Sanctuary First

Neil Urquhart meets with well known author Steve Aisthorp. Steve is a former Mission worker in Nepal, and most recently longtime Church of Scotland pioneer mission development worker. Realising he had become cautious and comfortable, Steve left full-time employment, not knowing where his next step would be. Out of that ’Stew’ came ‘Kilmalieu’ (Kilmaloo). Here’s the story to inspire and encourage us in listening to God; retreating to advance in God’s Will. Join us as we discover, faith hope and stories of grief in the Church of Scotland. Come! Emmaus, Emerge from the gloom. Come Holy Spirit Come! Listen to the previous: Episode Eighteen - Community Church

“Let’s pick up our wheelbarrow and our fork and go into the stables and muck out…” Laura Digan invites us back to the stables to muck out as she reflects once again on Wild Jesus! Wild Encounters! What can the digging of dogs, the singing of birds and the munching of horses teach us about the wild ways of our Wild Messiah? Listen to our new mini-series to find out! These episodes are a collaboration between Laura Digan and James Cathcart for Sanctuary First and features music from ‘Have You Room For Love?’ by The Bogle Band. Like this kind of thing? Check out our recent Five Tastes mini-series.

“As we walk up to the field let us just breathe and take in the scenes around us…” Laura Digan invites us to the stables as she reflects on Wild Jesus! Wild Encounters! What can the digging of dogs, the singing of birds and the munching of horses teach us about the wild ways of our Wild Messiah? Listen to our new mini-series to find out! These episodes are a collaboration between Laura Digan and James Cathcart for Sanctuary First and features music from ‘Have You Room For Love?’ by The Bogle Band. Like this kind of thing? Check out our recent Five Tastes mini-series.

Together, Neil Urquhart and Jo Black meet with Worship Coordinator Jo Love & Community Development Worker Catriona Milligan from Gorbals Parish Church, who share on the synergies of Spirit, souls, teams, and Jesus’ Love. It’s raw, real, relevant and a right good listen! Join us as we discover, faith hope and stories of grief in the Church of Scotland. Come! Emmaus, Emerge from the gloom. Come Holy Spirit Come! Listen to the previous: Episode Seventeen - Youth Ministry for the Whole Church

“Watching birds and listening to them runs deep, because we’ve always done it…” James invites us to the garden as he reflects on Wild Jesus! He reflects on why we are drawn to the sounds of birds singing and what they can tell us… Wild Encounters! What can the digging of dogs, the singing of birds and the munching of horses teach us about the wild ways of our Wild Messiah? Listen to our new mini-series to find out! These episodes are a collaboration between Laura Digan and James Cathcart for Sanctuary First and features music from ‘Have You Room For Love?’ by The Bogle Band. Like this kind of thing? Check out our recent Five Tastes mini-series.

“The dogs are sniffing, sniffing about the hedgerows, they’ve got the smell of something…” Laura Digan invites us on a dog walk as she reflects on Wild Jesus! As the dogs bound about she is inspired by their antics to ask us thought provoking questions. Wild Encounters! What can the digging of dogs, the singing of birds and the munching of horses teach us about the wild ways of our Wild Messiah? Listen to our new mini-series to find out! These episodes are a collaboration between Laura Digan and James Cathcart for Sanctuary First and features music from ‘Have You Room For Love?’ by The Bogle Band. Like this kind of thing? Check out our recent Five Tastes mini-series.

Together, Neil Urquhart and Jo Black meet with Joel Nicholas, Youth Minister from Gorebridge Parish Church about the fruit of their long term intentional investment in young people and the ways they are seeking to equip and train new youth pastors for wider Scotland. It’s a really encouraging listen – don’t miss it! Join us as we discover, faith hope and stories of grief in the Church of Scotland. Come! Emmaus, Emerge from the gloom. Come Holy Spirit Come! Listen to the previous: Episode Sixteen - Conflict and Reconciliation

Laura and Linda are back with a new season of podcasts. This second episode explores the life of Gladys Aylward, who overcame many obstacles to be a missionary in China. Gladys Aylward was a determined woman. Once she felt the call to the mission field, she refused to allow any excuses to hold her back. She chose to follow God’s call to serve in China even though she had little money and was unable to make it through missionary school. God used her to reach a whole community in China with the Gospel and help 100 children flee to safety during WWII. Each month Laura and Linda welcome a guest to discuss the women of the Bible - the well-known women, the loved women, the unnamed women and the forgotten women. Each month they will also spend time talking about issues affecting women today.

Together, Neil Urquhart, Ruth Kennedy and Verene Nicolas discuss the use of non violent communication in the process of conflict and reconciliation within the Church. Join us as we discover, faith hope and stories of grief in the Church of Scotland. Come! Emmaus, Emerge from the gloom. Come Holy Spirit Come! Listen to the previous: Episode Fifteen - Community Church

Episode 5: Salt “This can’t be the end. I thought there was more to it. We all thought there was more to it. He can’t have died for nothing. I thought there was more to it. More to Jesus. I’m going to make soup.” This Holy Saturday Laura concludes our series, imagining how an exhausted disciple might have felt on that bittersweet day, and the salt that stirs them to action. The final episodes in a sequence of five audio meditations running daily Tuesday - Saturday of Holy Week. Poetry, drama, music, and prayer come together and invite us to rediscover the wonder of Easter through our tastebuds. Each day we focus on one of the five tastes to experience the vividness of these timeless events in a new way. We will see how harshness, deliciousness, acidity, richness and tanginess can draw us further and deeper into this world-changing, universe-changing, week. The series is a collaboration between James Cathcart and Laura Digan and features music from ‘Have You Room For Love?’ by The Bogle Ban

Episode 4: Umami “Agnus Dei. Your body broken for us Your blood shed for us Pause Your body broken for me Your blood shed for me” On this Good Friday Laura and James take us to the foot of the cross to contemplate the unstoppable love of Agnus Dei, the Lamb of God. This is a series of five audio meditations running daily Tuesday - Saturday of Holy Week. Poetry, drama, music, and prayer come together and invite us to rediscover the wonder of Easter through our tastebuds. Each day we focus on one of the five tastes to experience the vividness of these timeless events in a new way. We will see how harshness, deliciousness, acidity, richness and tanginess can draw us further and deeper into this world-changing, universe-changing, week. The series is a collaboration between James Cathcart and Laura Digan and features music from ‘Have You Room For Love?’ by The Bogle Band. Listen to Episode 1: Bitter Listen to Episode 2: Sweet Listen to Episode 3: Sour

Episode 3: Sour “Sour, stale bodies make preparations, hands shaking, hands questioning if this will be the last time the last time we’re all together acidic words are exchanged words that bite there is excitement and unease faith and doubt mystery and wonder…” This Maundy Thursday James takes us to the upper room of the Last Supper where the animated and anxious disciples gather in an atmosphere of electric anticipation. A series of five audio meditations running daily Tuesday - Saturday of Holy Week. Poetry, drama, music, and prayer come together and invite us to rediscover the wonder of Easter through our tastebuds. Each day we focus on one of the five tastes to experience the vividness of these timeless events in a new way. We will see how harshness, deliciousness, acidity, richness and tanginess can draw us further and deeper into this world-changing, universe-changing, week. The series is a collaboration between James Cathcart and Laura Digan and features music from ‘Have You Room Fo

Episode 2: Sweet “Breathe in the sweetness, in and out, in and out. Gaze upon his face Breath in his love…” Listen as Laura takes us to Bethany and writes in the second person to immerse us in the story of Jesus’s anointing with sweet nard. A series of five audio meditations running daily Tuesday - Saturday of Holy Week. Poetry, drama, music, and prayer come together and invite us to rediscover the wonder of Easter though our tastebuds. Each day we focus on one of the five tastes to experience the vividness of these timeless events in a new way. We will see how harshness, deliciousness, acidity, richness and tanginess can draw us further and deeper into this world-changing, universe-changing, week. The series is a collaboration between James Cathcart and Laura Digan and features music from ‘Have You Room For Love?’ by The Bogle Band. Listen to Episode 1: Bitter

