The Pastor's Table

Sacred Rest: Why Pastors Feel Empty After Easter and Why That’s Okay | PT 119


Listen Later

Why do pastors feel so disoriented the day after Easter?


In this honest, unscripted conversation, Tara Beth Leach and Dr. Mark Quanstrom reflect on the emotional and spiritual aftermath of Holy Week. From packed services and buffet lunches to depression dips and pastoral guilt, they name what many church leaders feel—but rarely say out loud.


🎙️ In This Episode:


  • Why post-Easter exhaustion is real and normal
  • The difference between burnout and sacred rest
  • How “preacher crowds” reveal spiritual hunger
  • What happens when Scripture is read aloud—even to an empty room


  • ⏱️ Timestamps:


    02:30 — 16 services in 7 days: Tara Beth’s Holy Week marathon

    07:00 — Mark on pastoring in a college town at Easter

    10:00 — Why we gorge on buffets and sleep for 12 hours

    14:00 — Preacher crowds and the privilege of one-hour ministry

    19:00 — Reading Scripture aloud during Lent—even when no one shows up

    26:00 — Tazé worship, confirmation joy, and why repetition matters

    29:00 — Permission to rest: “Christ is risen… so I don’t have to run the world today.”


    💡 Takeaway:


    If you feel tired, numb, or unsure after Easter—it doesn’t mean you did anything wrong. Jesus is still risen. Your worth isn’t tied to a service. Rest is sacred, and grace holds you, even when your brain is foggy.

    ...more
    View all episodesView all episodes
    Download on the App Store

    The Pastor's TableBy Northern Seminary

    • 4.9
    • 4.9
    • 4.9
    • 4.9
    • 4.9

    4.9

    53 ratings


    More shows like The Pastor's Table

    View all
    The Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast by Art of Leadership Network

    The Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast

    2,282 Listeners

    BibleProject by BibleProject Podcast

    BibleProject

    19,476 Listeners

    That Sounds Fun with Annie F. Downs by That Sounds Fun Network

    That Sounds Fun with Annie F. Downs

    10,465 Listeners

    The Holy Post by Phil Vischer

    The Holy Post

    4,440 Listeners

    Theology on Mission by Theology on Mission

    Theology on Mission

    126 Listeners

    Theology in the Raw by Theology in the Raw

    Theology in the Raw

    1,488 Listeners

    The Allender Center Podcast by The Allender Center

    The Allender Center Podcast

    647 Listeners

    Up First from NPR by NPR

    Up First from NPR

    56,553 Listeners

    Ask NT Wright Anything by Premier Unbelievable

    Ask NT Wright Anything

    2,063 Listeners

    Gospelbound by The Gospel Coalition, Collin Hansen

    Gospelbound

    339 Listeners

    Not Just Sunday: Christian Life, Following Jesus, & Daily Discipleship by Patrick Miller, Keith Simon

    Not Just Sunday: Christian Life, Following Jesus, & Daily Discipleship

    912 Listeners

    Practicing the Way with John Mark Comer by Practicing the Way

    Practicing the Way with John Mark Comer

    1,833 Listeners

    The Bulletin by Christianity Today

    The Bulletin

    567 Listeners

    The SkyePod by Skye Jethani

    The SkyePod

    125 Listeners

    The Esau McCaulley Podcast by Esau McCaulley

    The Esau McCaulley Podcast

    870 Listeners