Mid-faith Crisis (Nick Page & Joe Davis)
Explorez tous les épisodes de Mid-faith Crisis
| Date | Titre | Durée | |
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| 11 Dec 2016 | Episode 5: Church, and how to survive it | 00:28:15 | |
In which our heroes discuss church. What is it? Why do people stop going? This week’s podcast look at the strengths and limitations of church, what our attitude to church should be, and why we have to take responsibility for our own spiritual formation. All this despite Joe’s bad back, Nick’s hangover and some concerns over whether the guitar is really ‘Satan’s banjo’. | |||
| 24 Dec 2016 | Episode 6: ‘Do not be afraid…’ | 00:22:59 | |
In which our heroes celebrate Christmas. Why is it good news? It’s a special Christmas episode, enlivened by the fact that Joe and and Nick are actually in the same room for once. We look at how the Bible really depicts Christmas, why it really is a cause for celebration, and the hope of its key message: ‘Do not be afraid’. Plus a look at some stupid Christmas carol lyrics, whether you can get epiphed at epiphany, we have actual poetry and Joe makes heroic attempts to pronounce Lamb shawarma.
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| 08 Jan 2017 | Episode 7: I’m H.A.P.P.Y | 00:28:07 | |
In which our heroes discuss happiness. Happy new year, everyone! But what does it mean to be happy? Can we really pursue happiness? What really makes for a happy life? Along the way, Nick blames the Declaration of Independence, we explore why new year’s resolutions never last and Joe claims the greatest gift of Christmas is actually cheese. | |||
| 21 Jan 2017 | Episode 8: The good news, part one | 00:29:45 | |
In which our heroes discuss the gospel. What’s so good about the good news? Along the way we explore the concept of a press release from the kingdom of God, and how Jesus invites us to join our kingdom with his – because we all need a bit of regime change, folks. Meanwhile, Nick rants about language, we welcome back the trousers of ambiguity and Joe mysteriously fails to set off the sermon alarm. | |||
| 04 Feb 2017 | Episode 9: Get grumpy about something that matters | 00:28:30 | |
It’s a feedback show! In which our heroes share some letters and emails from some of our listeners – all of which are more profound, intelligent and deeply moving than the normal rubbish we provide. Along the way we explore how to disagree well, why The Velveteen Rabbit is one of the great books of spiritual formation, the need for us not to give into cynicism and how to channel our grumpiness into good.
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| 18 Feb 2017 | Episode 10: Yes, but are you ‘born again’? | 00:29:51 | |
In which our heroes look at what it means to be saved. What does it mean to be born again? Should we even still be using the phrase? We explore surrender and rebirth and all the possibilities that opens up for us. Along the way, Nick gets grumpy about the Celts, Joe defines pantheism, and we float the possibility of a real, live Mid-faith Crisis get-together. | |||
| 04 Mar 2017 | Episode 11: We all need to belong | 00:34:24 | |
In which we look at what it means to belong. Joe shares his life story, Nick has been giving himself, and we discover the menopraise, which is like the menopause, but for churchgoers. Also there is a lot of childish argument at the beginning. And quite a lot during the rest of the podcast, come to think of it… | |||
| 18 Mar 2017 | Episode 12: The Problem of Prayer | 00:35:00 | |
In which our heroes discuss one of the key practices of the Christian life. Yes, it’s the first of a series we’re calling by the catchy title of Stuff we have to do as Christians, even though we might not like it and we’re no longer part of the official church, so suck it up. And this week is all about prayer. Does it work? Is it ever right to pray for a car parking space? How do we speak our prayers out loud without looking like a crazy person? All this plus exciting news of the Mid-Faith Crisis weekend! | |||
| 01 Apr 2017 | Episode 13: Values, not vision | 00:34:28 | |
In which we feature our very first interview! Joe interviews Dave Steell, who leads One Church, Brighton, and discusses the idea that, with the right values, the vision takes care of itself. It’s about who we want to be, not just what we want to achieve. And either side of the interview, we launch a liturgy for the bewildered, talk about forest church, and discuss whether churches should offer refunds. | |||
| 14 Apr 2017 | Episode 14: Waiting for Resurrection | 00:22:40 | |
In which our heroes discuss the necessity of waiting and the hope of resurrection. It’s Easter Saturday, a day when, in the gospels, nothing much happens. Hopes have been dashed, dreams have been crushed, and all there is to do is wait… But waiting itself has value, has worth. And God is a God who waits. Along the way we discuss Nick’s shambolic time management, and Joe bonds with a squid. “Waiting can be the most intense and poignant of all human experiences – the experience which, above all others, strips us of affectation and self-deception and reveals to us the reality of our needs, our values and ourselves.” from The Stature of Waiting, by W.H. Vanstone | |||
| 28 Apr 2017 | Episode 15: Telling the Truth | 00:32:03 | |
In which our heroes discuss how hard it is to be truly honest and what stops us from letting others see behind the masks we wear. Along the way we take feedback from listeners, wonder at our sheer inability to organise our diaries, and Nick reveals how all other writers are, in fact, his enemy. All this, plus Ethel Sadoldperson’s campaign to become an MP. Oh, and Joe’s audio sounds truly terrible. Sorry about that. Just being, you know, honest. | |||
