Greatheart's Table

Randall R. Greenwald

Encouragement for Pastors and Those Who Care for Them

  1. May 4

    Reset 30. The *Pastor

    One of the most suggestive songs by the band Over the Rhine is titled “All My Favorite People Are Broken.” In a sense, it expresses the heart behind this podcast, that pastors are not immune from brokenness.  But pastors are not supposed to be broken. We think we are supposed to be strong, not weak, and so we hide our weaknesses. To be seen as weak is to have an asterisk of suspicion and shame attached to our name. To admit to a need, and to take that need to a counselor or a therapist, frightens many of us. However, in this reset of an episode that first aired in January of 2022, I encourage pastors to take the risk, to embrace the asterisk. 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: Andrew Solomon, The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression (United States: Scribner, 2001, 2015 update), p. 363 When you buy a book using a link on this page, Greatheart’s Table receives a commission. Thank you for supporting this work! But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9. 10) 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
  2. Apr 6

    RDC 7B. An Invisible Blight: Domestic Abuse in the Church, Part Two

    This is part two of the conversation we began last time with Dan, Diana, and Adria from Called to Peace Ministries.  As some of you know, the namesake for this podcast is one Mr. Greatheart, a character from Part Two of John Bunyan’s allegory Pilgrim’s Progress. Mr. Greatheart is a guide, one charged with the responsibility of leading and protecting Christiana (the wife of Christian from Part One) and her children to the Celestial City. He is, that is, a pastor, and the fact that part of his charge was to protect Christiana is an apt truth to consider for this conversation.  We want to fulfill that charge well. I’m grateful for these whose voices help us do 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: 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. Called to Peace Ministries Protect the Flock Dan and Shannon Boeck, Rediscovering Christ: A Survivor’s Guide to the True Church Dan and Shannon Boeck, Domestic Abuse and the Dechurched: Are people abandoning the church or is the church abandoning its people? Richard Sibbes, The Bruised Reed Tyler Staton, Familiar Stranger: (Re)Introducing the Holy Spirit to Those in Search of an Experiential Spirituality C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity  Timothy L. Sanford, I Have to Be Perfect 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.

    40 min
  3. Mar 30

    RDC 7A. An Invisible Blight: Domestic Abuse in the Church, Part One

    There are women in our congregations who are suffering under the heavy hand of domestic abuse. Oh, they may not have bruises to show for it, not ones that we can see, anyway. But domestic abuse, or as I’m preferring to call it, coercive control, even when not physical, doing grave damage to sheep under our care. It behooves us to have some insight into how to spot it, and how we might respond without doing harm.  This conversation with three insightful guests, all from Called To Peace Ministries, I think you’ll find, will be invaluable in pointing us all in a direction that will make us, and our churches, better caretakers of hurting women. 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. Called to Peace Ministries Protect the Flock Dan and Shannon Boeck, Rediscovering Christ: A Survivor’s Guide to the True Church Dan and Shannon Boeck, Domestic Abuse and the Dechurched: Are people abandoning the church or is the church abandoning its people? Richard Sibbes, The Bruised Reed Tyler Staton, Familiar Stranger: (Re)Introducing the Holy Spirit to Those in Search of an Experiential Spirituality C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity  Timothy L. Sanford, I Have to Be Perfect 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.

    37 min
5
out of 5
23 Ratings

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Encouragement for Pastors and Those Who Care for Them

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