‘All the best things in life and sport take time’.

‘[Brazilian Jiu-jitsu] is my mindfulness … I’m very aware of my limbs … you are also very aware of where someone else’s limbs are’.

In this episode I explore with Dr Mick Pope themes from ‘Reflection 5: Life-giving connection to ourselves’, and particularly his experience with life-giving connection to his inner self and body, to others and community, and to God, through martial arts including Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Mick's experience with martial arts is an example of the way, when we engage wholeheartedly and over a long period of time with one life-giving area of connection, it often ends up helping us with life-giving connection in other areas.

Mick has a PhD in meteorology and he describes meteorology as his day job. He is also a professor in environmental mission at Missional University, an adjunct lecturer at Eastern College, a member of the Centre for Research in Religion and Social Policy (RASP), and ecotheologian with Ethos: EA Centre for Christianity and Society.

Resources:

In this episode Mick refers to and recommends :-

The work of Jane McGonigal, an American game designer and author who advocates the use of mobile and digital technology to channel positive attitudes and collaboration in a real world context, and especially her TED talk: ;

The Wrestlers (also known as The Two Wrestlers, The Uffizi Wrestlers or The Pancrastinae), a Roman marble sculpture after a lost Greek original of the third century BCE. It is now in the Uffizi collection in Florence, Italy: [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons;

the original motion picture score for The Forbidden Kingdom, composed by David Buckley, including: ‘The Mountain Of Fruit & Flowers’: and ‘As One Tale Ends’: ;

Mick’s chapter, ‘Grappling for Christ: Incarnational Mission at the Margins of the Church’, in We are pilgrims: Mission from, in and with the margins of our diverse world: ; and

‘The Lost Interview’ with Bruce Lee: .

There are further resources on ‘Reflection 5: Life-giving connection to ourselves’ on the book website.

Related Reflections include : -‘Reflection 30: Loving our neighbour’, ‘Reflection 37: Beauty, creativity, excellence and grace’, and ‘Reflection 44: Service, worship and love’.

Next episode: This is the final interview for this season of The Life of Love Interviews.

For resources for each Reflection and the archived blog ‘The Transcendent in the Everyday’, where the book began, visit the official website for the book, The Life of Love: An Invitation (see Reflections and Blog). You are welcome to leave comments or feedback on the Podbean Ap or the book website under posts or on the Contact page.

Many thanks to the Lulu team and Greg Restall for the design and photograph used on the book’s cover and in the podcast artwork and to Borrtex for the theme music from ‘She’s a Gift’.

Follow The Life of Love: An Invitation on Facebook and Twitter.

The Life of Love: An Invitation is available for sale from the publisher Lulu in paperback and as an e-book. It is also available in paperback from all major online book retailers.

“I’ve always worked with that verse [quoting Jesus], ‘Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of them’ … I take that into my work … just that sense of a deep creativity which I believe lies at the heart of the universe and comes from love and is an expression of love.”

In this interview, I’m with Carol Clark, exploring themes from Reflection 37: Beauty, creativity, excellence and grace.

Resources:

In this episode Carol refers to and recommends : - ABC (Australian Broadcasting Commission) FM in the mornings. Max Bruch’s Violin Concerto No 1 in G Minor (Adagio). John Rutter’s Five Meditations for Orchestra, arranged from sacred choral works. She writes, “The choral works are really worth listening to as well. For example, ‘The Lord Bless you and keep you’ and ‘For the beauty of the earth’ ... etc.” Faure’s Cantique de Jean Racine Op 11. Poetry by Mary Oliver. Novels by Wendell Berry. The travel book Italian Days by Barbara Grizzuti Harrison, Ticknor & Fields, New York, 1989.

There are further resources on Reflection 37: Beauty, creativity, excellence and grace on the book website.

Related Reflections include : -Reflection 38: Gratitude

Next episode: Reflection 5: Living-giving connection to ourselves, and martial arts, with Mick Pope.

