The Slow Work with Sandra McCracken

Bassist John Patitucci retraces his life through faith and Fenders. For show notes and more, click here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Once upon a time there was a music industry without streaming music. Songwriting duo JJ and Dave Heller remember this day well. They once had sixty thousand of JJ’s CDs in their garage to prove it. This week on The Slow Work, host Sandra McCracken sits down with JJ and Dave to talk about how they have built their music careers outside of the traditional music industry. Prioritizing artistic independence, family time, and intentional ambition, the Hellers talk about what collaboration looks like in their marriage, how fame changes things, and why they’re satisfied to go against the grain in an industry where formula is often the road to success. This episode offers a refreshing perspective on artistic work and needed encouragement to chart your own unique creative course. Special Guest: JJ Heller and her husband, Dave, work creatively together co-writing and recording her songs. After 20 years making music full-time, Heller has 14 full-length albums, two Christmas EPs, and dozens of singles to her name. In 2017 JJ began regularly releasing NEW MONTHLY SINGLES on the first Friday of each month. It’s a strategy that helped her grow from 800,000 to over 15 million streams per month. In addition to releasing monthly singles, Heller is busy working on her orchestral I DREAM OF YOU albums, I DREAM OF YOU: CALM, JOY, SLEEP, LOVE, and the newest addition, I DREAM OF YOU: CHRISTMAS. The Slow Work is a production of Christianity Today Executive Producer: Mike Cosper Host: Sandra McCracken Producer: Azurae Phelps Editor and Mix Engineer: Dan Phelps Music: Tyler Chester Graphic Design: Chris Bennett Social Media: Kate Lucky Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Most of us move at a frantic pace with little time for intentional rest. As author and artist Justin McRoberts works to balance his work and creative life with his spiritual and family life, he understands this pull toward frenetic anxiety. Leaning into the truth of our belovedness in Christ, McRoberts invites readers and others to slow down and pay attention. This week on The Slow Work, McRoberts joins host Sandra McCracken to talk about work, rest and responding to the call of our belovedness. McRoberts explains how he works in seasons, the internal map that helps guide his decision making, and the grace that must rule over all as the voice of rest. In their discussion, McRoberts explains how burnout and depression can become gifts, why sadness deserves its own time, and what disappointments offer us as we turn our hearts to God. Special Guest: Justin McRoberts is an author, coach, speaker, and songwriter. He is the author of six books, including his latest, Sacred Strides (May 2023). For over 20 years, Justin has helped artists, ministers, and entrepreneurs find their way. From the stage, through his stories in books or during coaching sessions, he leans on his years of work and expertise as a minister and artist to help individuals and teams solve problems in their creative processes. When he’s not writing, speaking, or coaching, you can find him as the host of the At Sea Podcast. He lives in the East San Francisco Bay Area. Resources Referenced: Sacred Strides: The Journey to Belovedness in Work and Rest Running to Stand Still Chariots of Fire The Slow Work is a production of Christianity Today Executive Producer: Mike Cosper Host: Sandra McCracken Producer: Azurae Phelps Editor and Mix Engineer: Dan Phelps Music: Tyler Chester Graphic Design: Chris Bennett Social Media: Kate Lucky Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Author Bret Lott once held five majors in college; but he quit halfway through and learned the discipline of writing by pounding pavement as an RC Cola salesman. It is, perhaps, this salt of the earth quality that makes his writing so captivating and inspires others to the craft as well. This week on The Slow Work, host Sandra McCracken talks with Lott about the way you become a writer -- from the ethic required for the daily grind to the value of being around people and paying attention. Lott shares the hardest thing about being a creative and the role of memory and detail in creating a compelling narrative. If you’ve dreamed of becoming a writer or simply want to see behind the curtain of a creative life, you’ll find inspiration and practical wisdom in this episode. Special Guest: Bret Lott is the bestselling author of twelve books, including the novels Ancient Highway, The Hunt Club, A Song I Knew by Heart, and Jewel (an Oprah’s Book Club selection). Formerly editor of The Southern Review, Lott was appointed to the National Council on the Arts in 2006. He lives with his wife, Melanie, in Hanahan, South Carolina, and teaches at the College of Charleston. Resources