This past weekend I had the privilege of preaching at Meadowbrook Church in Wauwatosa, one of our sister churches in the Brook family of churches. When our family first moved to the Milwaukee area in 2003, while I served as Elmbrook Church's College Pastor, we lived on the east side of Tosa and knew a …
Irrelevance and the Love of God: Part 1 of a reflection on Henri Nouwen’s “In the Name of Jesus”
One of the most incisive handlings I have ever encountered on Jesus' temptation in the wilderness as recorded in Matthew 4:1-11 is Henri Nouwen's book In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership. While the book is specifically targeted at those in ministry, I believe it has broader application to all believers. In this …
The Radical Welcome of Joseph
Rembrandt van Rijn, The Holy Family by Night, ca. 1642-1648, oil on panel When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. (Matthew 1:24) The openness of Joseph to Mary and her unborn child reveals an admirable generosity and hospitality of life. When …
The Significance of Incidental Healing
Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.” (Luke 8:48) The woman with the issue of blood is an incidental healing; a healing on the way from one miracle to another. In the flow of Jesus' life and ministry, however, she is significant. While it appears as if Jesus' …
The Loving Care of God
"Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." (Luke 12:6-7) This passage in Luke comes within an extended exhortation by Jesus about acknowledging Him in our …
Matthew Erickson 