For resources for each Reflection (see Reflections), and the archived blog ‘The Transcendent in the Everyday’, where the book began (see Blog, visit the official book website. You are welcome to leave comments or feedback on the Podbean Ap or the book website under posts or on the Contact page.

Many thanks to the Lulu team and Greg Restall for the design and photograph used on the book’s cover and in the podcast artwork and to Borrtex for the theme music from ‘She’s a Gift’.

Follow The Life of Love: An Invitation on Facebook and Twitter.

The Life of Love: An Invitation is available for sale from the publisher Lulu in paperback and as an e-book. It is also available in paperback from all major online book retailers.

“Should I leave my job?”

In this episode, the third of a three-part conversation, Sharon continues exploring with the Revd Dr Gordon Preece themes from Reflection 23: Work is love made visible, and especially the area of vocation. Sharon begins by asking Gordon, ‘What would you say to someone who says, “I’m doing what I can to be connected to myself, to others and to my values at work, but this is a hard slog. It’s not my vocation. This limits how connected and engaged I could feel here. Should I leave?”’

Resources:

In this episode Gordon refers to : -

Working, by Studs Terkel (https://www.amazon.com/Working-People-Talk-About-What/dp/1565843428),

Every good endeavour: Connecting your work to God’s work, by Tim Keller, with Katherine Leary- Olsdorf (https://www.amazon.com/Every-Good-Endeavor-Connecting-Your/dp/1594632820/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1526085925&sr=1-1&keywords=every+good+endeavor+tim+keller),

The Call: Finding and Fulfilling the Central Purpose of Your Life, by Os Guinness (https://www.amazon.com/Call-Finding-Fulfilling-Central-Purpose/dp/0849944376/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1526086056&sr=1-1&keywords=os+guinness+the+call),

The Theology of Work Project (www.theologyofwork.org),

the painting, ‘Collins Street at 5pm’, by John Brack (https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/explore/collection/work/3161/),

the painting, ‘The Bar’, by John Brack (https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/john-brack-the-bar-1954/), the song, ‘For free’, by Joni Mitchell (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bSgoNNQ0m8),

the hymn, ‘Forth in thy name, O Lord I go’, by Charles Wesley,

the album, ‘Work Songs’, by Porter’s Gate (https://theportersgate.bandcamp.com/releases),

The Marketplace Ministry Occasional Paper No. 40, 2004 (https://www.lausanne.org/content/lop/marketplace-ministry-lop-40),

Gordon’s work on calling, including his article ‘Vocation in Historical-Theological Perspective’ (https://www.theologyofwork.org/auxiliary-pages/vocation-depth-article),

ETHOS: EA Centre for Christianity and Society (www.ethos.org.au) and the possibility of subscribing to a free email, and

RASP: The Centre for Research in Religion and Social Policy (https://www.centrerasp.org/).

There are further resources on Reflection 23: Work is love made visible on the book website.

Next episode: Reflection 37: Beauty, creativity, excellence and grace, with Carol Clark.

For resources for each Reflection (see Reflections), and the archived blog ‘The Transcendent in the Everyday’, where the book began (see Blog), visit www.lifeoflovebk.wordpress.com. You are welcome to leave comments or feedback on the Podbean Ap or the book website under posts or on the Contact page.

Many thanks to the Lulu team and Greg Restall for the design and photograph used on the book’s cover and in the podcast artwork and to Borrtex for the theme music from ‘She’s a Gift’.

Follow The Life of Love: An Invitation on Facebook and Twitter.

The Life of Love: An Invitation is available for sale from the publisher Lulu in paperback and as an e-book. It is also available in paperback from all major online book retailers.

In this episode, the second of a three-part conversation, Sharon Southwell continues to explore with the Revd Dr Gordon Preece themes from Reflection 23: Work is love made visible, as well as those from Reflection 24: Do we accept ‘normal’? If you haven’t had a chance to hear the previous episode, part one of our conversation, on Reflection 23, you will find that useful background.

