Faith as an Anchor in the Storm: Prayer Under Pressure

Oct 11, 2026

8 min read

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Most Sunday services are built to be attended in a room with other people. This one was built around a kitchen table, two dressing gowns, a dog named Coco who had just arrived from America and had opinions about the neighbourhood cats, and a looming court date that the hosts were refusing to let define the hour. In the video "The I of The Storm | SS23," published on 11 October 2026, Russell Brand and his wife Laura run a long, looping, often funny service that keeps returning to a single question: how do you stay anchored to God when the ground under your life is moving? The answer they reach for is not a theory. It is a set of habits, a few spoken prayers, a reading of an old story about a boat in a squall, and a willingness to say out loud that they are nervous. That combination, practised in public, is the thing worth studying here.

The opening minutes set the tone. Before any prayer, the couple riff on their location and their pets, and on a previous visit to the same house when they had filmed a playful clip. Laura's book, The Joy Journal for Magical Everyday Play, is the reference point. In the clip they replay (around the 1:20 mark), she demonstrates upcycled shadow puppets made from things around the house, and the exchange turns into a running joke about a hand-shadow that Russell insists is a pineapple and that she says looks more like a swollen tomato.

It sounds like filler. It isn't, at least not entirely. The shadow-puppet bit is a small argument for the sacred inside the ordinary: a child-like willingness to make something from nothing and treat it seriously enough to laugh at it. Laura's own framing in the clip, which she gave in the book launch, is plain: "Today we're going to be doing upcycled shadow puppets. Literally just stuff you can literally find around the house." The phrase "literally just stuff" carries the whole philosophy. Nothing needs to be special for play, or for prayer, to be real.

The same looseness shapes the service. There are digressions about bad breath, a long aside on apple cider vinegar, and an extended story about a famous Oasis frontman. Brand recalls that Liam Gallagher once told him he was "well into apple cider vinegar," and then, with evident relish, describes the exchange as delivered in the singer's own unhurried register. Whether or not one credits the vinegar, the bit does a structural job. It lowers the temperature so the prayers that follow land with more weight.

The formal part of the service begins with a prayer that moves quickly outward. Brand asks for "safety for the people in Florida as this hurricane approaches," then widens the frame to "all people suffering everywhere" and "all people that have suffered harms." He names connection and unity as central, and then defines the idea in a way that is worth slowing down for: "Relationship is your unity experienced through different individuals. The unitary feeling of oneness."

That definition is a useful key to the whole video. In this framing, unity is not a sentiment that floats above separate people. It is something that happens between them, in relationship, and it can be practised. The prayer then turns to the people who might be watching and feel hostile, asking for peace on them as well. The request is specific and pointed: "whoever's watching this, they have things in their life that are troubling them that they are suffering." For anyone who wants to build a prayer practice, the structure is instructive. Name the immediate danger, name the wider suffering, name the relational ideal, and then name the people you find difficult.

The emotional centre of the first half comes when Brand describes the court period directly. He says the hosts are doing their best to respect legal restrictions around the case, and that the aim is to keep the Sunday service going. Then he names what he thinks the moment asks for:

"More than ever when you are faced with times of challenge, that's when you have to find your footing, your grounded, your anchor, your God... You need to find your personal connection with God."

(Russell Brand, Sunday service video "The I of The Storm | SS23," published 11 October 2026, around the 9:00 mark)

Note what he does not say. He does not promise a particular outcome, and he does not ask viewers to agree with him about the case. He describes a practical discipline: find a footing, and make the connection personal rather than borrowed. That is the kind of advice a person under pressure can use without having to resolve everything else first.

Laura adds a more candid note, sharing that she had been nervous before going to court, not so much about the room itself as about the unfamiliar experience of stepping out of a car into a crowd of photographers and onlookers. Admitting fear in front of an audience is part of the anchor. It refuses the performance of invulnerability and replaces it with the more ordinary task of staying steady together.

The title of the video is "The I of The Storm," and the scriptural spine of the service is the old account of a boat caught in a violent squall. The transcript shows the reading in progress, with other boats mentioned alongside the one in trouble, and a passage about a storm so large it threatens to swamp everyone aboard. Brand comments on the scale of it with a teasing "it's a whopper," then pivots to a larger point about how storms in ordinary life are not usually dramatic miracles. Most of the time, the sea simply keeps rising and the people in the boat have to decide what to hold onto.

That is the reading the service keeps returning to. The storm is real. The stillness that follows is not a denial of the storm. For a viewer going through a legal process, a health crisis, a public controversy, or any slow-motion disruption, the story offers a different image than heroic escape: staying in the boat, staying in conversation, and staying attentive to a presence that is not panicking.

Later in the service, Brand prepares to read a psalm, and the words he begins with are about people gathered from the lands, brought out of "the gates of death," who cry to the Lord in their trouble. The wording reads as Psalm 107, a psalm of deliverance that moves through several kinds of distress before arriving at the image of the sea being quieted. Brand reads the opening, then the room's pacing slows. A reading like this does two things at once. It takes the personal worries of the hosts and gives them the language of an older community, and it ties the hurricane prayer to a wider tradition of people who have endured storms and found words for it.

The video runs well over an hour, and anyone expecting a tight homily will be frustrated. Brand himself is open about this. He tells a story about Churchill, reportedly greeting Eisenhower naked in the bath with a cigar in hand, and then flags it as "potentially apocryphal," adding that it "might be true, might not be true." That small act of honesty is worth noticing. The service is willing to tell a good story without pretending it is verified, and it applies the same standard to its own claims about faith. The lesson for a viewer is to hold a practice lightly and truthfully: keep the rituals, keep the prayers specific, admit what you do not know, and let the laughter and the nerves sit next to the scripture rather than being scrubbed out.

Taken together, the video is a portrait of anchoring in practice. It does not offer a neat system for surviving hard times. It offers a Sunday routine that holds people together while the weather changes: a greeting, a prayer for distant danger, a confession of fear, a reading about a storm, and a closing address to God as king. For anyone looking for faith that stays grounded when the news is bad, that routine is the real content.

If this video has you thinking about your own practice, start small. Write a prayer that names one immediate danger, one wider suffering, and one person you find hard to pray for, in the order the service uses. Read a psalm of deliverance aloud, even if you read it alone. And borrow the honesty: say plainly what you are nervous about, and where you are not sure. For more on the play-and-prayer thread, Laura's The Joy Journal for Magical Everyday Play is the book the couple points to in the clip. The full video is the best place to hear the tone, the jokes, and the pauses that a summary cannot carry.

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Transcript

[0:00] Ready?

[0:01] >> Yeah.

[0:08] >> Gable Enterprise

[0:10] >> and welcome to Sunday service with the

[0:12] brands.

[0:21] >> Hello, beloved wife.

[0:23] >> Hello. We're in a different space.

[0:25] >> We're in the UK.

[0:26] >> We're in the UK.

[0:27] >> Why is that?

[0:28] >> Fancied a trip.

[0:30] Yeah, it's

[0:31] >> the Lord has brought

[0:32] >> say it's a vacation, but uh yes, the

[0:35] Lord has brought us here and we're in a

[0:37] new space, but it's not a new space.

[0:38] We've been in these almost in these

[0:41] exact seats before.

[0:43] >> Um except for I was sitting there.

[0:45] >> You might be able to find my seat moment

[0:47] from when me and Laura when Laura was um

[0:49] launching her book, I believe about um

[0:52] homemade activities for

[0:54] >> joy journal for magical everyday play.

[0:56] Have a look at this 20 second clip.

[0:59] >> Today we're going to be doing uh

[1:02] upcycled shadow puppets. Literally just

[1:05] stuff you can literally find around the

[1:07] house.

[1:08] >> This, of course, is taken from your

[1:11] book, The Joy Journal, for magical

[1:14] creative play.

[1:17] >> Here we go.

[1:19] >> That's very good.

[1:20] >> Oh, do you know what I need to turn me

[1:22] back into a normal boy? a pineapple.

[1:26] >> Doesn't make sense, does it?

[1:27] >> I'm really impressed with you and your

[1:29] animal um shadow puppets.

[1:32] >> That patronized me.

[1:32] >> I'm not patronizing you. I'm deeply

[1:35] embarrassed about my pineapple.

[1:37] >> Don't be embarrassed by that pineapple.

[1:38] It's looks like a sort of a swollen

[1:40] tomato.

[1:40] >> Oh yeah, that's clearly a pineapple. I

[1:43] have to stand by a very gifted person

[1:45] indeed. Well done.

[1:47] >> Can't you see I love you? Kiss me.

[1:50] >> Here, have another pineapple. Oh gosh,

[1:52] true spiky.

[1:54] >> So that was then.

[1:55] >> Yeah,

[1:56] >> this is now.

[1:56] >> That's correct.

[1:57] >> Before we begin,

[1:58] >> shall we pray,

[2:00] >> please? Yes.

[2:07] >> Show fate.

[2:08] Show fate.

[2:10] Almighty God, every aspect of you,

[2:12] beloved, limitless, eternal God, one

[2:15] God, three persons, God the Father, God

[2:18] the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. We

[2:21] pray Lord for safety for the people in

[2:23] Florida as this hurricane approaches

[2:27] Lord and we pray for all people

[2:29] suffering everywhere. We pray for all

[2:31] people that have suffered harms. We pray

[2:35] Lord for connection and unity.

