Politics in the Pulpit?

Episode 143: with Jonny Baker for Sunday 24th November

In this week’s episode of Politics in the Pulpit, our host, Matt Forsyth, chats to Jonny Baker, and is joined by JPIT member Nathan McGuire. Jonny Baker set up the pioneer training at CMS where he is one of the directors. His role is overseeing their mission in post Christian Britain. He loves all things creative and especially is interested in how faith connects with the wider culture. He is an advocate for pioneers, encouraging and enabling people to give legs to their ideas. To that end, Pioneer Practice, his latest book distills the practical wisdom Jonny has learned over the years into short, full colour, easy to read articles and stories. He has been involved in youth ministry, alternative worship, emerging church, pioneering and will no doubt be involved in whatever else we call the waves of mission innovation in relation to post Christian Britain. Matt, Jonny and Nathan discuss preaching on the lectionary readings for Sunday 17th November, which are: 2 Samuel 23:1-7 Revelation 1:4-8 John 18:33-37 Psalm 132:1-12, (13-18) ‘Politics in the Pulpit’ is JPIT’s weekly lectionary resource, helping to equip preachers, ministers and worship leaders to unpack justice and peace issues in the pulpit. You can join in the conversation on Twitter/X at @publicissues or using #PoliticsInThePulpit, or on our Facebook community at https://www.facebook.com/jointpublicissues

Episode 142: with Catriona Robertson for Sunday 17th November

In this week’s episode of Politics in the Pulpit, our host, Matt Forsyth, chats to Catriona Robertson, and is joined by JPIT member Steve Summers.

Born & raised in the Scottish Highlands, Catriona Robertson has worked in India, the South Pacific and London. She once travelled with her teenage son across North Africa, the Middle East and on to Pakistan. Formerly Director of the Christian Muslim Forum, she has been involved in interreligious work and its links to public policy for 25 years. Catriona has now returned to London after a few years living in community as warden of Iona Abbey. She continues to be involved in the life of the Iona Community, in particular its work for peace, justice & the renewal of worship.

Matt, Catriona and Steve discuss preaching on the lectionary readings for Sunday 17th November, which are: 1 Samuel 1:4-20, Hebrews 10:11-14, (15-18), 19-25, Mark 13:1-8, and 1 Samuel 2:1-10.

Read More:

Bruno Latour book - If we lose the Earth, we lose our souls, Polity, 2024

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Inter Faith Week

 

‘Politics in the Pulpit’ is JPIT’s weekly lectionary resource, helping to equip preachers, ministers and worship leaders to unpack justice and peace issues in the pulpit. You can join in the conversation on Twitter/X at @publicissues or using #PoliticsInThePulpit, or on our Facebook community at https://www.facebook.com/jointpublicissues

Episode 141: with Liddy Buswell for Sunday 10th October

In this week’s episode of Politics in the Pulpit, our host, Matt Forsyth, chats to Liddy Buswell, and is joined by JPIT member Steve Hucklesby.

Liddy is a Methodist from Newcastle and works as Outreach Manager at Christian CND, an organisation that seeks to get Christians talking about nuclear weapons, and to bring the Good News of Christ into the disarmament movement.

Matt, Liddy and Steve discuss preaching on the lectionary readings for Sunday 10th November, which are: Ruth 3:1-5, 4:13-17, Hebrews 9:24-28, Mark 12:38-44 and Psalm 127.

‘Politics in the Pulpit’ is JPIT’s weekly lectionary resource, helping to equip preachers, ministers and worship leaders to unpack justice and peace issues in the pulpit. You can join in the conversation on Twitter/X at @publicissues or using #PoliticsInThePulpit, or on our Facebook community at https://www.facebook.com/jointpublicissues

Episode 140: with Niall Briggs for Sunday 2nd November

In this week’s episode of Politics in the Pulpit, our host, Matt Forsyth, chats to Niall Briggs, and is joined by JPIT member Florence Wright.

 

Niall is a Methodist Community Pioneer, working as part of the Flourish Framework in Bristol & South Gloucestershire. This has involved helping to activate and open up church-owned and other spaces as spaces of encounter for the whole community as well as at special events with the Ark Bus. As well as working on the edges of church, he helps facilitate conversations around the mixed ecology of church. He has an interest in the environment and in economics and previously worked in hospitality and software development.

