Greatheart's Table

Randall R. Greenwald
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Encouragement for Pastors and Those Who Care for Them

  1. 2D AGO

    RDC 3B. The Reading Life of Pastors (and Other Humans), Part Two

    Welcome to this third Monday edition of a “Rainy Day Conversation around Greatheart’s Table.”  This episode is a continuation of a conversation that began previously on the reading life of pastors (and other humans). If you missed that first episode you can go back and listen to it first, or you can dive right in now. Either way, we’re glad you have joined us.  As you know, this podcast, and the corresponding Substack newsletter, are both free. They are made possible by those who are able to support Greatheart’s Table through Patreon or through a paid subscription at Substack. Please know that your support helps us keep the lights on, and is deeply appreciated. Thanks to all of you for joining us around Greatheart’s Table. We encourage you to also subscribe to our newsletter where, on third Mondays and at other times there may be additional content. You can do so here. You can help support this podcast by supporting us on Patreon. You can do so here. EPISODE NOTES Notes and resources relevant to this episode: For an explanation of the name and intention of these occasional interviews, read this, or listen to it here or here. If you can, I would encourage you to order books from Hearts & Minds Books here. You can also ask questions of them here, or by email or phone, at 717-246-3333. You can check out Byron’s Book Notes posts here. The books below are, where possible, linked to Bookshop.org for ease of reference. If you do order from Bookshop, Greatheart’s Table receives a portion of that sale, for which we are appreciative. As much as was possible, these are noted here in the order they were mentioned in the conversation.  Firewall (The Wallander Series), Henning Mankel The Pastor’s Bookshelf: Why Reading Matters for Ministry, Austin Carty Reading for Preaching: The Preacher in Conversation with Storytellers, Biographers, Poets, and Journalists, Cornelius Plantinga Surprised by Joy, C. S. Lewis The Consolation of Philosophy, Ancius Boethius Waiting Isn’t a Waste, Mark Vroegop Try Softer: A Fresh Approach to Move Us Out of Anxiety, Stress, and Survival Mode–And Into a Life of Connection and Joy, Aundi Kolber Dissoloution (The Matthew Shardlake series), C. J. Sansom On Reading Well: Finding the Good Life Through Great Books, Karen Swallow Prior The Scandal of Holiness: Renewing Your Imagination in the Company of Literary Saints, Jessica Hooten Wilson Reading Black Books: How African American Literature Can Make Our Faith More Whole and Just, Claude Atcho Word Made Fresh: An Invitation to Poetry for the Church, Abram Van Engen The Book of Strange New Things, Michel Faber Master and Commander (Aubrey/Maturin novels), Patrick O’Brian The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains, Nicholas Carr The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings), J. R. R. Tolkien Les Miserables, Victor Hugo Rainbows for a Fallen World, Calvin Seerveld Knowing God, J. I. Packer The Contemplative Pastor: Returning to the Art of Spiritual Direction, Eugene Peterson The River Why, David James Duncan The Brothers K, David James Duncan Cry, the Beloved Country, Alan Paton and not mentioned, but a book that was in our minds as we spoke: Reading for Pleasure in an Age of Distraction, Alan Jacobs Podcast music provided by Cool Hand Luke and used with permission.Intro: “Holy Vanguard” / LyricsOutro: “Wonder Tour” / Lyrics / Video To find our more about Greatheart’s Table, visit us here.

    38 min

  2. MAR 2

    150. That’s Not a Target on Your Back

    Hi. Welcome to Greatheart’s Table, a podcast for pastors and those who care for them. Actually, I’ve found that many more than pastors have an interest in what we talk about here. So please pass this on to others, whether they are pastors or not. Certainly, the subject of this episode—the intersection of sexual fidelity and power—is relevant far beyond the role of pastor.  The incidence of another high profile Christian leader having an affair awakens us once again to the target the devil has placed on our backs.  Or should it? I have reason here to question that image.  Perhaps its not the devil’s so-called target that should concern us, but our own lack of awareness of the vulnerability of power. We encourage you to also subscribe to our newsletter where, on third Mondays and at other times there may be additional content. You can do so here. You can help support this podcast by supporting us on Patreon. You can do so here. EPISODE NOTES Notes and resources relevant to this episode: Ronald Heifetz and Martin Linsky, Leadership on the Line: Staying Alive Through the Dangers of Change, (United States: Harvard Business Review Press, 2017). When you buy a book using a link on this page, Greatheart’s Table receives a commission. Thank you for supporting this work! Podcast music provided by Cool Hand Luke and used with permission.Intro: “Holy Vanguard” / LyricsOutro: “Wonder Tour” / Lyrics / Video To find our more about Greatheart’s Table, visit us here.