[2:38] Relationship

[2:40] is your unity

[2:42] experienced

[2:44] through different individuals. The

[2:46] unitary feeling of oneness. Lord God,

[2:49] may we experience uh deep deep love and

[2:51] deep deep peace and may the people

[2:53] watching this even as I suppose given

[2:55] the nature of the trial, there'll be

[2:57] people watching this to sort of find

[2:59] mean stuff to say maybe. But we pray for

[3:01] them particularly God. We pray for them

[3:04] cuz whoever's watching this, they have

[3:05] things in their life that are troubling

[3:07] them that they are suffering. And Lord,

[3:10] we pray peace upon them in the holy name

[3:12] of Jesus. Amen.

[3:13] >> Amen.

[3:15] >> Yeah.

[3:17] Well, we're in the UK because of this

[3:18] trial. What's interesting for me being

[3:20] back here has been

[3:22] >> Oh,

[3:26] Coco.

[3:27] >> I mean, that's Coco. She's come from

[3:29] America, by the way. Coco.

[3:31] >> Coco.

[3:32] >> Coco is meeting all of the cats that

[3:36] live here. And uh she seems very

[3:38] antagonized by a lot of them. This is

[3:40] Coco.

[3:41] >> Well, she's confronting them as well.

[3:42] Like right then, she was confronting a

[3:44] cat. Wouldn't you darling? She's only a

[3:47] little thing. Look how what some of the

[3:49] things I like about Coco. Not the

[3:50] breath.

[3:52] >> Yeah.

[3:53] >> I mentioned your desire to start a bad

[3:54] breath clinic that would address all

[3:56] aspects of bad breath. Whether it's

[3:57] >> from the gut, the throat,

[3:58] >> the tongue, the hong, tonsil stones,

[4:01] too.

[4:01] >> Tonsil stones. I've got that almost that

[4:04] Dr. Pimple Popper type infatuation with

[4:08] oral hygiene.

[4:09] >> You believe too that you like some kind

[4:11] of

[4:13] heltosis whisperer. Some kind of plaque

[4:15] whisperer can identify on site. Like a

[4:18] somole of gut funk that you can

[4:21] identify. Oh, that's coming from the

[4:24] tummy. Oh, that's tongue. That's tongue.

[4:26] That's a tongue scraper. Oh, that's

[4:28] decay in the tooth. That's tonsil

[4:30] stones.

[4:30] >> I do think I can tell. Yeah,

[4:33] >> I do a lot of research online and uh

[4:37] yeah, do a lot of research.

[4:39] >> You want to start a breath bad breath

[4:40] clean at Coco T like that? I also do you

[4:43] remember at one point I I said that the

[4:45] cure for all of it always is apple cider

[4:47] vinegar.

[4:48] >> Just rip through it.

[4:49] >> Rip tear through the whole

[4:51] >> break it down to a molecular level.

[4:53] >> Throw gut the whole lot.

[4:55] >> I remember Liam Gallagher saying that he

[4:57] was like well into apple cider vinegar.

[5:00] I think it was in a more generalized

[5:01] self.

[5:02] >> That was a joke. But he said it no

[5:03] honestly but he said it with his normal

[5:05] like when Liam Gallagher talks about

[5:07] Liam Gallagher the vocalist from the

[5:10] band Oasis talks about non- rock and

[5:12] roll things. It's funny like one time

[5:14] years ago I met him in Hamster I live in

[5:17] that cottage over there between that

[5:19] point one like it sort of still has the

[5:21] demeanor.

[5:22] >> So he's saying gental type things

[5:24] >> apple cider vinegar the benefits apple

[5:28] cider vinegar mean limitless. Yeah,

[5:32] that's

[5:32] >> Coco. She wants to go out.

[5:33] >> Yeah, Coco wants to go. Coco wants to go

[5:35] out. Russell's in a dressing gown, but

[5:37] again, we're in a home, so no problem

[5:40] there. Um,

[5:43] >> talking of clothing,

[5:44] >> as Churchill said, I think when visited

[5:47] by Eisenhower,

[5:49] >> yeah,

[5:49] >> who he the Eisenhower I think this is

[5:52] potentially apocryphal or forgive me if

[5:54] that word's loaded. Um, might be true,

[5:56] might not be true. Um, uh, like

[5:59] Eisenhower arrived, Churchill was naked

[6:02] in the bath. And let's face it,

[6:04] >> oh yeah,

[6:04] >> probably drunk.

[6:05] >> Okay,

[6:06] >> probably drunk. Um, but like he got out

[6:08] of the bath straight away and just

[6:10] walked out and I think as I understand

[6:11] with a cigar in hand, greeted

[6:13] Eisenhower, shook hands with him and

[6:15] said, "I have nothing to hide

[6:18] >> from the president.

[6:20] >> I am happy for the president to see me

[6:23] and to look within my dressing gown."

[6:26] Max my tackle. I mean, if that's his

[6:28] face, one can only imagine his genitals

[6:30] when it comes to church. Forgive that.

[6:32] We've got track.

[6:33] >> Sunday service. Sunday.

[6:34] >> Sunday service. Sorry. Forgive us, Lord.

[6:35] Forgive us, Lord. Okay. So, what's

[6:37] amazing for me is to be back in the

[6:38] place where Jesus

[6:40] >> found me and to be back in this place

[6:42] where like this sort of this free year

[6:45] in our little lives, this three year

[6:47] episode

[6:48] >> began with her health issues, the u

[6:51] media material that ultimately led to

[6:54] the trial that commences tomorrow,

[6:57] Monday. Pray for us if you feel so

[6:58] inclined and let us know in the chat if

[7:01] there's anything we can pray for for you

[7:03] because we do read the comments and we

[7:04] love them and we love you and we're

[7:06] doing our best like you are. So being

[7:09] back here for me and going on those

[7:10] walks now without Bear

[7:12] >> with Coco although Coco can't be taken

[7:14] on walks because she can't be trusted on

[7:16] a walk.

[7:16] >> She's not the same as Bear on a walk

[7:18] >> or in any by any metric that Daxund

[7:21] other than German breed.

[7:24] >> Yeah, that's correct.

[7:25] >> That's it. beyond that there's no

[7:27] similarity. So for me being back here

[7:29] obviously it's there are great

[7:31] challenges knowing that however we shake

[7:33] this down there are people that um feel

[7:38] agrieved and hurt and my prayer is that

[7:41] this will be addressed in the coming

[7:43] weeks. That's my prayer and we'll do our

[7:45] best to respect the important

[7:47] restrictions that exist around court

[7:48] cases to ensure that truth and justice

[7:51] can be done. But our aim is to carry on

[7:53] doing Sunday service. And I suppose more

[7:56] than ever when we're when you are faced

[7:58] with

[8:00] times of challenge, that's when you have

[8:02] to find your your footing in your

[8:06] grounded your your anchor, your God,

[8:08] your God. You need to find your

[8:10] connection with God, your your personal

[8:12] connection with God. And I suppose part

[8:15] of the perhaps what Sunday's service

[8:18] will be in the next few weeks will be a

[8:21] journey of how we're anchoring oursel in

[8:23] faith and trust and loyalty to to God

[8:27] during the times that are difficult. Um

[8:30] I was just explaining to Russell that uh

[8:33] and of course we've had time like you

[8:35] know I naturally I I I got nervous

[8:38] before going to court the other day.

[8:40] >> Why?

[8:42] What's the problem?

[8:43] >> Uh, well, not really so much actually

[8:45] being in the room, but the the nerves

[8:47] were actually that I'm not used to

[8:49] interfacing with uh

[8:52] >> well, they weren't really necessarily

[8:54] aggressive, but when you get out of a

[8:56] car and there are people and they're

[8:59] taking picture, paparazzi, press,

[9:01] reporters, onlookers, just even people

[9:03] stopping the street and then they're

[9:04] suddenly like, oh, swept up into a

[9:05] moment because it's a moment. There's a

[9:08] moment where you get out the car and

[9:10] there's people there and they're taking

[9:12] pictures and I was absolutely and do you

[9:14] know what's funny? So I was just

[9:15] explaining to Russell about my sort of

[9:17] fascination with storms because we have

[9:20] been watching this storm

[9:22] uh coming

[9:23] >> hurricane Isaiah.

[9:24] >> Yeah. Come Isaiah. We can although it's

[9:26] got it's got a different pronunciation.

[9:27] I will say that it's Isaiah Isaiah or

[9:31] whatever but um as Rhonda Santis said

[9:33] we'll just call it Isaiah. Um, it's uh

[9:36] we when the there's the storm and it's

[9:40] drawing everything in from its

[9:42] surrounding. When you look at it on a

[9:43] map, it's arrows, it's arrows, it's

[9:45] arrows all around, all around, all

[9:47] around. And you watch it and it's it'll

[9:49] say things like 12 hours till landfall.

[9:52] Um,

[9:54] 180 mph current winds or whatever. And

[9:56] it comes, guys, and it'll say it's going

[9:57] to make landfall in whatever time. And

[10:00] then when it hits the land, the eye of

[10:03] the storm is absolutely

[10:06] silent.

[10:06] >> Everyone knows that.

[10:08] >> I know. But have you ever watched a

[10:10] video of it?

