Poema Podcast

Shane Blackshear of the 'Seminary Dropout' podcast joins me today, to share his own powerful story of being a seminary dropout, then pastor & planting a church. He shares lessons he's learned about faith, and what led him to start his 'Seminary Dropout' podcast.  We talk about what it really means to be a 'minister', the role of church & what 'church' really means, as well as the creative process & artistic integrity.  Come & join us!

Today philosopher, poet & theologian Pete Rollins & I discuss the problem of certainty in our spirituality & daily lives, why we need to critique our faith and how important it is to confront the truth of who we are to have true spiritual growth.  We discuss Pete's 'Atheism For Lent' project and how it critiques Christianity, the idea of our faith as a magic trick with a pledge, a turn and prestige, our own holy ghosts, and also touch on Pete's vision & hope for the church.  Finally, Pete and I talk about the political situation in the US right now, chronological snobbery, learning lessons from history and the bigger problems behind the surface of American culture. It's one of the most fascinating, thought-provoking, challenging interviews you'll hear - Pete speaks with such wisdom, intelligence and grace. Come and join us.

Today pastor & author Andy Gray shares his own powerful story, and talks about the revolutionary yet Biblical idea of Shema.  Shema means to hear, and Andy passionately explains how God wants us to hear His call to live lives overflowing with God's love. A love which was to be on our lips every morning, and which we were to teach to our children, and to be creatively expressed in our daily lives. Andy also discusses the creative process behind his book 'The Karma Shema Drama', and how he overcame dyslexia to write a book which has had an impact on many people around the world.

Today I host pastor, speaker & author Steve Chalke. Steve shares the powerful story of how Oasis Trust - a network of churches, schools and more - started and the impact it's had on individual's lives. He outlines his vision of what church can and should be, and what our part can be in that. Finally, Steve speaks passionately and honestly about LGBT inclusion, how important is for the church and the world, and how we can begin to build a more inclusive church. ***** You can connect with Steve on Twitter at @SteveChalke. His church are running a conference about inclusive church - 'Open Church' - in central London soon. You can find out more about that & book tickets at the Oasis website.

Today is the second & final part of my series on repentance. In this episode I unpack the true meaning of the word 'repent' & reflect on what this might mean for us. Ending with a message of hope, and a challenge as to how we might respond. ***** This series part of this months #synCREATE theme of repentance.

Today is the first of a two-part series on Repentance, unpacking & exploring sin, and what we really mean when we use that word. Because our understanding of sin is fundamental to understanding repentance. This series is linked to this months #synCREATE theme of repentance. Keep your eyes peeled for Part 2 tomorrow!

Lorna Kopp (aka Lorna Faith) is my guest today. Lorna, a writer, author & coach, shares her story and we talk about the importance of vulnerability in creating authentic work. We also discuss how her faith has impacted her creative work, and the power of encouragement. 

Today I'm joined by writer, blogger, painter & author Pamela Hodges. Pamela shares her unique story - including when she met Bono - and talks about maintaining authenticity & artistic integrity in our creative work. Finally, Pamela talks about about her struggles with faith, dealing with loss, and how she encourages her cats to express themselves creatively. 

Andi Cumbo is an experienced writer, coach, author and editor, and a good friend. Today on the podcast she shares her powerful & challenging story, with wisdom about creativity, calling, and how this ties in with her spirituality, and her life running a farm. Andi has so much wisdom to share about creativity, spirituality, calling & living a balanced life, and I know you'll really benefit from her words today.  ***** You can connect with Andi online at @andilit or andiit.com 

Today I talk to my good friend, writer, blogger & coach Christine Niles, about writing and the creative process.  Christine has years of blogging & writing experience, and like me has spent a lot of time coaching writers. She's seen the ups & downs, the challenges, the failures & the successes, and has a lot of wisdom to share on things like finding your voice, overcoming writers block, and overcoming resistance and beginning your writers journey.  ***** As a special exclusive for "James Talks" listeners, you can access her three week mini-course "Start To Write" for free - the course is three weeks of daily writing prompts, tips, and daily reminders to get you going on your writers journey, and highly recommended! You can access this special offer at: http://riverofthoughts.com/jamestalks/ Start your writing journey today!

