Beginning to Flourish Pod 1 — What actually happens when we read the Bible?

Welcome to the Beginning to Flourish Pod from Sanctuary First! Join James Cathcart and Albert Bogle’s free range exploration of life and theology as we’re living it today! This pair are buzzing with questions…

What is actually happening when we open a Bible? Why, when it comes down to it, are we all actually Nicodemus? Why do we talk about having a ‘faith life’ as something different from our everyday life? (Does the phrase ‘faith life’ even make sense?) What happens when love is stripped bare on the cross? How can we begin to flourish wherever we’ve come from and whatever we’re heading into? What happens when we lose religion and find faith? Oh, and what’s so good about the Good Samaritan anyway?

In this six part series, inspired by Sanctuary First’s Lent and Easter theme for 2025, Beginning to Flourish, they explore topics such as breath, shelter, thirst, belonging, eternal love and life changing grace.

Over the episodes James and Albert shoot from the hip and cover a lot of ground from contemporary cultural trends to ancient biblical history (they even cook up a harebrained harmonica scheme at one point…) passionate to explore what beginning to flourish looks like for those restless and looking in at church, and those restless IN church and looking out.

Let’s begin to flourish! And don’t forget your harmonica.

Read our Connect Bible study for Lent 2025 here: https://www.sanctuaryfirst.org.uk/assets/documents/uploads/beginning_to_flourish_connect_booklet_A5_06.02.25.pdf

Find out more about our Lent theme here: sanctuaryfirst.org.uk/themes/article_new/beginning-to-flourish-lent-2025

Find the podcast here on Sanctuary First, in our Sanctuary First App, and on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

(Listen to Episode 2: You, me, everybody, we are all Nicodemus!)