[10:11] >> No. Because I don't think videos exist.

[10:12] >> They do exist because people do go into

[10:14] the eye of a storm

[10:16] >> and they film it.

[10:17] >> Can I just say to you, I don't mean to

[10:19] criticize you publicly during our

[10:21] podcast at a time where my treatment of

[10:24] people in general will be under

[10:25] scrutiny. Of course, everyone knows the

[10:27] >> I can't believe you took that much time

[10:29] to explain the concept of it's quiet at

[10:31] the eye of the storm.

[10:32] >> That's not the end of the concept.

[10:34] >> So, as we know, it's quiet.

[10:37] >> Oh, you did it again. Everyone knows

[10:38] that.

[10:40] >> No, wait for it. And if you watch

[10:41] >> There are two wolves.

[10:43] >> Each of us is like two wolves.

[10:46] >> Okay. Right. Are you ready for this?

[10:47] >> A good wolf and a bad wolf. Which wolf

[10:49] is strongest?

[10:50] >> If you watch a If you watch storm

[10:52] stormchasing videos, you'll find someone

[10:54] in the eye of storm and they'll watch

[10:55] it. Well, guess what? When we stood

[10:57] outside with the paparazzi the other

[10:59] day, it was silent. I'm talking about

[11:03] the weird eerie feeling that you know

[11:07] it's going on, but what it was silent.

[11:10] There was no nobody was talking. I in

[11:13] your mind I imagine road look over here.

[11:16] But it was like there was loads of

[11:18] people.

[11:18] >> This is interesting. I suppose that's

[11:20] because they have acclimatized to the

[11:23] idea

[11:24] >> that by their own by their own position

[11:27] as primarily operatives within the

[11:30] machinery of media because without

[11:32] mainstream media should we suppose there

[11:34] are no paparazzi that they're an arm of

[11:36] them.

[11:37] >> Yeah.

[11:38] >> Um and because the position of the media

[11:41] I would say is somewhat clear when it

[11:44] comes to me and when it comes to this

[11:45] trial. I hope I'm not overstating when

[11:48] it seems to me that they believe that

[11:50] I'm guilty and that this should be the

[11:52] rubber stamping and a process of my

[11:54] destruction and that the important thing

[11:57] I would say their position is and on

[11:59] this aspect I agree with them is to

[12:01] ensure that anybody who's a victim of

[12:03] any crime is the recipient of the utmost

[12:06] reverence and respect and perhaps even

[12:07] people that believe that they're a

[12:08] victim of a crime ought be treated

[12:11] seriously and with respect. So they

[12:14] can't if that is their position like go

[12:18] like as if they're outside that

[12:19] Nickelodeon show where kids get guned at

[12:23] >> slime or the or the adult entertainment

[12:25] awards you know they've got to go and I

[12:27] suppose as well the situation doesn't

[12:30] really have urgency but I imagine on

[12:32] Monday tomorrow there might be a bit

[12:33] more Mrs. brand cuz you

[12:36] there might be a bit of that. And also

[12:37] remember like what I think is amazing is

[12:39] you look beautiful in that in that

[12:41] yellow pants suit. Is that what we're

[12:43] calling it?

[12:44] >> Yeah, pants suit.

[12:44] >> They wouldn't like people told us we

[12:47] don't look at media um but people told

[12:49] us they said um Russell Brand was

[12:52] spotted went into court supported by a

[12:54] mystery woman

[12:55] >> woman. It can't even grant that I'm

[12:59] married. Like that's and that's where

[13:01] you know that narrativization is taking

[13:03] place. Absolutely 100%.

[13:05] >> You can't talk about that because

[13:06] there's a predetermination to present

[13:08] information in a certain way. Again, as

[13:11] some years ago now, and a lot of the

[13:13] characters in this drama have changed,

[13:15] Andrew Mah, the British journalist who

[13:16] works for the BBC, interviewed Nam

[13:19] Chosky way before anyone was talking

[13:20] about Epstein files or Chsky's potential

[13:22] inclusion in those Epstein files to

[13:24] whatever degree that is. Um, Chsky was

[13:27] then mostly known as primarily well

[13:30] originally a linguist of some skill and

[13:33] then a political commentator. famously

[13:35] he wrote the manufacturer of consent in

[13:38] which he said whilst society broadly

[13:42] seems to be consensual to the goals and

[13:46] aims of the state broadly and I'm saying

[13:49] this in the UK at time there's obviously

[13:50] great disruption and great fracture and

[13:52] the United States has been somewhat

[13:54] divided 50/50 for the last you know well

[13:57] perhaps always who knows but he's he

[14:00] claimed Trumpsky that a state of consent

[14:02] or at least compliance should we say

[14:05] >> is created through the conditions of

[14:07] media media and other other arms and

[14:11] apparatus of the empire's power. By the

[14:14] empire when I said that I mean a set of

[14:16] institutions that are comparable in

[14:20] various nations with the shared

[14:22] intention of control usually masked by

[14:26] the stated aim of protection,

[14:28] preservation, safety and security of the

[14:30] population.

[14:31] Chsky said, you know, so famously had

[14:33] written, excuse me, these um you this

[14:35] thesis and treaties, the manufacturer

[14:38] consent. So naturally when he was

[14:40] interviewed by a BBC journalist Andrew

[14:43] Maher, Andrew Maher said, "Hey, look,

[14:47] your general position is that

[14:48] journalists have been coached and

[14:50] conditioned and that mainstream media

[14:52] organizations," and remember Chomsky is

[14:54] writing this from the left. Things were

[14:56] different 20, 30 years ago. and that

[14:58] mainstream media are controlled by

[14:59] centralized forces and their function

[15:01] isn't to independently report

[15:03] information but is to give a biased view

[15:05] to the population in order to create

[15:08] passivity, compliance and control and

[15:12] yet continues Mar being Andrew Mar in

[15:14] this in this sketch. He continues, yeah,

[15:17] it's good, isn't it? He's a bit I can't

[15:19] impress him. It doesn't matter anyway

[15:20] because most people watching this won't

[15:21] know or care. So So I could do if I want

[15:24] I could do I could do anything. I could

[15:26] do him like he's Willy Wonka. I could

[15:28] play him like a groundskeeper Willie

[15:30] from the Simpsons. I could take any wild

[15:32] decisions. But my simple point is that

[15:33] Trump that Andrew Mahar said to name

[15:35] Trumpsky, I'm a journalist for the BBC

[15:38] and I can tell you I've not been told

[15:40] what to say in this interview. I have

[15:42] not been instructed what my perspective

[15:44] is supposed to be on particular

[15:45] political issues. So I refute your idea

[15:48] that there's such thing of manufacturing

[15:49] consent. And Chsky said neatly,

[15:52] accurately, and famously, no. What I'm

[15:55] saying is if you thought anything

[15:57] different and contentious, you wouldn't

[15:59] be sitting in that chair.

[16:01] >> How how can you how can you know that

[16:03] I'm self-censoring? How can you know

[16:05] selfensoring? I'm sure you believe

[16:06] everything you're saying. But what I'm

[16:08] saying is if you believe something

[16:09] different, you wouldn't be sitting where

[16:11] you're sitting.

[16:12] >> You've already been cycled. They they

[16:15] Trumpsky like in this instance, Trumpsky

[16:17] observes that a British journalist in

[16:20] this case Andrew Mah, but I would say

[16:21] this is a general point. By the time

[16:23] you've gone through whatever

[16:24] institutions, academic and social, that

[16:27] lands you in the position of a

[16:28] journalist, you already think what they

[16:30] need you to think. Otherwise, you're

[16:32] filtered out. For some of this, this

[16:34] this process began at school when you're

[16:35] first expelled and thrown out of

[16:37] schools. That's when you first recognize

[16:38] you're not a person that's going to be

[16:40] in keeping the institution or you might

[16:42] be a military veteran who went into the

[16:44] army because you nobly and bravely

[16:46] believe in defending your nation and its

[16:48] inhabitants. And then after having

[16:51] served a few tours in Afghanistan, Iraq,

[16:53] Northern Ireland, whatever, you realize,

[16:55] wait a minute, I'm actually serving the

[16:58] interests of a powerful institutions

[17:00] that use as a guise,

[17:02] >> you know, look after the vulnerable, but

[17:04] he's in fact serving the interests of

[17:05] the powerful.

[17:07] >> So the people that are in the throng,

[17:09] the paparazzi and the various

[17:11] journalists or anything, it's like a CIA

[17:13] sting. I'm not suggesting this is a CIA

[17:15] sting, but in a CIA sting, there are so

[17:18] many participants that it becomes such a

[17:21] diffuse operation.

[17:23] >> Yeah. Or equally, we could go back to

[17:24] the Truman Show idea. It's that, you

[17:27] know, actually when there are reporters

[17:28] and things and then when you open a

[17:30] door, it just drops to a backstage area

[17:32] and everyone's having their makeup done.

[17:34] Like you go through the wrong door and

[17:35] the elevator opens. Actually, it's an

[17:37] elevator and the elevator has no shaft.

[17:39] It's just people behind it. Well, from

[17:41] that perspective though, that's

[17:42] deliberate conspiracy, isn't it?

[17:44] >> Yes.

[17:44] >> Like what Truman show is describing.

[17:46] >> Yeah.

