Poema Podcast

Poema 010 | Laura Parrott Perry on Surviving Sexual Abuse & Valuing Our Stories

Today I'm joined by my dear friend Laura Parrott Perry. Laura is an author and a speaker, and co-founder of Say It, Survior, a non-profit dedicated to helping survivors of sexual abuse. 
With great courage and honesty, Laura shares her own story of abuse, and it's impact on her and her family, and the story of how a phone call with her cousin and a blog post sharing her story, led to her co-founding a non-profit which now provides a safe space for survivors of sexual abuse to get the support and healing they need. 
Laura also talks about the importance of valuing our own story, and the power of owning our story and being honest about our journey. Laura argues passionately that all our stories have value, and all deserve respect, and to be received with love and grace - and when that happens, we can begin our journey to healing and transformation.
Laura speak with great wisdom, insight and courage, and her story is well worth a listen. 

Poema 009 | Brian McLaren on The Great Spiritual Migration

Speaker, author and theologian Brian McLaren joins me today. Brian is the author of many books, such as 'A New Kind Of Christian' and 'A Generous Orthodoxy'. Today on the podcast we discuss his most recent work, 'The Great Spiritual Migration', which explores how our world is looking for a better way to be Christian.
Brian shares with great wisdom and insight about why the traditional models of church and Christian faith are no longer working, why the church is dying and it's connections with the rise of the political right in the West. And he shares an exciting new vision of what church can and could be if we choose to move beyond traditional boundaries of 'conservative' and 'liberal' and to a more transcendent, non-dual view of Jesus and the Christian faith.
Brian argues with great conviction that the most important thing is not simply what we believe - but how we believe it, and why it's important to be open to allow God to take us ever onward and deeper into more transcendent, mysterious, and inclusive understandings of who He is and what He wishes for His church to be. 
Brian is a man of great wisdom and insight, with a deep love for Jesus and His church - and his message is much needed. Definitely worth a listen!

Poema 008 | Sarah Heath on Creativity & The Art Of Community

It's my pleasure to welcome Rev Sarah Heath onto the podcast today. Sarah is a minister in a small but growing church in Costa Mesa, California, as well as an artist, writer and author. Her first book 'What's Your Story? Seeing Your Life Through God's Eyes' releases this coming April. 
Sarah talks about her biggest passion, creativity. And together we explore the process of creativity and how this applies to all walks of life, not just the arts. Sarah talks about how she expresses her own creativity through painting, drawing, art, as well as writing - and how she's applied the principle of creativity in her work helping to create a church community. 
We discuss the myth that some people are creative and others are not creative - and Sarah makes a strong case to say we are all creative people, whether we're accountants, scientists, pastors, or writers. Sarah talks about he sees her role as helping others create the authentic lives and work they were made to live, and how that begins by her living autnentically. 
Sarah is such fun to talk to, has such wisdom, insight and passion for creativity and spirituality, and her words are so life giving and inspiring. Take a listen to her today & you'll be inspired to go out and create. 

Poema 007 : Shelly E Johnson on Finding Our Mosaic Of Grace

Today on Poema I'm joined by singer/songwriter/worship leader Shelly E Johnson. Most well-known for writing the powerful worship anthem “Power of the Cross”, which has been recorded by Natalie Grant, Steve Green and is being used in churches worldwide, Shelly has served as worship leader alongside Beth Moore, Tony Nolan, Andy Stanley, and toured North America with renown Irish Hymn-writers Keith & Kristyn Getty.
Today Shelly shares her own powerful story, of losing a parent at an early age, how it impacted her relationship with God and her creative journey. Having lost a parent myself, and as an artist, much of her story resonated with my own, and we explore some deep truths about grief, suffering and the spiritual journey.
We also discuss the true meaning of grace, and how God through our experiences, we have seen how God takes these broken pieces of our lives, and rebuilds them into something more beautiful - a Mosaic Of Grace, the title of one of Shelly's most memorable songs, and the title of my own bestselling book.

Poema 006 : Sarah Bessey on The Creative Altar Of God ( & The Spirituality Of Doctor Who)

Today Sarah Bessey, author of 'Jesus Feminist' and 'Out Of Sorts', joins me on the podcast. We talk about writing and creativity as ways we interact with the divine, and express ourselves spiritually - as well as the spirituality of the TV show Doctor Who.
Sarah talks about writing as her altar, her way of interacting with God, and expressing her spirituality - and how this can be true for all of us in all our creative work, not just the work we share publicly. Sarah and I also talk about authentic creativity really is, and how as artists, we can deal with both criticism and praise in a healthy, Godly way.
Sarah shares with great wisdom and insight, how what we believe about God shows up in every area of our lives - our parenting, our marriages, our work - whatever we do - and why we need to listen to our lives to see where our relationship with God is. 
Finally we talk about our mutual love of the TV show 'Doctor Who', the divine and theological truths we have found in the show, and how the show impacts our spirituality and relationship with God.
Sarah has such fierce integrity, wisdom and compassion, and a genuine love for God and others - talking to her is always such a blessing and again, in this interview, is so inspiring, encouraging and challenging. 