If and as we engage more fully in the world of work with our whole selves, there is the possibility that what we previously took for granted or accepted in our workplace begins to challenge us.

Resources:

Further resources on Reflection 23: Work is love made visible and Reflection 24: Do we accept ‘normal’? on the book website.

Next episode: In this episode, the third of this three-part conversation, Sharon Southwell continues exploring with the Revd Dr Gordon Preece themes from Reflection 23: Work is love made visible, and specifically the topic of vocation.

For resources for each Reflection (see Reflections), and the archived blog ‘The Transcendent in the Everyday’, where the book began (see Blog), visit www.lifeoflovebk.wordpress.com. You are welcome to leave comments or feedback on the Podbean Ap or the book website under posts or on the Contact page.

Many thanks to the Lulu team and Greg Restall for the design and photograph used on the book’s cover and in the podcast artwork and to Borrtex for the theme music from ‘She’s a Gift’.

Follow The Life of Love: An Invitation on Facebook and Twitter.

The Life of Love: An Invitation is available for sale from the publisher Lulu in paperback and as an e-book. It is also available in paperback from all major online book retailers.

In this episode, the first of a three-part conversation, Sharon explores with the Revd Dr Gordon Preece themes from Reflection 23: Work is love made visible. They consider, in particular, the things that lead to the ‘Sunday-Monday gap’: the gap between what we say is important to us and how we live our lives at home and at work, the things that add to our disconnection from ourselves and others and our ultimate context in the work place, and the ways we can bridge the gap and foster a greater sense of integrity and engagement in the workplace.

Resources: Preece, Gordon. ‘Redeeming Work’, Zadok Perspectives, September, 2014, and online at https://search.informit.org/documentSummary;dn=674597908037738;res=IELHSS for $4 AUD. In this article Gordon summarises ‘the three commissions’ through his stories of engagement with three taxi drivers in India.

In this episode Gordon refers to : - The Theology of Work Project at www.theologyofwork.org,The Marketplace Ministry Occasional Paper No. 40, 2004, and the film, Kenny (2006).

Further resources on Reflection 23: Work is love made visible on the book website.

Next episode: In this episode, the second of a three-part conversation, Sharon explores with the Revd Dr Gordon Preece themes from Reflection 23: Work is love made visible and Reflection 24: Do we accept ‘normal’?

For resources for each Reflection (see Reflections), and the archived blog ‘The Transcendent in the Everyday’, where the book began (see Blog), visit www.lifeoflovebk.wordpress.com. You are welcome to leave comments or feedback on the Podbean Ap or the book website under posts or on the Contact page.

Many thanks to the Lulu team and Greg Restall for the design and photograph used on the book’s cover and in the podcast artwork and to Borrtex for the theme music from ‘She’s a Gift’.

Follow The Life of Love: An Invitation on Facebook and Twitter.

The Life of Love: An Invitation is available for sale from the publisher Lulu in paperback and as an e-book. It is also available in paperback from all major online book retailers.

In this episode Sharon Southwell is with Professor Greg Restall from the University of Melbourne, exploring themes from the Reflection 4: Attention.

What are some of the things that philosophers have to say about attention? In what ways might attention be helpful in making meaningful connection to our inner selves and bodies, to others and to community, to art, nature, and creative expression, and to our ultimate context? What sorts of practices might help us develop attention?

Resources:

“Attention” from the series, 12 things I love about philosophical logic.

In this episode Greg refers to:-

Keith Jarrett’s Köln Concert, ,

Arthur Boyd’s painting, “King Nebuchadnezzar on fire falling over a waterfall”, , and

Martin Laird’s book, Into the Silent Land: A Guide to the Christian Practice of Contemplation, , a good introduction to meditation and the practice of sitting and attending in silence.

Further resources on Reflection 4 on the book website.