The series on calling concludes with a call to action - talking about how we don't need to have permission to pursue our calling, the role of wise counsel, and challenging us to have the courage to step out & embrace the life we were created for. 

We've discussed what calling is...but how do we discover our calling? Today in this series I talk about following our curiosity, and listening to that ache inside of us. Our callings often reside both in the things we are curious about, or in the inner aches, desires, longings deep inside - and we need to learn to listen to both

In part 3 of this series on calling, I explore the a simple but forgotten truth about calling - that callings can, and should, be fun. To be enjoyed. To be something we ultimately find joy in.  We may not initially want to do what we're called to, but if we're really called to it, then it will become joy to us.

Before we begin exploring what our calling is & how to pursue it, we need to ground ourselves in the right place. In part 2 of my series on calling, I explore how often put our security in our calling or vocation - and how if we are to really thrive, we need to place it somewhere else. ***** This series is part of the #synCREATE month on calling. You're invited to create anything related to calling, and share it with the hashtag #synCREATE - get creating today

This week I'm doing a five-part series on the subject of calling. Calling is a word we use more and more often, but can be misunderstood. In this series I examine various questions/issues/misunderstandings around calling, and how we can discover our own calling. Today I begin with the basic question, 'What Is Calling?'  We talk about it a lot, but what does it actually mean? ***** Calling is this month's #synCREATE topic - what does the word inspire in you? Go make it!

Dr Kate Hendricks Thomas is a health educator & author who has conducted research which proves there is a science to our spirituality. Today I talk with her about the three things her research has shown are required for healthy living - and an evidence basis for spirituality. Hendricks Thomas gives us a fascinating insight into how the brain works. And she shows us some incredible conclusions about how our brains work, and how humans being thrive, which can give us a whole new dimension to our spiritual journeys.  Find more of Kate Hendricks Thomas at at her website www.katehendricksthomas.com, and check out more of her research in her book "Brave Strong True", available online now. 

It's the time of year man of us choose our goals for the coming year. What I've done in recent years is choose one word to give me focus and direction, and which sums up all my goals - and it's had a massively positive impact. So today I share about the #OneWord365 project, how it's impacted my life & how it can benefit you too. I also discuss how whilst plans and goals are good, that often, life is what happens when we're busy making other plans. We must always be open to unexpected circumstances - and often, they can be the real life changing ones.  Finally, I talk about some exciting projects coming this year including future podcasts, upcoming books, synCREATE and more. You can get my two free e-books I discuss at the beginning in the following places: Dance Of The Writer - http://www.jamesprescott.co.uk  Unlocking Creativity - https://www.facebook.com/groups/JamesPrescottWriter/  Have a great new year & join me next week for another interview! :-)

From Dec 21st there will be a little more sunlight coming into the world. Christmas is a story of new hope. It's a symbol of new light coming into a world of darkness. And that metaphor is demonstrated in God's creation. Today on the podcast I reflect on the metaphor of darkness and light, and how this symbol of light in darkness in creation had a life-changing impact on me. And I explore what this metaphor means for you & I, both this Christmas, and beyond. 

Star Wars: The Force Awakens opens this week. And today is the beginning of an occasional series called 'Geek Spirituality - where I & others explore the connections between spirituality & the stories told comic book movies, sci-fi classics like Star Wars & Doctor Who & others. Today I begin with the world of Star Wars.  Firstly, I talk the spiritual awakening our culture is looking for & why this will help make the movie a success.  Second, I explore the deceit and power of fear - a powerful motif in the Star Wars universe - and the path it can lead down. This leads me to share how, as in Star Wars, love and hope always triumphs - and how this applies in a world where fear is causing violence, war and exclusion of refugees, and potentially some religious groups.

Lisa Delay of the Spark My Muse podcast is my guest today. Lisa is an author, podcaster & communicator, and the co-founder, with myself, of #synCREATE, a collaborative creative community, as well as a friend. She's passionate about inspiring people to discover their creative gifts and discover more of the divine in everyday life.  Today she shares her story, talks about creativity, her creative process, spirituality and living out spiritual disciplines. Lisa has a lot of wisdom to share on all these subjects, so it's definitely worth a listen!  You can find Lisa's work at sparkmymuse.com & she is on Twitter at @LisaDelay - I was a guest on her podcast a few weeks back, so be sure to check it out!