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 There are no shortage of reasons why church might seem like an outdated model for collective Christian worship, so why do they hang around?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.

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:

1. Emotional Intelligence by Chaos in the CBD (played to start Meg's interview)
2. Space 7 by Nala Sinephro (played to end Meg's interview)
3. Man I Need by Olivia Dean
4. Rivers That You Cannot See by North Americans (played during communion)
5. Live for Each Other by Cut Off Your Hands
6. 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