Referenced: Jewel The Hunt Club A Song I Knew By Heart Burning Down the House: Essays on Fiction Meet Me at the Lighthouse: Poems The Slow Work is a production of Christianity Today Executive Producer: Mike Cosper Host: Sandra McCracken Producer: Azurae Phelps Editor and Mix Engineer: Dan Phelps Music: Tyler Chester Graphic Design: Chris Bennett Social Media: Kate Lucky Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dave Barnes has been a Nashville fixture for more than 20 years now, and he’s still writing melodies that are new and creative. How does he keep doing it year after year? For Dave, it's pretty simple: respect the past and love the present. In this week’s episode of The Slow Work, host Sandra McCracken sits down with singer-songwriter and producer, Dave Barnes to discuss what makes a tune stick in your head. Growing up in rural Mississippi, Dave played drums in the marching band and drew cartoons, exercising his creative gifts wherever he could. His work today may look different, but his earnest pursuit of creativity hasn’t changed at all. Listen in as Sandra and Dave talk about serving the music instead of trying to shape it, the value of our early creative work, and the thrill of developing new music -- even when folks only want to hear your old stuff. Special Guest: Dave Barnes is a Nashville-based singer-songwriter and producer. Dave has written songs for Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Reba McIntyre, Tim McGraw, Lady A, and many more. He’s also released eight of his own albums, won a Dove Award in 2018 for his song “Washed by the Water,” and has made audiences laugh all along the way. Dave hosts the popular podcast Dadville with Jon McLaughlin. He recently released Remembering Vol. 3, a new EP. Resources Referenced: The King of Tears Take Me Back to Nashville The Slow Work is a production of Christianity Today Executive Producer: Mike Cosper Host: Sandra McCracken Producer: Azurae Phelps Editor and Mix Engineer: Dan Phelps Music: Tyler Chester Graphic Design: Chris Bennett Social Media: Kate Lucky Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Growing up as mountain folk in East Tennessee, two-time GRAMMY nominee and 13 time Dove award winner Cindy Morgan, learned to write and play music with its roots in gospel. Today, Cindy’s writing is arriving at fans in a new way, in the form of her first novel, The Year of Jubilee. She joins host Sandra McCracken in this week’s episode to talk all about it. In this episode of The Slow Work, Sandra and Cindy talk about returning to our roots, untangling difficult family stories, and finding a way forward through writing. Cindy opens up about her childhood traveling the hollers of Appalachia, her experience working with Dolly Parton, and her desire to confront the injustice of racism while reconciling her own hard family memories. Special Guest: Nashville singer/songwriter Cindy Morgan is a two-time GRAMMY® nominee, a thirteen-time Dove winner, and a recipient of the prestigious Songwriter of the Year trophy. Morgan has 21 number one radio hits to her credit, and has penned songs for notable artists including David Archuletta, Vince Gill, India.Arie, TJ Shepherd, Rascal Flatts, Ricky Skaggs, Amy Grant, Glen Campbell, Mandisa, Natalie Grant, Michael W. Smith, Point of Grace, Brandon Heath, Britt Nicole, Sandra McCracken, Josh Garrels, Sierra Hull, Kris Allen, and EchoSmith among many others. In 2017, Morgan’s song “Bird in a Cage” was performed by Robert Redford and Sasha Lazard in the movie Blind starring Alec Baldwin and Demi Moore. Cindy has authored three books, Barefoot on Barbed Wire (Harvest House Publishers, 2001), Dance Me Daddy (HarperCollins, 2009), and her memoir, How Could I Ask for More (Worthy Inspired, 2015) in addition to being a co-creator of the charitable Hymns for Hunger Tour, which has raised awareness and resources for hunger relief organizations across the globe. Resources Referenced: Inside Out Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry The Slow Work is a production of Christianity Today Executive Producer: Mike Cosper Host: Sandra McCracken Producer: Azurae Phelps Editor and Mix Engineer: Dan Phelps Music: Tyler Chester Graphic Design: Chris Bennett Social Media: Kate Lucky Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week we wanted to share a new song that Sandra recorded with her friends at The Porter's Gate. Slow Me Down songwriters: Leslie Joran, Sandra McCracken, Matthew Kaemingk, Wendell Kimbrough, Kate Bluett. Special thanks to Isaac Wardell. Be sure to subscribe and we'll be back with more episodes of The Slow Work in a few weeks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Who serves the servers? As it turns out, very few do. In the midst of serving others, those working in the hospitality industry -- waitresses, maids, line cooks and hotel front desk attendants -- often struggle to make ends