In this episode of The UpWords Podcast, host John Terrill welcomes pastor and author Matt Erickson for a rich, thoughtful exploration of pastoral ministry through the lens of agrarian imagery. Drawing from his new book The Pastor as Gardener, Matt Erickson shares how the rhythms of soil, seasons, and cultivation offer a renewed vision for ministry in a time when many pastors feel depleted, disoriented, or discouraged.

Together, they discuss:

• Why gardening is such a powerful and biblical metaphor for ministry
• The pressures pastors face today — cultural polarization, unmet expectations, leadership models, and soul-level exhaustion
• The liberating shift from control to cultivation
• Scriptural roots of agrarian leadership (1 Cor. 3:6; Genesis 2; the resurrected Jesus as gardener)
• How place, soil, and local context shape faithful ministry
• Technology, AI, and the crisis of control — and how agrarian spirituality grounds us again
• Seasons of leadership, the “wall,” and finding hope in times of limitation
• A hopeful vision for the future church — diverse, listening, burden-bearing, and rooted in resurrection hope

This conversation offers encouragement for pastors, ministry leaders, and anyone longing for a more grounded, faithful, and hopeful way forward in Christian leadership.

📖 The Pastor as Gardener: A Renewed Vision for Ministry (Eerdmans, 2026) = https://www.eerdmans.com/9780802884145/the-pastor-as-gardener/

In this Lenten conversation, host Tressa Spingler sits down with longtime bookseller and friend of Upper House, Byron Borger of Hearts & Minds Books, to explore how the church year—and especially Lent—can shape our discipleship. They reflect on wilderness imagery, repentance, almsgiving, contemplative reading, and what it means for Jesus to meet us in our “low places.” Byron introduces a rich range of Lenten books—from devotionals and art‑driven prayer resources to weighty theological works on sin, the cross, and Holy Week.

In This Episode

• Why Lent is a season of wilderness, repentance, and preparation
• How traditions like Anglicanism and Lutheranism shape our imagination of sacred time
• The power of silence, solitude, and contemplative reading
• A new theological work on sin by Timothy Keller
• Fleming Rutledge’s classic writings on the crucifixion and death of Christ
• Creative Bible studies integrating art, QR‑coded media, and peace/reconciliation themes
• Art‑driven prayer resources for seasons of depression or disorientation
• Reading as a spiritual discipline during Lent

About Our Guest

Byron Borger is the owner of Hearts & Minds Books in Dallastown, Pennsylvania. Learn more or subscribe to his Booknotes newsletter at: heartsandmindsbooks.com

List of books mentioned in the episode

• Rhythms of Faith: A Devotional Pilgrimage Through the Church Year — Claude Atcho (WaterBrook, 2025)
• Reading Black Books: How African American Literature Can Make Our Faith More Whole and Just — Claude Atcho (Brazos Press, 2022)
• A Beautiful Year: 52 Meditations on Faith, Wisdom, and Perseverance — Diana Butler Bass (St. Martin’s Essentials, 2025)
• Lent: The Season of Repentance and Renewal — Esau McCaulley (IVP Formatio, 2022)
• What Is Wrong with the World — Timothy Keller (Zondervan, 2025)
• The Crucifixion: Understanding the Death of Jesus Christ — Fleming Rutledge (Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2015)
• The Undoing of Death — Fleming Rutledge (Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2005)
• Why Did Jesus Have to Die?: The Meaning of the Crucifixion — Adam Hamilton (Abingdon Press, 2025)
• Liberated at the Cross: Peace and Reconciliation in God’s Kingdom — Crystal Acevedo (IV Press, 2026)
• May It Be So: 40 Days with the Lord’s Prayer — Justin McRoberts & Scott Erickson (WaterBrook, 2019)
• Prayer — Justin McRoberts & Scott Erickson (WaterBrook, 2019)
• In the Low: Honest Prayers for Dark Seasons — Justin McRoberts & Scott Erickson (Baker Books, 2025)
• Walking in the Wilderness — Beth Richardson (Upper Room Books, 2020)
• Pauses for Lent: 40 Words for 40 Days — Trevor Hudson (Upper Room Books, 2015)
• Pauses for Advent — Trevor Hudson (Upper Room Books, 2017)
• Pauses for Pentecost — Trevor Hudson (Upper Room Books, 2018)
• Lent in Plain Sight: A Devotion Through Objects — Jill Duffield (Westminster John Knox Press, 2020)
• Advent in Plain Sight: A Devotion Through Objects — Jill Duffield (Westminster John Knox Press, 2021)
• Christ in Our Midst: Daily Lenten Reflections Through Scripture and Gregorian Chant — (Paraclete Press, 2025)
• Wardrobes and Rings: Through Lenten Lands with the Inklings — Julia Golding, Simon Horobin & Malcolm Guite (Canterbury Press Norwich, 2025)
• The Art of Lent: A Painting a Day from Ash Wednesday to Easter — Sister Wendy Beckett (InterVarsity Press, 2022)
• Celebration of Discipline — Richard Foster (HarperOne, 2018)