| 13 May 2017 | Episode 16: How to be a Bad Christian | 00:46:55 | |
It’s our second ever interview! It’s another man called Dave! Joe interviews Dave Tomlinson, author of How to be a Bad Christian, The Bad Christian’s Manifesto and his latest book, Black Sheep and Prodigals. We talk about how it’s a bad thing to leave God in the hands of the experts, the limitations of language and the role of stories in the Bible. Meanwhile, there’s feedback from the article in Christianity magazine and, in a shock development, Nick is very happy. | |||
| 26 May 2017 | Episode 17: Lifting the Label | 00:32:11 | |
In which our heroes discuss the use and abuse of labels. Are you liberal or conservative? Progressive or traditional? Catholic or evangelical? What do we really mean by these labels, and how can we avoid using them in a way to make ourselves feel superior? Also we welcome the return of little Marty Buber and we have a genuine competition, just like real, grown-up podcasts do! | |||
| 09 Jun 2017 | Episode 18: Don’t make me angry | 00:34:06 | |
In which our heroes sit in Joe’s garden, listen to the birdsong, chill out and discuss… er… anger. What makes us angry? Is it always wrong? How do we deal with it? Also, we hear about Nick’s inability to answer emails, we have our competition winner, and we reveal an entirely new Myers-Briggs category. | |||
| 23 Jun 2017 | Episode 19: Marginal Gains | 00:32:12 | |
In which our heroes discuss change and transformation. How do we change? What does it look like? How can Nick claim to have changed when he is, essentially, doing the same jokes he was 20 years ago? Talking of which, Nick’s new book is almost out, Joe has being doing odd things with stones on a beach and both the boys try to bring more pith into your life. | |||
| 07 Jul 2017 | Episode 20: Letters to our younger selves | 00:35:12 | |
In which our heroes write a letter to their younger, less bald versions. And, indeed, where we share some lovely letters that our listeners have written as well. Along the way we touch on Nick’s pathetic need to be special, and what really lies behind Joe’s enduring relationship with the cheese counter. | |||
| 21 Jul 2017 | Episode 21: What we did on our holiday | 00:22:31 | |
In which our heroes record the podcast – in a Pod! On holiday! Yes, a bit of an unusual edition this one, recorded on holiday in Scotland. We talk about sacred spaces, about the need for ‘seasons’ in your life, about looking at yourself non-judgementally and, most importantly, whether Nick is a better cricketer than his brother. And best of all, it’s recorded in the Pod – an upmarket shed with a shower, double bed and, sadly, background noise from a rather loud fridge. (Sorry about that.) The Pod where it all happened. | |||
| 04 Aug 2017 | Episode 22: The schism starts here | 00:36:38 | |
In which our heroes try to come up with a creed for the Mid-faith crisis. In what will surely end up as a schism between them, Joe and Nick try to define what our core beliefs are. Is Nick living in the past? Is Joe really going to do the seagull dance? And what do you think are the core beliefs of our faith? Write in and let us know, before Joe is excommunicated and Nick is burnt at the stake. | |||
| 18 Aug 2017 | Episode 23: Definitely Maybe | 00:35:28 | |
In which our heroes deal with the excellent feedback from last episode. After our podcast on creeds, we hear from the listeners about their beliefs. Can we have certainties during the Mid-faith Crisis? Or is it all just ‘maybes’ and ‘perhapses’? Is ‘perhapses’ even a word? So many questions. Talking of which, there’s news of the first ever Mid-faith Crisis Day for the Bewildered. Only a few tickets left so book now! | |||
| 01 Sep 2017 | Episode 24: It’s a sin! | 00:34:20 | |
In which our heroes discuss sin, guilt and other bad stuff. Do we take sin too seriously? Or not seriously enough? And is there anything we can do about it anyway? Meanwhile Nick has been reading Romans, Joe has forgotten to record Bake Off and Ethel sends us a lovely poem. | |||
| 15 Sep 2017 | Episode 25: ‘Weakness, negligence and deliberate fault’ | 00:33:22 | |
In which our heroes deal with more feedback from recent episodes. How do we cope with the painful, destructive effects of sin? Do we hold our beliefs, or do our beliefs hold us? Is there really such a thing as prophetic Bongo playing? Also we have a quote from Thomas a Kempis’s famous work The Imitation of Christ and his less famous The Imitation of Bruce Forsyth. | |||
| 29 Sep 2017 | Episode 26: Walking each other home | 00:42:59 | |
It’s our first anniversary! And to celebrate, we’ve got actual content, with an interview with the very wonderful Jill Rowe, in which she talks about women and gender and being loved and how we are all, in the end, ‘just walking each other home’. So light the candle and sing ‘Happy Birthday’. Warning: this episode does contain a lot of discussion of Joe’s swelling. (It’s his elbow, in case you were wondering.) | |||
| 13 Oct 2017 | Episode 27: We’ve got a big announcement | 00:32:47 | |
In which our heroes talk about all the feedback from the last episode, reflect on the first ever Day for the Bewildered (including Ethel immortalised in icing sugar) and talk about whether Nick should become a woman for the sake of balance. But more important than that: we have a big announcement. You’ll have to listen to the whole podcast before we tell you. Or you could just fast forward to 29 minutes in, if you can’t wait. Your shout. | |||
| 27 Oct 2017 | Episode 28: Lots of Books | 00:43:48 | |
