Episoder
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What is ours to do? We've been deep in this theme of Creation Cares for a number of weeks as a GoHealth Community. In this episode Gillian talks with Clare Fussell from Operation Noah about what we can do in response, and what we can leave undone!
Clare Fussell joined Operation Noah in January 2024. Clare has a background in coordinating environmental campaigns, with experience leading The Climate Coalition, managing Christian Aid’s Campaign Team, and being Environmental Adviser for Bristol Diocese. She is passionate about linking Christian faith with environmental action, and enjoys learning about permaculture and biodiversity through her role as trustee of Hazelnut Community Farm in Bristol, as well as through the eco work at her church. Clare is married to Luke, a renewable energy engineer, and they have two young children.
In their conversation together Gillian and Clare explore:
Would Clare's teenage self imagine she would be doing what she is doing nowResponding to the Climate crisis by balancing the big scene with small actionsHow Operation Noah has been supporting churches through the Bright Now campaign. What churches can do in response to climate change and biodiversity loss.Why climate change and environmental concerns are not a side show to the main purpose of the church. Clare's three tips for avoiding activist burnout as a Christian engaged in climate justice. Links:
Operation Noah
The Hazelnut Community
Burning Down the House Report - Tearfund
The Lost Words by Robert McFarlane and Jackie Morris
Borrowed Time - A Green Christian project
The Loss and Damage Campaign - Christian Aid
COP29 - United Nations Conference of the Parties -
What in Creation caught your attention today? Do you have a sense of why that might have been? These are some of the many questions explored in this beautiful conversation between Gillian Straine and Steve Aisthorpe.
Steve is the Director of Kilmalieu, a retreat centre on the west coast of the Highlands, part of the Abernethy Trust. He is a coach, retreat leader and author of The Invisible Church (SAP, 2016) and Rewilding the Church (SAP, 2020). He was previously a mission development officer for the Church of Scotland and Executive Director of the International Nepal Fellowship.
Together, Gillian and Steve explore
Kilmalieu retreat centre – what is distinctive about its approach.How folk attending the centre connect with the rugged landscape around them.How being at Kilmalieu benefits people.The three ways of seeing.The threshold prayer.How connecting with nature cultivates resilience in the face of the climate crisis.Rewilding the Church - Steve's book.How folk listening can practice nature connection today, wherever they are.
Episode links:
Kilmalieu website
Abernethy Kilmalieu Facebook
Kilmalieu Instagram
GoHealth Creation Cares series
Join the GoHealth Community
Facebook and Instagram: @GuildofHealth -
Manglende episoder?
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Spending a long time gazing at a flower with a small child, having your hands covered in soil and being held by a fresh water lochan. These are just a few of the ways the GoHealth team share their experiences of nature connection in this special episode.
In this special episode we hear from members of the GoHealth team, chair of the board and a member of the GoHealth Community about their connection with Creation.
Some of these reflections were recorded a few years ago just as we were emerging from lockdowns as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. A time when many of us were rediscovering a connection with nature.
May listening back to these reflections help us remember and retrieve that connection if it has since faded.
Graham Fender-Allison shares a precious moment in his garden with his wee boy.Steve Coles tells us about an exciting farm project he and his wife have set up and five things he has learnt in the process. Gillian Straine describes how her labour of love in her back garden has helped her uncover deep wisdom about faith.Gregory expresses his love and thirst for the outdoors.Wendy Lloyd compares the cleansing of fresh water swimming with the satisfaction of having soil under her nails in the garden.
Links:
GoHealth Creation Cares series
Join the GoHealth Community here.
Wild & Other
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Learning from the wisdom of Zen meditation. In this episode Gillian chats with the Revd. Chris Collingwood, a Christian Priest, former canon of York minster and Zen master.
The conversation explores the following: Chris explains how he felt called to be a priest.What Zen is.How Chris got interested in Zen.How he became a Zen Master.How Zen practice fitted with his role as a canon at York Minster.Christian theological connections with Zen and how it differs.How Zen impacts on how people relate to the world.The experience of non duality. How Chris responds to folk in spiritual need - does he draw more on his Zen practice or Christian faith?The practice of compassionate non judgement towards others and ourselves.The one thing that Chris offers as encouragement to listeners.Links:
Chris's book: Zen Wisdom for Christians.
The GoHealth Everyday Healing Course
Get your GoHealth journal here.
Visit our website to get connected with the GoHealth Community.