meet. When crises come, few have the safety nets they need to weather the storms. This week, host Sandra McCracken visits with Jen Seger, City Director of Big Table Nashville, to talk about the slow work of collaborative care, and the capacity building that can lift vulnerable populations out of struggle and into strength. Big Table, a nonprofit with branches in Nashville, Spokane, San Diego and Colorado Springs (spring 2023), assists those in the hospitality industry with empathy, advocacy, and practical care. Enjoy this conversation as Sandra and Jen talk about the value of journaling, the dignity of the referral model, and the hope that exists around shared meals. Special Guest: Jen Seger is the City Director of Big Table Nashville, a nonprofit that cares for restaurant and hospitality workers in crisis through timely interventions, intentional relationships and transformational care. After years of leading as the care director at a large Nashville church, Jen is thrilled to serve the city in this new way. She loves dark chocolate and has a small piece after every meal (yes, even after breakfast) to keep her sweet tooth in check. The Slow Work is a production of Christianity Today Executive Producer: Mike Cosper Host: Sandra McCracken Producer: Azurae Phelps Editor and Mix Engineer: Dan Phelps Music: Tyler Chester Graphic Design: Chris Bennett Social Media: Kate Lucky Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In a culture of loneliness, charisma and freewheeling rootlessness seduce with empty promises. We are all looking for meaning, but few stop long enough to consider where it might be found in rich supply. In this week’s episode, host Sandra McCracken sits down with author and podcaster Mike Cosper to talk about the slow work of confessional living. Discussion winds from the viral podcast The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill to Cosper’s transformative experience of visiting sacred hills in the Holy Land. As Cosper shares stories of Mars Hill congregants and visitors to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, you’ll be reminded that telling the truth about ourselves often ends up looking differently than we expect -- and can still be beautiful, too. Special Guest: Mike Cosper is a Louisville, Kentucky-based writer and podcaster primarily focused on exploring issues of worship, culture, and spiritual formation. He serves as the Senior Director of Podcasts at Christianity Today. Cosper is the author of four books including Faith Among the Faithless and Rhythms of Grace. He regularly leads cohorts for church leaders focused on spiritual formation in a disenchanted age. Resources Referenced: Hannah Arendt (Critical Lives) - Hannah Arendt biography by Samantha Rose Hill Alone Together by Sherry Turkle Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke The Slow Work is a production of Christianity Today Executive Producer: Mike Cosper Host: Sandra McCracken Producers: Luke Brawner and Azurae Phelps Editor and Mix Engineer: Dan Phelps Music: Tyler Chester Graphic Design: Chris Bennett Social Media: Kate Lucky Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The pandemic changed how all creatives produced and marketed their work, but as restrictions have lifted many are holding onto the lessons learned from that season of limitations. Whether it’s saying “no” to technological advances in favor of stripped down recordings or shrugging off the frenetic nature of show business for a slower pace, musicians, artists, and others are discovering the surprising filling that comes in empty spaces. In this week’s episode, host Sandra McCracken talks with Americana musician David Ramirez about the habits he’s formed in slow, creative work. Ramirez traces the line from his high school discovery of music to his latest EP, Rules & Regulations. Along the way, listeners get a peek into his musical process, the moments that fuel his work, and the ways he’s letting music soak in before it pours out on stage. Special Guest: Prolific singer and songwriter David Ramirez has earned a large and growing following for his soulful, introspective songs and passionate performances. Resources Referenced: Running on Empty by Sandra McCracken and David Ramirez Backslider by David Ramirez Jerry Seinfeld: Comedian The Slow Work is a production of Christianity Today Executive Producer: Mike Cosper Host: Sandra McCracken Producers: Luke Brawner and Azurae Phelps Editor and Mix Engineer: Dan Phelps Music: Tyler Chester Graphic Design: Chris Bennett Social Media: Kate Lucky Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Trauma may be a buzzword today, but it’s no simple concept to untangle. For many who experience abuse or trauma at the hands of church leaders, their pain becomes the breeding ground for doubt, deconstruction, and despair. Thankfully, God’s Spirit persists in bringing new life from the ashes of our