Florence is the Constituency Action Network (CAN) Intern at JPIT this year. The vision of CAN is to create a network of at least one church in every constituency actively developing a meaningful relationship with their MP. Florence graduated this year from Durham University where she studied Psychology and Geography. She was heavily involved with student activism and encouraging Christian students to get political.

 

Matt, Niall and Florence discuss preaching on the lectionary readings for Sunday 2nd November, which are: Ruth 1:1-18 Hebrews 9:11-14 Mark 12:28-34 Psalm 146

 

‘Politics in the Pulpit’ is JPIT’s weekly lectionary resource, helping to equip preachers, ministers and worship leaders to unpack justice and peace issues in the pulpit. You can join in the conversation on Twitter/X at @publicissues or using #PoliticsInThePulpit, or on our Facebook community at https://www.facebook.com/jointpublicissues

Episode 139: with Simeon and Aoife for Sunday 26 October

In this week’s episode of Politics in the Pulpit, our host, Matt Forsyth, chats JPIT members, Simeon Mitchell and Aoife Wright.

Simeon has been JPIT Team Leader since April 2021, and has had the privilege and responsibility of coordinating the work of the team. He was previously Deputy Team Leader and Secretary for Church and Society for the United Reformed Church. His background is in international development and enabling Christians and churches to respond to issues of global poverty and injustice. He lives in Oxford with his wife and three children, and is a Methodist local preacher.

 

Aoife is the JPIT Communications Intern for 2024. They have a passion for justice, learning, creativity, and their ever-strengthening relationship with God. She's driven by a desire to help solve problems, and create a more just world, whether that is through large actions such as policy reform or global change, or smaller community action, inviting others in for a cuppa, or just a small act of kindness. Aoife is a disabled person.

 

Matt, Simeon and Aoife discuss preaching on the lectionary readings for Sunday 20th October, which are: Job 42: 1-6 Hebrews 7:23:28 Mark 10:46:52 Psalm 34:1-8

 

‘Politics in the Pulpit’ is JPIT’s weekly lectionary resource, helping to equip preachers, ministers and worship leaders to unpack justice and peace issues in the pulpit. You can join in the conversation on Twitter/X at @publicissues or using #PoliticsInThePulpit, or on our Facebook community at / 

Episode 138: Challenge Poverty Week with Hannah, Simon and Jay for Sunday 20th October

A Challenge Poverty Week special episode!

In this week’s episode of Politics in the Pulpit, Nathan McGuire chats to Hannah Fremont-Brown, Revd. Simon Jay and Niall Cooper.

Niall Cooper has been Director of Church Action on Poverty since 1997, and has been responsible for piloting new approaches to tackling poverty in the UK that enable people and communities struggling against poverty to reclaim dignity, agency and power together. He is also co-chair of Let’s End Poverty and convenor of the URC Manchester and Salford Urban Mission Partnership.

Hannah coordinates Let’s End Poverty, a movement of people united behind a vision of the future where poverty can’t keep anyone down. She is passionate about supporting churches and Christians to campaign and walk alongside our communities for justice. She is a member of Hinde Street Methodist Church, and currently completing an MA in Theology, Mission and Ministry.

Simon is a Pioneer Baptist minister based in Birmingham. In 2003 his wife Rachel and him set up a local charity that focuses on projects that aim to tackle poverty and injustice issues. The charity several projects including the  ‘Quinton Food Pantry’. Both him and the project believe in ‘supporting people out of poverty with dignity’.

Nathan, Hannah, Simon and Niall discuss preaching on the lectionary readings for Sunday 20th October, which are: Job 23:1-9, 16-17 Psalm 22:1-15 Hebrews 4:12-16 Mark 10:17-31

‘Politics in the Pulpit’ is JPIT’s weekly lectionary resource, helping to equip preachers, ministers and worship leaders to unpack justice and peace issues in the pulpit. You can join in the conversation on Twitter/X at @publicissues or using #PoliticsInThePulpit, or on our Facebook community at / 1001084297426200

Episode 137: with Sally Mann for Sunday 10th October

In this week’s episode of Politics in the Pulpit, our host, Matt Forsyth, chats to Revd. Dr Sally Mann. They are joined by Steve Tinning, a member of the JPIT team.

Sally is Co-Director of www.redletterchristians.org.uk and one of 5 co-vocational ministers at Bonny Downs Baptist, an inclusive church in East London. She is the 4th of 6 generations of her family to stay put and serve in that East-End community. 