Find us on our socials @GuildofHealth -
Revd Ian Spencer helps us heal from a long history of bodies being denigrated by the Church. Drawing on wisdom from the Gospels, Zen wisdom and from Yoga, Gillian and Ian offer us a transformative body based way of knowing.
The episode explores:Ian's biography including Mindwell Ministries (you can read this in full on the GoHealth website: gohealth.org.uk/podcasts/healing-histories-embody/)Ian shares what inspires him spiritually today.Gillian and Ian get into the sad history of the church in relation to bodies.Incarnation! The importance of relationship with all things in our overall health.Avoiding overwhelm and the impact we can have in the healing of the world.Body based knowing.Ian provides a really practical example of how to develop body based knowing.Links:
Transcript is on the GoHealth podcast page gohealth.org.uk/podcasts/healing-histories-embody/
Mindwell Ministries
The body keeps the score, Bessel Van Der Kolk
The GoHealth Everyday Healing Course
Get your GoHealth journal here.
Visit our website to get connected with the GoHealth Community.
Find us on our socials @GuildofHealth -
There are few stones left unturned in this episode. The Revd Dr Dan Inman, Precentor of Chichester cathedral, leads us on a pilgrimage through liturgy, buildings, arts and pilgrimage itself. TW: Gillian and Dan also get into a delicate conversation about the handling of a specific historic alleged abuse case regarding Bishop George Bell.
Dan shares what a Precentor does. Cathedrals as more than a quirky english moving museum. How cathedrals and the liturgy provide a healing space for many.How the George Bell abuse case was handled impacted the naming of places and spaces.The possibility of liturgy helping to heal the wounds of historic abuse.Pilgrimage, the why, what and where of pilgrimage for Dan.Where Dan finds hope for human flourishing, as a Precentor.Links:
Chichester Cathedral
Bishop George Bell's name restored to Chichester Cathedral building - BBC News
British Pilgrimage Trust
Scottish Pilgrimage Routes Forum
Alastair Mcintosh Poacher's Pilgrimage
The GoHealth Everyday Healing Course
Get your GoHealth journal here.
Visit our website to get connected with the GoHealth Community.
Find us on our socials @GuildofHealth -
How do we heal the history of racism when it is still so present and prevalent? Gillian explores this difficult question with the Revd Dr Sharon Prentis. Revd Prentis is Deputy Director of Church of England’s Racial Justice Unit. She is also a tutor in theology and in her previous work was recognised by the Department of Health when she was named as a Mary Seacole Scholar for a project on faith and the impact on health.
Together they cover the following themes:
What it means for people to thrive.Institutional health practices and what needs to change.How the Church of England's Racial Justice Unit came to exist.The whole person impact of racism.The daily reality of living with racism including code switching.Healing the history of the slave trade.The role of the church in healing racism and enabling the flourishing of all in our societies.Sharon's personal story of how she came to engage in the work of honest dialogue. What gives her hope to keep on keeping on.Links:
From Lament to Action report by the Church of England.
Every Tribe, by Sharon Prentis
The GoHealth Everyday Healing Course
Get your GoHealth journal here.
Visit our website to get connected with the GoHealth Community.
Find us on our socials @GuildofHealth -
Gillian and Associate Professor Mark Roberts tackle big questions, including the nature vs nurture? Mark shares insights from research into bananas and microbes, and much more, to make this a hopeful and fascinating episode where they explore:
What genes are and how they influence who we are. The discovery of genes and history of genetic studyGenes being like an on-off switch in simple terms.Genes, illness and disease.Genes help us survive in our context.What Mark wants us all to know about genetics.How the tiniest detail can tell us about how the world works.Links:
The GoHealth Everyday Healing Course
Get your GoHealth journal here.
Visit our website to get connected with the GoHealth Community.
Find us on our socials @GuildofHealth -
Be inspired by a conversation exploring the healing power of psychotherapy and where it sits within Christian spirituality.
In this second episode of the Healing Histories series we share a conversation with Susanne Hyde, Director of the St Marylebone HCC.