Poema 005 : Matthew Schmitt On The Table Setters & Loving Your Enemies

Today I'm joined by Matthew Schmitt, co-founder of The Table Setters, a new organisation running diversity workshops, and doing consulting that helps to develop culturally integrated lives in churches, schools & businesses in the US.
Matthew and I talk about issues of race and equality in the US today, and the challenge of what it really means to love your enemy. The concept of the Table Setters is to bring people of different perspectives, races, backgrounds, beleifs around the same table and have healthy dialogue, and Matthew and I discuss together what this looks like - in particular in the current political climate in the US.
And with the election of Donald Trump as President, we talk about how progressives and conservatives, instead of hating on each other, might follow Jesus example, come around a table together, and hear each others stories - and how that is what may bring about the change we desperately need.
Matthew is a truly inspiring man, doing some groundbreaking work, and his words will both encourage and challenge you. 

Poema 004: Kyle Strobel On Harry Potter & The Christian Way Of Power

Today, theologian and author Kyle Strobel joins me to talk about the challenging topic of what true wisdom is, and Christianity in relation to the concept of power - and how this has been misunderstood and abused.
Kyle and his colleague Jamin Goggin have interviewed some of the oldest and wisest prominent Christian leaders and learned a lot about what true Christ-like wisdom. We discuss how, in fact, the way of Jesus is about surrender, about giving up power, not claiming more and more. We talk about the myth of Christian celebrity, and Kyle shares the powerful metaphor of Harry Potter, and how his story is a metaphor for this in many ways, and what the story of Harry Potter has to say to our own spiritual journeys.
This is a fascinating insight into important issues of power, wisdom and surrender - and Kyle has great wisdom on the topic. Definitely worth a listen!
*****
Kyle's new book 'The Way Of The Dragon Or The Way of the Lamb', which explores this topic in much more depth, releases Jan 25. 

Poema 003: Shane Claiborne on Executing Grace & The End Of The Death Penalty

The inspiring author, speaker and activist Shane Claiborne joins me today. He talks about his most recent work in campaigning for the end of the death penalty in the US. 
Shane passionately and with great wisdom shares about how the death penalty is about more issues than justice - it's about race, equality, and about grace.
He shares some moving testimonies of people on death row, and argues that as Christians we are called to believe that no one, not even murderers, are beyond redemption, and for an approach to justice which begins with grace, with mercy - and beginning to see all people as God sees them.
This is one of the most inspiring interviews I've ever done - and whether you're Christian or not, this will challenge, encourage and inspire you. 
 
Quotes:
"The death penalty has survived not despite Christians but because of us. The Bible belt is the death belt."
"We live in a world where violence is pervasive, we've created this myth of redemptive violence, this myth we can fight violence with violence. Violence is the problem, not the solution. The disease, not the cure"
"Support for the death penalty has hit historic lows"
"Jesus was an executed, forgiving victim of tremendous violence, who died with grace on His lips, saying 'Father forgive them, they don't know what they're doing'. That should change us."

Poema 002 : Max Strom On Healthy Breathing & Why There Is No App For Happiness

For my first Poema interview I welcome Max Strom.  Max is an author of several books, including 'A Life Worth Breathing' and 'There Is No App For Happiness'. Max speaks and trains people all over the world around these topics, and has also spoken at TED.
Max is passionate about us all having a holistic, healthier rhythm to life, and teaches healthy breathing exercises and routines, including some yoga-based exercises.
Max and I talk about what a healthy breathing pattern really looks like, how anxiety can be directly linked to grief, and also touch on the damage our culture's addiction to social media can do to our personal well-being.
Max has great wisdom and provides some genuine, healthier alternatives to the rhythms we often choose live by and consumerism can pressurise us to follow, refreshing alternatives which can help us all lead a healthier life, inside and out.

Poema 001 : What Is Poema?

Today 'James Talks' relaunches as the 'Poema Podcast'. This week we have three episodes - today, tomorrow and Thursday. The others will have very special guests, today's is the first of some reflective episodes - all of these will be hosted and curated by me, James Prescott.
In this first episode, Poema's I'll be talking about the changes to the podcast, what we'll be doing in this first season of the 'Poema Podcast'. I also explore what this word 'Poema' really means, its roots in scripture, and how it's fundamental to us exploring our identity, finding our calling, and stepping out in faith to create the life God intended us to live.
I unpack the idea that we're all God's masterpiece, our lives are works of art - and share how if we root ourselves in grace, we can be liberated to create the life God always wanted for us - and ultimately, help create a better world.