[17:47] >> Is these participants knowingly are

[17:50] deceiving Truman.

[17:51] >> Yeah.

[17:52] >> Each of them presumably under the opaces

[17:54] of there's nothing wrong with it, but

[17:56] they are deliberately what Trumpsky is

[17:58] saying is it would be like the actors in

[18:00] the Truman show also

[18:02] >> believing that they Yeah. I mean it's

[18:03] funny we do keep coming back to these

[18:05] points and I think that probably the

[18:07] reason this relates to I think it's very

[18:10] easy to feel jolted in the world jolted

[18:14] out of whatever you know like if you're

[18:16] for example what you know why do we keep

[18:19] talking about these different realities

[18:21] because you you you talk a lot about

[18:24] that you know you talk a lot about the

[18:25] deeper I do but tell me what you think

[18:27] what I mean by it is that you know a

[18:29] couple of weeks now at least we've

[18:31] talked about the fear feeling of when

[18:34] you're in a when you're living your life

[18:36] and things don't things don't feel

[18:38] things go weird like things don't feel

[18:40] real and ultimately that does bring us

[18:42] back to the point about God because you

[18:45] know when when I for a moment in the

[18:48] sort of silence walking out of the court

[18:50] the other day thought

[18:52] oh my I'm surprised at how sort of

[18:54] silent this is making me feel nervous

[18:56] that it's not loud

[18:57] >> I suppose you've been in paparazzi

[18:59] positions

[18:59] >> I've been in those environments before

[19:01] and I've never liked it when it shouty

[19:03] either to be honest. I never I don't

[19:04] like it.

[19:04] >> You would have gone to a lot of events

[19:05] with your father who's a prominent and

[19:07] excellent

[19:08] >> also probably more like my sister.

[19:09] >> Your sister who's a successful

[19:11] broadcaster.

[19:12] >> Yes. And I've had the experience

[19:13] >> and of course your litany of famous

[19:15] former boyfriends.

[19:16] >> No. No. So

[19:20] that is not true.

[19:21] >> Stars of stage and screen.

[19:23] >> No.

[19:24] >> And and field.

[19:26] >> No.

[19:28] >> Okay. Moving swiftly on. We um

[19:31] >> What's your point?

[19:32] >> My point is this.

[19:34] >> I I know that in in the the calmness

[19:37] could be jarring and it could be weird

[19:40] and it could feel like eerie or the

[19:44] calmness can feel exactly what it is

[19:45] meant to feel, which is calm and still

[19:49] and sort of holy. That's what I'm trying

[19:52] to say. When you walked slowly into

[19:55] court that first time, you said you took

[19:58] it slowly and you felt God with you

[20:00] walking every step, didn't you?

[20:02] >> Yeah. By God's grace, something like

[20:04] never more than in the concentrated

[20:06] times of these challenges and trials

[20:09] have I more felt the presence of God in

[20:12] the intensive care unit, by our son, in

[20:15] uh midst of allegations, walking into

[20:18] court. I have felt so close to God. So

[20:21] close. Um, remember we mention it every

[20:24] week. Conform not to the patterns of

[20:26] this world, for they are merely

[20:27] patterns. That's I'm adding that to

[20:29] Paul's great letter to the Romans.

[20:30] Conform not to the patterns of this

[20:32] world,

[20:33] >> but be transformed by the renewing of

[20:35] your mind. This world has a pattern or

[20:36] as it says here in one John, John's

[20:38] first epistle, do not love the world or

[20:41] anything in the world. If anyone loves

[20:43] the world, love for the father is not in

[20:45] them. If the word father is hard for

[20:47] you, consider the word source.

[20:50] For everything in the world, the lust of

[20:52] the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the

[20:54] pride of life, comes not from the

[20:56] Father, but from the world. The world

[20:58] and its desires pass away, but whoever

[21:01] does the will of God lives forever.

[21:03] We're looking, of course, to participate

[21:06] in eternity, not to dify the conditions

[21:10] here.

[21:11] >> Check this out from the same letter.

[21:14] We know that we are children of God and

[21:16] that the whole world is under the

[21:19] control of the evil one. I mean like

[21:22] before I became Christian, I did not

[21:24] know that that was the Christian

[21:26] position. I'm a Christian. Oh, good.

[21:28] That means your position is this.

[21:30] >> We know that we're the children of God

[21:32] and that the whole world,

[21:34] >> not nasty countries with swastikas or,

[21:38] you know, different colored skin or eye

[21:40] shaped. The whole world is under the

[21:43] control of the evil one. We know also

[21:46] that the son of God has come and given

[21:49] us understanding so that we may know him

[21:52] who is true.

[21:53] >> And we are in him who is true by being

[21:55] in his son Jesus Christ. He is the true

[21:58] God and eternal life. Dear children,

[22:00] keep yourself from idols. Precisely and

[22:02] specifically is saying the world is in

[22:04] control of evil and your the way into

[22:06] that is idolatry. to worship something

[22:10] other than God. Elsewhere here, uh this

[22:14] is also from slightly earlier in Romans.

[22:20] God did by sending his own son in the

[22:23] likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin

[22:26] offering. And so he condemned sin in the

[22:28] flesh in order that the righteous

[22:30] requirement of the law might be fully

[22:31] met in us who do not live according to

[22:33] the flesh but according to the spirit.

[22:35] Those who live according to the flesh

[22:37] have their mind set on what the flesh

[22:38] desires. But those who live in

[22:39] accordance with the spirit have their

[22:41] mind set on what the spirit desires. The

[22:43] mind governed by the flesh is death. But

[22:46] the mind governed by the spirit is life

[22:48] >> and peace. The mind governed by the

[22:50] flesh is hostile to God. It does not

[22:53] submit to God's law, nor can it do so.

[22:56] Those who are in the realm of the flesh

[22:58] cannot please God. You, however, are not

[23:01] in the realm of the flesh, but are in

[23:02] the realm of the spirit. If indeed the

[23:05] spirit of God lives in you

[23:09] >> realms,

[23:11] you know, we go back to your um never

[23:13] ending Truman show fixation.

[23:16] The realm of the Truman Show is an

[23:19] artificial construct

[23:21] >> in order that exists in order to trap

[23:24] for the purposes of that film a kind of

[23:26] a new Adam who you can see out that Ed

[23:28] Harris the overlord of that universe

[23:31] regards himself as the sort of creator

[23:33] of Truman and in fact in a macab way

[23:36] >> loves him

[23:38] >> a bit like in that film how Mary

[23:40] >> Oh yeah

[23:41] >> where um you see um the beautiful Ryan

[23:44] Goslin reach to alien creature. There is

[23:47] a sense that beyond some sort of

[23:49] diiahous difficult to detect membrane,

[23:52] there is another reality permanently

[23:54] accessible. The alternative is this is

[23:56] all of reality. But I'm just watching a

[23:58] video now about by a sort of I think

[24:01] he's a physicist, theoretical physicist,

[24:04] framan is his last name at least,

[24:06] >> saying that our whole understanding of

[24:08] the behavior of light is erroneous.

[24:10] light is not sort of bouncing about or

[24:13] even really traveling. And in a sense

[24:16] that makes sense because if you when the

[24:19] the measurement that light travels at

[24:21] 187 million miles per second, I mean,

[24:26] what am I supposed to do with that?

[24:28] >> I know.

[24:28] >> But I mean, can you imagine imagine can

[24:30] you imagine five people in your head,

[24:31] right? Can you imagine 10? Can you

[24:33] imagine 20 people? Can you imagine 50? I

[24:36] bet it's like Are you sure it's 50, not

[24:38] 30? Can you imagine 100? Can you imagine

[24:40] 200? Right? Like think how like the

[24:42] limitation.

[24:43] >> It's actually very hard

[24:44] >> con how to conceptualize vast numbers.

[24:48] >> We're not designed for that. We're

[24:49] designed to live in communities of

[24:53] mutual dependency on our Lord God and

[24:56] one another. We have been coaxed into a

[24:59] false reality like the Truman Show as

[25:01] Laura Brand would tell you every 10

[25:03] seconds if she had the chance. But the

[25:05] way I see it is that the accuser cast a

[25:07] net as it says in so many of the psalms.

[25:09] He gives you a false identity, a false

[25:11] name. He plants doubt in you. He makes

[25:14] you doubt who you are and what you do

[25:15] and what you've done and what you

[25:17] believe. And Jesus Christ says, "I'm

[25:19] here for you whenever you want and I

[25:21] love you. I have always loved you. Come

[25:23] back. Come back." Which is Frank

[25:24] Skinner, the British comedian, tells an

[25:26] amazing story about after lapsing as a

[25:28] Catholic during his time of fame and

[25:30] realry etc. We all know that story. He

[25:33] said that he went he was sort of called

[25:34] back to the church by something in him

[25:36] and like and the day that he went to the

[25:38] church to sort of consult his priest I

[25:41] guess

[25:42] >> the that priest off duty and it was some

[25:45] like old guy and in my mind I imagine

[25:46] some like father Ted style reported Jack

[25:51] >> drink freick him

[25:54] >> but he wasn't that's not the character

[25:56] but just older priest you know and like

[25:57] Frank Skinner very brilliant and

[26:00] aerodite British comedian articulately

[26:01] described his sort of challenges with

[26:04] the catechism etc.