In their conversation, Gillian and Susanne cover the following topics:
What is psychotherapy? What powers psychotherapeutic healing and why is safety important in this approach to healing? What governs why some people seem to make repeated bad choices? What is trauma and how can therapy help? How to engage in the process? How do religion and spirituality relate to psychotherapy?Trauma and healingDo you have hope that healing is possible? From the world of psychotherapy and faith, what one thing would you like people to know that might help them if listening today has raised questions. Links:
Episode Transcript will follow soon
St Marylebone HCC: St Marylebone HCC Psychotherapy - St Marylebone
The GoHealth Everyday Healing Course
Get your GoHealth journal here. -
Be inspired by the roots of healing in the early church. Find out how healing was so linked to the growth of Christianity. Consider how we can be a healing presence today by learning from those who have gone before. We hope you find this an uplifting and hopeful podcast episode!
In this first episode of the Healing Histories series we share a conversation with Professor Amanda Porterfield, professor of religion at Florida State university and author of ‘Healing in the history of Christianity’ Could there be anyone more perfect to launch this new podcast series from GoHealth? We don't think so.
In their conversation, Gillian and Amanda cover the following topics:
Why Amanda wrote her book, ‘Healing in the History of Christianity.’ The reason healing played such a large part in the early church. The history of christian healing in cultural context. What Amanda means by the word ‘healing’ and 'miracle.'How the church might heal from its sometimes harmful history. How Amanda views the future of healing in the Christian faith. The role of Community in making the world a better place. Links:
Episode Transcript available here.
Amanda Porterfield 'Healing in the History of Christianity.'
The GoHealth Everyday Healing Course
Get your GoHealth journal here.
Recent report on social factors and health -
What is going on in our brain when we experience pain? Are emotional, mental and physical pain the same? Is it all in our heads after all? In this episode of the GoHealth podcast we take a deep dive into the topic of pain, what it is and how to live with it, with Professor Amy Wachholtz.
Prof Amy Wachholtz is an Associate Professor in psychology at the university of Colorado where she is the director of health psychology.
She specializes in talking a bio-psycho-social-spiritual approach in identifying ways to improve pain management including in palliative care, acute medical care, chronic pain and addiction.
She is a psychologist who doesn’t just sit in the university but has a license to prescibe, working with patients in care, including those with cancer, chronic pain and at end of life. She is also holds a masters in divinity and has worked as a chaplain.
Gillian and Amy cover:How Amy got into the field of pain research.What is pain?Why we sometimes don't feel pain even when injured in some way.The relationship between physical, emotional and mental types of pain.The need for a holistic and integrated approach to main management.How faith influences living with pain.The Ken Pargament Model of the role of religion in pain tolerance.How church can help people living with pain.Being empowered to live with pain.Links:
Find out more about Amy's work a the Wachholtz Lab
Visit our website to get connected with the GoHealth Community.
Find us on our socials @GuildofHealth -
We can't think of a better way to draw our series on burnout to a conclusion by talking to Jonathan Malesic - he literally wrote the book on how to end burnout. 'The End of Burnout' was an Amazon best book in 2022 and is being translated into 9 languages - this is an episode many people need to hear!
Jonathan Malesic is an essayist, journalist, and scholar whose writing has appeared in the New York Times, The New Republic, The Atlantic, The Guardian, Washington Post, America, Commonweal, Notre Dame Magazine, The Hedgehog Review, The Point, Chronicle of Higher Education, and elsewhere. His work has been recognized as notable in Best American Essays (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022) and Best American Food Writing (2020) and has received special mention in the Pushcart Prize anthology (2019). He has been the recipient of major grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Louisville Institute. His first book, Secret Faith in the Public Square, won a ForeWord INDIES gold medal for the religion category (2009). His newest book, The End of Burnout, was named a Best Book of 2022 by Amazon and the Next Big Idea Club. It is being translated into nine languages. He lives in Dallas, Texas. Image credit: Sarah Wall.
In this episode, Gillian Străine, CEO of GoHealth explores the following with Jonathan:
What drove him to write The End of Burnout' The gap between our expectation of work, and the reality – cause it’s in the gap that the trouble happens!How Christian theology is both a cause and cure of burnout.How to working well is about remembering what it means to be human.The spiritual discipline of 'getting over it'.The importance of challenging the system as a means to end burnout. Dwelling in dignity and divinity.What Advent has to teach us about the end of burnout.Links:
Jonathan's website: https://jonmalesic.com
The End of Burnout - or available wherever you get your books.
Jonathan also mentioned '4000 Weeks by Oliver Burkeman' also available wherever you get your books.
Visit our website to get connected with the GoHealth Community.
Find us on our socials @GuildofHealth -
What if every day ended with a sense of satisfaction and contentment, whatever our circumstances? Could Day Crafting be a culture changing antidote to burn out? Gillian Straine explores these possibilities and more with our guest, the brilliant Bruce Stanley.
