Life and pastoring can be exhausting. And that exhaustion grows when we fail to distinguish between ourselves and God. A friend shared with me this week a new song by singer/songwriter Jess Ray called I Am Not God. My screen saver since the beginning of the year is a message: “Relax. You are not the […]

Hello! Welcome to this unusual, audio only, third Monday edition of Greatheart’s Table. This is the third and last of our Rainy Day Conversation with my two friends, Adam and Byron discussing books. And though our initial focus was on pastoral reading habits, all of these conversations apply widely to all Christians.  In this episode […]

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 […]

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 […]

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, […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]