Sunday Sanctuary with Petra Bagust

The four themes of the season of Advent in the Christian calendar are hope, peace, joy and love. There are two others that we've noticed, though, which are anticipation and celebration. In this episode, Petra explores how these two things can happen at the same time. First up, Petra and producer Sam talk to a handful of people who are all at different moments of change (graduation, motherhood, marriage etc). Later on Petra talks to Rev. Sarah Lea-West about her art (found here) and how she has learnt to navigate the combination of anticipation and celebration.
Sacred Text:
A passage from Padraig O'Tuama's book In the Shelter
Music:
Exchange by Massive AttackSunshine
Family Affair by Mary J Blige
The Breeze by Dr Dog
Peace Piece by Bill Evans
Muramura by Aro

Sunday the 30th of November marks the start of Advent for 2025, the season of the Christian calendar that leads into Christmas. As Petra and guest producer Mick get into, Advent is all about waiting. In the first half, Mick talks to his close friends Tom and Carly about a long wait they endured in 2021. Later on Petra talks to Rev. Mathew 'Newt' Newton about how faith in God can help us to learn to wait, even when it often feels like there is no good reason to.
Sacred Text:
Sacred Trust by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
Music:
A Change is Gonna Come by Sam Cooke
Statue of a Woman by Novo Amour
Moon Age by Duster
Sitting in Limbo by Jimmy Cliff
Intro by The xx
Space 7 by Nala Sinephro

Why do people still go to church? There are no shortage of reasons why church might seem like an outdated model for collective Christian worship, so why do they hang around? In this collab episode with the In The Shift podcast, Petra and Michael Frost sit down to talk about the societal and spiritual reasons why churches are still worthwhile, in spite of their spotty history.
If you want to find the full discussion that Petra and Michael had, look for In The Shift wherever you find your podcasts. Find the website here and the Instagram here. An episode of In The Shift we recommend you start with if you're keen to hear more is episode #104 with James Beck, 'Earthiness, Spirituality and Relational Resonance'.
Sacred Texts:
Quote from Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Excerpt from a Guardian profile of popstar Rosalia
Music:
Another Scorcher by Christoph El Truento
Equipoise by Max Roach
Galvanise by The Chemical Brothers
FTA by Whitney
Get Together by The Youngbloods
Grazing In The Grass by Hugh Masakela
Just Saying by Jamie xx

In this episode of Sunday Sanctuary, what happens when communities are involved in times of death. Petra Bagust talks to Treza Gallogly, a death doula (think death midwife), about why making plans and involving others helps so much when preparing for death. Producer Sam talks to those involved with the community response to the death of baby Anahera in the Auckland suburb or Onehunga.
Treza's website can be found here and is part of the End of Life Doula Alliance Aotearoa

Sacred text:
Late Fragment by Raymond Carver, read by Gabriel Byrne
Music:
You are the Gold by Terrible Sons
Sun Rays Like Stilts by Tommy Guerero
Moonlight on the River by Mac DeMarco
Last Orders by Richard Hawley
I Still Hear You by Adrianne Lenker and Buck Meek
New Grass by Talk Talk
Tesifa by Laney Tripp

Most of us think we're pretty good at listening. From kids asked to "whakarongo mai" at school, to a one-on-one catch up with a friend, listening can't be that hard, can it? But what changes when the person speaking feels truly heard or understood? And what similarities are there between listening to others, and listening to God?
In this episode, Petra talks to sexologist and relationship coach Meg Cowan about how we can better listen to others. Later on, fan favourite Rev. Spanky Moore returns to share what he has noticed in the years he's spent listening to God, and helping others to do the same. Rev. Frank Ritchie brings a fantastic reflection of Communion, we hear your thoghts during Community Life, and there's top notch waiata/music as always.
Sacred Texts:
- Francis Bebey and the Pygmy Flute
Music:
Emotional Intelligence by Chaos in the CBD (played to start Meg's interview)
Space 7 by Nala Sinephro (played to end Meg's interview)
Man I Need by Olivia Dean
Rivers That You Cannot See by North Americans (played during communion)
Live for Each Other by Cut Off Your Hands
Homeless Wanderer by Emahoy Tsege Maryam Gebru (played at the end)
Bird sound effect: Various_birds_bush_NewZealand_4channel_front.flac by Phistomefel -- https://freesound.org/s/326546/ -- License: Attribution 3.0