Bruce Stanley has a long history of creative endeavours. He is currently the Innovation and Product Lead for HeartEdge. In his 20s, he ran away from the circus to get involved in even more creative things – he is a specialist in positive psychology, design and innovation and personal and spiritual development. Ten years ago, he pioneered the Forest Church movement. These days, he is focused on a new methodology called Day Crafting. He's written five workbooks on the topic and is training NHS workers in the UK, circus performers in Sweden and busy leaders in organisations in the US, Canada and Australia. He is usually found with his wife Sara somewhere on a beautiful hill farm in the Cambrian mountains, where they're growing a permaculture forest garden and blending their own wild and herbal teas to sell to locavores.
Gillian explores a number of questions and themes with Bruce including:
What is Day Crafting?
What problems does Day Crafting address, and what doesn’t it address?
The potential and meaning of ‘Crafting’ in the title?
What is the neuroscience behind it all?
Does Day Crafting help prevent / recovery from burn out?
Is Day Crafting only valuable at the individual level or does it influence community life as well?
Can Day Crafting heal the world?
Links:
Day Crafting
VIA Strengths Model
Join the GoHealth Community -
Where do you go when you kiss the concrete? As part of our Burn Like Stars series Gillian talks with Sarah Horsman, Warden of the Sheldon Community in Devon. A place of refuge and recuperation for many when life in ministry gets tricky.
Together they explore:All about Sheldon – What is it, what does it do, where is it and what it was set up. How Sarah observes burn out at SheldonSarah describes her own experience of burn out or her face hitting the concreteThey explore the present day factors leading to burn out.The consider what theologies are at work leading to burn out. Sarah shares some great tips for what helps and how we can avoid being singed out right now.Links:
Sheldon retreat: https://www.sheldonretreat.com
Sheldon Hub for clergy support and wellbeing: https://www.sheldonhub.org
GoHealth Community: https://gohealth.org.uk/gohealth-community/ -
Gillian talks with Alex Soojung-Kim Pang about his book Rest. He is a Silicon Valley-based consultant and writer. Their conversation explores:Alex introduces his new book 'Work less, do more.'He describes his curiosity about creativity that led him to write Rest. His research led him to uncover the processes that a number of exceptional creative people used - including the importance of Rest.How do you make the kind of contribution that you want in the world or without burning yourself out?They talk about the skill of rest.What's going on in your brain and the rest of you body, when you rest?Is burn out just the trade off for doing a good job?Work as a calling and identity.Where the word workaholic came from.Explore causes of clergy burn out.The most durable solution to burn out.Anti-burn out practices.A theology of work and rest.The one thing Alex recommends you do in order to flourish.
Join the Burn Like Stars series
Alex's books.
Follow the GoHealth Community on our socials @guildofhealth -
Can faith and science share a healed and healing relationship? Gillian shares a fascinating and insightful conversation with Davinder and Matthew Gardner, directors of The Faith Experiment project. This episode is well worth a listen, whatever your relationship is with science, or faith.
Davinder currently works as a Clinical Scientist, performing tests and planning radiotherapy treatments. Achieving registration as a Clinical Scientist in 2014, Matthew became a phototherapy physics lead. He also specialised in diagnostic radiology, as well as radiation protection applied to radiology and radiotherapy.
Show notes: How the Gardners came to faith. Relationship between faith and science. Evidence thresholds. Matthew's journey of removing barriers to faith Davinder's experience of mental ill health in her coming to faith. How intellectual arguments were no longer enough Their awareness of how their work in science is healing Exciting polystyrene person formulas!The faith experiment – accessible apologetics Two reasons for the workshops - to affirm and educate Christians and show sceptics that you can connect science and faith They share stories of encouraging feedback from the workshops. The workshops create a safe space for people to ask questions Tips to flourish – it's OK to doubt/ faith can deepen/better able to help others/ love God with all our mind. Follow the questions. Links:
The Faith Experiment
ECLAS
Join the GoHealth Community
Twitter and Facebook @guildofhealth
Instagram @guildofhealth -
How can the experience of music help us learn more about what it means to be human? This is the question Gillian explores with Joe Fort in this episode of the GoHealth podcast.
