“I can resist anything except temptation.” - Oscar Wilde, Lady Windermere's Fan "Satan gives Adam an apple, and takes away Paradise. Therefore in all temptations let us consider not what he offers, but what we shall lose." - Richard Sibbes "A celebrated decadent wrote, ‘The only way to get rid of a temptation is to …
Cities and Christ’s Mission with Jacques Ellul
How are we to understand the tension within the Christian Scriptures related to cities?The Hebrew prophets are often critical of cities and many of the destructive promises within the Scripture are aimed at cities, not just groups of people. At the same time, we cannot escape the moving words of the prophet Jeremiah calling God's …
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The Elusive Midwestern Identity
This past May I traveled to a Pastor's Conference at Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia, as part of my sabbatical. While there, I had numerous opportunities to answer the question, "Where are you from?" Since most of the attendees were from western Canada or the Pacific Northwest, it was always entertaining to explain where …
Excerpts from Henri Nouwen’s The Way of the Heart
During my sabbatical, I re-read a book for the fifth time. That's not a very common occurrence for me, but Henri Nouwen's book The Way of the Heart is that sort of book for me. As I was looking through my sabbatical journals, I found excerpts from this book over a long stretch. So, as much for …
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From Captivity to Freedom
Two friends from Eastbrook Church recently published a wonderful article, "From Captivity to Freedom," in The Living Church on the Yazidi community in Lincoln, Nebraska. I guarantee that you will be moved by the powerful words and photos by Asher Imtiaz and the poem by Mari Reitsma Chevako. This is a great follow-up to some of my …
Matthew Erickson 