[26:06] >> Uh is it catechism or catechism? You

[26:08] won't know will you?

[26:09] >> Catechism I thought.

[26:10] >> Did I say it right? Well, when I hear

[26:11] people saying it's

[26:13] >> anyway like and all these complexity of

[26:16] the challenges the Roman Catholic Church

[26:19] or the Holy Church, the universal church

[26:21] had been going through at that time and

[26:24] uh like oh and was all being reasoning

[26:26] and trying to understand it expecting a

[26:28] comparable and perhaps aquinus like

[26:31] argument from the priest and the priest

[26:32] just went come back come back I didn't

[26:37] it's not really Yeah it's not

[26:39] intellectual

[26:39] >> yeah no it's I'm afraid it's going to go

[26:41] back to the church. And what I like

[26:43] about it, I suppose.

[26:44] >> Stop being silly.

[26:45] >> Come on.

[26:46] >> Like when you're little.

[26:47] >> Come on.

[26:48] >> Come on. It's all right. That's what I I

[26:49] need that a lot.

[26:50] >> I know.

[26:51] >> It's okay.

[26:52] >> Like I don't even know. No, I hold that

[26:54] down. I'm stoic. I'm a bit like Clint

[26:56] Eastwood.

[26:57] >> I think I do. I do know that you do need

[27:00] that.

[27:00] >> Do I?

[27:01] >> You do a bit.

[27:01] >> How do you know that?

[27:03] >> How do I know that you need to be told

[27:05] that it's okay and it's like, come on,

[27:08] let's go. Right. It's time to eat now.

[27:12] >> Look, let's unpack this. Yeah.

[27:14] >> Position you're taking like I'm like

[27:15] some codger.

[27:16] >> A codger. A geyzer.

[27:18] >> Just sometimes. Am I in a wicked

[27:21] wheelchair with a blanket over my legs

[27:22] in this?

[27:23] >> Yeah, you are.

[27:23] >> I'm in a wicked wheelchair with a

[27:24] blanket over my legs.

[27:25] >> That's right.

[27:26] >> That's what it feels like.

[27:27] >> No, not at all. You You know what you're

[27:29] like. Like like the way that you know

[27:31] that I need if I've cooked a meal, I

[27:34] like you to acknowledge the meal. That's

[27:36] what's like Yeah, that could sound like

[27:38] I'm

[27:38] >> That's the minimum. I mean, that's basic

[27:40] manners, isn't it?

[27:41] >> Yeah, it's basic manners, but

[27:42] acknowledge it. I praise it like you do

[27:45] praise it. You praise it. You praise it

[27:48] so much

[27:48] >> to the rafters.

[27:49] >> It puts other people at the table to

[27:51] shame for not even mentioning it. Yeah.

[27:54] No, you're very good at that.

[27:55] >> You like a compliment, didn't you? You

[27:56] like a bit of gratitude.

[27:58] >> Gratitude for sure. Yes, I do. I do. And

[28:01] I'm trying not to need it so much. I

[28:03] think it's not it's good because do you

[28:05] know that thing going back to that idea

[28:06] of you know it's better just to do

[28:07] things and not expect you know do it and

[28:10] don't expect that anything in return and

[28:12] like

[28:13] >> you want reliance on god don't it

[28:15] reliance on reliance on god that's

[28:16] >> nothing else

[28:17] >> it doesn't matter if someone says thank

[28:18] you

[28:19] >> I know some people that are like that

[28:20] that they're holding

[28:21] >> I know we do we do know people like that

[28:23] >> we've got to become more like them lol

[28:26] >> you know like rely on god god's we get

[28:28] we get everything from the lord we don't

[28:29] get things like oh I hope this person's

[28:32] going to like me and say nice things

[28:34] about me. You want to get everything

[28:36] from the Lord. From the Lord.

[28:38] >> Now, because you've started the topic of

[28:39] storms.

[28:40] >> Oh, yeah.

[28:40] >> I'm going to in a way that's sort of a

[28:43] little actually a little too pedestrian

[28:45] for my tastes.

[28:46] >> Go on. Cuz I've brought pedestrian storm

[28:49] ideas into

[28:49] >> I don't think the idea of a storm is

[28:50] pedestrian. I think Jesus in the storm

[28:53] is a pedestrian response to that. Um,

[28:55] I'm just going to change out these

[28:56] clothes cuz I bought some other clothes.

[28:59] I feel for some reason I feel

[29:00] embarrassed about this. changing. That's

[29:02] fine. Don't embarrass. I go that way.

[29:04] Keep think.

[29:05] >> Don't talk to me like I'm in a wicker

[29:07] wheelchair. I'm a competent cogent man.

[29:11] >> All right. Jesus calms the storm.

[29:13] >> I'm a learned man of science.

[29:15] >> I'm reading this bit, am I? 35.

[29:16] >> Yeah. Okay.

[29:17] >> Wow.

[29:19] >> Uh Jesus calms the storm from Mark 4:16.

[29:24] >> Don't hesitate so much over the verses.

[29:29] I do hesitate because sometimes it's

[29:31] difficult to read the numbers.

[29:32] >> Now, right now,

[29:33] >> that day,

[29:34] >> go on, describe. Say what you see.

[29:36] >> I'm not saying what I see. I will say

[29:38] >> right now, I'm fully nude off camera.

[29:41] >> This is not This is not This is

[29:43] something

[29:43] >> on the eve of

[29:46] >> You're actually naked in your own home.

[29:47] >> Of course, you are. There's nothing

[29:48] wrong with this. In fact, there's

[29:49] nothing wrong with this at all. It's

[29:51] just that it's difficult to read when

[29:52] you're speaking into the mic that you're

[29:54] fully nude and you've asked me to read a

[29:56] passage from the Bible. I'm now wearing

[29:58] trousers.

[29:59] >> Jesus calms the storm. That day when

[30:02] evening came, he said to his disciples,

[30:04] "Let us go over to the other side."

[30:07] Leaving the crowd behind, they took him

[30:08] along just as he was in the boat. There

[30:11] were also other boats with him. A

[30:14] furious squall. Oh,

[30:16] >> storm. Different word, isn't it? I don't

[30:17] know that squall.

[30:18] >> Squall.

[30:19] >> Yeah, it's interesting. A furious squall

[30:21] came up and the waves broke over the

[30:24] boat so that it was nearly swamped.

[30:26] Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a

[30:29] cushion. The disciples woke him and said

[30:31] to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we

[30:34] drown?" He got up, rebuked the wind, and

[30:38] said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still."

[30:43] Then the wind died down, and it was

[30:45] completely calm. He said to his

[30:48] disciples, "Why are you so afraid?

[30:51] Do you still have no faith?" They were

[30:53] terrified and asked each other, "Who is

[30:56] this? Even the wind and waves obey him."

[31:01] >> That's good. And funnily enough, that

[31:03] was what.

[31:04] >> And he arose and rebuked the wind and

[31:06] said unto the sea, "Peace, be still."

[31:08] The wind ceased, and there was a great

[31:09] calm.

[31:11] So I had pulled that as one of reference

[31:13] >> because of course I suppose the way this

[31:15] is used pastorally

[31:18] >> is we might be afraid or panicking

[31:23] >> and the um you might think well where's

[31:27] Jesus he's asleep on the boat he's not

[31:29] present the vessel that floats upon the

[31:32] infinite or floats upon the chaos often

[31:35] water means

[31:36] >> chaos uh in the image system that we

[31:40] will find in here. Um, by the way, I

[31:43] also like that um the verse starts in in

[31:47] the NLT at least or NIV.

[31:50] >> Um, that that day when evening came, he

[31:53] said to his disciples,

[31:55] "Let's go to the other side." Leaving

[31:57] the crowd behind. I sort of see that as

[31:59] a sort of um not maybe a cultist isn't

[32:03] the right word, but esoteric like he's

[32:05] going to take it up a gear, especially

[32:07] as it's just in front of uh in the order

[32:10] of Mark's gospel at least.

[32:12] >> Um the mustard seed parable where Jesus

[32:15] says, "What should we say the kingdom of

[32:17] God is like?" Or what parable should we

[32:18] use to describe it? It's like a mustard

[32:20] seed. Look how many layers of simile

[32:22] metaphor there are. It's questioning.

[32:24] Then he says it's like this

[32:26] >> the mustard seed which is the smallest

[32:28] of all seeds on earth. When planted it

[32:30] grows and becomes the largest of all

[32:32] garden plants with such big branches

[32:33] that the birds can part in its shade.

[32:36] With many similar parables Jesus spoke

[32:38] the word to them as much as they could

[32:40] understand. He did not say anything to

[32:41] them without using parable. But when he

[32:43] was alone with his own disciple he

[32:45] explained everything. That's why I think

[32:46] him going to the other side in precisely

[32:48] that context has implications beyond

[32:51] sort of the geographical travel across

[32:53] the sea. Hallelujah. Wherever it might

[32:56] have been. Also, he goes on in Mark's

[32:58] gospel there to cast out the demon, the

[33:01] demonic entity Legion.

[33:04] >> Oh, yeah.

[33:04] >> From the man that was uh possessed,

[33:07] casting them out into pigs.

