The Slow Work with Sandra McCracken

Christianity Today
  • 4.8 (89)
  • RELIGION & SPIRITUALITY

The Slow Work is a new podcast connecting the creative process and spirituality. Join songwriter and host Sandra McCracken along with a talented array of guests as they explore the pursuit of beauty, grace, and justice in their lives and work.

  1. 06/20/2023

    Intricate Melodies, Infinite Grace with John Patitucci

    Bassist John Patitucci retraces his life through faith and Fenders. For show notes and more, click here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    45 min

  2. 06/14/2023

    Music Outside the Music Industry with JJ and Dave Heller

    Once upon a time there was a music industry without streaming music. Songwriting duo JJ and Dave Heller remember this day well. They once had sixty thousand of JJ’s CDs in their garage to prove it.  This week on The Slow Work, host Sandra McCracken sits down with JJ and Dave to talk about how they have built their music careers outside of the traditional music industry. Prioritizing artistic independence, family time, and intentional ambition, the Hellers talk about what collaboration looks like in their marriage, how fame changes things, and why they’re satisfied to go against the grain in an industry where formula is often the road to success. This episode offers a refreshing perspective on artistic work and needed encouragement to chart your own unique creative course. Special Guest: JJ Heller and her husband, Dave, work creatively together co-writing and recording her songs. After 20 years making music full-time, Heller has 14 full-length albums, two Christmas EPs, and dozens of singles to her name. In 2017 JJ began regularly releasing NEW MONTHLY SINGLES on the first Friday of each month. It’s a strategy that helped her grow from 800,000 to over 15 million streams per month. In addition to releasing monthly singles, Heller is busy working on her orchestral I DREAM OF YOU albums, I DREAM OF YOU: CALM, JOY, SLEEP, LOVE, and the newest addition, I DREAM OF YOU: CHRISTMAS. The Slow Work is a production of Christianity Today Executive Producer: Mike Cosper Host: Sandra McCracken Producer: Azurae Phelps Editor and Mix Engineer: Dan Phelps Music: Tyler Chester Graphic Design: Chris Bennett Social Media: Kate Lucky Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    47 min

  3. 06/06/2023

    The Love That Holds All Things Together with Justin McRoberts

    Most of us move at a frantic pace with little time for intentional rest. As author and artist Justin McRoberts works to balance his work and creative life with his spiritual and family life, he understands this pull toward frenetic anxiety. Leaning into the truth of our belovedness in Christ, McRoberts invites readers and others to slow down and pay attention. This week on The Slow Work, McRoberts joins host Sandra McCracken to talk about work, rest and responding to the call of our belovedness. McRoberts explains how he works in seasons, the internal map that helps guide his decision making, and the grace that must rule over all as the voice of rest. In their discussion, McRoberts explains how burnout and depression can become gifts, why sadness deserves its own time, and what disappointments offer us as we turn our hearts to God.  Special Guest: Justin McRoberts is an author, coach, speaker, and songwriter. He is the author of six books, including his latest, Sacred Strides (May 2023). For over 20 years, Justin has helped artists, ministers, and entrepreneurs find their way. From the stage, through his stories in books or during coaching sessions, he leans on his years of work and expertise as a minister and artist to help individuals and teams solve problems in their creative processes. When he’s not writing, speaking, or coaching, you can find him as the host of the At Sea Podcast. He lives in the East San Francisco Bay Area. Resources Referenced: Sacred Strides: The Journey to Belovedness in Work and Rest Running to Stand Still Chariots of Fire The Slow Work is a production of Christianity Today Executive Producer: Mike Cosper Host: Sandra McCracken Producer: Azurae Phelps Editor and Mix Engineer: Dan Phelps Music: Tyler Chester Graphic Design: Chris Bennett Social Media: Kate Lucky Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    42 min

  4. 06/01/2023

    The Way You Become a Writer with Bret Lott

    Author Bret Lott once held five majors in college; but he quit halfway through and learned the discipline of writing by pounding pavement as an RC Cola salesman. It is, perhaps, this salt of the earth quality that makes his writing so captivating and inspires others to the craft as well. This week on The Slow Work, host Sandra McCracken talks with Lott about the way you become a writer -- from the ethic required for the daily grind to the value of being around people and paying attention. Lott shares the hardest thing about being a creative and the role of memory and detail in creating a compelling narrative. If you’ve dreamed of becoming a writer or simply want to see behind the curtain of a creative life, you’ll find inspiration and practical wisdom in this episode. Special Guest: Bret Lott is the bestselling author of twelve books, including the novels Ancient Highway, The Hunt Club, A Song I Knew by Heart, and Jewel (an Oprah’s Book Club selection). Formerly editor of The Southern Review, Lott was appointed to the National Council on the Arts in 2006. He lives with his wife, Melanie, in Hanahan, South Carolina, and teaches at the College of Charleston. Resources Referenced: Jewel The Hunt Club A Song I Knew By Heart Burning Down the House: Essays on Fiction Meet Me at the Lighthouse: Poems The Slow Work is a production of Christianity Today Executive Producer: Mike Cosper Host: Sandra McCracken Producer: Azurae Phelps Editor and Mix Engineer: Dan Phelps Music: Tyler Chester Graphic Design: Chris Bennett Social Media: Kate Lucky Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    41 min