Related Reflections include:-

Reflection 16: What is most important? – This Reflection focuses on clarifying our values.Reflection 48: Meditation and mindfulnessReflection 50: Solitude and silence

Next episode: Themes from Reflection 23: Work is love made visible, with Rev’d Dr Gordon Preece. For resources for each Reflection (see Reflections), and the archived blog ‘The Transcendent in the Everyday’, where the book began (see Blog), visit the book website. You are welcome to leave comments or feedback on the Podbean Ap or the book website under posts or on the Contact page.

Many thanks to the Lulu team and Greg Restall for the design and photograph used on the book’s cover and in the podcast artwork and to Borrtex for the theme music from ‘She’s a Gift’.

Follow The Life of Love: An Invitation on Facebook and Twitter.

The Life of Love: An Invitation is available for sale from the publisher Lulu in paperback and as an e-book. It is also available in paperback from all major online book retailers.

In this episode Sharon speaks with the Reverend Dr Michelle Trebilcock, exploring themes from Reflection 48: Mindfulness and Meditation, which introduces particular forms of distinctly Christian meditation. They meet at the Melbourne offices of the Brotherhood of St Laurence.

Michelle’s passions for spirituality, theology and social science have been expressed in both academic endeavours and the practice of ministry. Her doctoral studies developed a contemporary and reflective theory and method of interpreting biblical texts, wisdom literature, and philosophical texts on the topic of love. The fruit of that study now frames her work as Chaplain to staff and volunteers at The Brotherhood of St Laurence, an Anglican agency whose mission is to work towards the end of poverty in Australia.

With Christian forms of meditation as a starting point, the conversation touches on the links between meditation/contemplation and mindfulness, attention, the breath, connection to the body, connection to those around us more broadly, growing and sustaining love, religious/spiritual practice and the relationship between action and contemplation/meditation.

Resources:

A photo of Michelle.

Michelle will be speaking on ‘Post-Secular Stories of Love and Justice’ at a summit: Imagining the Self in a Spiritually Expansive World (18-20 May, 2018, Melbourne, Australia) coordinated through Kardia, a centre for spiritual formation, at which Margaret Silf will be the keynote speaker.

In this episode Michelle refers to: -

Martika’s, “Love Thy Will Be Done”.

Rebekah Pryor, Horizon, 2017, mixed media on cotton rag, 108 x 165cm. www.rebekahpryor.com Image courtesy of the artist.

Further resources on Reflection 48.

Related Reflections include: -Reflection 4: AttentionReflection 5: Life-giving connection to ourselves – the bodyReflection 7: One place to begin self-care – the breathReflection 13: Being presentReflection 41: God in whom all things hold together – the movement of Love everywhereReflection 49: Meditation and imagination – the second Reflection on Christian meditation

Next episode: Themes from Reflection 4: Attention, with Professor Greg Restall.

For resources for each Reflection (see Reflections), and the archived blog ‘The Transcendent in the Everyday’, where the book began (see Blog), visit the book website. You are welcome to leave comments or feedback on the Podbean Ap or the book website under posts or on the Contact page.

Many thanks to the Lulu team and Greg Restall for the design and photograph used on the book’s cover and in the podcast artwork and to Borrtex for the theme music from ‘She’s a Gift’.

Follow The Life of Love: An Invitation on Facebook and Twitter.

The Life of Love: An Invitation is available for sale from the publisher Lulu  in paperback and as an e-book. It is also available in paperback from all major online book retailers.

In this fourth episode, as promised in episode one, we begin a series of invitations to experiment with meditation forms that will support your journey into the life of love. In this episode we begin with invitations to experiment with Christian meditation. these invitations appear in Reflection 48: Meditation and mindfulness.

For this show's podcast notes visit the book's website.

I have included here six brief ideas for meditation practice. If you are listening to this podcast while out in the world, walking, driving, on public transport, or while doing some other task, consider dipping into each of these invitations for a few seconds. If even that is not possible, consider this podcast the briefest of tasters into Christian meditation, and plan to return to it when you have a quiet moment. If you are sitting somewhere quiet where you can engage more fully, use that opportunity to settle into each meditation in turn for around a minute. Having sampled all six, the invitation will then be to choose one and try it for a full five minutes.

