Justice Worriers podcast

Andy, Leah and Jörg talk to Anna, who has lived her life bouncing around the UK, Uganda, Rwanda and other African nations, working for charities and aid organisations. She's seen the best and worst of churches and well-meaning people and been through many joys and crises. She talks of her struggles with cynicism and hopelessness, and reflects on what it means to follow Jesus and to pursue justice, even as she finds herself forced to slow down from the frantic pace of her earlier life. You can find some of Anna's poems at instagram.com/annauwerapoems. Contact us on justiceworriers@artificialworlds.net or look for JusticeWorriers on Mastodon, Facebook, LinkedIn, or YouTube. Subscribe and rate us on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, Stitcher, tunein, SoundCloud, Tumblr or good old RSS.

Andy, Jörg and Leah bumble through Isaiah 35 wondering whether there is any hope to be found, or just nationalistic rhetoric. Some of the things mentioned: Nomad Podcast 329: Brian McLaren - Wisdom and Courage for a World Falling Apart The Ezra Klein ShowGungor - Us For ThemThe Broken Earth by N.K. Jemisin Contact us on justiceworriers@artificialworlds.net or look for JusticeWorriers on Mastodon, Facebook, LinkedIn, or YouTube. Subscribe and rate us on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, Stitcher, tunein, SoundCloud, Tumblr or good old RSS.

Content warning: brief discussion of coercive control and inappropriate sexual behaviour. Andy, Leah and Jörg talk to Shamilka about her faith journey, especially the importance of her experiences at the Soul Survivor festival, and the impact of finding out about the scandal surrounding its leader, Mike Pilavachi. She describes how as a teenager she longed for a sign of God's acceptance, and Soul Survivor provided some chance for that, and then how that was thrown into confusion when its integrity was destroyed. Why do we look to hero figures to live our faith for us? Can we take good things from youthful experiences, even when we have re-evaluated them later in life? Obviously people who abuse their power should be stopped and held accountable. How do we construct churches and societies that prevent power from being concentrated in the first place? Do our ideas about God lead us towards lack of accountability and concentration of power? Statements from the Church of England: https://www.churchofengland.org/media/press-releases/concerns-substantiated-mike-pilavachi-investigation https://www.churchofengland.org/safeguarding/safeguarding-news-releases/statement-complaint-against-mike-pilavachi Report from The Times on allegations as early as 2004: https://www.thetimes.com/article/mike-pilavachi-soul-survivor-first-reported-2004-inappropriate-behaviour-5brvp6jsr Let There Be Light documentary featuring Matt and Beth Redmond: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVZkgdt32u8 Contact us on justiceworriers@artificialworlds.net or look for JusticeWorriers on Mastodon, Facebook, LinkedIn, or YouTube. Subscribe and rate us on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, Stitcher, tunein, SoundCloud, Tumblr or good old RSS.

Andy, Jörg and Leah talk about freedom: What did Jesus mean when he talked about freedom? Would it be right to be "free" when so many terrible things are happening? Is the "Free World" free, or just free to buy things if you can afford them? What was it like for Jörg when freedom came to East Germany? Can we hope for freedom from sin? What would that be like? Contact us on justiceworriers@artificialworlds.net or look for JusticeWorriers on Mastodon, Facebook, LinkedIn, or YouTube. Subscribe and rate us on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, Stitcher, tunein, SoundCloud, Tumblr or good old RSS.

Andy asks Leah and Jörg for help writing some hopeful prayers for Easter Sunday in the face of appalling violence across the world. What hope is there, and what should we do when we see precious people treated so cheaply again and again? Does the resurrection of Jesus offer some kind of pattern of hope that our world repeats every Spring? Or is it a sign of something terrifying and new that is far outside of our control? Contact us on justiceworriers@artificialworlds.net or look for JusticeWorriers on Mastodon, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or YouTube. Subscribe and rate us on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, Stitcher, tunein, SoundCloud, Tumblr or good old RSS.

Jörg asks Leah and Andy for help preparing his sermon on Mark 6:45-56, where Jesus walks across the surface of a lake, and his disciples are terrified that he is a ghost. What are we supposed to make of this story? Is it about how Jesus is powerful, or how silent prayer can somehow make us powerful? If so, how come Jesus didn't prevent them being blown completely off course? Did Jesus retire to the mountain to pray because he was exhausted? How does any of this teach us anything about silence and solitude? Also, why on earth was he about to walk straight past the boat? Contact us on justiceworriers@artificialworlds.net or look for JusticeWorriers on Mastodon, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or YouTube. Subscribe and rate us on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, Stitcher, tunein, SoundCloud, Tumblr or good old RSS.

Andy, Jörg and Leah talk to Steve and Claire talk about the kindness they have felt in church communities. We talk through the different phases of both their lives, including the remarkable influence of an "all-in" Christian community where members shared all their possessions and lived together, with all the joy and heartache involved. Their experiences lead us to discuss the importance of actually sharing our lives and being truthful about what is going on inside us. Contact us on justiceworriers@artificialworlds.net or look for JusticeWorriers on Mastodon, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or YouTube. Subscribe and rate us on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, Stitcher, tunein, SoundCloud, Tumblr or good old RSS.

Andy, Jörg and Leah talk to Rima about her extreme adventures, from the North Pole to the Community Fridge, with a lot of dragging tires in between. Rima is an adventurer and a challenge-maker. She tells stories of cancer treatment and running marathons with the same vigour and passion, encountering God viscerally in those experiences. She has given her life to her passion for preventing waste and preserving the creation of which we are a part. She describes God's close presence and protection through her suffering, her adventures, and her joy. Contact us on justiceworriers@artificialworlds.net or look for JusticeWorriers on Mastodon, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or YouTube. Subscribe and rate us on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, Stitcher, tunein, SoundCloud, Tumblr or good old RSS.

Andy, Leah and Jörg talk to Sue about her story with the church, including the death of her son Jake, and her work helping people escape from debt. Sue received incredible support from friends and leaders at her church in her grief and anger, and she somehow still sees God working. She describes the support she received when people sat with her, and she follows that example in her work helping people with debt problems, and in her relationships. She includes all the people who come into contact with our building and our people in her vision of "our church". Sue's husband is Andy, who we interviewed in episode 28. Contact us on justiceworriers@artificialworlds.net or look for JusticeWorriers on Mastodon, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or YouTube. Subscribe and rate us on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, Stitcher, tunein, SoundCloud, Tumblr or good old RSS.

Andy, Leah and Jörg meet Anu, whose experiences of being part of communities across the world lead her to call for productive rage about ecological destruction, instead of mourning or despair. She sees the climate crisis as a continuation of the centuries-long process of unfettered grown and extraction, and the trail of destruction left by the colonisers following that process. How then has she found a new connection with the same God in whose name many of these things were done? If you want to take action, have a look at the scheme we mentioned on the podcast: The Prophetic Activist Scheme from Christian Aid. It includes training, mentorship and tools for activism, and connects you to a supportive community. Anu's book is A Liberation for the Earth - Climate, Race and Cross on SCM Press,  ISBN: 9780334061267. Contact us on justiceworriers@artificialworlds.net or look for JusticeWorriers on Mastodon, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or YouTube. Subscribe and rate us on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, Stitcher, tunein, SoundCloud, Tumblr or good old RSS.

Many of us sometimes find it a struggle to go to church. Andy, Jörg and Leah work through some of the reasons, and try to figure out why we meet, why it's difficult, and maybe even what we can bring. Andy's poem at the end is Deaf Song. Contact us on justiceworriers@artificialworlds.net or look for JusticeWorriers on Mastodon, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or YouTube. Subscribe and rate us on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, Stitcher, tunein, SoundCloud, Tumblr or good old RSS.

Andy, Leah and Jörg talk a bit about their experiences of gender, and what they read in the Bible about it. There are lots of binaries set up, and scripts that constrain us - can we find any helpful messages or hopeful ways to live? The book that Leah reads from at the end is Queer Virtue by The Reverend Elizabeth M. Edman Contact us on justiceworriers@artificialworlds.net or look for JusticeWorriers on Mastodon, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or YouTube. Subscribe and rate us on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, Stitcher, tunein, SoundCloud, Tumblr or good old RSS.

Tim, Rachael, Lesley, Jörg, Leah and Andy gather around a microphone for the first ever in-person Justice Worriers! The question we asked was "what are your worries?" and we spent most of the time discussing "why don't I care?" and "how can we be a real community?". Contact us on justiceworriers@artificialworlds.net or look for JusticeWorriers on Mastodon, Facebook, LinkedIn, or YouTube. Subscribe and rate us on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, Stitcher, tunein, SoundCloud, Tumblr or good old RSS.

