Christopher Gillespie

  1. 335: Gregory the Great - Pastoral Rule

    book
    01/12/24
    9 mins
    By Christopher Gillespie | Donavon Riley
    The Art of Noise. In this episode, we discuss the ins and outs of pastoral care — the art, the discipline, and the experience of pastoral care — while reading The Rule of Gregory the Great. It’s all about church leadership and pastoral ministry in this week’s episode of Banned Books.
    335: Gregory the Great - Pastoral Rule

  2. 334: MacDonald - The Cause of Spiritual Stupidity

    book
    01/08/24
    9 mins
    By Christopher Gillespie | Donavon Riley
    The Man Who Sold The World. In this episode, we discuss what attachment to things rather than Christ gets us while reading George Macdonald’s Unspoken Sermons. The conversation leads us through the topics of higher and lower things, bread-making, willing and wanting, God-gifted vocations, and how to properly end a sermon.
    334: MacDonald - The Cause of Spiritual Stupidity

  3. 333: Herzberger - The Family Altar at Christmas

    book
    12/22/23
    10 mins
    By Christopher Gillespie | Donavon Riley
    The God Who Stole Christmas. In this episode of Banned Books, we discuss Christmas Eve and Christmas Day readings, prayers, hymns, and traditions. We also have a lot of fun jesting and critiquing time-held hymns and traditions. We talk translations, history, worship, and why Christmas is the best time to embrace the enchanting absurdity of Jesus — the God-in-the-flesh, who’s come to be a Light in the darkness, a shield against sin, the world and the devil, and the Door opened and welcoming us into eternal life.
    333: Herzberger - The Family Altar at Christmas

  4. 332: Norman Nagel - The Lord has more than one Elijah

    book
    12/16/23
    9 mins
    By Christopher Gillespie | Donavon Riley
    Won’t Get Fooled Again. In this episode, we discuss all things Advent - repentance, John the Baptist, preaching Christ, pastoral care to the afflicted and the unrepentant, and how to get to hell - while reading Norman Nagel’s Advent 3 sermon.
    332: Norman Nagel - The Lord has more than one Elijah

  5. 331: Martyn Lloyd-Jones - The End of the World

    book
    12/11/23
    8 mins
    By Christopher Gillespie | Donavon Riley
    All Day and All of the Night. In this episode of Banned Books, we discuss Advent and the second coming of Jesus Christ while reading a sermon by Martyn Lloyd-Jones. Along the way, we talk about the symbols and meaning of Christmas, how preaching a biblical sermon doesn’t mean it’s a gospel sermon, and why that matters, all with an extra echo for dramatic effect.
    331: Martyn Lloyd-Jones - The End of the World

  6. 330: Aelfric - The Homilies of the Anglo-Saxon Church

    book
    12/01/23
    9 mins
    By Christopher Gillespie | Donavon Riley
    Sober Up, He’s Coming! In this episode of the Banned Books podcast, we read Aelfric’s Advent homily while discussing decorating churches for Christmas, the importance of symbolism for the Christian faith, what a tide is, and why the books Genesis and Revelation reference everything regarding faith and life.
    330: Aelfric - The Homilies of the Anglo-Saxon Church

  7. 329: Venerable Bede - On the Song of Songs

    book
    11/25/23
    8 mins
    By Christopher Gillespie | Donavon Riley
    We Need More Mother’s Milk & Pomegranate Seeds. In this episode of Banned Books, we discuss the Song of Songs and read the seventh-century monk, Bede, who takes us on a wild ride through the text; we converse about exegesis, cosmology, the church, why the meaning of words matters, how to read the Bible like an early medieval theologian, and why the story about Jesus changes the world.
    329: Venerable Bede - On the Song of Songs

  8. 328: John Piper - Jesus Christ, the Bridegroom, Past and Future

    book
    11/18/23
    9 mins
    By Christopher Gillespie | Donavon Riley
    The Parable of the Lawless, Polygamist Groom. In this episode, we discuss the parable of the ten virgins as preached by John Piper. We converse about law and promise, red herrings, who’s wise and foolish in the parable, the bondage of the will and the doctrine of election, and the consequences for hearers of such parabolic sermons.
    328: John Piper - Jesus Christ, the Bridegroom, Past and Future

  9. 327: Karl Barth - How to Preach to Prisoners

    book
    11/08/23
    9 mins
    By Christopher Gillespie | Donavon Riley
    In this episode, we discuss preaching to those in prison, the consequences of sin, and the power of the gospel. We read excerpts from Karl Barth’s prison sermons and converse about preaching, pastoral care to the vulnerable, where Jesus locates himself for the preaching of the Gospel, and how we can all “set the captives free” through the power of the Gospel proclaimed for the forgiveness of sin. 
    327: Karl Barth - How to Preach to Prisoners

  10. 326: Forde - Loser Takes All, the victory of Christ

    book
    10/21/23
    9 mins
    By Christopher Gillespie | Donavon Riley
    I’m A Loser, Baby, So Why Don’t You Resurrect Me? In this episode, we discuss the difference between our ideas of Jesus as a “winner” who gives us big wins in life versus Jesus, who wins by losing to sin, death, and the devil. We read Gerhard Forde’s article “Loser Takes All” and consider how we bend Jesus to our ideas of satisfaction, safety, and success.
    326: Forde - Loser Takes All, the victory of Christ

  11. 325: Ristau - The Word and Armor of God

    book
    10/15/23
    11 mins
    By Christopher Gillespie | Donavon Riley
    One More Movie Reference Ought to Do It. In this episode, we discuss God’s Word and Armor. We return to Harold Ristau’s book, Spiritual Warfare: For the Care of Souls, to converse about God’s Word, ministry, being a soldier in the army of Christ, and angelic backup, and we make many movie references as we go!
    325: Ristau - The Word and Armor of God

  12. 324: Ristau - Demonic Games and Mental Health

    book
    10/09/23
    11 mins
    By Christopher Gillespie | Donavon Riley
    In this episode, we discuss spiritual warfare and its effects on clergy and laity alike. We read Harold Roseau’s book to discuss the realities of spiritual warfare, what’s at stake, and what happens when we take seriously what the Bible teaches us about the unseen and seen war raging around us.
    324: Ristau - Demonic Games and Mental Health