suffering. Sandra McCracken talks with trauma-informed counselor Colleen Ramser about the intersection between theology and therapy on this episode of The Slow Work. Ramser participates in perhaps the slowest work of all, helping clients unravel painful stories and delicately reweave new, healthier narratives. This conversation captures her wise and gentle insights about the long process of healing, the importance of community, and the small deposits of grace that enable us to rebuild a hopeful future. Special Guest: Colleen Ramser is a licensed therapist and spiritual formation coach who has been journeying with women for nearly 15 years. She specializes in trauma, spiritual abuse, domestic abuse and women’s issues. She regularly trains pastors and other therapists on trauma-informed care and ministry as well as domestic abuse and spiritual abuse. Resources Referenced: Mary, Untier of Knots by Johann Georg Melchior Schmidtner The Slow Work is a production of Christianity Today Executive Producer: Mike Cosper Host: Sandra McCracken Producers: Luke Brawner and Azurae Phelps Additional Recording: Evan Redwine Editor and Mix Engineer: Dan Phelps Music: Tyler Chester Graphic Design: Chris Bennett Social Media: Kate Lucky Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Singer-songwriter Sara Groves knows a thing or two about storytelling. However, in the experience of these recent years, Sara realized she still had much to learn about the narratives that shape us. In this episode of The Slow Work, host Sandra McCracken welcomes Sara for a thoughtful, honest conversation about the stories we tell and how we tell them. The two explore how to tend the slow fires of creativity and how to bear witness to the hard stories within and around us. From songwriting sessions to the redemptive voice of activism, McCracken and Groves discuss how to produce generative work in a world that often obscures the truth and marginalizes the vulnerable. Special Guest: Sara Groves is a 20+ year veteran singer/songwriter and recording artist with a passion for justice. Since 2005 she has been an artist advocate with International Justice Mission, a global organization that works to protect the poor from violence. At home in MN, Sara and her husband Troy run a unique community art center, Art House North, out of a 110 year old church where Sara has recorded her last two of 15 albums - Abide With Me, a collection of hymns, and Joy of Every Longing Heart (Christmas). Resources Referenced: The Fold Chronicles: Volume One by Bob Dylan “My Dream” by Sara Groves Get Low The Slow Work is a production of Christianity Today Executive Producer: Mike Cosper Host: Sandra McCracken Producers: Luke Brawner and Azurae Phelps Additional Recording: Evan Redwine Editor and Mix Engineer: Dan Phelps Music: Tyler Chester Graphic Design: Chris Bennett Social Media: Kate Lucky Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this first episode of The Slow Work, host Sandra McCracken sits down with husband and wife team, Makoto and Haejin Shim Fujimura, to discuss commitment, kintsugi, and creative justice. Learn how a unique marital commitment has focused the Fujimuras’ professional ambitions and how building in the midst of brokenness has the power to redeem generational pain. If you’ve been striving or struggling and need a better way, this conversation promises a deep dose of release and hope. Listen in as Mako encourages that sometimes “it’s okay to just behold.” Special Guests: Makoto Fujimura is one of the most unique and significant artists of our time, a painter whose work explores a combination of contemporary American abstract expressionism and traditional Japanese art of Nihonga. Born in the U.S. and educated both in Japan and in the U.S., he has had over one hundred and forty exhibits in New York , Japan, Santa Fe and around the world. He formed the International Arts Movement and in 2003 was appointed by the President to the National Council on the Arts. Haejin Shim Fujimura serves as Embers International’s CEO where she leads the strategy and engagement that fuels Embers’ growth and vision. Haejin is also the founder and managing partner of Shim & Associates, P.C. and an experienced lawyer. She founded her law firm with the vision of cultural renewal for the legal industry and has its offices in New York and New Jersey. In addition, Haejin is the President of Academy Kintsugi, and with her husband Makoto Fujimura, leads the movement of “Beauty + Justice.” She also serves as the Team Leader of NYC Advocacy & Mobilization Team of International Justice Mission, the largest anti-slavery organization in the world. She has served on the board of a number of nonprofit organizations. Resources Referenced: Art + Faith: A Theology of Making by Makoto Fujimura Culture Care Creative “Longing for an Internet Cleanse” by David Brooks Goldenwood Embers International The Slow Work is a production