5 Podcasts You Should Listen To

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:

1. 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.

2. 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!

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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

5 Black Christians You Should Know

One of the joys of being part of God’s family is that our brothers and sisters come from all over the world and from all throughout time. Hearing from those that are from a variety of cultures enriches how we see them, see ourselves and see God too!
As I write people all over the world are marching in support of the Black Lives Matter movement so, I’ve chosen to highlight 5 Black Christians whose lives, voices and theology matter to God and should matter to us too.

1. The Witness
   In their own words they’re a ‘Black Christian collective that engages issues of religion, race, justice and culture from a biblical perspective.’ Because there are many contributors, its perspective is as wide as it is deep and you can read about current events, the arts, church leadership and the family. If you’re on the lookout for excellent Christian blogs then you need to subscribe here: https://thewitnessbcc.com

2. Augustine of Hippo
   Augustine probably makes it on to most lists of Christians you should know, and he absolutely should; he’s so formative to how the church has discussed theology and Christian living. I wanted him on this list because we tend to look back on church history and only see white men. Augustine is a reminder that North Africa and the Middle East were the cultures where the creeds were formed and where the earliest matyrs and theologians lived. (And yes, despite what most paintings of him would have you believe, he’s from Algeria, of Berber ancestry and was certainly black.) Even if you can’t face the entirety of his Confessions it’s long been public domain and is worth dipping into. Or grab a biography - there are literally tons!

3. Thabiti Anyabwile
   From theologians of long ago to those of today: Anyabwile caught my attention as a writer on the Gospel Coalition. I find his blogs very easy to read without being emotionally or spiritually light; which I guess comes from being a pastor and very grounded in the practicalities of theology. While his books are still on my reading list, the titles fill my heart with joy. If you’d like to join the ones on my list are ‘Captivated: Beholding the Mystery of Jesus Death and Resurrection’ and ‘The Life of God in the Soul of the Church’

4. Conrad Mbewe
   We’re returning to Africa now but in the modern day. Mbewe shares his life and experience as a pastor, university director, lecturer, father and birdwatcher in Zambia on his blog: A letter from Kabwata. It’s a great thing to hear the experiences of someone who’s life is so different to mine but also so encouraging that those experiences are soaked in biblical worldview, yes, even the birdwatching.

5. Rosa Parks
   A list like this wouldn’t be complete if we didn’t mention the US Civil Rights movement. I would recommend King’s ‘Why we can’t wait’ to anyone who wants to understand the historic and current struggles of black people in the US. But Rosa Parks’ book ‘Quiet Strength’ resonnated with me more. It introduced me to someone who was fairly ordinary and yet did extraordinary things, not limited to her involvement with the NAACP but also in her work with young people - something close to my heart.

This is only a short top 5 so there isn’t room for more than an honrable mention for H.B Charles Jr, Desmond Tutu, Harriet Tubman, Kirk Franklin, Sojourner Truth and so many others. Who would have made it into your top five? Let us know in the comments below.