Sally wrote “Looking for Lydia”’ reflecting on 25 years of ministry, and recently collated 25 stories for Red Letter Christians’ book “Jesus and Justice”

She lectures in sociology and has a PhD in philosophy. 

She’s happiest in her Bonny Downs community where she’ll be moving in to an “Urban Abbey”- an experiment in intentional community living (see 

https://www.bonnydownschurch.org/urbanabbey)

 

Matt, Steve and Sally discuss preaching on the lectionary readings for Sunday 10th October, which are:

Hebrews 4:12-16 

Mark 10:17-31 

Psalm 22:1-15 

Job 23:1-9, 16-17

 

‘Politics in the Pulpit’ is JPIT’s weekly lectionary resource, helping to equip preachers, ministers and worship leaders to unpack justice and peace issues in the pulpit. You can join in the conversation on Twitter/X at @publicissues or using #PoliticsInThePulpit, or on our Facebook community at / 1001084297426200

Episode 136: with Jacob Dimitriou for Sunday 6th October

In this week’s episode of Politics in the Pulpit, our host, Matt Forsyth, chats to Jacob Dimitriou. They are joined by Roo Stewart, a member of the JPIT team.

Jacob Dimitriou is the Director for England at Christian homelessness charity Housing Justice, he has previously worked for the Labour Party and Commonweal Housing. Jacob was closely involved in the Everybody In initiative during the pandemic, supporting rough sleepers to access safe provision which is estimated to have saved more than 200 lives. Housing Justice is the membership body for faith and community night shelters, as well as providing a Hosting and Lodgings project for destitute migrants and working to support churches to build affordable housing on their land.

Matt and Jacob discuss preaching on the lectionary readings for Sunday 6th October, which are:

Job 1:1, 2:1-10

Hebrews 1:1-4, 2:5-12

Mark 10:2-16

Psalm 26

 

‘Politics in the Pulpit’ is JPIT’s weekly lectionary resource, helping to equip preachers, ministers and worship leaders to unpack justice and peace issues in the pulpit. You can join in the conversation on Twitter/X at @publicissues or using #PoliticsInThePulpit, or on our Facebook community at / 1001084297426200

Episode 135: Handover Episode with Matt Forsyth for Sunday 28 September

Welcome to this week's episode of Politics in the Pulpit. Nathan Maguire introduces Matt Forsyth, future Vice President of the Methodist Conference, who takes over hosting duties. Matt is joined by Steve Hucklesby, a policy advisor for the Joint Public Issues Team (JPIT).

Matt and Steve delve into their roles, emphasising the intersection of politics and faith. They explore the importance of unity in diversity, reflecting on this week's lectionary readings from Esther, James, and Mark. The discussion highlights themes of justice, prayer, and the role of Christians in advocating for global peace and nuclear disarmament.

The episode also touches on current news, including climate change, political developments, and heartwarming stories, connecting these to the scriptural themes. The conversation encourages churches to engage in prayer, advocacy, and practical action, particularly in the context of the climate crisis and local community needs.

Join us as we reflect on how to faithfully navigate the intersection of faith and politics in our preaching and daily lives.

Episode 134: with Isabella Senior for Sunday 25 August

In this week’s episode of Politics in the Pulpit, our host, Revd Dr Helen Paynter, chats to Isabella Senior. 

Isabella is the Young Leaders' Development Coordinator for Baptists Together. She's from Brazil and grew up church planting with her family. Isabella first came to the UK age 15 on a mission trip when she heard God speak to her about not waiting to be older to serve Jesus and to focus on reaching younger generations. At age 18 Isabella moved to the UK in response to God's call and she now works supporting young adults nationally in the Baptist movement. Isabella loves connecting with people and encouraging them to grow as missionary disciples while discovering their God-given potential for the Kingdom. 

Helen and Isabella discuss preaching on the lectionary readings for Sunday 25th August, which are:
1 Kings 8:(1, 6, 10-11), 22-30, 41-43 
Ephesians 6:10-20 
John 6:56-69 
Psalm 84 

This is the last episode of our summer season, and we will be back with the autumn season mid-September. 

 

‘Politics in the Pulpit’ is JPIT’s weekly lectionary resource, helping to equip preachers, ministers and worship leaders to unpack justice and peace issues in the pulpit. You can join in the conversation on Twitter/X at @publicissues or using #PoliticsInThePulpit, or on our Facebook community at https://www.facebook.com/groups/1001084297426200