Sunday Sanctuary with Petra Bagust

Are we living in an age that's ugly by design? This question arose after Petra and producer Sam read an article by the writer Andrew Shamy. The second in a series called "The Museum of Things We've Lost", Andrew unpacks the role of beauty and the consequences of its absence. In this episode of Sunday Sanctuary, Petra is joined by both Andrew and architectural design lecturer Abby Temby-Spence. As always, space is made for reflectio...

Prayer is something found is almost every culture and society in the world. It's so ubiquitous that even some of those who descibe themselves as non-religious or atheist have resorted to prayer at times. In this episode of Sunday Sanctuary, Petra goes looking for answers about the different forms that prayer can take, and what role it can play in our lives. Along the way, she talks to broadcaster and champion of the Māori language,...

What goals or ambitions do you have? Have you ever thought about the way you're working towards them? In this episode of Sunday Sanctuary, Petra Bagust explores what it might look like to re-define our idea of success. Along the way, she talks to Emily Looker, one half of the band Aro. Producer Sam also introduces Petra to some crazy runners and to Taufa Lavemaau, a boxer who shares his journey towards the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Sacr...

Breathe in. Breathe out. Such simple instructions that can make a huge difference, especially when we pay attention to our breath and how we feel. When was the last time, however, that you thought about breathe as being essential to life? 

In this episode of Sunday Sanctuary, Petra explores the importance of breathe and it's link to spirit. Along the way she talks with Manuel Beazley, the vicar for māori in the Catholic dioces...

It is so often our differences that divide people, but have you ever noticed the beauty in difference? In this episode of Sunday Sanctuary, Petra goes in search of what that means, and why difference is something o be desired, despite it's challenges.

Dame Anne Salmond is Petra's first guest. She lays out the advantages of difference at an anthropological level (as she is so good at doing!)

Rev Brett Jones is up next! Leader of the...

For the first time in Sunday Sanctuary's history, we a re-running an episode! We want to take you back to Easter 2023, and bring back an episode that has turned into a bit of a time capsule. While the events discussed in the episode are no longer so immediately relevant today, the conversations had and points made are still relevant to us today. It's also interesting to look back at the show at a point in time when we didn't know w...

Nature has seasons, the transitions between which can be difficult for many people. Life also has seasons. How do we navigate the ending of one part of our life, and the beginning of another? In this episode, Petra is joined by Rev. Frank Ritchie to unpack how he is approaching an upcoming season change in his life. Petra also talks to a group of her own friends, all of whom are in the midst of their own season changes. 

Haere...

What the heck is Lent?! After being introduced to it through talkback radio, Petra decided to go in search of what Lent is all about. If you're curious about what this time of the year is all about, by all means come along!

In this episode of Sunday Sanctuary, Petra's first stop was to talk to the pride of Tairua, Strahan Coleman. You've likely heard Strahan on the show before, and this time he helped to unpack why Lent is about mo...

When was the last time you asked yourself what your spirituality/faith is for? On this episode, Petra risks rattling a few cages with a message that doesn't sit alongside what wider society often tells us. Joining Petra to explore the purpose of faith is Arch-Bishop Justin Duckworth and Kate Hall (@ethicallykate on Insta).

Petra and Justin unpack their discussion that they had on Aotea/Great Barrier Island over summer. If you've be...

What's the power of taking just one step? That's what Petra Bagust looks into on this episode of Sunday Sanctuary. When the journey ahead is too big to comprehend, or you have more than one option available, what would happen if we took one step?

In this episode, Petra talks to co-founder of the charity One Mother to Another and former 1News Europe correspondent, Joy Reid, about her journey with long Covid and learning to take one ...

Whether we like it or not, life is change. Some changes are exciting and welcome and others are just hard. Some happen to us and others we pluck up the courage to make ourselves. In this episode, Petra and her guests delve into the various changes in life - how we deal with difficult change and how we make a daunting, but necessary, change.

We chat with Saul Parkinson, who gave up his well-paid corporate job to pursue his passion o...

Sunday Sanctuary is back for 2025! It is such a privilege to make this show and we are stoked to be returning for another year. This episode is just a small one to say hi, check in, and to be a moment for reflecting on 2024 and think ahead about the year to come.

If you like the show, we would love it if you could tell your friends  and family. One way to do this is by recommending a specific episode that you think someone you...

In what is becoming something of an annual tradition, join Petra Bagust for a mini Sunday Sanctuary episode made specially for Christmas Eve. Petra is joined in this episode by Michael Frost (church leader and host of the podcast In The Shift). The two talk about how Michael has changed from being "an Easter guy" to being able to embrace Christmas again, in amongst whatever life might be like at the time. Michael also wrote the ben...

You've made it to the end of the year! However you are feeling about the current Advent season and the coming of Christmas, you are welcome to join Petra and producer Sam to reflect on and wrap up Sunday Sanctuary for 2024. Petra and Sam create a mixtape of interview clips that have stuck with them this year, as well as music for your Christmas and summer. There is some space for reflecting on this year and Petra and Sam hear what ...

How would you describe your sense of connection with nature? Is it something you think about very often? One way or another, we are all part of the larger eco-system on this planet, and as such, we have a role to play within it. 

In this episode of Sunday Sanctuary with Petra Bagust, dive into the beginning of an exploration into how we connect with nature. Up first, Petra sends producer Sam to meet his friend Nat Duchesne, Nationa...

Sunday Sanctuary has teamed up with the Makers and Mystics podcast to bring you this episode on reclaiming wonder! Stephen Roach from Makers and Mystics is Petra's guest on this episode of Sunday Sanctuary as they explore the different ways that noticing the small wonders of the world can re-open, restore and change lives. Petra and Stephen look at finding wonder largely through the lens of creativity, but no matter how creative yo...

Considering the number of people who are constantly chasing after contentment, you'd think someone would have found a tried and true formula by now, right? Unfortunately, it seems we need to keep looking, if such a formula even exists (which after making this episode of Sunday Sanctuary seems increasingly unlikely).

Trusting in a comment he once heard that it's more interesting to hear from someone still working it out as opposed t...

For a practice with a long history in legal and religious settings, on this episode of Sunday Sanctuary, Petra Bagust goes looking for the benefits of bringing confession into more regular, everyday use. What difference would it make to more regularly put words to what is actually going on for us? Or as Petra puts it, "making our insides match our outsides."

Come along as Petra talks to Grace McArthur for our reccuring segment, Atl...