Podcast #007 Religion

Religious thinking. What exactly is it? Is it something we need more of or less of in our world? It often comes as a surprise when I say that I struggle with religious thinking. A clue is in the bell-shaped curve below:   Do come and join the podcast discussion with my co-host Andrew Horton and I as we discuss: What do we exactly mean by religious thinking? The problem that…

Why I struggle with religion

That may come as something of a surprise to you, but yes I do struggle with religion. When I say that I am not referring to any one religion in  particular, but with the entire premise behind religious thinking. It appears to me that whatever our religious background or professed faith or even lack of any faith, there is the same premise at the back of our minds. What is that premise?…

Podcast #056: Patrick Sookhdeo – An immigrant story

The 1960s in Britain are popularly associated with black and white television, The Beatles, a sexual revolution and England winning the football World Cup in 1966. But what was it like for those who came as outsiders to England at that time? One such person who came in 1959 at the age of 12 with his family was Patrick Soohdeo. Patrick  is Director of the Institute for the Study of Islam…

Podcast #053: What is your life purpose?

That is certainly a deep question to ask! Most people spend more time planning a two week holiday than the purpose of their one precious life.  In our third and final conversation with Kary Oberbrunner we explore this rich and fascinating subject from his book 'The Deeper Path'. For a 2 minute preview see the video below: https://youtu.be/HigCN7CUm00 On the podcast we unpack the following…

An incredibly brief history of medicine

The British National Health Service (NHS) reaches 70 years of age on 5 July 2018. There is much to be thankful for and celebrations to mark this anniversary are taking place all over the United Kingdom. In that time there have been previously unimaginable changes in medical treatment. In the UK it is remarkable how the NHS has evolved to continue to provide universal health care for the whole…

Podcast #041: How can faith and prayer enhance mental health?

I was recently pleasantly surprised to be invited by a prestigious financial institution to speak on the subject of how prayer and faith can enhance mental health. It was a wonderful privilege. On this podcast I unpack the main elements of my talk along with exploring how money is such a helpful analogy in pointing to understanding spiritual treasure. In particular we explore: How…

Podcast #040: Celebration!

How far have we come! We have reached 40 episodes on this journey at the  Making Sense of Life Podcast! Its time to celebrate and give thanks. On this special episode I especially want to thank: You the listener for entrusting me with your time and attention. In a world of such overwhelming choice and distraction I trust these episodes have truly helped you to make sense of life in an…

How can faith and prayer enhance mental health?

I was recently asked to talk at a financial institution on this subject from a Biblical perspective.  Its a huge subject and I was given only 10 minutes along with speakers from Jewish and Muslim backgrounds! This is a summary and transcript of what I was able to say. As it was at a financial institution it made sense to use money as an important theme! Indeed as we have previously…

When Jesus seems just so confusing

It is the story of an encounter with Jesus in the Gospels that is so puzzling and even confusing.  A certain rich man (we don't know his name or much else about him) comes running to Jesus, falls on his knees, and asks "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" The more you think about it the more radical and even shocking is the way Jesus takes the conversation from there.  You…

Podcast #035: What is life really all about?

Rico Tice is a senior minister at the church my family and I attend at All Souls, Langham Place in Central London. Rico is married to Lucy and they have three children. He is a Bible teacher and founder of the Christianity Explored course. This is a seven week study through the Gospel of Mark in the New Testament. At any one time there are 10,000 courses running around the world in over 100…