bed. There are so many things I could say …
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While I was working on my message for this past weekend, "When Trouble Comes" from James 1:1-18, I was also reading Brian Zahnd's newer book The Wood Between the Worlds: A Poetic Theology of the Cross. Zahnd's description of how Jesus' crucifixion opens us to the presence of Christ with us at all times, even …
This past weekend at Eastbrook, I gave the first message in our preaching series entitled "Authentic Faith: Growing with the Apostle James." My message was entitled "When Trouble Comes," and drew upon James 1:1-18. This is a beautiful and penetrating passage with many well-known words, but perhaps most famous within this passage is this statement: …
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Matthew Erickson 