In which our heroes get up early and talk about books. What books have transformed your understanding of God or of what it means to be a Christian? Nick and Joe share their top five (and Ethel Sadoldperson gives us her recommendations). And we have a special guest appearance from Rachel Davis as well! But what do you think? Let us know. The Titles
Also mentioned
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| 11 Nov 2017 | Episode 29: The Landscape of the Heart | 00:44:28 | |
In which we have an interview with Roy Searle, one of the founders of the Northumbria Community. Roy talks about the importance of space, the need to escape the ‘consumer-based faith’, about ‘living life with the questions’ and how our thirst for authenticity can lead us deeper with God. We also hear from listeners with their book recommendations (see below) and Joe engages in the little known sport of hermeneutical gymnastics. Warning: contains the words ‘pith’ and ‘spong’. Don’t forget the Renovaré Day on Nov 24
Book recommendations David recommended
Peter recommended
Hannah recommended
David recommended
Lee recommended
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| 25 Nov 2017 | Episode 30: Jesus Part 1 | 00:40:17 | |
In a strangely argumentative episode, Nick and Joe talk about what it means to follow Jesus. Nick gets very insistent on the resurrection, Joe uses the word ‘ontological’ and there’s a lot of discussion about reality and metaphors and stuff like that. We also feature some more book recommendations, share the latest news about the week for the bewildered and discuss whether Gregory of Nyssa ran a bakery.
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| 09 Dec 2017 | Episode 31: The Spirituality of Paddington | 00:35:06 | |
In which our heroes reflect a bit on last episode’s arguments before going on to discuss the spirituality of… er… Paddington 2. Why do we respond so deeply to goodness and kindness? What does it mean to be good? How can we think the best of everyone, even Australians who are gloating about the cricket score? | |||
| 23 Dec 2017 | Episode 32: Happy Christ-tide Eve-Eve! | 00:29:07 | |
Yes, it’s the Christ-tide Eve-Eve show. In which our heroes discuss all things Christmassy. We focus on what’s really important about Christmas, the sparkliness or otherwise of Joe’s baubles and Nick’s opinion that the main problem with Christmas is that there’s simply too much joy and fun. Happy Christmas everyone. | |||
| 06 Jan 2018 | Episode 33: Practical Thankfulness | 00:26:20 | |
In which our heroes discuss different ways of building thankfulness into our lives. What difference does it make? And is Nick ever going to be able to say ‘Thanks for your feedback’ and actually mean it? Meanwhile Joe gets all poetic and does stuff on a beach with stones. Nick shares a picture which proves that Joe was probably possessed at one time.
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| 20 Jan 2018 | Episode 34: How to Look Good Sacred | 00:33:05 | |
In which our heroes discuss the body. Is dieting a spiritual discipline? Is it wrong to care about our appearance? How can we achieve a balanced view of our own bodies? Is St Belinda of Carlisle correct in saying that ‘Heaven is a place on earth?’ Yes, it’s the body episode. And, appropriately enough, our own bodies were in meltdown at the time. So be warned: this episode contains coughing. | |||
| 03 Feb 2018 | Episode 35: How to succeed at parenting and other myths | 00:33:03 | |
In which our heroes share their expertise about being parents. A short podcast, then. Anyway, we discuss how to talk to children about God in the Mid-faith Crisis, why pretending to be an expert on parenting is ridiculous, and the relative merits of vulnerability, honesty, integrity and lecturing your children about sin. We also explore whether Nick should have some kind of warning system and the possibility of people donating in order to shut us up. | |||
| 17 Feb 2018 | Episode 36: ‘There is something hypnotic about your podcast…’ | 00:37:05 | |
In which our heroes tackle a whole bunch of feedback on various topics, including stages of faith, the good and the bad side of beauty and mainly a lot of good stuff on how to talk to your children about your beliefs. Meanwhile, Joe explains that 14th February is really friendship day and Nick tries out hypnotic auto-suggestion on sleepy listeners, and we look forward to gold dust appearing magically in our Bibles. | |||
| 03 Mar 2018 | Episode 37: The magic prayer word is banana | 00:35:05 | |
In which we talk quite a lot about how a wrong image of God leads to problems with prayer. Plus lots of other topics, (not least why the mid-faith crisis and the mid-life crisis are not synonymous) and lots of great letters. And do you have a least favourite worship song or hymn lyric? Go on, share it with others. | |||
| 17 Mar 2018 | Episode 38: Interview with Alexander Shaia Part 1 | 00:40:05 | |
In the first of a two-part interview we hear from Alexander Shaia, author, teacher, speaker and, most remarkably, a person who is prepared to go to Worthing and spend time with Joe. He talks about his background, about the power of story and myth, and about how the moments when we feel we have lost our way can be ‘the most fertile, rich moment of your life’. Also loads of feedback, and a special guest introduction! | |||
| 30 Mar 2018 | Episode 39: Interview with Alexander Shaia Part 2 | 00:43:28 | |
Happy Easter, everyone. This week we have the second part of our interview with Alexander Shaia on his idea of the fourfold journey as it is reflected in the gospels. Meanwhile Joe joins us from his holiday in Mexico – accompanied by the world’s biggest Pina Colada.