Joe is a conductor and a musicologist based in London. He has been the director of Music at St Paul's Church in Knightsbridge since 2021, where he conducts a professional choir in the weekly services
He is the director of the chapel choir and lecturer in music at King's College, London. His performances indeed with that choir have been recognised, and I quote as 'English choral singing as at his best, he has released multiple recordings, most recently these include work with the Britten Sinfonia, the English Chamber Orchestra and the Hanover Band. He goes all over the world, conducting, recently appearing in the Festival de Mexico, White Nights Festival in St Petersburg and the Montreal Organ Festival. His training - he holds a PhD in music from Harvard University and his academic interests focus on 18th century music and dance.
Joe outlines his many roles in the world of music and his journey to being a full time musician. Joe describes and explains the process of conducting music and how it can become a more emotional experience over and above a technical one. Music is in everyone! Music as a vehicle in worship. ‘He [sic] who sings, prays twice’ Saint Augustine – music transports people towards the divine. How music connects ourselves with ourselves. Faure’s Requiem – the healing power of music How music helps us to live in the world as it actually is right now. Joe describes the brilliant Stroke Oddessys project he has been involved with. Joe goes into the detail of the exciting ECLAS funded project at St. Paul’s Knightbridge researching the relationship between music in liturgy and wellbeing. Joe gives his one bit of advice for flourishing. Links:
St Paul’s Knightsbridge
Cowbridge Music Festival
In Paradisum, Faure’s Requiem
Brain Oddessys Charity
ECLAS
Go Health Community
Follow GoHealth on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook @guildofhealth -
A special compilation Easter episode sharing nuggets from previous episodes on the theme of resurrection:
Bishop Jan McFarlane on her breast cancer experience.
Dr Claire Foster-Gilbert on her incurable cancer and repeated resurrections.
Dr Paula Gooder helps us find hope in the resurrection.
Bishop Adrian Newman reflects on the significance of the stone being rolled away from the tomb.
Very Reverend Martin Fair shares his passion and the need for radical resurrection today.
All episodes of the GoHealth Podcast along with most of their transcripts can be found here.
Find out more and join the GoHealth Community here.
Photo credit: Photo by Zac Durant on Unsplash -
What if medicine started with lifestyle solutions rather than seeking solutions to sickness? Listen to Dr Richard Pile's hard won wisdom in the area of lifestyle medicine in this inspiring and challenging conversation with Gillian Straine.
Trigger warning - there is a mention of suicide towards the end of this episode.
Find Richard's full biography and the transcript of this conversation here.
Richard’s extensive biography and multiple jobs Richard describes how he came to faith as a child and how his journey of faith has taken him to a variety of church expressions over the years Lifestyle medicine described and explained – moving away from a sickness model to a health model What is health? Physical, spiritual The importance of talking about how you are feeling. Hard won wisdom from adversity and how Richard got involved with life-style medicine The role of churches and medicine in holding the conversation about purpose. The healing we receive when helping others. Dealing with death – how the church can really serve the community. A different way of doing church The importance of connection Doing what we have influence over and finding meaning in what we do. Richards starting pointers for wellbeing Links:
Richard's book - Fit for purpose
Thrive Tribe
Zero Three
Headspace
GoHealth Community
Follow GoHealth on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook @guildofhealth -
Looking for a positive boost to give you a lift at the end of January? Wanting to give your New Year's resolutions a kick-start, again? Listen to this inspiring and uplifting conversation between Gillian Straine and Alex Strangwayes-Booth.
Alex has a long history working in religious broadcasting for the BBC and has been on an inspiring journey of health and wellbeing for many years. She shares many hints and helpful suggestions in this episode that also includes themes of:
Being brought up in a mixed-faith home Bringing together the Sunday programme for local radio The power of personal stories to make people stop and listen Journey into fitness Bladder cancer diagnosis The tools for facing such a diagnosis The importance of Judaism in her lifeThe importance of community and connection One Year, No Beer community Running a half-marathon The power of writing down your values The benefits of mental health from exercise Running as a spiritual activity Yom Kippur - day of atonement practices in Judaism A healthy perspective on death as a means to flourish Coaching as a way to help people Positive psychology tools and techniques that help change behaviour and achieve potential Actively boosting your positive content Shema prayer practice as liberating Alex’s appreciation of faith’s shared from her many years of religious broadcasting experience.Links:
Alex Strangwayes-Booth Coaching
Fly lady
Jonathan Roche
One Year, No Beer
James Clear Atomic Habits
GoHealth Community
Episode Transcript
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