On the Way Podcast

How much of the way we practice our faith is imported? How much does our expression of faith reflect a church engaging with the land and embedded in indigenous culture? The Rev’d Glenn Loughrey, First Nations person and Wiradjuri man, joins Peter, Dom and Sue to explore how the church can break away from its colonial history and colonising structures and live into an expression of good news rooted firmly in the soil of this place and this time.    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you ever wondered how faith might affect your everyday decisions about what you eat? Our food has an impact on not just our own bodies, but on all living things on earth, the environment and how we are able to share justly the resources of life. Professor David Clough joins Sue and Dom to talk about the impact of eating animals and animal products, what we need to know about meat and dairy production, and the interrelated nature of all life on earth. David completed his PhD at Yale, lectures in systematic theology and ethics and is the author of the landmark two volume work "On Animals." See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sometimes the most important thing we can do is tell our story, in all its messiness and vulnerability. John Rolley’s story travels the deep terrain of identity, vocation and belonging and captures poignantly the struggle of a man seeking a life of integrity and wholeness in cultures where that seemed impossible. This story shows how the search for belonging is the same journey as that to your true self.Content Warning: This podcast contains references to sexuality, depression and suicidality.  If anything in this conversation causes distress, support is available through the following providers. Lifeline: Call 13 11 14 anytime for confidential telephone crisis support. Beyond Blue: Call 1300 22 4636 https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/get-immediate-support Open Doors Youth Service: support to young people with diverse genders, sex and sexualities.  https://www.opendoors.net.au/ Equal Voices: supports, sustains and empowers LGBTIQ Christians to express their religious identity in community with others https://equalvoices.org.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Music communicates in a language that is experienced more powerfully than the spoken word. John Bell joins Dom, Peter and Sue to explore the way music can powerfully shape and change not only our experience of worship, but also how we understand ourselves and God.  What do the songs we sing tell us about what we really believe and how we think we should live? John is a hymn writer, composer, lecturer and broadcaster, and an ordained minister of the Church of Scotland and member of the Iona Community. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What do William Shakespeare and the Church have in common? Perhaps it is to do with the big questions explored and in the way, at their best, they both address the human condition, hold a prophetic role in society and speak truth in both direct and mythological forms. Dr Rob Pensalfini joins the podcast to talk with Dom, Peter and Sue about some of these biggest questions, tracking the ways theatre and the church have evolved and what this reveals about the passion and pathos of the human condition. Rob is Associate Professor of linguistics and drama at the University of Queensland and Artistic Director of the Queensland Shakespeare Ensemble. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Royal Commission investigating institutional responses to child sexual abuse uncovered failures of the Church to protect children and revealed stories of betrayal, violence and suffering leading to ongoing, long-term trauma for sexual abuse survivors. Secrecy, clericalism and an unwillingness to believe the stories of victims have all been factors in the failure of the church to prevent these abuses.  Hearing the stories is vital. Steve Smith, who recently appeared on the SBS documentary Christians Like Us, joins the podcast to share his story and reflect on faith and the church . From the age of 10 to 15, Steve was sexually abused by an Anglican priest, and spent the next three decades seeking justice. Content warning: This conversation talks about child sexual abuse and trauma. If anything in this conversation causes distress, support is available through the providers listed below. Child abuse is a crime. If you have been a victim of abuse, or are concerned about a child being abused, you should report your concerns to local police. Finding help and support The work of the Royal Commission, and particularly the stories of survivors, may bring up many strong feelings and questions. Be assured you are not alone, and that there are many services and support groups available to assist in dealing with these. Some options for advice and support are listed below: 1800 Respect - Call 1800 737 732 or visit www.1800respect.org.au24/7 telephone and online crisis support, information and immediate referral to specialist counselling for anyone in Australia who has experienced or been impacted by sexual assault, or domestic or family violence.  Lifeline - Call 13 11 14 or visit www.lifeline.org.au   24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention  Contact details for additional National and State support services can be found here; https://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/contactSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The label of being a “progressive” can often be misunderstood. The Rev’d Tiffany Sparks joins the podcast to talk about culture, mainstream media, and sharing the Gospel in a way that releases it to be lifegiving and liberating in the world today.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Being gay and being Christian can be a hard journey in communities of faith. The stories of pain and exclusion told by many are a prompt to listen more closely to the experiences of the DiGS (Diverse in Gender and Sexuality) community and to pay attention to the damaging and dangerous implications of our theology and practice. Chris Csabs, recently seen in the SBS documentary Christians Like Us joins Dom, Peter and Sue to tell his story and share in a conversation about radical, unconditional love and being the church for everyone. Content warning: This conversation includes references to suicide and so-called 'gay conversion therapy' . If anything in this conversation causes distress, support is available through the following providers. Lifeline: Call 13 11 14 anytime for confidential telephone crisis support. Beyond Blue: Call 1300 22 4636 https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/get-immediate-support Open Doors Youth Service: support to young people with diverse genders, sex and sexualities.  https://www.opendoors.net.au/ Equal Voices: supports, sustains and empowers LGBTIQ Christians to express their religious identity in community with others https://equalvoices.org.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SBS recently aired a reality television experience called Christians Like Us, describing it as "10 Christians from around Australian, living together for one week. From conservative to progressive, Catholic to Anglican, charismatic to controversial - each confronting the issues that challenge their respective faiths." The results are an interesting study in the challenges facing the church, but also the power of love to forge enduring friendships in an environment of raw vulnerability. Coming up in future podcast episodes are conversations with housemates, The Rev'd Tiffany Sparks, Chris Csabs and Steve Smith, but first here are three short, revealing interviews with Dom about their experience in the house. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meteorologist, Climate Scientist and Eco-theologian, Dr Mick Pope joins the podcast to talk  climate change, the future of our planet and the response of communities of faith. Mick outlines the history of the science, the most pressing evidence which prompts us to action, and why the church and other religious traditions have a part to play in this most critical of conversations. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.