Andy, Jörg and Leah bumble through Isaiah 35 wondering whether there is any hope to be found, or just nationalistic rhetoric.

Some of the things mentioned:

• Nomad Podcast 329: Brian McLaren - Wisdom and Courage for a World Falling Apart
• The Ezra Klein Show
• Gungor - Us For Them
• The Broken Earth by N.K. Jemisin

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Content warning: brief discussion of coercive control and inappropriate sexual behaviour.

Andy, Leah and Jörg talk to Shamilka about her faith journey, especially the importance of her experiences at the Soul Survivor festival, and the impact of finding out about the scandal surrounding its leader, Mike Pilavachi. She describes how as a teenager she longed for a sign of God's acceptance, and Soul Survivor provided some chance for that, and then how that was thrown into confusion when its integrity was destroyed.

Why do we look to hero figures to live our faith for us?

Can we take good things from youthful experiences, even when we have re-evaluated them later in life?

Obviously people who abuse their power should be stopped and held accountable. How do we construct churches and societies that prevent power from being concentrated in the first place? Do our ideas about God lead us towards lack of accountability and concentration of power?

Statements from the Church of England:

• https://www.churchofengland.org/media/press-releases/concerns-substantiated-mike-pilavachi-investigation
• https://www.churchofengland.org/safeguarding/safeguarding-news-releases/statement-complaint-against-mike-pilavachi

Report from The Times on allegations as early as 2004:

• https://www.thetimes.com/article/mike-pilavachi-soul-survivor-first-reported-2004-inappropriate-behaviour-5brvp6jsr

Let There Be Light documentary featuring Matt and Beth Redmond:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVZkgdt32u8

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Andy, Jörg and Leah talk about freedom: What did Jesus mean when he talked about freedom? Would it be right to be "free" when so many terrible things are happening? Is the "Free World" free, or just free to buy things if you can afford them? What was it like for Jörg when freedom came to East Germany? Can we hope for freedom from sin? What would that be like?

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Andy asks Leah and Jörg for help writing some hopeful prayers for Easter Sunday in the face of appalling violence across the world. What hope is there, and what should we do when we see precious people treated so cheaply again and again? Does the resurrection of Jesus offer some kind of pattern of hope that our world repeats every Spring? Or is it a sign of something terrifying and new that is far outside of our control?

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Jörg asks Leah and Andy for help preparing his sermon on Mark 6:45-56, where Jesus walks across the surface of a lake, and his disciples are terrified that he is a ghost. What are we supposed to make of this story? Is it about how Jesus is powerful, or how silent prayer can somehow make us powerful? If so, how come Jesus didn't prevent them being blown completely off course? Did Jesus retire to the mountain to pray because he was exhausted? How does any of this teach us anything about silence and solitude? Also, why on earth was he about to walk straight past the boat?

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Andy, Jörg and Leah talk to Steve and Claire talk about the kindness they have felt in church communities. We talk through the different phases of both their lives, including the remarkable influence of an "all-in" Christian community where members shared all their possessions and lived together, with all the joy and heartache involved. Their experiences lead us to discuss the importance of actually sharing our lives and being truthful about what is going on inside us.

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Andy, Jörg and Leah talk to Rima about her extreme adventures, from the North Pole to the Community Fridge, with a lot of dragging tires in between. Rima is an adventurer and a challenge-maker. She tells stories of cancer treatment and running marathons with the same vigour and passion, encountering God viscerally in those experiences. She has given her life to her passion for preventing waste and preserving the creation of which we are a part. She describes God's close presence and protection through her suffering, her adventures, and her joy.

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Andy, Leah and Jörg talk to Sue about her story with the church, including the death of her son Jake, and her work helping people escape from debt. Sue received incredible support from friends and leaders at her church in her grief and anger, and she somehow still sees God working. She describes the support she received when people sat with her, and she follows that example in her work helping people with debt problems, and in her relationships. She includes all the people who come into contact with our building and our people in her vision of "our church". Sue's husband is Andy, who we interviewed in episode 28.

Contact us on justiceworriers@artificialworlds.net or look for JusticeWorriers on Mastodon, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or YouTube.

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