[33:09] >> Scientologists of course believe that

[33:11] thetans inhabit the earth, the souls of

[33:13] their creatures. The book of Enoch talks

[33:15] about the Nephilim once

[33:18] uh slain by the deluge, their souls. I

[33:21] know you're listening to

[33:22] >> I am listening. Religions, the souls,

[33:24] the

[33:25] >> Nephilim. S when I'm looking. Not the

[33:27] Nephilim. The Nephilim sounds when I'm

[33:29] looking. I'm not listening.

[33:30] >> I know that.

[33:30] >> I'm trying my best.

[33:31] >> I know. I can see you're trying. But I

[33:33] do also know you're not listening. It's

[33:34] >> hard to find a number in a book.

[33:35] >> I Well, do you know I was just trying to

[33:36] find the Psalms, but your stickers,

[33:38] which are very, very well done. The

[33:40] chapter stickers, they were piled on top

[33:42] of each other in to a degree that the

[33:45] one thing I couldn't find was Psalms.

[33:47] Anyway, um I just wanted to maybe read

[33:49] that maybe maybe later. Can I turn off

[33:52] this page now? Yeah, do what you want.

[33:53] Okay, cool.

[33:53] >> But I just want to say that um you going

[33:55] to do a sound then?

[33:57] >> It's a long one.

[33:57] >> What is it? 1 197.

[34:01] >> Oh yeah, it's a whopper. But that's all

[34:03] right. We'll do that. Well, sorry about

[34:04] that.

[34:05] >> It's an accident.

[34:06] >> That's all right.

[34:07] >> Um I I still think do it. Anyway, I just

[34:09] like that that passage, the mustard seed

[34:11] is like about when you go into this new

[34:13] realm of conscious being in his holy

[34:16] spirit. It starts off small but becomes

[34:18] all-encompassing. The next part is let's

[34:22] go to the other side. If you're part of

[34:23] the elite esoteric crew that's going to

[34:25] make this remember not everyone's coming

[34:27] >> 50 minimum 30% and min a maximum 50% of

[34:31] the world's population are not going to

[34:32] survive the events that by my reckoning

[34:34] are upon us and certainly over the next

[34:36] 10 10 20 years are going to play out

[34:38] look up event 2030 which is likely going

[34:40] to be sort of significant movement

[34:42] forward.

[34:44] So our Lord says, you know, having

[34:45] established this idea that you're going

[34:47] to enter into a realm, a reality that's

[34:49] bigger than the reality you've ever

[34:50] inhabited before, but at first it's

[34:53] going to be a very small thing. In fact,

[34:54] as small as you can conceive of with

[34:56] your limited understanding of the

[34:58] natural world, let's use the mustard

[34:59] seed, he said, having qualified that it

[35:01] wasn't quite what he meant several

[35:03] times. Then he takes them to the other

[35:05] side. In taking them to the other side,

[35:08] there is an enormous storm. If you are

[35:10] going to follow him, expect storms. If

[35:13] you're finally realized the world is not

[35:14] enough for you, but you don't really

[35:16] care for it here very much. You might

[35:18] love people, you might love situations,

[35:19] you might even love some artifacts of

[35:20] the culture, but you like us may have

[35:22] realized that the world is broken. It's

[35:24] fallen. And as it says in John's first

[35:26] epistle, is in the thr of the evil one.

[35:29] It's not like, well, there's one or two

[35:30] bad apples. The world is controlled by

[35:33] evil. That's not Russ. That's old John

[35:36] >> St. John to be more to give him his

[35:39] correct and muchdeserved title. M um so

[35:43] after he has taken them to the other

[35:44] side the experiences the storm but the

[35:46] Lord is with you in the storm whatever

[35:48] storm you're experiencing Jesus is there

[35:50] in fact he's pretty chilled about it he

[35:52] might even in his human form in his

[35:54] human body have dozed off I mean is he

[35:57] in that human form still of course he

[35:59] became flesh he was something before

[36:00] flesh then he was flesh then he

[36:02] transcended into a new identity in a new

[36:05] body so Lord alone knows how such a

[36:07] fractal reality could even continue to

[36:09] exist

[36:10] >> nevertheless the next thing that happens

[36:11] is he casts out demons

[36:14] after he has calmed the storm. As CS

[36:16] Lewis remarked,

[36:19] any storm stops eventually. So stopping

[36:22] a storm is not miraculous.

[36:24] >> And you and I can control a storm by

[36:26] closing a window or batting down the old

[36:28] hatches. But our Lord, the incarnation

[36:31] of all potentiality, simultaneously

[36:34] embodied in a single human entity, can

[36:37] command the storm.

[36:39] >> Praise Jesus. So anyway, I just saying

[36:41] that that passage is good because it

[36:42] takes you from the journey of the first

[36:44] seed which I experienced in the fields

[36:45] near here.

[36:46] >> Yeah. Well, I was going to ask you about

[36:47] that.

[36:47] >> Well, yeah. Sorry, I'll shut up.

[36:48] >> How did it feel walking those fields the

[36:51] other night

[36:53] with our friend?

[36:55] >> Did you want to ask that question?

[36:57] >> Yes. I've been waiting to ask it, but

[36:58] there's not been a moment.

[36:59] >> I feel like I've talked too much.

[37:01] >> I'm asking you directly asking a

[37:02] question. How did it feel walking in the

[37:06] fields the other night and being able to

[37:08] show one of our friends this is where

[37:12] >> advice came to me?

[37:13] >> It was cool because a lot of things

[37:15] happened on that little walk. That was a

[37:17] dark time when you were kept in hospital

[37:20] with our Herby for 4 days cuz they

[37:22] wouldn't let you leave cuz they wanted

[37:23] to keep him under observation. And when

[37:25] our daughters were away with their

[37:27] grandparents in order to protect them

[37:28] from the clickering, snackering,

[37:30] snickering, paparazzi round the end of

[37:32] the lane like locusts, like peculiar

[37:35] concoctions, not fully human.

[37:38] >> And um to be back in them field, I was

[37:41] with our beloved bear.

[37:43] >> Like it was I sort of saw all those

[37:45] places and felt all those feelings and a

[37:47] discourse and in a discourse that I now

[37:49] recognize to be theophanic, the

[37:51] intervention of God, the cross in the

[37:54] belly. Oh yeah.

[37:55] >> See, to the point of the mustard seed,

[37:57] the storm, and then the casting out of

[37:59] demons, I sort of felt like, oh, look,

[38:03] as CS Lewis again says, once you accept

[38:06] God, you'll know that you'll see how he

[38:07] was always there, always guiding you

[38:09] inevitably

[38:10] >> to the actualization of him. how it felt

[38:14] to be in those fields law was um

[38:17] like we're something is coming to an end

[38:20] a significant chapter like we of course

[38:22] this was a real storm in our lives of

[38:25] course it has been and my prayer is that

[38:27] everybody involved is blessed by this

[38:30] situation and only the god of the

[38:32] impossible can find a route to that and

[38:34] it feels like it's yeah coming to an end

[38:36] >> and do you feel do you still feel the

[38:39] grief of being in the fields without

[38:41] bear do you feel the grief of being in

[38:43] the fields without bear.

[38:44] >> No, because it's like a mustard seed.

[38:46] It's like I don't live in that reality

[38:48] anymore. Right.

[38:49] >> And indeed bear was a sort of a ferryman

[38:52] pivotal cathartic figure in my journey

[38:56] to Christ. In fact, when people say you

[38:59] have a personal relationship with Jesus,

[39:01] they don't. It's so personal. And I was

[39:04] reflecting that with the identity

[39:06] politics movement, which is focused on

[39:08] the nuance of a particular identity,

[39:10] whether that's racially, ethnically, or

[39:12] your sexual identity, even though one

[39:15] side considers it ridiculous to distill

[39:18] identity into this criteria of some

[39:21] might argue arbitrary cultural factors

[39:23] and others might say important and

[39:24] defining cultural factors. The truth is

[39:26] that you are more particular and more

[39:28] specific than that. Like God loves you

[39:30] as if you're the only person in the

[39:31] world. So even if you've got a lot of

[39:33] interesting data like you know

[39:35] interesting and unusual bodily

[39:37] requirements and complexions and sexual

[39:40] preferences, you are way more than that

[39:43] and you are way beyond that. And it's

[39:45] this fallen world that wants you to

[39:47] identify with its pattern that we

[39:49] conform not to the pattern of this

[39:50] world. And so what it's like is, oh

[39:53] yeah, I'm not that man anymore that

[39:55] walked those fields with bear.

[39:57] >> He's what I got from bear. Cuz think

[39:59] about it, any of us when you love an

[40:01] animal like Jericho, you're back with

[40:02] your beloved cat Jericho.

[40:04] >> Probably your first familiar, your first

[40:06] animal that you really loved maybe,

[40:08] >> unless you had a child, the dog, but

[40:10] they were more. I know you did. My first

[40:13] real bond was Jericho.

[40:17] >> And like back with her, what is that

[40:19] intimacy? What is that intimacy?

[40:22] >> What is it that you feel when you look

[40:24] at them? What is it you feel they may

[40:26] feel when looking at you?