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| 13 Apr 2018 | Episode 40: Detachment and Deep Work | 00:31:43 | |
In which our heroes discuss the need to detach from distractions, especially social media and all that stuff. We talk about the need for space in our lives, and how to detach from the things which stop us doing the ‘deep work’ that is so necessary, both in our professional and our spiritual lives. | |||
| 27 Apr 2018 | Episode 41: What the hell! | 00:42:45 | |
In which our heroes discuss hell, damnation and other associated, cheery subjects. Is there such a thing as an orthodox view of hell? What are the options? We explore what the Bible says (not a lot), what the early church believed (different things) and just where the idea of a loving, just creator God fits in. Plus, we invent the Gehenna Tattoo and feature excerpts from Jonathan ‘Laughing Boy’ Edwards’ classic chuckle-fest Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. Some books and websites mentioned during the show:
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| 04 May 2018 | Episode 41.5: Bonus episode – Back to the future | 00:20:43 | |
In what can only be described as a ‘low-key’ episode, our heroes meet in a hotel in the countryside somewhere to discuss the future of the podcast, whether Hitler can be forgiven, Stanley Spencer and Joe’s new found fame on another podcast. Also listener Shane gives us some great guidelines on using social media. Plus a brief special guest appearance from our better halves. Shane’s 10 steps on finding the balance and disengagement:
Stanley Spencer: Sandham Memorial Chapel Spencer: The Resurrection of the Soldiers | |||
| 11 May 2018 | Episode 42: Flippant Depth | 00:37:49 | |
Along with a humungous amount of excellent, thought-provoking feedback this week, Joe temporarily masters technology enough to record an interview with listener Shane Styles, whose guidelines for social media use we both found so helpful. Shane’s 10 steps on finding the balance and disengagement:
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| 25 May 2018 | Episode 43: Taking the Pistis with Steve Chalke | 00:49:42 | |
Joe interviews Steve Chalke. Always engaging and thought-provoking, he talks about how we wrongly define church, what the gospel is and the meaning of the Greek word, pistis. No, really. | |||
| 08 Jun 2018 | Episode 44: How big is your calling? | 00:36:28 | |
In which we look at calling, guidance and all that stuff. Do you have to be called to the ministry or is it OK just to want to give it a go? Does God micro-manage our life, or is it all a lot more up to us? And what does it mean to hear from God. Meanwhile, Joe is panicking about Lee Abbey and King Lear sends his love. | |||
| 22 Jun 2018 | Episode 45: ‘A massive suitcase full of us’ | 00:38:37 | |
In which our heroes discuss the value and practice of going on retreat and the need for solitude, silence and reflection. Including our top tips for those thinking of going on retreat (#retreathacks). Plus feedback on the whole ‘calling’ thing, and there’s a story from the Desert Fathers, as opposed to the Dessert Fathers. Stuff we mentioned…
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| 06 Jul 2018 | Episode 46: Rambling in Lee Abbey | 00:20:38 | |
In which our heroes sit on a bench in the North Devon countryside, and ramble on about how the knowledge that God loves us can transform our lives. Featuring sheep, house martins, and a van passing by. | |||
| 20 Jul 2018 | Episode 47: You have to leave in order to return | 00:34:49 | |
We say that ‘God is love’. But how do we know that? This episode explores the need for experiences, feelings and emotions. We look at the need for new experiences, new metaphors, new ways of understanding, and how these things can breathe life back into old phrases which might have lost their power and meaning. It also begins with Joe singing: you have been warned. | |||
| 03 Aug 2018 | Episode 48: Inching towards forgiveness | 00:35:51 | |
Forgiveness is, perhaps, the most characteristically Christian thing that we do. But what does it look like? How do we go about forgiving those who have hurt us? We discuss strategies for forgiving others, how it sets us free and how we are really all just Jesus tribute acts. Added bonus feature: Who is Ethel Sadoldperson? Books mentioned:
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| 17 Aug 2018 | Episode 49: Serious stuff with jokes in it | 00:35:12 | |
It’s a feedback episode with great stories from the listeners about the power of forgiveness. We touch on the need to forgive ourselves, discuss whether laughing at something means not taking it seriously, and address the fate of Nick’s beard. There is also stuff about removing our fig leaves, but it’s probably best not to dwell on that. | |||
| 31 Aug 2018 | Episode 50: The Scandal of The Cross | 00:37:14 | |
In the first of two-parts on this topic, we explore the cross – the event which lies at the heart of the Christian Gospel. In this first part, we look at the many different ways the first Christians talked about it and why it seemed so foolish and scandalous. And we touch on an important question: why does talking about the cross make people so cross? Make sure to check out Episode 51: The Mystery of the Cross – which is a companion to this episode, and in which we explore some of the main explanations of what the cross is all about.
