Sunday Sanctuary with Petra Bagust rova

Let's be real, death is not something that most of us are comfortable talking about. Who wants to think about the death of family or friends until we absolutely have to? As it turns out, beginning to talk about death before it is strictly necessary can do so much for when we are faced with the reality. To clarify, in this episode of Sunday Sanctuary we are not talking about sudden, unexpected death. This episode we are talking about the eventuality of natural death that faces everyone.

Join Petra Bagust as she talks to paliative care nurses and clergy alike, to unpack the advantages of opening ourselves to conversations about the end of life. First up, Petra heads south to talk to Ann, a palliative care nurse (and mum of producer Sam), about her experiences of walking alongside many families as they face the death of a loved one. Later in the episode, Petra is joined by Anglican minister and chaplain to New Zealand's film industry, Kevin Denholm (otherwise affectionately known as Rev Kev ;). Kevin had a slightly different summer to most, leading eight funerals for residents of Aotea/Great Barrier Island. Haere Mai!

Sacred Texts: 

The Tale of the Three Brothers from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I

Featured Music:


Fourth of July by Sufjan Stevens
Someone Great by LCD Soundsystem (Lyrics)
Pine Trees by Mary Lattimore (played during the contemplative practice)
Statue Of A Woman by Novo Amor (played at the end of Ann's interview)

Books suggested by Ann:


With the End in Mind by Kathryn Mannix
Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
Being Mortal by Atul Gawande
When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
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There is a special sort of unsettled feeling reserved for moving to a new place, even if it's just across town. The destabilisation that so often comes with a new locale can linger for a while as we re-establish where home is for us. Although, sometimes the place we consider home stays the same while we move. Either way, this tricky feeling can be a tough one to navigate.

Come on a journey with your host Petra Bagust, as she talks to producer Josh about his childhood, which was spent between Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Thailand. Hear one man's story of his father's move from Taiwan to the USA in the '60s, and finally, our Community Life segment is released out into the wild, as producer Sam heads to Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland's Cornwall Park!

Sacred Text


Stay True (pages 11-12) by Hua Hsu

Featured Music


Hell Hole by Erny Belle
Bounty by Tiny Ruins
Nathan Haines' cover of International Flight by David Snell (played during Community Life)
Summer's End by Julie Byrne (played during the benediction)
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When was the last time you faced disappointment? When you look back at that time, did it seem like the feeling sat with you for a long time? Disappointment is one of those feelings most of us would love to move along from as soon as possible. What if, however, there is a different way of looking at disappointment, and maybe even some good to be found within....

Join Petra Bagust on this special episode as our Atlas of the Heart segment with Grace McArthur returns for the first time in 2024! Petra also heads to the Life FM studio in Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland to talk with Sela Alo about his view on disappointment.

Sacred Texts


Atlas of the Heart (pages 43-52) by Brené Brown
My So Called Lungs (18:53 - 21:13) by Radio Diaries

Featured Music


Let Down by Radiohead
Money or the Bag by French for Rabbits
Rivers That You Cannot See by North Americans (played during Benediction)
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We've all heard the saying that comparison is the thief of joy. But have you ever thought about how many different areas of our lives it applies to? We can spend so much of our time worrying that we aren't keeping up or meeting some unspoken expectations. So how do we learn to run our own race?

In this episode, Petra Bagust talks to two wonderful guests (who are also good friends in real life), counsellor Charlotte Cummings and Baptist Pastor James Beck.

Sacred Texts


Baby Race from Bluey
There's a Hole in the Sidewalk by Portia Nelson

Featured Music


Let Me Get There by Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions ft. Kurt Vile
Stressed Out by Twenty One Pilots
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Wouldn't it be nice to just have all the answers? We're sure you've had moments of wishing it was possible to skip all of the tension and uncertainty, replacing it with sure-footed confidence. Unfortunately, that is not the reality we live in. There is, however, much to gain and learn from embracing the mystery of life. You might even find some hope.

In this episode, Petra Bagust is joined by development coach Nikki Bray and Rev. Spanky Moore, who share their insights and experiences with learning to embrace mystery.

Sacred Texts


From Here to There by Nikki Bray (buy a copy here)
John 20:24-29 (Tree of Life version)
The Welcoming Prayer by Thomas Keating

Featured Music


New Wanders by Motte (played during Nikki's reading)
Mysterious Ways by U2
If the Sun Is Shining by Zach Winters
Le Moulin by Yann Tiersen (from the incredible film Amélie)

The article from The May Magazine that Petra mentions at the beginning of the episode can be found here.
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Isn't it so true that as we journey through this thing called life that we are often experiencing both highs and lows at the very same time, usually colliding into each other? Like going home for a holiday but then falling sick while there, or celebrating a child's wedding but also grieving the season change, or as shared by one of you - throwing up while hiking and feeling awful but also enjoying the incredible view.

In this episode, Petra Bagust speaks with Hana Seddon of The Salvation Army and author of Beholding, Strahan Coleman, about their experiences of navigating the duality of life's highs and lows.

Sacred Texts


Excerpt from My Inner Sky by Mari Andrew
Clip from Are You Mental?'s Depression episode (2020), produced by Mick Andrews
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