The Weight

Show Notes:If you are a pastor, a Christian, or a Christ-centered leader in any way, this conversation may change your life.At the very least, we hope you’ll come away with a new framework for putting your faith into daily practice. Today’s guest, Tom Nelson, is passionate about equipping God’s people for their daily life. He wants us to shift the paradigm of being a Church that only gathers on Sunday to being a Church that has the compassion, capacity, and imagination to make real changes in our Monday world.Tom has served as the senior pastor at Christ Community Church in Kansas City for over 30 years. He is the founder and executive chairman of Made to Flourish, an organization that equips pastors and other Christ-centered leaders to bridge the Sunday-to-Monday gap--allowing our faith to converge with our places of work. Resources:Learn more about Made to FlourishBuy Tom’s book, Why Your Work Matters

Show Notes:Esther Lightcap Meek is a philosopher, author, and speaker known for her work on epistemology (the study of the nature, origin, and limits of human knowledge. How do we know what we know, and how much more is there to know?). She joins Eddie and Chris for a discussion about forgiveness, and getting to that moment where you see a larger pattern in the world around you allows you to look forward rather than dwell in past hurt.Dr. Meek earned her Bachelor of Arts at Cedarville College, her Master’s of Arts at Western Kentucky University, and her PhD at Temple University. She is Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at Geneva College in Western Pennsylvania and continues to offer courses for Theopolis Institute, the Seattle School of Theology and Psychology, and Regent College. She is also the author of several essays, including Forgiving: A Glimpse of a Farther World, linked below, as well as the books Longing to Know and Loving to Know.Resources:Learn more about Dr. Meek on her websiteRead her essay Forgiving in Comment MagazineLearn more about her books and buy them online hereFollow Dr. Meek on Instagram and YouTube

Show Notes:This episode comes out on Maundy Thursday, the day when Jesus celebrated his last Passover meal with his disciples and washed their feet in an act of humble service. Tomorrow is Good Friday, where Christians around the world relive Jesus’ crucifixion and death and wait for the Good News of Easter Sunday--the day of resurrection and the restoration of hope.Why does this matter? Because in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we are not only forgiven, but we are given a new way into offering forgiveness to those who have harmed us. Forgiveness is a complex process, often involving grief and mourning, and should not mean we forget or erase past harms. Today’s guest gives us thoughtful insight into how we experience forgiveness--how we offer it to others and ask for it for ourselves. Dr. Matthew Ichihashi Potts is the Plummer Professor of Christian Morals at Harvard Divinity School as well as the Pusey Minister of Harvard Memorial Church. He earned his BA from the University of Notre Dame, and both his MDiv and PhD degrees from Harvard. He is the author of Cormac McCarthy and the Signs of Sacrament: Literature, Theology, and the Moral of Stories and Forgiveness: An Alternative Account.Resources:Buy Forgiveness: An Alternative Account 

Show Notes:Chris and Eddie are joined by Dan Forrest, a well-known musician and composer who has found his niche in composing and arranging music as a way to honor the beauty of God’s work in creation. Dan’s work ranges from small choral pieces to multi-movement works for full orchestras and choirs. You may have heard his Requiem for the Living (2013) or Jubilate Deo (2016). (Links to both of those pieces are below, if you’d like to listen for the first time, or give them a relisten.)Dan has a doctorate in composition from the University of Kansas. He has served as the Chair of the American Choral Director’s Association Composition Committee and adjunct faculty at Furman University. He is currently the Vice President of Publications and Editor at Beckenhorst Press and is the Artist-in-Residence at MItchell Road Presbyterian Church in Greenville, South Carolina.Resources:Learn more about Dan at his website, danforrest.comListen to recordings of Dan’s music on Apple Music or SpotifyWatch Requiem for the Living performed by Bob Jones University ChoraleWatch Jubilate Deo performed by Rivertree Singers and Friends Follow Dan on Facebook, YouTube, and Soundcloud

Show Notes:Eddie and Chris are joined by previous guest Dr. John Swinton for a frank yet gentle discussion of the complexities of healing, particularly in the context of mental health. Healing is more than just being physically cured; it’s a restoration of connection and community. It’s offering holy friendship. It’s remembering that Jesus, fully God and fully human, suffered with us and for us. Healing returns us to our identity as daughters and sons of God.Dr. Swinton a Scottish theologian, academic, and Presbyterian minister, as well as a Registered Mental Nurse and a Registered Nurser for People with Learning Disabilities. He is the Chair in Divinity and Religious Studies at the School of Divinity, History, and Philosophy, University of Aberdeen. Dr. Swinton is also the founder of the university's Centre for Spirituality, Health and Disability.Resources:Listen to Dr. Swinton’s previous episode on The WeightLearn more about Sanctuary Mental Health Resources, free church-based resources to engage the conversation around faith and mental healthLearn more about the Centre for Spirituality, Health, and DisabilityFind Dr. Swinton’s books on Amazon

Show Notes:Today’s special guest on The Weight is none other than co-host Eddie Rester. Eddie has some big news about what’s been going on in his life over the past few months, and he and Chris have a candid and thoughtful conversation about leadership, leading through the hard times, and the importance of finding your tribe of people. We’re excited about this next step for Eddie and his wife Audra, and we’re also excited that The Weight Podcast will be going with him.

Show Notes:It’s not always easy to treat the people and world around us with respect, but  Dr. Robert Khayat seemingly does it with ease. His parents showed him how to live a life respectful of people, places, and institutions, and the importance of respect followed him into his professional life.Robert’s list of professional accomplishments is long: former NFL player with the Washington Redskins, a graduate of the University of Mississippi Law School and Yale Law School, a successful lawyer and professor, and the fifteenth chancellor of the University of Mississippi. Robert’s mission while chancellor was for Ole Miss to be, and to be perceived as one of America’s great public universities, and his legacy of greatness continues to impact the school and the state of Mississippi today.Resources:Buy Robert’s book, The Education of a Lifetime

Show Notes:Chris and Eddie share in a fun conversation with an old friend of Eddie’s, Dr. David McDonald. David is a preacher, teacher, and creative innovator within the Christian community. He believes in the creativity and imagination of God and how that creativity and imagination can spark joy and fulfillment in us. After being a local church pastor for 27 years, he left full-time ministry to found and build Fossores Chapter House, a creative headquarters for pastors and church staff. Ministry and lay leaders come to the chapter house to recharge and rebuild their passion for the work of the church, while building community and relationships with other church leaders from around the world.Resources:Follow David on InstagramLearn more about David’s books hereLearn more about Fossores Chapter HouseFollow Fossores Chapter House on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube

Welcome to Season 6 of The Weight Podcast! We’re kicking things off with someone who has a lot of fun while doing a lot of important work: Annie F. Downs. Annie is an author, speaker, podcaster, and preacher who uses humor and scripture to help people find their purpose and fulfillment in God’s love.Annie’s podcast, That Sounds Fun, has been on air for 10 years, and this year, she’s shaking things up a little. She’s helping her listeners navigate the seasons of their life by using the seasons of nature--winter, spring, summer, and fall--to bring some clarity and compassion to those moments when we feel our lowest and to bring joyful ownership to those times when we are at our best.She also talks to Eddie and Chris about her singles ministry, Single Person League, and how married pastors can build a bridge to a more understanding relationship with their single congregants.Resources:Annie’s websiteFollow Annie on Instagram, Facebook, YouTubePastoring Singles ResourceBuy Annie’s books here, including Where Did TJ Go?

We are so excited to be back for Season 6 of The Weight! We are kicking off this season with an amazing guest, who you won't want to miss. So make sure you tune in next Thursday!theweightpodcast.com