Greatheart's Table

Greatheart’s Table has been in the world for a year now! You who’ve read the newsletter or listened to the podcast have been my companions as I’ve explored various ways of thinking about ministry and the church. I originally committed to doing this for only one year. And yet I feel the urge to continue […]

I’m glad you’ve decided to join us here at Greatheart’s Table. Obviously, I speak that as a metaphor. There is no table and we are not gathered around it. But the metaphor is to encourage what it represents. Pastors need time to actually sit with others, with friends, to talk about life and ministry. We […]

At the same time there may be a gnawing uncertainty about that new strategy or technology. It’s that inner discomfort that we too often suppress that I want to address. We are called to be forward looking, but we also are called to be wise. As always, if you like what you hear here, subscribe, […]

Welcome to Greatheart’s Table, a podcast for pastors and those who care for them. My judgment is that most pastors are introverts. We are introverts who can’t be shy, but we are introverts nonetheless. This leads to introspection which can be good for our pastoral honesty and vulnerability. But can also lead to self-condemnation. If […]

Welcome to you who are new to the podcast! I encourage you to nose around to other episodes. I’m honored that you would join us. Some of you have reached out to me, given feedback, support, and encouragement, all of which is greatly appreciated. Really. If you are a regular listener, I hope you would […]

Each episode of Greatheart’s Table begins as an 800 word newsletter post. This post and the accompanying podcast get released at the same time so that those who prefer their content in print and those who prefer it in audio can both be served. Those of you who are listening can help me have a […]

As you know, we begin each episode of Greatheart’s Table with Over the Rhine’s song “All My Favorite People Are Broken” (with the band’s kind permission, by the way). It’s not just a good song (you should listen to the whole thing – the link is below) but it expresses the heart behind this podcast […]

If you’ve listened to the previous two episodes, 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 […]

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. Christian culture, we noted last time, says that we are to be visionaries who lead our churches to growth. […]

Mike Cosper’s Christianity Today podcast, “The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill” has been both fascinating and troubling. One of the themes of the podcast is the corrosive impact of the American love affair with growth. Size validates everything and covers a multitude of sins. And no matter how easy it is to mock Mars […]