This week, Mark reflects on the prophets Zechariah and Isaiah. He explores what it means to rejoice in God’s coming, looking back to Jesus’ first Advent and forward to the hope of what is yet to come.

You’ll hear how Jesus arrived humbly to bring salvation and peace, and how Isaiah invites us to imagine a future where God’s justice and love transform everything.

By the end, Mark hopes you’ll feel inspired to experience God in a fresh, joyful way this Advent.

Enjoyed the series? 

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In this week’s Advent episode, tutor Jenny Corcoran reflects on the prophet Ezekiel in a way that’s challenging and comforting.

She shows how God notices everything – our worries, our exhaustion, and the times we feel overlooked. Jenny shows that God doesn’t watch from a distance; he steps in and takes action.

Jenny talks honestly about what happens when leaders fail and why God’s response in Ezekiel still speaks to our lives.

By the end of the episode, we hope you’ll feel a renewed sense of Advent hope and a deeper awareness of God’s care, even when life feels messy and uncertain.

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In episode 2, ‘Isaiah’, you’ll hear how holiness meets human frailty, and why Isaiah’s ‘Woe is me’ still speaks today. You’ll also hear how God helps us face life with courage and love.

Alan also explores the heartbreak in Isaiah’s calling and the quiet hope that leads us to Christ. Through visions of smoke, shaking thresholds, and God’s grief, he invites you to notice Christ’s presence in the unexpected this Advent.

If you’ve ever longed to see God amid noise, fear, or doubt, this episode is for you.

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In this first rousing episode, Thomas Sharp, Tutor in Pastoral Theology, reflects on the Prophet Zephaniah and what it means to rejoice when the world feels like it’s still burning.

Moving between ancient Jerusalem and our modern age, Thomas explores fear, injustice, hope, and the strange joy of God’s kingdom breaking through. He invites us to see rejoicing as a witness to hope, love, and God-with-us.

If you’ve ever wondered how to lift your heart in the face of fear, debt, and violence, this episode is for you.

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This year, you’re invited to take a thoughtful journey through Advent – the season that leads us towards the celebration of Christmas.

Each Sunday of Advent, join Revd Dr Alan Gregory and St Augustine’s theology tutors as they explore the voices of the prophets and connect them with the hopes, challenges, and fears of life today.

In this trailer, Alan shares what you can expect from the four-part series and how these weekly reflections may inspire you as you move towards Christmas.

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Welcome to Lent and Loving, the final episode of St Augustine’s College of Theology’s Lent 2025 podcast. 

This week, our principal, Alan Gregory, invites you to reflect on love—its challenges and its power.

As the philosopher Thomas Hobbes once suggested, does self-interest drive us, or are we wired for deeper connection? From everyday kindness to life’s greatest sacrifices, love is at the heart of being human.

Alan challenges us to go beyond surface-level kindness and embrace love fully. Love stirs our longings, but it is agape—the self-giving love of God—that transforms lives. 

Lent is a time to practice this love: to forgive, serve, and extend grace, even when it’s difficult.

As we approach Easter, Alan encourages us to take small but intentional steps toward love, trusting that even the smallest seed of love can grow into something extraordinary.

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Can Lent be a season of profound hope?

This week, we welcome Fr Stanley Njoka, vicar of St Catherine’s in Hatcham and tutor in Pastoral Ministry at St Augustine’s. 

In this episode, we explore how Lent isn’t just about sacrifice, fasting, and self-denial - it’s a time of hope. 

Stanley reflects on how prayer, fasting, and almsgiving can be powerful acts of hope, inviting us to trust that God is at work, even in times of struggle. 

Join us as we reflect on the hope that Easter brings and how Lent can help us experience that hope in the present moment. 

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This week, The Revd Dr Rebecca Swyer explores how saying sorry isn’t about guilt or shame but the deep joy of making peace with God.

Through personal stories and worldly reflections, she talks about how small moments of repentance can transform our hearts and bring us closer to God. 

As we journey from Lent to Easter, we invite you to see repentance as a way to freedom, renewal and joy.

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Do you struggle to stay present? In this second episode, our principal, Alan Gregory, reflects on Lent as a time not as rigid self-denial but as a chance to truly engage with life.

With humour (including a story about spending Ash Wednesday in a Texas courtroom), personal tales, and hard-hitting observations, he explores distraction, attentiveness, and the beauty of noticing nature and the people around us. 

Alan also shares three simple Lent exercises to help you live more fully this season. 

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Lent invites us to slow down and reflect on life's deeper meaning. And to begin this journey, Bishop Martin, Bishop of Kingston, invites you to think about what it means to rejoice in our mortality.

With warmth and honesty, he discusses the emotions that come with knowing life is finite.

Through personal stories, poetry, and wisdom from Christian liturgy, he shows how faith can help us find sorrow, gratitude, and even joy in the face of death.

This week is a time to pause and think about the deeper meaning of life and listen to a message of hope this Lenten season.

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This time around, we’re going to speak up for joy in Lent and help you find some. Over the course of this season, we’ll bring you five different takes on Lenten joy:

- Rejoicing in Mortality

- The Joy of Forgetting Oneself

- The Joy of Saying Sorry

- Lent and Hopefulness

- Lent and Loving

Find out more about this exciting podcast series from our college principal, Rev Dr Alan Gregory.

And you can find our podcast on our YouTube channel, on podcast apps, or on our website: www.staugustinescollege.ac.uk/audio-retreats

In Vulnerability and Peace, the final episode of the 2024 Advent Audio Retreat, Jenny Corcoran from St Augustine’s College of Theology explores how vulnerability and worship connect us to God’s promises, even amid life’s chaos.

This reflective episode invites you to find stillness and peace through God’s work during Advent. 

If you’re seeking hope and courage this season, don’t miss this final reflection to round off our 2024 Advent Audio Retreat series.

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Together, we’ll consider how anger can be both a motivator and a troublemaker and explore the delicate balance of using it for good.

With raw examples and thoughtful reflections, this episode is inspiring and practical, encouraging us to fight for what we love without losing sight of who we are.

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Exploring how Advent reveals a deeper reality at work, Guido shares reflections on finding the strength to face personal and global challenges with renewed hope and purpose.

If you’re looking for encouragement to persevere and not let fear take over, this episode is for you.

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Together, we’ll explore the tension between present struggles and the promise of renewal. We'll also take a fresh look at the Earth Bible Project, hearing creation's voice amid ecological challenges and considering our role in its story.

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Listen along as we count down the days of Advent together. Through these reflections, we’ll explore the beauty and challenges of our world and uncover the courage and hope found in God’s promise.

In this video, our principal, Alan Gregory, shares what makes this four-part audio retreat so inspiring and moving.

Starting on 1st December, St Augustine’s staff offer reflections over the four Sundays of Advent, helping us pray and prepare for the adventus that is Christmas. 

Tune in next Sunday (1st December) to catch the first episode: Longing and Hope, with Simon Stocks. New episodes every Sunday until 22nd December!

Subscribe to our YouTube channel or sign up for our newsletter to receive an email every Sunday with everything you need to listen along: 

http://staugustinescollege.ac.uk/newsletter/

Every week, we’ll also upload the latest episode to our website: 

http://staugustinescollege.ac.uk/news/

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Keen to listen to past audio retreats? Browse our complete collection here: 

http://staugustinescollege.ac.uk/audio-retreats/

Interested in theological study? St Augustine’s College of Theology offers flexible study options for everyone—from ordination training to undergraduate, postgraduate and taster terms. Discover our courses and join a diverse, welcoming community: 

http://staugustinescollege.ac.uk