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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There is a special sort of unsettled feeling reserved for moving to a new place, even if it's just across town. The destabilisation that so often comes with a new locale can linger for a while as we re-establish where home is for us. Although, sometimes the place we consider home stays the same while we move. Either way, this tricky feeling can be a tough one to navigate.

Come on a journey with your host Petra Bagust, as she talks to producer Josh about his childhood, which was spent between Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Thailand. Hear one man's story of his father's move from Taiwan to the USA in the '60s, and finally, our Community Life segment is released out into the wild, as producer Sam heads to Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland's Cornwall Park!

Sacred Text

• Stay True (pages 11-12) by Hua Hsu

Featured Music

• Hell Hole by Erny Belle
• Bounty by Tiny Ruins
• Nathan Haines' cover of International Flight by David Snell (played during Community Life)
• Summer's End by Julie Byrne (played during the benediction)

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When was the last time you faced disappointment? When you look back at that time, did it seem like the feeling sat with you for a long time? Disappointment is one of those feelings most of us would love to move along from as soon as possible. What if, however, there is a different way of looking at disappointment, and maybe even some good to be found within....

Join Petra Bagust on this special episode as our Atlas of the Heart segment with Grace McArthur returns for the first time in 2024! Petra also heads to the Life FM studio in Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland to talk with Sela Alo about his view on disappointment.

Sacred Texts

• Atlas of the Heart (pages 43-52) by Brené Brown
• My So Called Lungs (18:53 - 21:13) by Radio Diaries

Featured Music

• Let Down by Radiohead
• Money or the Bag by French for Rabbits
• Rivers That You Cannot See by North Americans (played during Benediction)

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.