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| 31 Aug 2018 | Episode 51: The Mystery of the Cross | 00:35:56 | |
In this second part of our discussion of the cross (recorded about 5 seconds after the end of the first part) we explore some of the major historical models of the atonement. Was it about victory? Ransom? Substitution? Justice? Example? (Answer: all of the above.) And how did Jesus explain it? (Answer: he didn’t really.) Along the way we discuss the mystery that lies at the heart of this event and the danger of taking metaphors too seriously. For the first part of this discussion listen to Episode 50: The Scandal of the Cross. Books mentioned
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| 28 Sep 2018 | Episode 52: Now we are two! | 00:38:37 | |
Yes, it’s the second anniversary of the Mid-faith Crisis podcast. We reflect on why we started this, what, if anything, has changed in our lives over the past two years and the importance of discussing the real questions. Plus loads of lovely feedback (specially designed to embarrass Nick) and the difficulty of playing a defensive back three of Bonhoeffer, Bultmann and Tillich. | |||
| 12 Oct 2018 | Episode 53: Personality Types | 00:37:28 | |
What role does personality play in faith? We explore ideas about personality types, and how our different personalities affect what we believe and how we behave. We also take a look at some bad language in the Bible and find out what Myers-Briggs type Ethel Sadoldperson is.
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| 26 Oct 2018 | Episode 54: ‘Death is a Very Good Part of Life’ | 00:46:04 | |
In this episode, Joe interviews theologian Bethany Sollereder to explore the issue of death and dying. Why is our culture so afraid of death? Why is grieving important? Who, what or where is apoptosis? We also find out why Joe playing snooker instead of attending his Pastoral Care modules was actually a good thing, why Nick sending off his manuscript is actually a bad thing, and when little Martin Buber’s Christmas Album will be out.
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| 10 Nov 2018 | Episode 55: Taking off the masks | 00:36:21 | |
In the feedback from our personality episode, we discuss the ‘masks’ we wear in order to conform, their relationship to personality, and how they can become a burden to us. Also Joe advertises his cult, Nick has a new book out, and we remember that great worship song composer, Graham Ken and Dick. | |||
| 24 Nov 2018 | Episode 56: The Mid-faith Crisis Film Club | 00:41:57 | |
It’s the long awaited (and quite long) film show. We pick our top films to help us think about spiritual formation. Typically, Joe’s all come from 2018 while Nick’s all come from around 1940. And, sadly, there’s no place for any of the Carry On films. This is our list – but what do you think? Email Joe@midfaithcrisis.org and let us know what films you would recommend for anyone in the mid-faith crisis!
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| 08 Dec 2018 | Episode 57: Back to Reality with Mark Scandrette | 00:49:58 | |
An interview with Mark Scandrette about personal growth, the role of the enneagram in understanding ourselves and how through the beatitudes Jesus calls us back to what is real and true. Meanwhile, Joe recommends lighting a candle in the darkness, and Nick wants to ‘bless’ the person who invented comments in Microsoft Word. | |||
| 14 Oct 2016 | Episode 1: The Hungry Caterpillar of Faith | 00:27:34 | |
Topic: Introducing the mid-faith crisis What are the symptoms of the mid-faith crisis? And what can we do about it? This introductory podcast looks at how we can respond when our faith seems to be in meltdown. Along the way Joe and Nick explore doubt and hope, the dangerously scary inner work of the heart, Nick’s experience dating Teresa of Avila, the possibilities of backsliding as an Olympic event and what it’s like to wear the trousers of ambiguity. | |||
| 22 Dec 2018 | Episode 58: Christmas and all that swaddling | 00:35:08 | |
What actually is the real meaning of Christmas? What does it signify for those of us in the mid-faith crisis? In this yuletide episode we discuss signs and symbols, light and darkness and how Christ is always with us. Meanwhile Nick is spectacularly grumpy, Joe can’t stop singing and Ethel sends us a verse of her favourite carol. | |||
| 19 Jan 2019 | Episode 59: The Cycle of Grace with Trevor Hudson | 00:44:49 | |
And we’re back! After a brief New Year break, we have an interview with Trevor Hudson. Trevor takes us through the cycle of grace, how God’s love is actively involved in our lives, and how our lives should be rooted in ‘a profound sense of acceptance and self-acceptance.’ Terrific stuff. Apologies for those of you expecting the podcast on the second coming, but, you know, you just can’t predict these things. All of Trevor’s books are worth a read, but those referred to in this podcast are:
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| 02 Feb 2019 | Episode 60: How Not to be Happy | 00:28:55 | |
We were going to do an episode on happiness, but then we realised we weren’t very good at that. So here are our top tips for being unhappy. From endlessly comparing yourself to others, to replaying all the bad things you’ve done, to simply reminding yourself what a horrible person you are – here are the key skills you need to take unhappiness to the next level. Anything we’ve missed? Send your top unhappiness tips to joe@midfaithcrisis.org. Enjoy! | |||
| 16 Feb 2019 | Episode 61: How not to be happy part 2 | 00:31:28 | |
We’ve got follow up! Listeners send us great tips for being unhappy. Nick’s wife, Claire, sends in three pages of notes on his behaviour. Joe shares a Valentine’s Day poem. And we talk about the links between mid-faith crisis and depression. A bit of a mixed bag, then.