    8 min

  3. FEB 23

    149. Something Worth Pastoring For

    I’m delighted to have you joining us around Greatheart’s Table.  Who are “us?” Many of us are pastors, doing what we believe, or once believed, God has called us to do. Many of us are not, but find that the realities that pastors face, realities addressed here, are true across many life situations.  Many callings, including that of the pastor, involve drudgery, and sometimes difficult times of conflict. Instead of becoming Habakkuk’s contented deer on high places, we want to run, to flee, to find any other thing to do but this.  It’s into this world, once again, I am inviting fellow pastor Adam Tisdale, to speak a word of joy. I hope you find encouragement here to remember why you do what you do. We encourage you to also subscribe to our newsletter where, on third Mondays and at other times there may be additional content. You can do so here. You can help support this podcast by supporting us on Patreon. You can do so here. EPISODE NOTES Notes and resources relevant to this episode: Adam’s Substack Double the Joy Podcast music provided by Cool Hand Luke and used with permission.Intro: “Holy Vanguard” / LyricsOutro: “Wonder Tour” / Lyrics / Video To find our more about Greatheart’s Table, visit us here.

    8 min

  4. FEB 16

    RDC 3A. The Reading Life of Pastors (and Other Humans)

    Hello, everyone. Welcome to another “Rainy Day Conversation around Greatheart’s Table.” Unlike the short content that is normal for this space, in these conversations I invite other voices to share their observations and expertise regarding pastoral practice, ministry, or the Christian life in general.  These have been fun to produce, and they have introduced me to a number of people who care about pastors and ministry, and who want to share their heart with others. This conversation proved to be so rich that we’ll be releasing it in digestible segments over multiple podcasts. I’ll explain this at the end. If you aren’t already a print subscriber, I encourage you to become one at Substack. Please encourage others to listen in. And as always, thanks for joining us around Greatheart’s Table. We encourage you to also subscribe to our newsletter where, on third Mondays and at other times there may be additional content. You can do so here. You can help support this podcast by supporting us on Patreon. You can do so here. EPISODE NOTES Notes and resources relevant to this episode: For an explanation of the name and intention of these occasional interviews, read this, or listen to it here or here. If you can, I would encourage you to order books from Hearts & Minds Books here. You can also ask questions of them here, or by email or phone, at 717-246-3333. You can check out Byron’s Book Notes posts here. The books below are linked, where possible, to Bookshop.org for ease of reference. If you do order from Bookshop, Greatheart’s Table receives a portion of that sale, for which we are appreciative. As much as was possible, these are noted here in the order they were mentioned in the conversation.  Respectable Sins, Jerry Bridges Waiting Isn’t a Waste, Mark Vroegop The Pastor’s Bookshelf: Why Reading Matters for Ministry, Austin Carty Pachinko, Min Jin Lee The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone, Benjamin Stevenson The Ministry of Time, Kaliane Bradley Summerland, Michael Chabon Imagining Our Neighbors as Ourselves: How Art Shapes Empathy, Mary W. McCampbell Podcast music provided by Cool Hand Luke and used with permission.Intro: “Holy Vanguard” / LyricsOutro: “Wonder Tour” / Lyrics / Video To find our more about Greatheart’s Table, visit us here.

    35 min

  5. FEB 9

    Reset 29. The Dreamer

    If you’ve listened to the previous two reset episodes from January, 2022, you know that I have issues with the expectations that American corporate leadership culture has placed upon pastors. Some fit easily within the roles defined for them, they become growth visionaries and ministry strategists. As my dad, a carpenter used to say, “they fit like they growed there.”  But many of us don’t fit. Not in the way we are supposed to.  And that is okay. I want to free us from those expectations. But once freed, what then?  In this episode I invite pastors to dream. Freed from the cultural expectations what might your vision, your real, deep, heartfelt vision for ministry be? That will be what will make your heart flourish in ministry. Let’s consider that. We encourage you to also subscribe to our newsletter where, on third Mondays and at other times there may be additional content. You can do so here. You can help support this podcast by supporting us on Patreon. You can do so here. EPISODE NOTES Notes and resources relevant to this episode: Harrison Scott Key, Congratulations, Who Are You Again?: A Memoir, (United States: Harper Perennial, 2018), p. 87. When you buy a book using a link on this page, Greatheart’s Table receives a commission. Thank you for supporting this work! Podcast music provided by Cool Hand Luke and used with permission.Intro: “Holy Vanguard” / LyricsOutro: “Wonder Tour” / Lyrics / Video To find our more about Greatheart’s Table, visit us here.

