Train Wrecks for Jesus
Revs. Mark Townsend and Maggy Whitehouse are both ordained vicars ... and self-confessed f**k ups for Jesus. From spoonerisms at weddings, through breakdowns, divorce, failed emigration, shark attack (truly!) and back down to everyday stupidity and forgetfulness, we’ve lived and worked with the humiliation of failure for most of our lives. But every time we have fallen short, Grace and goodness have been the result even if it has only been the justified reduction of our egos. And this is our message - that it’s okay to be a Christian catastrophe (or any other kind of catastrophe for that matter). In fact, it’s pretty much essential in order to understand what Jesus was all about. Today we share some of our stories, have some laughs and we hope you will join us in future sessions by sharing your own f**k ups for Jesus (or Buddha or Krishna or ... or ... or). Remember, the cracks are where the light can get in. PLEASE NOTE: ABUNDANT USE OF THE F-WORD.
Listen on:
Episodes
Wednesday Jun 26, 2024
Wednesday Jun 26, 2024
This is one of Maggy's bugbears - and she wrote a whole book about it, 'The Marriage of Jesus' (O Books). But to find out her conclusions from decades of research, I'm afraid you'll have to listen. We also look at why culture wants Mary Magdalene to be Jesus' wife and the legends of Mary and Joseph of Arimathea, the Merovingians and Glastonbury.
Wednesday Jun 12, 2024
Wednesday Jun 12, 2024
Today Mark talks (a little and very modestly - writes Maggy) about some of the amazing weddings and other ceremonies he has been involved in, including the marriage of Mick Jagger's daughter, Jade. But we look a little deeper than the traditional terms of 'success' in that the greatest success is to understand (stand under) the needs of those who come to us as their ministers and celebrants.
Wednesday May 29, 2024
Wednesday May 29, 2024
An excellent question! Gives us both a chance to rant a little about the problems of religion/society/ego as opposed to the lore of love. We humans rarely follow the natural law of reciprocity (a word Maggy appears to be constitutionally incapable of pronouncing :-D ) and appear to be increasingly mired in the ego's 'I want! I take!'z
So where do we go from here? We're not sure we have a conclusion. Still, at least we're not talking about the choice between a man and a bear...
Wednesday May 15, 2024
Wednesday May 15, 2024
That's a slightly misleading title but as we both love the music of the Rolling Stones, we couldn't resist. Today we are discussing the devil. Does it really exist? Why do we need it? Did we create it? And what's its purpose? Much food for thought.
Wednesday May 01, 2024
Wednesday May 01, 2024
On ancient maps, once the far reaches of the undiscovered lands were chronicled, they often wrote 'here be dragons.' Dragons are mythical beasts and today we look at how myths can often be far truer than literal reality. It's myth we embrace every time we look for a perennial truth - a truth that is true always and everywhere as opposed to all the partial truths of the modern world. That doesn't mean that physical dragons exist - but energetic ones certainly do. 'I don't know if it happened and I don't know if it didn't happen but I know that the story is true.'
Wednesday Apr 17, 2024
Wednesday Apr 17, 2024
Today Mark tells us about his wonderful book of the same name as our title - Jesus Through Pagan Eyes. it's half written by him and half in the form of interviews with Pagans who love the teachings of Jesus; Christianity not so much (and we're both on board with that).
Foreword by Dr Matthew Fox.
Fascinating stuff!
Tuesday Apr 02, 2024
Tuesday Apr 02, 2024
Today we are looking at the ancient culture of revering relics, whether it's the bones of saints, a sliver of the 'true cross' or the Virgin Mary's wedding ring. Are these things icons or idols? What percentage are simply fake and, when it comes to faith, does that actually matter?
Wednesday Mar 20, 2024
Wednesday Mar 20, 2024
Today Mark is talking beautiful sense about Easter and what it means to him and we look at the Easter/Oestre stories and the perennial wisdom which bleeds through everywhere that humanity will let it...
Wednesday Mar 06, 2024
Wednesday Mar 06, 2024
Today we are discussing the levels of meaning in the phrase 'Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ' and that whole Garden of Eden thing of Original Sin (a concept only presented in the fourth century and one unknown within Judaism). We both love Jesus and Christ but there's a lot of unravelling to do to dissolve so much difficult energy around the idea that only Jesus can save us - and that he is saving us from a God so cruel he would sacrifice his own begotten son. If God's that harsh, who can truly love him?
Wednesday Feb 21, 2024
Wednesday Feb 21, 2024
As this is the Christian season of Lent, we're looking at our feelings and practices for the season and whether it's at all helpful! The tradition of 40 days being a time of clearing out and re-setting long pre-dates Christianity so what's its real ourpose?