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| 02 Mar 2019 | Episode 62: Conversing about Converting | 00:37:15 | |
So, we’re in the mid-faith crisis. Do we still seek to make converts? And if so, what does conversion look like these days? The boys reminisce about their previous lives as evangelists and Ethel has an evangelistic thrust. Also, a crucial question: could you plough a field with chickens? | |||
| 16 Mar 2019 | Episode 63: On Pilgrimage with Alexander Shaia | 00:34:28 | |
We’re joined again by Alexander Shaia who reflects on a 55-day pilgrimage along the Camino way. He talks to Joe about the challenges of coming home from these kind of life-changing experiences. With Joe recording some of this from his holiday in Mexico, this is an acoustically-challenged episode. And temporally-challenged as well, as bits were recorded at three different occasions in several different places. The podcast is usually all over the place, but this is ridiculous. | |||
| 30 Mar 2019 | Episode 64: Seven Ways to Stop Sinning | 00:37:37 | |
Nick has written an article. It’s about how psychology can help us not to sin quite so much. So Joe asks him questions about it. Oh and Joe is quite jet-lagged. That’s about it, really.
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| 12 Apr 2019 | Episode 65: The Easter Journey | 00:30:25 | |
What does Easter mean for people in mid-faith crisis? We look at how the most important Christian festival can help us explore our journey in a new way. There’s stuff on deconstructing faith, why victims of manflu need more help, the new Christian festivals of ‘Washing the Donkey Saturday’ and the Bifidus Digestum, Calvinist Kinder Eggs and the sheer joy of telling people to ‘bless off’.
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| 27 Apr 2019 | Episode 66(6) The Second Coming | 00:33:37 | |
Yes it’s here! Like a thief in the night, the second coming episode has actually arrived. We talk all things apocalyptic. Don’t get left behind - listen to the episode! Also, you can now support the podcast by donating stuff. Well, money, technically, although we’re not averse to jewels, gold, exotic spices, etc.
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| 11 May 2019 | Episode 67: Work, work, work | 00:37:01 | |
We talk about work and its importance in our lives. How can we be a blessing in the workplace? What can it show us about our own stories? What’s the problem with the phrase ‘work-life balance’? And why does Nick think that it’s OK to record a podcast while eating a fish finger sandwich? | |||
| 18 May 2019 | Episode 68: Pay attention, everyone | 00:29:11 | |
Nick’s been on a course. On an island. An island off the coast of Ireland. We talk about different kinds of spirituality, about the need to get out of your comfort zones and the importance of paying attention to others, to creation and to God.
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| 25 May 2019 | Episode 69: The Badly Behaved Bible and other topics | 00:34:11 | |
Nick talks about his new book. Also we look at the importance of asking the right question, the need to recognise what path of life we’re on, and how to build more attentiveness into your day. Not to mention some merchandise possibilities and the therapeutic value of John Wick 3. Nick Page, The Badly Behaved Bible | |||
| 01 Jun 2019 | Episode 70: The Thin Places. | 00:35:20 | |
We talk about the places where you really get a sense of God's presence. We know that God is with us everywhere and at every moment – but why is it that we feel that presence more in some places than others? Joe talks about the Minsmere Bird Reserve, Nick talks about a cave church on Patmos, both struggle to find the words. There’s a bit of badly-quoted poetry, some great emails, a quote from Saint George Michael and a surprising amount of Bongos. | |||
| 08 Jun 2019 | Episode 71: An Interview with Adrian Plass | 00:39:10 | |
Nick interviews writer and all-round top bloke Adrian Plass. We talk about church, living in community, speaking honestly, some surprising answers to prayer and how he’s finally come to really like God. Also, check out Adrian’s latest books The Shadow Doctor, and Shadow Doctor: The Past Awaits. | |||
| 15 Jun 2019 | Episode 72: Letting go in Minsmere | 00:24:24 | |
Yes, we’re back from our trip to the RSPB Minsmere Bird Reserve. And in this, short, but perfectly formed episode, we reflect on what we saw there, talk about letting go of things and the importance of welcoming our visitors - even the unwelcome ones. There’s an email about a visit to Chernobyl and Joe drifts off into talking about death. Happy days. | |||
| 22 Jun 2019 | Episode 73: Talking therapies | 00:34:32 | |
A lot of feedback this episode, with people sharing their thin places, and questions about counselling and communities. We talk about the benefits of spiritual direction, Joe wants more bongos in the opening and Nick has to chase the dog. | |||
| 29 Jun 2019 | Episode 74: Effing the Ineffable | 00:40:14 | |
Can we really say anything about God? We talk about the need to get rid of old images of God and replace them with new ones. And even then, whether the new ones can possibly tell the real story. It’s all apophatic theology versus kataphatic theology and whether we can ever eff the ineffable. All this plus the new album from Martin Luther Vandross. | |||
| 06 Jul 2019 | Episode 75: On Pubgrimage | 00:35:52 | |
Nick’s been on a pilgrimage. (Or a pubgrimage as his wife called it). We talk about what defines a pilgrimage, and what makes it different from a hike. (It’s something to do with intentionality, a sacred destination and quality footwear.) Also lots of the usual quality feedback. | |||
| 13 Jul 2019 | Episode 76: The Christmas Special. In July. | 00:39:10 | |
