Poema Podcast

Author and blogger Tanya Marlow joins me today to talk about her new book 'Those Who Wait'. It's a book about learning the art of divine patience, and stories from scripture and life which teach us about waiting on God. Tanya has a powerful personal testimony which has taught her a lot about patience, both in life and in faith, and with her theological background has taken several stories from scr...

Today I'm joined by author, speaker and theologian Kent Dobson.  Kent, with great vulnerability and wisdom, shares his own spiritual journey, including his pilgrimage up what is often known as Mount Sinai - where he was bitten by a camel, both physically and metaphorically. This is a story he tells in his new book 'Bitten By A Camel'. Religion, God, Spirituality, Nature, Sacred Texts, Mystery, and...

Today musical quartet the Blacksmiths Daughters return to the podcast. Julida & Sean Alter return from our first interview we're also joined by the other half of the band, Annella and Brent Platter. Julida and Anetta are sisters, and together with their husbands, and others, are creating truly authentic, personal music.  Their new video "You're My Man" releases not long ago, and their new album 'S...

My dear friend and author Chris Morris joins me today. Chris is a long time advocate of issues surrounding chronic illness, and reconciling these with faith. As someone who lives with chronic illness himself and has family members with chronic illness, he knows the challenges chronic illness can bring - as well as some of the stigma, in particular around some religious circles. Today Chris shares...

Today our 'Questions We Don't Ask' series  continues, with the fundamental question of 'How Do I Believe?' Continuing from where we left off last week, Charles Porter and I discuss how, whilst so often we discuss what we believe, that maybe the deeper, more fundamental question is how we believe.  These conversations aren't merely about answering the question. The questions are more jumping off po...

Season 2 of the Poema Podcast kicks off with a new series we'll be doing on and off over the next few months - Questions We Don't Ask. This series will see me and others discuss raw, honest and challenging questions of faith and our spiritual journey. Questions I've been asking myself a lot in the last year. The type of questions many of us don't like to ask, but the ones we need to ask more than...

Today I do a reflection on my own journey of the last 18 months - both spiritual and creative - and the story of how the podcast, and all my creative work, has grown and evolved. I talk about the importance of taking a break, of refuelling, reimagining, disconnecting, and how this is absolutely necessary to our growth, and to creating more great work, and a thriving, healthy life. This is the last...

Today I'm delighted to host Matthew Brough, pastor, author and host of the 'Spirituality For Normal People' podcast. We talk about whole range of topics, including creativity, the spirituality of writing fiction, spiritual practices and more. Matthew shares his own story, and talks about how writing fiction has influenced his spiritual journey, and the circle of creativity and our spiritual journe...

Today I'm joined by author and spiritual counsellor Joy Resor. Joy shares her own story of how suffering and grief set her on the path to finding her true purpose, and how she discovered joy in the process. It's a powerful story of expanding spirituality, creativity as a healer, and how suffering can be a catalyst for authentic and even positive change in our lives. Joy shows how it's possible to...

Today author, blogger and podcaster Rebecca Lombardo joins me on the podcast. For 25 years Rebecca has battled with mental illness of various kinds. She's also had to undergo the trauma of losing both parents, and battled with suicidal thoughts. Yet through writing, publishing a book, podcasting, and an incredibly supportive husband, she has survived and is doing amazing work creating safe spaces...

Michael and Lisa Gungor are on the podcast today. Husband and wife, creatives, musicians, Jesus-followers, Michael and Lisa have created some amazing music over the years and have some phenomenal wisdom on spirituality, creativity, and the personal journey. Michael and Lisa share with great honesty and wisdom about their own personal journey, the challenges and struggles they've had to confront in...

Today I'm joined by Julida and Sean Alter, who make up one half of 'The Blacksmith's Daughters', a folk/rock band from Minneapolis. The band is comprised of Julida and Sean, and Julida's sister Anella Platta and her husband Brent. Julida and Anetta are from a family with a long history of being blacksmiths - hence the name 'The Blacksmith's Daughters'. We discuss the creative process involved in s...

On the show today I do a short reflection on the importance of wrestling with the divine, and how I've learned from my own experience that being honest with God, voicing your doubts, questions, frustrations and anger towards God is actually the sign of a healthy relationship with Him. I also talk about how sacred wrestling is something which deepens our faith, not weakens it - and finally about th...

