Shownotes:

Somewhere in the rhythm of spiritual practices and religious traditions, American Christians have lost the sense of beauty, awe, and wonder that permeates through familiar stories of the Bible. Conversely, Western Christian culture sanitizes the reality of darkness throughout the Biblical narrative. Our culture brings more attention to the glory of Easter than the brokenness of Good Friday, and we celebrate Mary bringing Jesus into the world while glossing over her grief from losing her Son. As we draw nearer to the holiday season, colorful decorations place a blanket of comfort over the harsh realities we live in, covering up the vulnerabilities of our human nature.

This was the inspiration behind Scott Erickson’s new book Honest Advent: Awakening to the Wonder of God-with-Us Then, Here, and Now. A painter, performance speaker, and writer, Scott offers familiar symbols steeped in what he describes as an “honest and robust spirituality.” Scott understands that we must experience an awakening within ourselves in order to connect to God with the level of depth our faith requires.

He joins Eddie and Chris to speak about the nature of prayer as a portal that is already inside of us, the aspects of communal worship and life together, and the ways we can expand our view of the Christian faith. Scott speaks to the transformation that comes when we fully embrace our brokenness, engage in life together, and search for our own stories in the symbols all around us.

Resources:

Follow Scott Erickson on the web: 

https://www.scottericksonart.com 

Order Honest Advent: Awakening to the Wonder of God-with-Us Then, Here, and Now here

Order Scott’s art here:

https://scottericksonartshop.com 

Check out Scott’s books here:

https://www.scottericksonart.com/books 

Follow Scott Erickson on social media:

https://www.facebook.com/scottericksonart 

https://www.instagram.com/scottthepainter/ 

https://twitter.com/scottthepainter