of Christianity Today Executive Producer: Mike Cosper Host: Sandra McCracken Producers: Luke Brawner and Azurae Phelps Additional Recording: Evan Redwine Editor and Mix Engineer: Dan Phelps Music: Tyler Chester Graphic Design: Chris Bennett Social Media: Kate Lucky Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We are all creatives at heart, no matter what career or calling we find ourselves in. Inspiration can happen in a second, but the work of creativity only happens when we are patient enough to stay with it. It takes grit to see it through. Enjoy this short preview of The Slow Work with songwriter and host Sandra McCracken launching January 5, 2023. Subscribe today! The Slow Work is a production of Christianity Today Executive Producer: Mike Cosper Host: Sandra McCracken Producers: Luke Brawner and Azurae Phelps Additional Recording: Evan Redwine Editor and Mix Engineer: Dan Phelps Music: Tyler Chester Graphic Design: Chris Bennett Social Media: Kate Lucky Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Slow Work is a podcast connecting the creative process and spirituality. Join songwriter and host Sandra McCracken along with a talented array of guests as they explore the pursuit of beauty, grace and justice. Launching January 5, 2023. Subscribe today! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This finale episode of Steadfast season two features Bob Goff and latest book Dream Big. Bob is a best-selling author, storyteller, speaker, coach, and lawyer. Through this book and in his own life, Goff draws upon our ability to be patient and steadfast in all circumstances, holding tightly to a bright hope for the future. Steadfast is a production of Sandra McCracken in partnership with Christianity Today. Produced by Sandra McCracken, Leslie Eiler Thompson Written by Leslie Eiler Thompson Edited by Andrew Osenga Mixed and Mastered by Mike Cosper Music by Sandra McCracken Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr. Curt Thompson is a therapist, speaker, and the author of The Anatomy of the Soul and The Soul of Shame. As a psychiatrist, Curt’s work in recent years has helped others develop authentic relationships through interpersonal neurobiology and the Christian worldview. While Thompson comes to the table with scientific research and knowledge of how God designed our brains to function, his perspective on patience carries the inflection of a pastor. Steadfast is a production of Sandra McCracken in partnership with Christianity Today. Produced by Sandra McCracken, Leslie Eiler Thompson Written by Leslie Eiler Thompson Edited by Andrew Osenga Mixed and Mastered by Mike Cosper Music by Sandra McCracken Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Goldenwood, a ministry that seeks to cultivate a new vision of faith and work, is the creation of Dr. David Kim and Amilee Watkins. Goldenwood offers quarterly reflective retreats, daily practice, and listening prayer exercises in community. Kim and Watkins join Sandra to discuss renewal and patience in a world that demands immediate gratification. This episode emphasizes seeing God’s work played out over time. Steadfast is a production of Sandra McCracken in partnership with Christianity Today. Produced by Sandra McCracken, Leslie Eiler Thompson Written by Leslie Eiler Thompson Edited by Andrew Osenga Mixed and Mastered by Mike Cosper Music by Sandra McCracken Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

One of the areas hardest-hit by COVID was the restaurant industry. This episode features a conversation with Mark Canlis, whose family restaurant has been a longtime favorite in Seattle. In order to survive, Canlis tried many different creative solutions over the last year. Mark and his wife, Anne Marie, joined Sandra to talk about patience—in their work as restaurant owners, in parenthood, in hospitality, and in leaning toward the good in times of great uncertainty. Steadfast is a production of Sandra McCracken in partnership with Christianity Today. Produced by Sandra McCracken, Leslie Eiler Thompson Written by Leslie Eiler Thompson Edited by Andrew Osenga Mastered by Mike Cosper Music by Sandra McCracken Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This season has been a difficult one for many, and particularly those who make their living in and around music and performance. Matthew Perryman Jones has been writing songs for over twenty years and this season of slow taught him a great deal about patience. Sandra and Matthew met in her backyard to record this episode, and talked about how patience showed itself through the difficulties of 2020. Steadfast is a production of Sandra McCracken in partnership with Christianity Today. Produced by Sandra McCracken, Leslie Eiler Thompson Written by Leslie Eiler Thompson Edited by Andrew Osenga Mixed and Mastered by Mark Owens Music by Sandra McCracken Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices