Welcome to this “Third-Monday” post of Greatheart’s Table. These posts, meant to reflect the small talk that occurs around a table, are my way of more personally letting you know what’s up with me and with GHT. You can join the conversation by commenting below or by emailing me here.

I

The big news is that I have now added a paid subscription option as a way that those interested can help support Greatheart’s Table.

Why have I done this?

Over the Rhine, the band whose music accompanies the podcast has for some time encouraged me not to give my work away for free. That this urging comes from those in the music industry provides a helpful analogy. Musicians don’t ordinarily offer their work for free. They have words to share, words with which they hope to bless, challenge, or encourage their hearers. They present those words through a variety of channels, whether concerts, albums, or streaming services, all of which come with cost. It’s not that they are greedy. Rather, the money we pay to hear their music honors both the content and the effort that the musicians invested in making it available.

No one would ever want to pay to hear me sing, of course, but I do think the parallel with the music industry has merit. My words are meant to bless, challenge, and encourage. Putting those words out there requires work, and the infrastructure supporting those words is not free. Any support I receive honors both the content and the effort, and is deeply appreciated.

Even though I’m opening up some patronage portals (I have as well created a Patreon page through which lower levels of support can be pledged), I don’t want to change the heart of what I do. The core of GHT, the three posts each month, is meant to be and will continue to be freely available. This is the heart of GHT, and I want it to be accessible to everyone. That is, I want those who can’t afford to attend the concert to still be able to hear! This is perhaps the most important role that supporters will pay. Yes, you will have access to a few perks. (These Third-Monday posts, for example, will become a subscriber only feature. Other perks are explained in both locations and I’ll have more to say about them in upcoming posts.) But the primary contribution that subscribers and patrons will make to this work will be that of enabling this “music” to be accessible for free to those who need and want to hear it. And for that I am grateful.

II

Part of the motive behind these Third-Monday posts is to offer readers and listeners the opportunity to suggest issues for me to address. What’s on your mind? What ministry related issue would you like to see me touch upon? What are you struggling with? What have I said that you’d like me to elaborate on?

I’m genuinely curious. Let me know in the comments or here.

III

I recently had a delightful conversation with pastor, writer, and podcast host Bradley Gray. His work can be found here.

Our conversation touched on many subjects relevant to pastors. It will air on his podcast on Friday, February 24. Follow him and watch for it.

Brad also would like to invite any in central PA, where he pastors, to consider joining a gathering of pastors of which he is a part. More info on that can be found here.

IV

Being not entirely sane, I will be running the Flying Pig Half Marathon in Cincinnati on May 7. If any of you are running it, or would like to join me, that would be a blast. Perhaps we could finish in time to occupy a “stinky runners only” pew at the 10:30AM worship service at Grace and Peace Presbyterian Church in Bellevue, Kentucky! (Grace and Peace is pastored by GHT subscriber Lee Veazey.) Let me know - and then when you finish, you can hang around the finish line and wait for me. (Correction: since this is a Flying Pig event. it’s called the “finish swine.”)

V

In addition to the Cincinnati visit in May, I’ll be in Tacoma, WA, to officiate a wedding in April and in Memphis, TN, for my denomination’s General Assembly in June. Contact me if you’d like to meet up around a real table in one of those locations.

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My goal is to keep these to no more than five items. I’ll have some more updates next month. Thanks for spending time around the table!

— Randy

The Third Monday / Feb / 23