[40:28] >> Like what about when you know hardened

[40:29] people like men in their 70s that have

[40:31] shot dog shot their whole life? I mean

[40:33] shoot dogs. That was a mistake. He

[40:34] shoots with dogs. My uncle Jim I'm

[40:37] thinking of here

[40:37] >> a hunting dog

[40:38] >> and then fell so in love

[40:40] >> with his like final dog Sky like and

[40:44] yeah it's pulling something out of

[40:46] >> a bit like um I went to the supermarket

[40:49] earlier and it was like an experience

[40:51] that at one point I had to like stop and

[40:53] I was sort of walking behind by the by

[40:55] the counter that does the rotisserie

[40:57] chicken and stuff and it was a

[40:59] supermarket. I hadn't ever actually been

[41:01] in this specific one before, but the

[41:04] brand is the one that you might go to

[41:06] around in this area.

[41:07] >> Fancy

[41:08] >> Waitro. A lot of people don't know the

[41:10] significance of supermarket hierarchies.

[41:12] >> I had to explain this to uh the who did

[41:15] I explain this to? An American friend

[41:16] Sarah the other day. I was like, "Oh,

[41:18] there's these different types of

[41:19] supermarkets. This one's the high-end

[41:21] one. You've got Whole Foods, which you

[41:22] know about because you've got them in

[41:23] America, super expensive, and you can

[41:25] only go there for certain items. Then

[41:27] there's the Waitros, which is more

[41:28] major. And then there's the like ones

[41:30] that are less expensive but good. And

[41:32] >> Asda is Walmart.

[41:34] >> Yeah, Asda is Walmart.

[41:35] >> Target is Tesco.

[41:36] >> Our kids favorite Asda.

[41:38] >> That's it.

[41:38] >> Target is Tesco.

[41:40] >> No, that's not right at all. There's no

[41:43] There's no Target.

[41:44] >> What was it? CNA in the old days.

[41:46] Deanms.

[41:48] >> There's no Target. That Target's totally

[41:50] different. That is not Tesco's. We can

[41:52] bicker and argue about equivalency

[41:53] between American grocery stores and

[41:55] British supermarkets all you like, but I

[41:58] will I will I' I'll be dead in the cold

[42:02] cold dirt before I'd let anyone say

[42:04] there's an equivalent to Marks and

[42:05] Spencer.

[42:06] >> There isn't

[42:06] >> anywhere in the world.

[42:07] >> There isn't.

[42:08] >> There is no equivalent.

[42:09] >> Stand alone. Anyway, I was in this

[42:11] waitress and it was not one I'd been in

[42:13] before, but the smell of the Waitro

[42:16] supermarket and the smell of the

[42:17] rotisserie chicken and the feeling of

[42:21] English people like being around British

[42:23] people like the Yeah. And a feeling like

[42:27] I could bump into someone I knew from my

[42:29] past like just because of being in not

[42:31] have we haven't been, you know, we

[42:32] haven't been living here. I got like

[42:35] almost like a a nostalgia nausea. Like

[42:39] it was like a feeling of like

[42:41] >> oh my gosh,

[42:42] >> nostalgia.

[42:43] >> Nostalgia. And what it was the it felt

[42:45] like I it what it was was the Christmas

[42:48] decorations were up.

[42:49] >> There were like there was Halloween

[42:51] section. There was Christmas. There was

[42:53] the smell of the like roasting chicken

[42:55] which smelt a bit like a Sunday meal.

[42:57] >> And for a moment I was like

[43:01] >> whoa. like that it came over me like

[43:03] almost my childhood, my teens, my 20ies.

[43:06] It was like in the supermarket earlier

[43:08] today. I got like a wave of nostalgia to

[43:12] a degree that it was like

[43:15] I'm not sure I can carry on shopping.

[43:19] This world was not made for one as

[43:21] beautiful as you. Like you'd be find

[43:23] found laying down in the aisle. What's

[43:25] wrong with this lady? Is it an aneurysm?

[43:28] No, it's nostalgia. a new advanced form

[43:31] called Nostalgia where nausea and

[43:34] nostalgia blend. And she's I'm afraid

[43:37] gone down like a sack of spuds.

[43:39] >> She gone down as if shot.

[43:41] >> Yeah.

[43:41] >> And

[43:42] >> that's it. She's out.

[43:43] >> Well, what can we do? Fetch the smelling

[43:45] salts. Fetch

[43:46] >> smelling salts.

[43:48] >> I needed smelling salts.

[43:50] >> I was

[43:50] >> You nearly went down with it. Can you

[43:52] say that I'm the one in a wicker

[43:53] wheelchair?

[43:54] >> I don't go down for nostalgia. I I walk

[43:58] straight through that nostalgia. Like

[44:00] think of the things like Upton Park,

[44:02] West Ham United, Morrisy, the Smiths,

[44:04] all my childhood pets. I just march

[44:07] right on. Not like you like Marcel Puce.

[44:09] That's the correct reference.

[44:10] >> Dizzy with nostalgia.

[44:12] >> You're talking over my m Marcel P.

[44:15] >> I don't know who that is.

[44:16] >> P is a French writer.

[44:17] >> Oh yeah, P. I thought you were still on.

[44:19] I thought this might have been a

[44:20] footballer for a moment.

[44:21] >> You thought P was a footballer. Did you?

[44:24] >> I thought P. Marcel P

[44:27] >> plays for Paris Shamine. He's a free

[44:30] kick specialist.

[44:31] >> Yeah. And also because I actually

[44:32] thought it was Prou.

[44:34] >> Well, I mean, you're doubly wrong there.

[44:36] P

[44:36] >> P. Okay, good.

[44:37] >> And he never played for

[44:40] >> Where's

[44:41] >> Monaco?

[44:46] >> No. Good. Okay. So, yeah. Go on. What's

[44:49] nostalgic about that? Well, tell was

[44:51] nostalgic about it is he's the very

[44:52] person that first put to print that when

[44:55] he smelled a particular type of cake,

[44:56] the Magdalene.

[44:57] >> Oh, yeah.

[44:58] >> That it would take him back at once to

[45:00] his childhood.

[45:00] >> Yeah.

[45:01] >> That's what's relevant about it is it's

[45:02] the absolute cast iron correct literary

[45:05] reference for what

[45:07] >> for what you're doing.

[45:08] >> That's very good.

[45:09] >> Almost to the point of being pedantic.

[45:10] >> Yeah. No, it's very good. I'm glad of

[45:12] that reference. I

[45:13] >> So, you were overcome with nostalgia by

[45:15] the rotisserie chicken. I mean, is this

[45:16] going anywhere or is that the whole

[45:18] story? I can't cope with the aroma of

[45:21] food in a supermarket without collapsing

[45:24] to the ground. You're the mysterious

[45:25] woman in yellow. You are. I think

[45:27] there's been a new item on Sunday

[45:28] supplement. Mysterious woman.

[45:32] If only I didn't have dementia. I was

[45:34] winning then, weren't I? I was winning.

[45:36] And then I'm back in my wheelchair.

[45:37] >> Little boy from the secret garden.

[45:39] Right. Go on. Yeah. What's the

[45:41] suppstery?

[45:45] Woman in yellow. plus man in a wicker

[45:47] wheelchair. Let's change the name of the

[45:49] podcast. Hello and welcome to

[45:52] >> Russell did say.

[45:52] >> No, I'm going to finish this item. M put

[45:54] it in.

[45:55] >> Okay, great.

[45:56] >> Be quiet. Remember

[45:58] >> mystery woman. Hello and welcome to

[46:01] mystery woman in yellow with man in a

[46:03] wicker wheelchair.

[46:14] And then Massie will put in the same

[46:16] thing

[46:17] >> like and he'll put that like Sunday

[46:18] service instead of with the brands with

[46:20] mystery woman in yellow. And I would do

[46:23] it so that the words were appearing as

[46:24] if they were being typed the last ones

[46:25] but I wouldn't do the noise. That would

[46:26] be too much. Even leave this in

[46:29] >> what is the segment.

[46:32] >> That's like our alter eos like our

[46:35] identities. I mean when you were

[46:36] described as a mystery woman in yellow,

[46:38] how did you feel about that? Well, I was

[46:41] confused by it

[46:42] >> because I must have known that's his

[46:44] wife.

[46:44] >> Yes, definitely confused.

[46:46] >> Wife, that don't sound right when you're

[46:47] trying to deliberately create a certain

[46:49] impression of someone. Mystery woman in

[46:50] yellow. Yes.

[46:51] >> Yeah, exactly.

[46:52] >> Better better.

[46:53] >> Much better. No, I was confused. I was

[46:56] >> They knew you were my wife when they

[46:57] were saying leave him.

[46:58] >> Yeah. That Oh, for sure. Well, guess

[47:02] what? I didn't. How do you feel about

[47:03] that?

[47:04] >> Oh, you got your gander up.

[47:06] >> Oh, yeah. I'll get the get the gander up

[47:08] for that for sure. Um I I felt confused.

[47:12] I wouldn't give them I wouldn't give

[47:14] them the the pleasure of thinking I was

[47:16] offended because it simply wasn't

[47:19] offensive. It was just like it was just

[47:22] il

[47:24] like thoughtless. It was it was

[47:26] >> it was contrived.

[47:27] >> It was contrived. But it was like it's

[47:29] like uh Yeah. So not thoughtless. It

[47:31] would be the opposite of thoughtless.

[47:32] >> But we'll pray.

[47:33] >> Too much thought.

[47:35] >> Too much thought. actually contrived.