In this episode of The UpWords Podcast, host Dan Johnson sits down with author and scholar Karen Swallow Prior to explore one of the most pressing questions of our time: What is my calling? Drawing from her new book, You Have a Calling: Finding Your Vocation in the True, Good, and Beautiful, Karen unpacks the difference between calling, vocation, work, and career—and why confusing them can leave us anxious, disillusioned, or stuck.

Together they address common myths (like “if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life”), examine how Scripture frames calling, and talk honestly about seasons of transition, feeling stuck, and how God uses ordinary faithfulness over time. Whether you’re a college student, mid‑career professional, or simply wondering what’s next, this conversation offers a hopeful and theologically rich path forward.

1. Defining terms: How Karen distinguishes calling, vocation, work, and career, and why clarity here can be freeing.
2. Big cultural myths about calling: Why “follow your passion” and “do what you love and you’ll never work” set us up for disappointment.
3. Biblical foundations of calling: Our primary calling to Christ, our multiple secondary callings (family, church, community, gifts), and how these fit together.
4. Work before the fall: How Scripture presents work as part of God’s good design—and what it means to be co‑laborers with God in creation.
5. Skills, passions, and reality: Why what you’re good at, what you love, and what pays the bills don’t always overlap—and how to live wisely in that tension.
6. Mobility and rootedness: The opportunities and hidden costs of a mobile life and career, and what we gain by staying put.
7. Feeling stuck in your calling: Practical guidance for Christians who feel trapped, misaligned, or unsure how their current work fits God’s purposes.
8. The church and vocation: How local congregations can better affirm everyday callings—and avoid exploiting people’s desire to serve.
9. Gen Z and discernment: Why endless options create anxiety, how social media amplifies pressure, and why Karen loves the phrase “touch grass.”

1. Book: You Have a Calling: Finding Your Vocation in the True, Good, and Beautiful by Karen Swallow Prior - https://bakerpublishinggroup.com/products/9781587436659_you-have-a-calling
2. Previous The UpWords Podcast episode: Women in Evangelical Spaces: Challenges and Triumphs | Karen Swallow Prior - https://player.captivate.fm/episode/2418ca31-e989-4456-9ea3-02ce8eba375d/

In this episode of The UpWords Podcast, host Dan Hummel sits down with historian John Fea, distinguished professor at Messiah College and visiting fellow at the Lumen Center, to explore one of the most debated questions in American history: Was America founded as a Christian nation? John shares insights from his Upper House lecture, unpacking the complexity behind this question and why it matters today. They discuss definitions of “Christian” and “nation,” the role of religion in the founding era, and the cultural and political stakes of this debate.

📌 What You’ll Learn:

· Why this question is more complicated than it seems.

· How religion influenced the founding era—and where it didn’t.

· Why the debate is rooted in modern culture wars.

· The historian’s challenge: communicating nuance in polarized times.