Today I'm joined by by returning guest Dr Kate Hendricks Thomas, and new guest Dr Karl Hamner, to discuss the issues of identity and moral injury. We discuss how to handle transitional periods of our lives, big shifts away from something familiar, which might have defined us, into a new season of life - and potentially a new identity. Karl and Kate share how these concepts work in practice, in the...

On today's episode I share some reflections on the latest season of my life - a book launch, confronting difficult truths, and why I'm taking a short sabbath from writing. I talk about how ego can be a good thing but how when we let it dictate our lives, when we let our ego define our value, then we can come to an unhealthy place. And I also discuss how sometimes the best thing we can do for our v...

Today my friend Sarah Heath returns to the podcast, to discuss her newly released book 'Whats Your Story - Seeing Your Life Through God's Eyes', a book about seeing our lives through the concept of story, using the Biblical story of Joseph as a lens to examine our own stories.  Sarah talks about how she discovered the power of story in her own life and how it's impacted her story, and we discuss t...

Today I'm joined by my friend Wendy H Jones. Wendy is a hugely successful crime writer, and international speaker. She's authored the Shona Mackenzie adult crime series which has sold tens of thousands of copies internationally, 'Power Packed Book Marketing', a book on how to successfully market your books with integrity, and is on the committee of the Association of Christian Writers.  Wendy shar...

Alexander Shaia returns to Poema today to share about the Quadratos journey through the Easter story. He takes us back to an understanding of the story older, and wider than the traditional 'Holy Week' we all know and takes us into the story of the Christ and how we can identify with Jesus as He walks His passion.  We examine in brief the difference between the gospel interpretations of the story,...

Today I'm joined by my friend Jessica Aguilar-Christy. Jessica is a yoga instructor, and teaches yoga through the lens of Christianity with Soul Stretch Christian Yoga and at Jefferson Avenue Presbyterian Church.  Today Jessica shares about the history of yoga, dispels myths many Christians believe about yoga and the truth behind the science of yoga. She also talks about the spiritual discipline o...

I'm joined today by Jo Cleary, a learning development officer, and writer from Coventry in the UK, who blogs on issues of identity, self-worth and learning to love yourself. Jo shares her powerful story of depression, psychosis and chronic fatigue syndrome, and how they have all influenced both her spiritual and creative journey.  We discuss together how mental health can impact your relationship...

Today my dear "wolfie" friends, musical and creative duo Chloe and Taylor Turner (AKA Chasing Lovely), join me again. Today we talk about the personal stories and influences behind their work, as well as the spiritual and personal journeys which influence all of us creatively, and shape who we are and who we become. Chloe and Taylor talk about the journey of their first EP, Unbridled, (which relea...

Today I'm joined by my dear friend Laura Parrott Perry. Laura is an author and a speaker, and co-founder of Say It, Survior, a non-profit dedicated to helping survivors of sexual abuse.  With great courage and honesty, Laura shares her own story of abuse, and it's impact on her and her family, and the story of how a phone call with her cousin and a blog post sharing her story, led to her co-foundi...

Speaker, author and theologian Brian McLaren joins me today. Brian is the author of many books, such as 'A New Kind Of Christian' and 'A Generous Orthodoxy'. Today on the podcast we discuss his most recent work, 'The Great Spiritual Migration', which explores how our world is looking for a better way to be Christian. Brian shares with great wisdom and insight about why the traditional models of ch...

It's my pleasure to welcome Rev Sarah Heath onto the podcast today. Sarah is a minister in a small but growing church in Costa Mesa, California, as well as an artist, writer and author. Her first book 'What's Your Story? Seeing Your Life Through God's Eyes' releases this coming April.  Sarah talks about her biggest passion, creativity. And together we explore the process of creativity and how this...

Today on Poema I'm joined by singer/songwriter/worship leader Shelly E Johnson. Most well-known for writing the powerful worship anthem “Power of the Cross”, which has been recorded by Natalie Grant, Steve Green and is being used in churches worldwide, Shelly has served as worship leader alongside Beth Moore, Tony Nolan, Andy Stanley, and toured North America with renown Irish Hymn-writers Keith &...