Holding a grudge is a tantalising temptation. Especially when someone has clearly wronged us. After all, they deserve to be held accountable for what they did, right?

In this episode, Petra and her guests explore what the big fuss is with forgiveness. And we’re not just talking about the earth-shattering acts of forgiveness, but garden variety forgiveness that can be weaved into our everyday life as we inevitably bump into the people around us.

Petra talks to counsellor and podcaster, Charlotte Cummings about the emotional world of forgiveness, and Rev Dr Malcolm Gordon about the nuts and bolt of the forgiveness process.

So if you’ve got a grudge that won’t budge, you’ve come to the right place.

Sacred Text:

Excerpt from The Book of Forgiving by Desmond and Mpho tutu.

Rev Malcolm Gordon't Podcast Series:

A Field Guide to Forgiveness

Featured Music:

• The Light by The Album Leaf
• I'm Not Sorry by Morrissey
• Brother by The Brilliance

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We're surrounded by a lot of noise. Whether it's literal noise such as traffic and people's chatter or metaphorical noise in the form of a neverending supply of media, art and social content, it can be hard to cut through it all.

On this episode of Sunday Sanctuary, join Petra as she explores the impact our noisy world can have on our body and our wairua/spirit. Grace McArthur returns to lead us in another exploration of Brené Brown's book Atlas of the Heart. Jay Ruka (Dean of St Mary's Cathedral in New Plymouth and author of Huia Come Home) also joins Petra to dive into how he has noticed the noisiness of his life change over time.

We know that a podcast episode exploring the downsides of noise is ironic, but our hope is that you'll be inspired to look into how you can start to deal with the noise that is everpresent in our world.

Sacred Text:

The Peace of Wild Things by Wendell Berry (Text/Video)

Featured Music:

• Under the Water by Hand Habits and Amelia Meath
• A Quiet Place by Garnett Mimms & The Enchanters
• Memory as Miniatures by Rachika Nayar (played at the end of Atlast of the Heart)
• Beginning by The Durutti Column (played at the end of Jay Ruka's interview)
• Premiere Gymnopedie by Eric Satie (played under the benediction)

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Let's be real, death is not something that most of us are comfortable talking about. Who wants to think about the death of family or friends until we absolutely have to? As it turns out, beginning to talk about death before it is strictly necessary can do so much for when we are faced with the reality. To clarify, in this episode of Sunday Sanctuary we are not talking about sudden, unexpected death. This episode we are talking about the eventuality of natural death that faces everyone.

Join Petra Bagust as she talks to paliative care nurses and clergy alike, to unpack the advantages of opening ourselves to conversations about the end of life. First up, Petra heads south to talk to Ann, a palliative care nurse (and mum of producer Sam), about her experiences of walking alongside many families as they face the death of a loved one. Later in the episode, Petra is joined by Anglican minister and chaplain to New Zealand's film industry, Kevin Denholm (otherwise affectionately known as Rev Kev ;). Kevin had a slightly different summer to most, leading eight funerals for residents of Aotea/Great Barrier Island. Haere Mai!

Sacred Texts:

The Tale of the Three Brothers from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I

Featured Music:

• Fourth of July by Sufjan Stevens
• Someone Great by LCD Soundsystem (Lyrics)
• Pine Trees by Mary Lattimore (played during the contemplative practice)
• Statue Of A Woman by Novo Amor (played at the end of Ann's interview)

Books suggested by Ann:

• With the End in Mind by Kathryn Mannix
• Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
• Being Mortal by Atul Gawande
• When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

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