Next episode: We will be meeting with the Rev’d Dr Michelle Trebilcock to explore themes from Meditation 48: Meditation and Mindfulness and beyond.

For resources for each Reflection (see Reflections), and the archived blog ‘The Transcendent in the Everyday’, where the book began (see Blog), visit the book's website. You are welcome to leave comments or feedback on the Podbean Ap or the book website under posts or on the Contact page.

Many thanks to the Lulu team and Greg Restall for the design and photograph used on the book’s cover and in the podcast artwork and to Borrtex for the theme music from ‘She’s a Gift’.

Follow The Life of Love: An Invitation on Facebook and Twitter.

The Life of Love: An Invitation is available for sale from the publisher Lulu in paperback and as an e-book. It is also available in paperback from all major online book retailers.

In this episode we return for part two of Sharon’s conversation with Susan, about caring for ourselves and others.   Susan brings to this topic her experience as a mental health carer and from her work in an adolescent mental health unit supporting families whose young people are unwell. In this episode we focus specifically on Reflection 20: Love and pain and Reflection 21: Pain and Reconnection. If you haven’t had a chance to hear the previous episode, part one of our conversation, on Reflection 22: Our Earth Beloveds, you might find that useful background.

Resources:

In this episode Susan refers to a story from the New Testament portion of The Bible, in the book of Luke, Chapter 7 and verses 36-50.

Further resources on Reflection 20: Love and pain and Reflection 21: Pain and reconnection.

Related Reflections include Reflection 22: Our Earthly Beloveds, located on the book website.

Next episode: Six invitations to experiment with Christian meditation, from Reflection 48: Meditation and mindfulness, with Sharon Southwell.

For resources for each Reflection (see Reflections), and the archived blog ‘The Transcendent in the Everyday’, where the book began (see Blog), visit www.lifeoflovebk.wordpress.com.  You are welcome to leave comments or feedback on the Podbean Ap or the book website.

Many thanks to the Lulu team and Greg Restall for the design and photograph used on the book’s cover and in the podcast artwork and to Borrtex for the theme music from ‘She’s a Gift’.

Follow The Life of Love: An Invitation on Facebook and Twitter.

The Life of Love: An Invitation is available for sale from the publisher Lulu in paperback and as an e-book. It is also available in paperback from all major online book retailers.

In this interview and the next, I speak with Susan about caring for ourselves and others, as those themes arise in Reflections 20-22 of The Life of Love.  Susan brings to this topic her experience as a mental health carer and from her work in adolescent mental health unit supporting families whose young people are unwell.

In this episode, we focus on the themes from Reflection 22: Our Earthly Beloveds. While many Reflections address our relationships to partners, family members and close friends, that is the primary focus of this Reflection, which addresses the challenges of these special loves, intentionality, acceptance, forgiveness and love, communication, tough love, and intimacy.

Resources:

In this episode Susan refers to the movie, ‘Three Billboards outside Ebbing Missouri’, and the BBC TV series ‘Broken’.

Further resources on Reflection 22: Our Earthly Beloveds, located on the book website.

Related Reflections include Reflection 26: Anger.

Next episode: Part two of my conversation with Susan, focussed on Reflection 20: Love and pain and Reflection 21: Pain and reconnection.

For resources for each Reflection (see Reflections), and the archived blog ‘The Transcendent in the Everyday’, where the book began (see Blog), visit www.lifeoflovebk.wordpress.com.  You are welcome to leave comments or feedback on the Podbean Ap or the book website.

Many thanks to the Lulu team and Greg Restall for the design and photograph used on the book’s cover and in the podcast artwork and to Borrtex for the theme music from ‘She’s a Gift’.

Follow The Life of Love: An Invitation on Facebook and Twitter.

The Life of Love: An Invitation is available for sale from the publisher Lulu in paperback and as an e-book. It is also available in paperback from all major online book retailers.