  5. 05/16/2023

    Winning the Dave Barnes Lottery

    Dave Barnes has been a Nashville fixture for more than 20 years now, and he’s still writing melodies that are new and creative. How does he keep doing it year after year? For Dave, it's pretty simple: respect the past and love the present. In this week’s episode of The Slow Work, host Sandra McCracken sits down with singer-songwriter and producer, Dave Barnes to discuss what makes a tune stick in your head. Growing up in rural Mississippi, Dave played drums in the marching band and drew cartoons, exercising his creative gifts wherever he could. His work today may look different, but his earnest pursuit of creativity hasn’t changed at all. Listen in as Sandra and Dave talk about serving the music instead of trying to shape it, the value of our early creative work, and the thrill of developing new music -- even when folks only want to hear your old stuff. Special Guest: Dave Barnes is a Nashville-based singer-songwriter and producer. Dave has written songs for Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Reba McIntyre, Tim McGraw, Lady A, and many more. He’s also released eight of his own albums, won a Dove Award in 2018 for his song “Washed by the Water,” and has made audiences laugh all along the way. Dave hosts the popular podcast Dadville with Jon McLaughlin. He recently released Remembering Vol. 3, a new EP. Resources Referenced: The King of Tears Take Me Back to Nashville The Slow Work is a production of Christianity Today Executive Producer: Mike Cosper Host: Sandra McCracken Producer: Azurae Phelps Editor and Mix Engineer: Dan Phelps Music: Tyler Chester Graphic Design: Chris Bennett Social Media: Kate Lucky Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    40 min

  6. 04/18/2023

    The Year of Jubilee with Cindy Morgan

    Growing up as mountain folk in East Tennessee, two-time GRAMMY nominee and 13 time Dove award winner Cindy Morgan, learned to write and play music with its roots in gospel. Today, Cindy’s writing is arriving at fans in a new way, in the form of her first novel, The Year of Jubilee. She joins host Sandra McCracken in this week’s episode to talk all about it. In this episode of The Slow Work, Sandra and Cindy talk about returning to our roots, untangling difficult family stories, and finding a way forward through writing. Cindy opens up about her childhood traveling the hollers of Appalachia, her experience working with Dolly Parton, and her desire to confront the injustice of racism while reconciling her own hard family memories. Special Guest: Nashville singer/songwriter Cindy Morgan is a two-time GRAMMY® nominee, a thirteen-time Dove winner, and a recipient of the prestigious Songwriter of the Year trophy. Morgan has 21 number one radio hits to her credit, and has penned songs for notable artists including David Archuletta, Vince Gill, India.Arie, TJ Shepherd, Rascal Flatts, Ricky Skaggs, Amy Grant, Glen Campbell, Mandisa, Natalie Grant, Michael W. Smith, Point of Grace, Brandon Heath, Britt Nicole, Sandra McCracken, Josh Garrels, Sierra Hull, Kris Allen, and EchoSmith among many others. In 2017, Morgan’s song “Bird in a Cage” was performed by Robert Redford and Sasha Lazard in the movie Blind starring Alec Baldwin and Demi Moore. Cindy has authored three books, Barefoot on Barbed Wire (Harvest House Publishers, 2001), Dance Me Daddy (HarperCollins, 2009), and her memoir, How Could I Ask for More (Worthy Inspired, 2015) in addition to being a co-creator of the charitable Hymns for Hunger Tour, which has raised awareness and resources for hunger relief organizations across the globe. Resources Referenced: Inside Out Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry The Slow Work is a production of Christianity Today Executive Producer: Mike Cosper Host: Sandra McCracken Producer: Azurae Phelps Editor and Mix Engineer: Dan Phelps Music: Tyler Chester Graphic Design: Chris Bennett Social Media: Kate Lucky Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    35 min

  7. 02/28/2023 · BONUS

    Bonus Episode: Slow Me Down

    This week we wanted to share a new song that Sandra recorded with her friends at The Porter's Gate. Slow Me Down songwriters: Leslie Joran, Sandra McCracken, Matthew Kaemingk, Wendell Kimbrough, Kate Bluett. Special thanks to Isaac Wardell. Be sure to subscribe and we'll be back with more episodes of The Slow Work in a few weeks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    7 min

  8. 02/14/2023

    Life Beyond Scarcity with Jen Seger

    Who serves the servers? As it turns out, very few do. In the midst of serving others, those working in the hospitality industry -- waitresses, maids, line cooks and hotel front desk attendants -- often struggle to make ends meet. When crises come, few have the safety nets they need to weather the storms. This week, host Sandra McCracken visits with Jen Seger, City Director of Big Table Nashville, to talk about the slow work of collaborative care, and the capacity building that can lift vulnerable populations out of struggle and into strength. Big Table, a nonprofit with branches in Nashville, Spokane, San Diego and Colorado Springs (spring 2023), assists those in the hospitality industry with empathy, advocacy, and practical care. Enjoy this conversation as Sandra and Jen talk about the value of journaling, the dignity of the referral model, and the hope that exists around shared meals. Special Guest: Jen Seger is the City Director of Big Table Nashville, a nonprofit that cares for restaurant and hospitality workers in crisis through timely interventions, intentional relationships and transformational care. After years of leading as the care director at a large Nashville church, Jen is thrilled to serve the city in this new way. She loves dark chocolate and has a small piece after every meal (yes, even after breakfast) to keep her sweet tooth in check. The Slow Work is a production of Christianity Today Executive Producer: Mike Cosper Host: Sandra McCracken Producer: Azurae Phelps Editor and Mix Engineer: Dan Phelps Music: Tyler Chester Graphic Design: Chris Bennett Social Media: Kate Lucky Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    41 min
See All (30)

Trailers

4.8
out of 5
89 Ratings

About

The Slow Work is a new podcast connecting the creative process and spirituality. Join songwriter and host Sandra McCracken along with a talented array of guests as they explore the pursuit of beauty, grace, and justice in their lives and work.

Information

  • Creator
    Christianity Today
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2023
  • Episodes
    30
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved