I would not have described myself as a podcast person. My radio channels of choice have always been music based and I rarely listened to the radio. I have tried various e-readers but found they pale in comparison to an actual physical book.
So what converted me to the point where I not only listen to some but have 5 I want to share?
Washing the dishes.
Having something that is more than background but actively engages my mind while I scrub pans has meant I’ve been known to say ‘It’s not your turn to wash up, it’s mine’ just because I have a podcast lined up. So here is what’s been keeping my kitchen clean and my mind active:
The Bible Project
I was already a fan of their videos when I started listening to this. It’s so good than when an episode outlast the time it takes me to do the dishes - which is often - I will continue to clean the house so that don’t have to press pause. I have a binge-y approach to podcasts so I like to look for a miniseries, on the wisdom books or the tree of life, and listen to all of those over a few weeks then wait a while and find a different theme. Their deep dives into the Biblical Theology that unlies the videos is well worth a listen however fast or slow you consume it.Knowing Faith
This is probably my favourite. I arrived late to the party and loved it so much I listened to 2 years worth in about 6 months and was devastated when I caught up and had to wait a week for the next episode to come out! Why is it so great? Well, the hosts (Jen Wilkin, JT English, Kyle Worley) love what they’re talking about, they’re not afraid to disagree with each other and stay friends, they have the best guests, they make big theological ideas accessible without talking down to you: they’re like real people!5 Minutes in Church History
This is a fun one. They literally only take 5 minutes but they pack in all the info. They’re so short I will use them as an oven timer and listen to 5 or 6 while something bakes. There’s a lot of the reformation, so Calvin and Luther, but also the less famous including Lady Jane Gray (she’s just my fave), and Francis Grimké. It’s fascinating.Pass the Mic
Is the podcast arm (wing?) of The Witness. They cover a lot of current events, pop-culture and the church all from the perspective of Christians who want to hear Christ first on everything. They also have super interviewees - Leslie Odom Jr and Michael B Jordan so you know this is no lightweight podcast but something you can get your teeth into. They have other podcasts too that I haven’t listened to but I want to, maybe they’ll end up on a future top 5 list.The Bible Recap
This podcast is designed to accompany your daily Bible reading, they have a plan in their show notes. So, I’m not actually following it at the moment - it’s waiting until I’ve finished my current reading plan. At the moment I’m listening to the odd episode that covers whatever book I’m psyching myself up to write a study on. The episodes are short (about 8 minutes) which is the perfect length for when you’ve finished reading the Bible passage, but also means that when you just dip in and out you haven’t had the study prepared for you but you’ve got enough to give you momentum to look deeper into the passage. There are some intro episodes you should listen to before you start - a kind of top tips and enthusiasm builder for the not undaunting task ahead. And a high mark of quality is the acknowlegement that you need to find your best fit - which is what you get here.
These are my top 5 and, since I’m now a podcast person, what else should I be adding to my list? Let me know in the comments below