Restless Sanctuary Episode 8: Longing for renewal?

In this episode James and Albert talk about what it means to long for renewal — for the breath of new life to sweep through old bones! They discuss Ezekiel, Lazarus, restoration, storytelling and jellyfish!

Listen every fortnight to our new podcast about faith, restlessness and the search for meaning! James Cathcart and Albert Bogle from Sanctuary First share what it’s like to be restless Christians, wrestling with the Bible and spirituality as they try and live it out today.

Right now our world is very restless — politically, economically, culturally, technologically and environmentally. We are living through an age of disruption and upheaval. Many of us are longing for a sense of sanctuary, for belonging, and direction to help us face new and unprecedented challenges.

At the root of Christianity James and Albert uncover a restlessness in God’s heart that mirrors our own. A deep longing and restless love that searches out for each one of us. We glimpse God in the faces of one another in need and in God we glimpse our own human yearning for wholeness and love.

James and Albert reckon Jesus offers sanctuary and respite for our restless souls, but that it is often a restless sanctuary, a temporary makeshift shelter in a world that we are called in turn to go out and love. The ship in their logo, designed by Jack Steel, is itself a restless sanctuary on the open water — not a shelter from the storm but a shelter through the storm.

Join them every fortnight for fascinating discussions about being restless Christians in a restless world!

The series is a collaboration between James Cathcart and Albert Bogle and features the track ‘Symphony of Lies’ by The Bogle Band.

References:

Listen to our episode about following Jesus in a world on fire here.

Listen to our episode about what Jesus has to say about burnout here.

The quote James refers to about shipbuilding is from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, the author of The Little Prince “If you want to build a ship,” he counsels, “don’t drum up people to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.” And was found in James K. A. Smith’s book You Are What You Love.

Find the podcast here on Sanctuary First, in our Sanctuary First App, and on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and most other podcasting platforms!