Restless Sanctuary Ep. 014: Orchard walk! Self-Expression + trees

Join James and Albert for a walk in Albert’s garden as they talk about self-expression, getting to know one another and God, and how perhaps there’s no such thing as a tree! (Also Albert’s Panama Hat).

As this was recorded on the fly in the garden you will hear some sirens, wind, birdsong and even an ice cream van going past.

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:

James’s reference to Stanley Hauerwas and how other people help shape out identity and character comes from his The Peaceable Kingdom, A Primer In Christian Ethics. “We acquire character through the expectation of others. The “otherness” of another’s character not only invites me to an always imperfect imitation, but challenges me to recognize the way my vision is restricted by my own self-preoccupation. Thus the kind of community in which we encounter another does not merely make some difference for our capacity for agency, it makes all the difference. From this perspective we are not the creators of our character; rather, our character is a gift from others which we learn to claim as our own by recognizing it as a gift. Our freedom is literally in the hands of others.”

For more information into how trees communicate with one another through ‘The Wood Wide Web’ check out this BBC Crowd Science video.

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