Matt Erickson (@mathyouerickson) header
Matt Erickson (@mathyouerickson) profile picture

Matt Erickson

@mathyouerickson

Husband to Kelly, father, avid hiker. Senior Pastor at @EastbrookChurch. MDiv @nseminary. DMin @westernsem. "Pastor as Gardener" with @EerdmansBooks in 2026.

 Wisconsin, USA
linktr.ee/matterickson
Joined May 2009
  • Tweets18.1K
  • Following975
  • Followers1.3K
My post today, "Dealing with Distraction in Prayer: learning to fight less, embrace more, and enter the silence," continues a series on prayer I've been writing. It arises from a recent conversation with someone in our church. Link below:
Image from Matt Erickson (@mathyouerickson)
1
22
mwerickson.substack.com/p/de…
6
"The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul." (Psalm 23:1-3a)
46
My latest in a series of essays on prayer is "Praying with Words and without Words," which includes a poem I wrote about when our words come to an end in prayer. Link in comments:
Image from Matt Erickson (@mathyouerickson)
1
2
101
mwerickson.substack.com/p/pr…
11
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." (Hebrews 12:1)
2
60
Here is "The Weekend Wanderer" for 31 October 2026 with Mandy Smith preaching Christmas, Winn Collier on the beauty and trouble of church, Gen Z worship attendance, NT Wright on Isaiah, moving at the speed of Jesus, a church full of friendships, and more.
Image from Matt Erickson (@mathyouerickson)
1
2
229
mwerickson.substack.com/p/th…
1
25
Thank you, Winn Collier. winncollier.substack.com/p/t…
52
I concluded a three-part reflection on learning prayer from the life and teaching of Jesus [here]().
Image from Matt Erickson (@mathyouerickson)
1
1
44
mwerickson.substack.com/p/pr…
1
32
Last garden harvest of the season.
Image from Matt Erickson (@mathyouerickson)
1
2
60
Yesterday, I officiated a funeral for a long-term member, and it was a beautiful celebration of faith and life. Her husband passed away three years before. I can still picture them worshiping in our congregation with one arm around each other and the other arm raised in praise.
3
86
Here is "The Weekend Wanderer" for 24 October 2026 with news on 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.
Image from Matt Erickson (@mathyouerickson)
1
60
mwerickson.substack.com/p/th…
30
"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 @byronborger
Image from Matt Erickson (@mathyouerickson)
1
2
3
97
heartsandmindsbooks.com/?mai…
13
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. Link in comments:
Image from Matt Erickson (@mathyouerickson)
1
1
54
mwerickson.substack.com/p/pr…
1
15
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. Link in comments:
Image from Matt Erickson (@mathyouerickson)
1
1
58
mwerickson.substack.com/p/th…
1
17
Load more