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/