Happy Christmas everyone. For some reason Joe has decided that mid-July is the ideal time to reflect on Christmas. So grab a mince pie, pull a cracker and join us to reflect on the idea of incarnation and how crucial it is, not just to Christmas, but to every single day of our life. Also we announce the first Midfaith Crisis Book club. Sort of. Much to his embarrassment, we’re going to work through Nick’s latest book, The Badly Behaved Bible. So get hold of a copy and join us. Or not. Whatevs. | |||
| 20 Jul 2019 | Episode 77: A World Class Failure | 00:35:06 | |
How do we deal with feelings of failure? How do we change the wrong narratives that tend to trap us? We explore the power of the stories we tell ourselves about our lives. Featuring an introduction by a very special guest! (Warning: contains cricket references.) How to run a Mid-Faith Crisis Bookgroup: Download the Complete and Utter Sheet | |||
| 27 Jul 2019 | Episode 78: The God-breathed Book | 00:31:39 | |
It’s the first of our series on Nick’s book, The Badly Behaved Bible. We talk about the misinformation surrounding the scriptures, whether Christians have to read the Bible at all, and how we can experience the Bible and not merely ‘study’ it. | |||
| 03 Aug 2019 | Episode 79: Exile Stories | ||
It’s the second in our series looking at Nick’s book, The Badly Behaved Bible. This time we’re looking at how the Bible was created and the importance of exodus and exile - not just in the creation of scripture, but also in our own lives. We all need foundation myths – stories about why we’re here, what has happened to us, and who God is. And it is in exile that we can most profoundly shape these tales. Also there’s a bit about drunk seagulls. No, really. | |||
| 10 Aug 2019 | Episode 80: Reading and other acts of resistance | ||
Or, canons, colons, unicorns and other stories. Continuing our relentless march through Nick’s book, The Badly Behaved Bible, we look at the formation of the canon, the problems of translation and the perils of taking the Bible too literally. Also, a lot about why God gave us a story instead of a set of doctrinal bullet points and a DVD box set, and how stories invite us in and involve us. And the difference between the questions ‘Is this true?’ and ‘Did this actually happen?’ A bit of a long one, but there you go. | |||
| 17 Aug 2019 | Episode 81: The Not-so-good Book | ||
Continuing through Nick’s book, The Badly Behaved Bible, we have reached some of the… er… murkier bits. We look at the rough, even rude bits of the Bible and wonder why Jesus is not allowed to mention the toilet. Then we chat about how the theology of the Bible is not a fixed thing, and the dangers of unchanging and unchallenged theology. Warning: contains bongos. (And one rude bit which is unbongoed but that’s OK because its in the King James Version.) | |||
| 24 Aug 2019 | Episode 82: Authority and Doubt | ||
Continuing through The Badly Behaved Bible, we discuss the crucial role of doubt in the development of faith and how the authority of scripture actually works out in our lives. Or, to put it in the words of Saint Edwin of Starr, 'Law (huh) what is it good for?' Also Joe gets insecure about the logo and there are some amazingly good emails. | |||
| 31 Aug 2019 | Episode 83: We need to talk about Jehovah | ||
In the final part of our romp through Nick’s book The Badly Behaved Bible, we look at the acts of violence in the Old Testament. How are we to understand these? Also, we explore why Jesus, Paul and Matthew would all fail preaching class and how we can read the Bible more rabbinically.
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| 07 Sep 2019 | Episode 84: Now that’s what I call Ethel vol 1 | ||
We're away on our holidays at the moment. But to keep you going, here's a supercut of the best moments from long-time contributor to the podcast, Ethel Sadoldperson (Mrs). May you all be greatly blessed. We're going to take a short break after this episode. See you in a couple of weeks. | |||
| 21 Sep 2019 | Episode 85: Steve Chalke on the Lost Message of Paul | ||
A wide-ranging, powerful, thought-provoking (and quite long!) interview with Steve Chalke. Steve talks about his new book, The Lost Message of Paul and how his message has been misunderstood. The result, claims Steve, is that 'although Paul has often been presented as the champion of exclusion, he was the very opposite. He was the great includer; a revolutionary who saw a new inclusive world dawning and gave his life to help bring it in.' | |||
| 28 Sep 2019 | Episode 86: Back with Feedback | ||
We’re back from our holidays with a bumper bag of feedback, including reaction to the Steve Chalke interview, questions about the Badly Behaved Bible and whether we have to go through lots of mid-faith crises, rather than just one. Also there’s an alarming amount of quotes from female pop singers. So, business as normal, then. | |||
| 05 Oct 2019 | Episode 87: Look, what the people really want to know… | ||
Order! Order! It’s a mid-faith crisis look at politics - or political debate and discussion to be precise. How can we disagree well with one another? How do we deal with criticism and difference? Can we resist the urge to fight fire with fire? Does Nick listen to the podcast just to hear his own opinions? Many crucial questions. But what the people really want to know is… | |||
| 12 Oct 2019 | Episode 88: New paradigms and other mysteries | ||
We talk about disagreement within the church. Are the ideas we adopt in Mid-faith Crisis really new, or merely rediscovered? And in this new way of thinking, how do we respond to people who want to ‘bring us back into the fold’? Joe talks about paradigms. Nick has some surprising financial success. And to think we were trying to do a shorter podcast… | |||
| 19 Oct 2019 | Episode 89: Ruth Valerio on Creation and the Environment | ||