Sending you love this Christmas: here is a little prayer. Contact us on justiceworriers@artificialworlds.net or look for JusticeWorriers on Mastodon, Facebook, LinkedIn, or YouTube. Subscribe and rate us on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, Stitcher, tunein, SoundCloud, Tumblr or good old RSS.

In many of our churches, God is addressed with male pronouns.  Andy, Leah and Jörg discuss some of the effects of this choice, and whether we can do better.  Maybe we can playfully explore different ideas of God's gender, accepting that with every step we gain some things and lose others? You are invited to a special episode of Justice Worriers: "What are your worries?" Come along to listen and share your worries about justice and life as a Christian. (No obligation to say anything!) Or, if you can't get to Egham in the UK, send us your worries, questions and comments and we will discuss some of them on the podcast. Don't miss your chance for this - you never know what good things might happen. If you'd like to come, contact Andy on justiceworriers@artificialworlds.net. To share worries, email the same address, or hit us up on Mastodon, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or YouTube. Looking forward to it! Contact us on justiceworriers@artificialworlds.net or look for JusticeWorriers on Mastodon, Facebook, LinkedIn, or YouTube. Subscribe and rate us on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, Stitcher, tunein, SoundCloud, Tumblr or good old RSS.

Andy, Leah and Jörg talk about what they have been thinking about over the summer, which means sharing their vulnerabilities, worries and questions. Really this is just a chance to eavesdrop on us catching up and making space for each other. Listen carefully and you might notice there are even some glimpses of hope in there. That plumber who helps people can be found at depher.com/donate and twitter.com/Depheruk You are invited to a special episode of Justice Worriers: "What are your worries?" Come along to listen and share your worries about justice and life as a Christian. (No obligation to say anything!) Or, if you can't get to Egham in the UK, send us your worries, questions and comments and we will discuss some of them on the podcast. Don't miss your chance for this - you never know what good things might happen. If you'd like to come, contact Andy on justiceworriers@artificialworlds.net. To share worries, email the same address, or hit us up on Mastodon, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or YouTube. Looking forward to it! Contact us on justiceworriers@artificialworlds.net or look for JusticeWorriers on Mastodon, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or YouTube. Subscribe and rate us on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, Stitcher, tunein, SoundCloud, Tumblr or good old RSS.

You are invited to a special episode of Justice Worriers: "What are your worries?" Come along to listen and share your worries about justice and life as a Christian. (No obligation to say anything!) Or, if you can't get to Egham in the UK, send us your worries, questions and comments and we will discuss some of them on the podcast. Don't miss your chance for this - you never know what good things might happen. If you'd like to come, contact Andy on justiceworriers@artificialworlds.net. To share worries, email the same address, or hit us up on Mastodon, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or YouTube. Looking forward to it!

Inspired by recent news stories about refugees, abortion and climate crisis, Andy, Leah and Jörg talk about population: are people the problem, and should we have fewer of them? Or are the Christian ideas of abundance and valuing life showing us a different way? If we become less individualistic can we see population growth and decline in different ways? The fertility graphs Andy mentioned are at GapMinder. Contact us on justiceworriers@artificialworlds.net or look for JusticeWorriers on Mastodon, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or YouTube. Subscribe and rate us on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, Stitcher, tunein, SoundCloud, Tumblr or good old RSS.

Special guest Matt brings his life experience of crisis and his study of the book of Revelation to a discussion with Andy, Leah and Jörg about our increasing sense of crisis, whether over war in Europe, the climate or in our personal lives. Can a fantastical vision written down for the victims of a brutal empire offer some hope to anyone now? Contact us on justiceworriers@artificialworlds.net or look for JusticeWorriers on Mastodon, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or YouTube. Subscribe and rate us on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, Stitcher, tunein, SoundCloud, Tumblr or good old RSS.

Special guest Dave talks with Andy about how the church educated them about sex and sexuality, and what aspects of that education and culture they want to leave behind: in particular, the sense that making a single mistake could ruin your life, or put you beyond the reach of God's love. Contact us on justiceworriers@artificialworlds.net or look for JusticeWorriers on Mastodon, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or YouTube. Subscribe and rate us on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, Stitcher, tunein, SoundCloud, Tumblr or good old RSS.