    7 min

  6. FEB 2

    Reset 28. The Planner

    I know that though I write with pastors in mind, not all of you are pastors. I’m actually glad for that, and particularly as we address the idea of just what the pastor is to be. I’m concerned about the expectations that churches place on pastors that turn them into more strategist than shepherd.  This is the second of three resets from January 2022. Were I to write it today, there would be much to add, but little to change. I’d love to know what you think.  Thanks for listening, for reviewing, and referring Greatheart’s Table. This is the only way this will be heard above the cacophony of the internet. I’m grateful for your support, and for your presence.  We encourage you to also subscribe to our newsletter where, on third Mondays and at other times there may be additional content. You can do so here. You can help support this podcast by supporting us on Patreon. You can do so here. EPISODE NOTES Notes and resources relevant to this episode: Podcast music provided by Cool Hand Luke and used with permission.Intro: “Holy Vanguard” / LyricsOutro: “Wonder Tour” / Lyrics / Video To find our more about Greatheart’s Table, visit us here.

    7 min

  7. JAN 26

    Reset 27. The Visionary

    Pastors, I think you would agree, are not a monolithic set. They come in all shapes and sizes. They have different gifts, different personalities, different reasons for being. But though this is true, too often only one variety of pastor is valued. And that is a shame, and a hard pill to swallow for many pastors who are serving the church well, but who do not fit the valued model. In this, the first of three resets that first were released in early 2022, I want to explore ideas that swirl around pastoral self identity. First, we consider the visionary. Please rate, review, and refer Greatheart’s Table, and if you can support us at Patreon dot com. We encourage you to also subscribe to our newsletter where, on third Mondays and at other times there may be additional content. You can do so here. You can help support this podcast by supporting us on Patreon. You can do so here. EPISODE NOTES Notes and resources relevant to this episode: https://churchleaders.com/pastors/pastor-articles/354846-the-rancher-shepherd-divide.html https://www.mecklenburg.org/senior-pastor Podcast music provided by Cool Hand Luke and used with permission.Intro: “Holy Vanguard” / LyricsOutro: “Wonder Tour” / Lyrics / Video To find our more about Greatheart’s Table, visit us here.

    7 min

  8. JAN 19

    RDC06B. Getting Idolatry Right

    With this episode I’m joined again by Dr. Trey Martin as we conclude the conversation we began previously on the subject of idolatry and our lives lived before the only true and living God. There are things that can threaten the devotion we have to God, things that can become larger to us than they should In the first portion of this conversation, Dr. Martin helped us understand some definitions and biblical background surrounding idolatry, and in this second part we will begin to address some questions about how this is worked our in real life and ministry.  If you’ve not listened to the first portion of this conversation, I encourage you to do so. One of the things that Dr. Martin did in that episode was to help us distinguish between real and metaphorical idols, and to see how metaphorical idols can be as damaging, if not more so, than physical ones.  But here, now, we begin to turn the conversation away from the theoretical and more to the practical. We’ll pick up the conversation with a question that moves us in that direction. We encourage you to also subscribe to our newsletter where, on third Mondays and at other times there may be additional content. You can do so here. You can help support this podcast by supporting us on Patreon. You can do so here. EPISODE NOTES Notes and resources relevant to this episode: For an explanation of the name and intention of these occasional interviews, read this, or listen to it here or here. Dr. Trey Martin  The article that stimulated this conversation: A COUNTERFEIT IDOL: RESIGNATION AND FAITH IN TIMOTHY KELLER’S COUNTERFEIT GODS, by Dr. Trey Martin. Used by the kind permission from Covenant Theological Seminary. For information about the academic-pastoral journal Presbyterion, go to https://www.covenantseminary.edu/publications. Timothy Keller, The Reason for God Timothy Keller, Counterfeit Gods Søren Kierkegaard, Fear and Trembling C. S. Lewis, The Four Loves Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together Sinclair Ferguson, The Whole Christ When you buy a book using a link on this page, Greatheart’s Table receives a commission. Thank you for supporting this work! Podcast music provided by Cool Hand Luke and used with permission.Intro: “Holy Vanguard” / LyricsOutro: “Wonder Tour” / Lyrics / Video To find our more about Greatheart’s Table, visit us here.

    29 min
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About

Encouragement for Pastors and Those Who Care for Them

Information

  • Creator
    Randall R. Greenwald
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2021, Randall R. Greenwald
  • Show Website
    Greatheart's Table

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