🔗 Resources & Links:

· John Fea’s book: Was America Founded as a Christian Nation? - https://a.co/d/5ZHqfgt

· John Fea’s podcast: The Way of Improvement Leads Home - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-way-of-improvement-leads-home-american/id1071244872

· SLBF Studio: https://slbf.org/studio

📣 Upper House Commons Lecture Series:

· LECTURE ONE

 Apple Podcasts = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/upper-house-events/id1715922039?i=1000737152176

🎧 Spotify = https://open.spotify.com/episode/0SKgSp7Ch0n3gz0JWCYdpe?si=fa4951404ca44b00

· LECTURE TWO

 Apple Podcasts = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/upper-house-events/id1715922039?i=1000737152192

🎧 Spotify = https://open.spotify.com/episode/058DbBKLtPspshjYC0F1Io?si=77f904172c004bbb

· LECTURE THREE

 Apple Podcasts = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/upper-house-events/id1715922039?i=1000737152775

🎧 Spotify = https://open.spotify.com/episode/1CcXH1w0YdYe96JGsuEq5G?si=5e4f34631cf240c2

In this episode of The UpWords Podcast, host John Terrill sits down with theologians David Buschart and Ryan Tafilowski, co-authors of Worth Doing: Fallenness, Finitude, and Work in the Real World. Together, they explore a more universal theology of work that speaks to all professions—not just those with high agency or prestige.

The conversation dives into:

• Why most faith-and-work discourse overlooks the realities of fallenness and finitude.
• How embracing our created limits can be liberating rather than frustrating.
• How gaining a theology of work that moves beyond only ideas of productivity or calling can help us in the trenches of our jobs.
• How a more robust theology of work can provide spiritual wisdom for navigating seasons of toil and unmet expectations.

If you’ve ever wondered how your daily labor—whether in the boardroom, classroom, or trades—fits into God’s story, this episode offers clarity and hope.

About our guests:

W. David Buschart (PhD, Drew University) is professor of theology and historical studies at Denver Seminary. He is the author of Exploring Protestant Traditions and coauthor of Theology as Retrieval. He is a ruling elder and member of the theology committee of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church.

Ryan Tafilowski (PhD, Edinburgh) is an assistant professor of theology at Denver Seminary and the lead pastor of Foothills Fellowship Church in Littleton, Colorado. He is the coauthor, with Ross Chapman, of Faithful Work: In the Daily Grind with God and for Others. He previously served as theologian-in-residence for the Denver Institute for Faith and Work.

Resources & Links:

• 📖 Worth Doing: Fallenness, Finitude, and Work in the Real World = https://www.ivpress.com/worth-doing
• 🔗 Denver Institute for Faith & Work = https://www.denverinstitute.org/
• 🔗 Karam Fellowship = https://karamfellowship.org/
• Theology of Work Project = https://www.theologyofwork.org/

In this episode of The UpWords Podcast, host Rebecca Cooks sits down with Dr. Christine Jeske—professor, researcher, and author of Racial Justice for the Long Haul: How White Christian Advocates Persevere and Why. Christine shares compelling stories and research on what sustains hope and commitment in the pursuit of racial justice. From personal experiences to systemic challenges, we explore why this work is not a quick fix but a lifelong journey rooted in grace, resilience, and community.

1. Why racial justice requires more than short-term activism.
2. Four common pitfalls that derail perseverance—and how to navigate them.
3. The role of lament, mending, risk-taking, and joy in sustaining advocacy.
4. How Christian hope reframes our approach to justice.
5. Practical insights for white Christians seeking long-term engagement.

1. Book: https://a.co/d/azCpsPj
2. Past Episodes & Resources: slbf.org/studio

1. “We are seeking out a justice that moves to community rather than a justice that says, ‘All right, we’re all even now.’”
2. “Grace is not about saying, ‘Oh, it’s fine.’ You can’t forgive something unless you’ve named what was wrong.”
3. “Sometimes the best way to fix it is just to live it.”

In this episode of The UpWords Podcast, host Daniel Johnson sits down with film critic and author Abby Olcese to explore how movies can deepen our spiritual rhythms throughout the church calendar. Abby shares insights from her book, Films for All Seasons: Experiencing the Church Year at the Movies, discussing how films like The Last Jedi and Paddington reflect themes of hope and joy during Advent, and how unexpected choices, such as Children of Men, illuminate Christmas. We also dive into the practice of watching films devotionally, regaining community around movies, and Abby’s top film recommendations for 2025.

Key Topics:

• Why Abby wrote Films for All Seasons
• How to watch movies devotionally using Lectio Divina principles
• Advent themes in The Last Jedi and Paddington
• Christmas through the lens of Children of Men
• Building community around film in a streaming era
• Abby’s 2025 film recommendations, including Wake Up Dead Man

Resources & Links:

• Films for All Seasons: Experiencing the Church Year at the Movies, (IVP, 2024) = https://www.ivpress.com/films-for-all-seasons

Timestamps:

00:00 – Intro

02:15 – Why Abby wrote Films for All Seasons

08:30 – Watching movies devotionally

15:45 – Advent themes: Hope & Joy (The Last Jedi, Paddington)

32:10 – Christmas themes: New life in Children of Men

45:00 – Regaining community around film

52:30 – Abby’s 2025 film recommendations (Wake Up Dead Man)

58:00 – Closing thoughts

Forgiveness isn’t a one-time decision—it’s a process that touches every part of our lives. In this episode of The UpWords Podcast, host Jean Geran sits down with Father Chad Magnuson, an Anglican pastor and PhD in psychology, to explore the spiritual and practical dimensions of forgiveness. Drawing on years of counseling and research, Chad shares why forgiveness can be challenging, how faith and the Holy Spirit empower us, and why emotional health is essential for spiritual maturity.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why forgiveness is more than saying “I forgive you.”
• The role of anger and acknowledgment in healing.
• How prayer and the Holy Spirit transform the forgiveness journey.
• The difference between forgiveness and reconciliation—and why it matters.
• How faith and psychology work together in the pursuit of wholeness.

Resources Mentioned:

• Forgiveness is a Choice by Dr. Robert Enright = https://a.co/d/3RXSGSC
• Emotionally Healthy Spirituality by Pete Scazzero = https://a.co/d/5rB9FMm
• Previous episode with Dr. Bob Enright (available at slbf.org/studio) = https://slbf.org/media/s8f264m/the-transformative-power-of-forgiveness-dr-robert-enright

Subscribe & Share:

If this conversation encouraged you, share it with a friend and leave us a review. It helps others find hope and healing through forgiveness.

What happens when artificial intelligence enters the sanctuary? In this episode of The UpWords Podcast, host Daniel Johnson talks with author and researcher Todd Korpi about his new book, AI Goes to Church (InterVarsity Press, 2025). They explore how AI is already shaping the church, the ethical and theological questions Christians must wrestle with, and how technology can be used to foster—not fracture—human flourishing. Todd (DMiss, Fuller Theological Seminary) is a pastor, missiologist, and church consultant. He is dean of digital ministry programs at Ascent College, assistant professor of Christian leadership at Fuller Theological Seminary, and works in several capacities at OneHope.

Key Topics:

• Why Todd wrote AI Goes to Church
• Defining AI and its influence on everyday life
• How algorithms shape spiritual formation
• Theological frameworks for engaging technology
• Ethics: Is technology neutral?
• AI and the future of work, rest, and human flourishing
• Higher education’s evolving posture toward AI
• Practical advice for churches: “Automate the boring bits”

Links & Resources:

• 📙Get the book: AI Goes to Church - https://www.ivpress.com/ai-goes-to-church
• Learn more about the SL Brown Foundation STUDIO - https://slbf.org/studio

Forgiveness is one of the most challenging—and liberating—virtues we can practice. In this episode of The UpWords Podcast, host Jean Geran, sits down with Dr. Robert Enright, a pioneer in the scientific study of forgiveness and the founder of the International Forgiveness Institute. Bob shares his remarkable journey from asking a “dangerous question” about the purpose of his research to becoming a global leader in forgiveness education.

We explore:

• What forgiveness is—and what it is not
• Why forgiveness is a moral virtue
• The psychological and spiritual benefits of forgiving
• How forgiveness can break cycles of generational trauma
• Practical steps for forgiving others and yourself

Resources Mentioned:

• https://internationalforgiveness.com
• Free curriculum guides: Email [email protected] and mention this podcast

Subscribe & Share:

If this conversation inspired you, subscribe to The Upward Podcast, leave a review, and share with a friend.