Mid-faith Crisis

More about how we approach our difficulties reading the Bible and the need to learn to live with uncertainty and mystery. Then we talk about what we can learn from our children during the mid-faith crisis and how their naïveté is a thing to be cherished. Also, Nick and Joe argue about the new Bond film and we discuss whether to talk about 'special cuddles'.

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• The Mid-Faith Crisis week at Lee Abbey - Book Now!

Is there any point going to church if it’s just going to add to our cognitive dissonance? We explore the idea of putting a bit of space into the relationship and the need to ensure that, if we walk away, we are walking towards something helpful. We also discuss how we can trust scripture, when certain bits are interpreted so differently, and why it is sometimes easier to be honest with strangers than with people we know well. Also Joe talks about the moon, Nick has a new time-management app, and we end with a great poem.

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• The Mid-Faith Crisis week at Lee Abbey - Book Now!
• The Museum of the Moon
• Brent Geese
• Charles Foster - Being A Human review
• David P. Gushee - Changing Our Mind
• Nicholas Coulton, The Bible, the Church and Homosexuality
• Mary Oliver - The Summer Day

We were both a bit tired in this one. But before our batteries gave out entirely, we talked about how the wrong ways of reading the Bible can sometimes be the right ways, how it’s really important to ask why you decided to follow Jesus in the first place, and, just as importantly, what you and he are going to do together today. Oh and we look back on the first ever Mid-Faith Crisis Church Weekend. And there’s the unwelcome return of Joe’s nipple infection.

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• The Mid-Faith Crisis week at Lee Abbey - Book Now!
• Hebrews 2:6

Author Matt Hyam talks about how justice lies at the very heart of the gospel – and how Jesus' message is an invitation to experience the life of the age to come. Lots of thought-provoking, and even eye-opening stuff. (Sorry about the sound quality with this one, but believe us, it's worth a listen.) Also, more on VIP worship experiences and next year's MFC Lee Abbey week is open for booking!

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• The Mid-Faith Crisis week at Lee Abbey - Book Now!
• Matt Hyam, There Must Be More to This: Reimagining Evangelical Faith with Justice at the Core

It's a rather odd episode this week covering a bewildering range of topics, including Christian hairstyles, the Euthyphro dilemma, pluralistic ignorance, the unusual Christian fairytale of the Emperor's old clothes and whether hibernation should be an option. Finally we have a discussion about whether salvation is much more an attitude than an event. And most importantly, a bit of verbal smiting about the idea of VIP tickets for worship events.

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• Chris Tomlin and Hillsong VIP tickets

Yes! It’s the fifth anniversary of Japan’s 12th most-listened to Christian podcast. A big 'thank you' to everyone who supports us. This week we talk about loads of stuff, including reframing our viewpoint, accepting problems and difficulties, the unhelpful idea that the salvation button is on, and how physical actions can help us. Also, Nick has been ill, but in a good way.

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• Oliver Burkeman, Four Thousand Weeks

We talk about whether the stages of faith echo the stages of life. Is it possible to have your faith stage and your life stage out of sync? Does age bring wisdom and freedom? Also, some more on Genesis – do we place too much importance on this book? How do we read it responsibly? Finally we talk about how we use what power we have for good. Not to mention why the podcast is like a banana and how a poached egg is a sign of love.

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• Why do bananas ripen other fruit?
• A photo of Bill
• Mike McHargue, Finding God in the Waves
• Mary Phil Korsak, At the Start, Genesis Made New
• Mary Phil Korsak, Eve Malignant Or Maligned
• Episode 54: featuring interview with Bethany Sollereder
• BBC Gardeners World

It’s our Genesis episode. Or the beginning of our Genesis episodes, perhaps. We talk about why Genesis has such influence and power, reading it as a story, the freedom of creation and how we might read it afresh today. Also, do we become like the gods we worship? Nick can’t find the verse but is pretty sure it’s in the Bible. (It is. See below.) And Joe has been having trouble with his pollinators.

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• Black widow
• Woman at War
• Abba are back
• A bit of Nick preaching
• Psalm 115:3-8: Those who make idols will be like them…
• Paul Kingsnorth, The Cross and the Machine
• Chiastic structure

All the 'P's this week as we talk about pensions, prayer, paradox, people, priests, providence, patience and perspective. We talk about how 'mystery' helps us rediscover practices we have previously rejected. And we discuss the stories we tell ourselves and the concept of learned helplessness. Also Nick has been to more old churches (some with very peculiar carvings) and we discover that we are all, basically, just confused at a higher level.

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• Sheela-na-gig, Kilpeck Church
• Terrance Tiessen, Providence and Prayer
• Derren Brown, Happy: Why More or Less Everything is Absolutely Fine

If we don't believe in an interventionist God then why are we still driven to pray about world events? Why, despite the questions and the difficulties of prayer, do we still find ourselves on our knees in the face of what's happening in the world? Plus there is feedback on seeing good and evil within human beings, and whether the best prayer is 'thy will be done'. Also, Joe thinks that Nick might just have ruined his life.

• Christian aid prayer for Afghanistan