Ruth is the Global Advocacy and Influencing Director with Tearfund - a job title which makes Nick and Joe quite jealous. She talks about her work as an environmental campaigner, the Christian response to climate change and the single most important thing we can do to make a difference (hint: it involves eating fewer sausages). | |||
| 26 Oct 2019 | Episode 90: Making friends with death | ||
We discuss death, the afterlife and all that stuff. Basically because we have two fabulous emails. Can you really make friends with death? What happens after? Will Joe really be a star? And can Jesus' injunction to ‘love our enemies’ apply to death and the other things that happen to us? | |||
| 02 Nov 2019 | Episode 91: ‘He will wipe every tear from our eyes’ | ||
We have more wonderful, moving emails reflecting on last week’s episode about death. Thank you to the listeners who share such poignant, sacred things. Along the way, we explore the difference between facing your own mortality, and coming to terms with the grief of losing a loved one. And we touch on the importance of properly grieving and saying goodbye. Meanwhile, Joe quaffs from the full flagon of life, while Nick sips the dry sherry of isolation. And we come up with the great idea of countering the All-Black Haka with Morris Dancing. | |||
| 09 Nov 2019 | Episode 92: Lacy Finn Borgo on Seasons of Silence | ||
An interview with Lacy Finn Borgo, friend, teacher, author of famous emails, spiritual director and founder of Good Dirt ministries. Joe and Lacy pick up on recent discussions about death and sorrow, as well as talking about the crucial value of seasons of silence, and the importance of helping your children to wonder. Also, we share the perils of man-flu, and Nick discovers that he has another god-child. Much to his surprise. | |||
| 16 Nov 2019 | Episode 93: The reality of our hope | ||
More fantastic feedback. More hope in the darkness. Some tough, poignant and sacred stories this week. But we also talk about science, human growth, not looking down on others and the amazing ability of humans to look for patterns and imagine the future. | |||
| 30 Nov 2019 | Episode 94: Happy New (Liturgical) Year | ||
It’s Advent - which is really the start of the liturgical year. It’s supposed to be a period of fasting and waiting and paying attention to the coming of Christ. It’s all about hope, people. Nick gets obscurely historical, Joe gets needlessly wiffly and Ethel rebukes us both. And it’s the return of Martin Buber’s Christmas album.
Coming Soon | |||
| 07 Dec 2019 | Episode 95: Being the Incarnation | ||
We reflect on the profound effects that something as simple as kindness and hospitality can have. It’s all about being the Kingdom of God and how we need each other to live it out. Meanwhile, Nick’s had a review, Joe gets bored of history (again) and there’s the Mid-faith Crisis Christmas Appeal. Coming Soon
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| 14 Dec 2019 | Episode 96: A coffee cup on the altar! | ||
Joe has been putting his coffee cup on the altar. Which is not a euphemism for some kind of spiritual discipline, but a real event, which leads us into lots of chatty rambling about winter, fasting, how stripping things back reveals the underlying structure of our lives, and how even though it looks like nothing is happening, God is always happening. Meanwhile, Nick, as usual, delves into obscure bits of liturgy and Joe has been seeing some strangely shaped clouds. Coming Soon
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| 21 Dec 2019 | Episode 97: Hopes and fears and all that swaddling | ||
In a strange reversal, Joe is quite grumpy, and Nick is quite upbeat. It’s the shortest day of the year, but there is light in the darkness, folks. We talk about naming our hopes and fears, dealing with the overload of drama, being aware of God's presence and what Christmas really means to us. Happy Christmas everyone! Coming Soon
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| 11 Jan 2020 | Episode 98: New year, new theme | ||
Happy New Year! We’re back with a discussion of how to reflect on last year using the examen approach. And we talk about setting themes for the new year, rather than new year’s resolutions.
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| 18 Jan 2020 | Episode 99: Retreats for Extroverts and other issues | ||
It’s a mega-feedback episode. We explore whether silent retreats are really good for extroverts, what we think of demons and the demonic and pick up on how our themes are going. All this, and a stunning lack of planning for the imminent 100th episode.
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| 25 Jan 2020 | Episode 100: Who’d have thought it? | ||
We’ve reached three figures! In this episode we chat about why we started the podcast, what’s the best (and worst) thing about it, and where we go from here. Expect a bit of dodgy audio. We recorded part of this while walking round the ramparts of an Iron Age hill fort. Like you do. Thanks for sticking with us everyone and for making this podcast what it is.* *We’ll leave you to decide what it is, exactly.
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| 01 Feb 2020 | Episode 101: Demands and duties | ||
This week we’re thinking about involvement with the world. Should we just do the things that we’re passionate about? And if so, how do we make sure that we’re passionate about the right things? Should we ever put demands on people? Has Nick really felt the call to just lie on the sofa and drink? Does everything great happen in Worthing on a Thursday night? So many questions.
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| 08 Feb 2020 | Episode 102: Stan has no authority | ||
Along with some important, moving and actually quite hilarious emails, we talk a bit more about demons, Satan, and the lies which dominate both our personal and public lives. Joe finds the metaphor of demons quite helpful, and Nick decides that the Beatles were right.
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