Episode 1: Bitter “A small palmful of these bitter leaves are picked for Thursday for the meal that will become the last supper they are sought out of this dense overgrown garden while outside even now there are voices clamouring for a saviour, for a rebel, a warlord, an avenging angel…” Listen as James takes us to the brooding atmosphere as Holy Week begins, tensions mount, and bitter herbs are gathered. A series of five audio meditations running daily Tuesday - Saturday of Holy Week. Poetry, drama, music, and prayer come together and invite us to rediscover the wonder of Easter through our tastebuds. Each day we focus on one of the five tastes to experience the vividness of these timeless events in a new way. We will see how harshness, deliciousness, acidity, richness and tanginess can draw us further and deeper into this world-changing, universe-changing, week. The series is a collaboration between James Cathcart and Laura Digan and features music from ‘Have You Room For Love?’ by T

This week on the Emerging Emmaus Podcast we spoke to Anne Stott who is the community minister at Bertha Park in Perth. Watch the new episode live on Wednesday at 7pm, catch previous episodes on Sanctuary First, Spotify and Apple Podcasts Download the App: www.sanctuaryfirst.org.uk/app

Laura and Linda are back with a new season of podcasts. This first episode explores the unnamed Samaritan woman that Jesus met in John chapter 4. The Woman at the Well. She is never named, yet her encounter with Jesus is the longest between the Messiah and any other individual in the Gospel of John. Representing the lowest of the low — a female in a society where women are both demeaned and disregarded, a race traditionally despised by Jews, and living in shame as a social outcast — she not only has a holy encounter with Christ but also receives eternal salvation. And her testimony convinces an entire town to believe, too. Each month Laura and Linda welcome a guest to discuss the women of the Bible - the well-known women, the loved women, the unnamed women and the forgotten women. Each month they will also spend time talking about issues affecting women today.

This week on the Emerging Emmaus Podcast we spoke to Peter Neilson about Church Without Walls and where we are at now within the Church of Scotland. Watch the new episode live on Wednesday at 7pm, catch previous episodes on Sanctuary First, Spotify and Apple Podcasts Download the App: www.sanctuaryfirst.org.uk/app

Introducing Creation and The Creator! Sanctuary First’s Green Christian Network Laura Digan and Laura Miller continue our Green Chistian Network series with Episode Two of our Creation & The Creator podcast. This time we are talking all about Food Waste! Every month there will be new material diving into a different idea around the enviroment where we will encourage each of you to take part and start your own projects at the end of the month, we will conclude with an online Green Christian Network group where we take time to pray and encourage each other to care for God’s beautiful creation. Read the Laura Millers blog on Harvesting & Composting: Gathering What We Need Find out more about the end of month group: Green Christian Network

This week on the Emerging Emmaus Podcast we spoke to Barry Hughes about Divine Interventions and being in the right place at the right time. Watch the new episode live on Wednesday at 7pm, catch previous episodes on Sanctuary First, Spotify and Apple Podcasts Download the App: www.sanctuaryfirst.org.uk/app

This time we are speaking to Rev William Boyle all about the community that has grown out of Port Glasgow New Parish Church, and how working together can help us to build better communities where all can bring there gifts of the spirit to the table. Together, Neil Urquhart, Ruth Kennedy explore the stories of struggle and perseverance within the church allowing Jesus to renew our vision & vigour for His New Life. Join us as we discover, faith hope and stories of grief in the Church of Scotland. Come! Emmaus, Emerge from the gloom. Come Holy Spirit Come! Listen to the previous: Episode Eleven - Mission & Change