[47:37] >> Contrived.

[47:38] >> It was Yeah. So

[47:39] >> deliberate, transparent.

[47:41] >> Transparent.

[47:43] Yeah, that's it really. And almost

[47:46] exactly what I would imagine that they

[47:48] would do.

[47:49] >> All right. But what was you going to

[47:50] say?

[47:51] >> What's the segment? No, I'm asking you.

[47:53] >> Oh, what happens in that segment?

[47:54] >> Yeah, that's the point of this. What is

[47:56] the segment?

[47:57] >> Okay. Well, all right. Now into segment.

[48:01] Well, I think it should be um

[48:04] >> I mean it's difficult to tie it um

[48:06] ontologically to this concept and I'm

[48:09] not going to do that. I'm just going to

[48:12] >> read some of this daily reading from

[48:15] this book about St. Theres

[48:17] >> of Lassou 33 days of merciful love a

[48:19] do-it-yourself uh retreat.

[48:21] >> Yeah.

[48:22] >> Day four. And that's what that is in

[48:24] this.

[48:24] >> Okay.

[48:25] >> Mary's pilgrimage of faith.

[48:27] >> Mhm.

[48:29] This is the um blessing of uh actually I

[48:33] think I might be on No, sorry. Yeah, I'm

[48:36] on five. I'm on five. Sorry if you've

[48:38] got to come with me on this on this.

[48:39] >> And it's all right cuz the segments a

[48:40] work in progress.

[48:41] >> You say

[48:42] >> it's I think should be scrapped.

[48:44] >> I do too.

[48:46] >> I don't think this segment's got I think

[48:47] >> I just think it's oneoff joke really for

[48:49] the name.

[48:50] >> I know. But then I I think

[48:51] >> you don't have to now like pursue it for

[48:53] the rest of your life. We could just

[48:54] retreat back from it.

[48:55] >> Retreat. Retreat.

[48:56] >> Retreat. We're retreating.

[48:57] >> Carry on. Day five. Mary's trial of

[48:58] faith. Just as Abraham's pilgrimage of

[49:00] faith met his ultimate test when he was

[49:02] called to sacrifice Isaac, so Mary's

[49:04] pilgrimage of faith met a similar test.

[49:06] Now, you'll love this as a mother cuz we

[49:08] know how central he is to you, that boy.

[49:11] I know you love our daughters, but I

[49:12] know that Herby being a son who's had

[49:14] heart surgery was a real sweetheart when

[49:17] I took him out to jiu-jitsu today and a

[49:18] real little darling in the calf.

[49:20] >> Gorgeous little thing, he's cold all the

[49:22] time. My hands are cold. My hands He's

[49:24] never been cold.

[49:24] >> He's never been cold. he doesn't

[49:26] understand it.

[49:28] >> So this is a conjuring that aspect of

[49:30] all mothers that has the divinity of

[49:32] mother Mary in it. However, while

[49:34] Abraham ultimately did not have to go

[49:36] through with the sacrifice, Mary had to

[49:38] watch and be present during the torture

[49:40] and slaughter of her dearly beloved son

[49:42] all the way to his agonizing end. She

[49:44] had to stand and consent to the

[49:45] immulation of the victim. She had to

[49:48] remain there in faith hoping against

[49:49] hope. It was there on Calvary at the

[49:52] foot of the cross that we find Mary in

[49:54] the glorious perfection of faith. It was

[49:57] there in the midst of the most terrible

[49:59] darkness that we paradoxically see the

[50:01] luminous blessing of Elizabeth and

[50:04] blessed is she and uh that is chosen by

[50:07] God. Blessed art thou. Elizabeth the her

[50:10] sister who herself gave birth to as John

[50:13] the Baptist and I think is an echo of

[50:15] Abraham and Sarah certainly in so much

[50:18] as that they belatedly sire a child when

[50:22] they're sort of post reproductivity.

[50:25] >> Uh blessing of Elizabeth shine forth

[50:27] with ever greater glory. Blessed is she

[50:29] who believed that what was spoken to her

[50:32] by the Lord would be fulfilled. Yet

[50:34] blessed is she who believed at the foot

[50:35] of the cross. Blessed is she who

[50:37] believed in the impossible. Blessed is

[50:38] she who believed that God was able to

[50:40] raise men even from the dead. That's

[50:42] Hebrews 11:19. That is faith. Again,

[50:46] that is the glorious perfection of

[50:47] faith. That is the greatest light of

[50:48] faith which shines amid the deepest

[50:50] darkness. Now, ponder once again the

[50:52] words of the angel that our lady

[50:54] believed regarding her son Jesus.

[50:56] >> He will be great,

[50:58] >> says Gabriel,

[50:59] >> and the Lord God will give him the

[51:01] throne of his father David. He will

[51:02] reign over the house of Jacob forever

[51:04] and his kingdom and of his kingdom there

[51:06] will be no end.

[51:10] >> Oh, look. I've read that now.

[51:12] >> It's good. Who Where do you get this

[51:13] from? What is this book?

[51:15] >> Me and Joe were out and Joe was jonesing

[51:18] for a confession and a and a and a

[51:20] Eucharist. He was actually moaning about

[51:23] it. He was moaning about it like how I

[51:26] imagine he would once have moaned about

[51:28] like needing a drink or take drugs,

[51:29] >> right? You know, I've got to get ah I've

[51:31] got to have a Eucharist. I've got to

[51:33] have a Eucharist. I go, I'll get you a

[51:34] Eucharist now.

[51:35] >> Oh my god. You were scoring a Eucharist.

[51:38] >> We were scoring a Eucharist. Oh my

[51:39] goodness. We went straight around the

[51:41] Vicar's house. Not Vicar father's.

[51:43] >> Yeah.

[51:45] >> And as I did that, Joe went, "This is

[51:47] men."

[51:48] >> Cuz it was their house

[51:49] >> and on a Sunday.

[51:50] >> On a Sunday, but not during mass times.

[51:52] He goes, "I thought get a mass at the

[51:53] normal mass times." Joe was saying.

[51:55] Anyway, priest opened the door.

[51:57] >> Yeah.

[51:57] >> Collar undone. Oh, it's you. Come in. We

[52:00] go in. Joe goes in. I go, "Mate needs a

[52:03] confession in a Eucharist. I could do

[52:04] with just a blessing." As it was, I'll

[52:06] get two white, two brown, and a bag of

[52:08] weed.

[52:09] >> This is hilarious.

[52:10] >> Some molly percoetses.

[52:12] >> Oh my gosh. I'll take a confession, a

[52:14] Eucharist. Anyway, I sat down and there

[52:16] was an older priest, Father Michael.

[52:18] Beautiful fell, the main priest of the

[52:20] house was cooking the dinner.

[52:21] >> Lovely.

[52:22] >> With his dog collar off as well,

[52:24] >> image. And then I was took to the

[52:26] library and the lovely father Michael

[52:28] gave me this 33 days to merciful love as

[52:30] well as a book on Julian of Norwich as

[52:33] well as a another book on my heart

[52:36] >> and also the presence of God. Practicing

[52:38] the presence of God but different style

[52:40] edition.

[52:40] >> Yeah. Lovely.

[52:41] >> So has some pretty great saints.

[52:42] >> That's nice.

[52:43] >> That we may emulate.

[52:45] >> Well, it looks like a lovely book.

[52:46] >> Yeah, I've been reading it every day. I

[52:48] like that it's 33 days cuz I love that

[52:50] number, you know, 33 years on the throne

[52:52] for David. 33 years of life for our

[52:54] Lord. 33 vertebrae in our spine. Maybe

[52:57] that's what I'll do in the section. Wick

[52:59] a wheelchair and mystery woman in

[53:00] yellow. Now, what were you about to say?

[53:02] You're about to say something. It's a

[53:03] while ago. We can even wrap up now.

[53:04] >> Yeah, I was going to go to comments and

[53:06] then could maybe read this and then you

[53:07] could pray.

[53:08] >> Can you remember what you were going to

[53:09] say when I started that item and you got

[53:10] sort of two in it. First you tried to

[53:12] disrupt it, then you

[53:14] disruptor. I didn't condemn it. I was

[53:17] inquiring as to what it was going to be

[53:18] about because it felt a bit creative.

[53:22] >> Sorry. Okay. All right. So, we're going

[53:25] to read some comments now for Sunday

[53:27] service. Well, why? I know. That's the

[53:29] That's it.

[53:30] >> Brilliant.

[53:30] >> Right. Here we go. Let's start again.

[53:32] >> No. All right. Yeah. Time now for

[53:35] mystery woman in yellow and man in a

[53:37] wicked wheelchair. Take two.

[53:39] >> We have some lovely comments this week.

[53:42] >> You rushed into it off the back of the

[53:43] cup.

[53:43] >> Oh my god. I'm joking. I'm joking.

[53:46] >> Okay. Okay. Right. Okay. Good.

[53:48] >> Um,

[53:49] quite a few people because I I actually

[53:51] was a little bit unwell in the last

[53:53] episode. It actually it came over me in

[53:55] the Sunday service. I started getting a

[53:57] sore throat. Quite a few people were

[53:59] actually concerned about me, which is

[54:00] very kind. Thank you. I'm fine. And

[54:03] >> I didn't feel there was nothing wrong

[54:04] with you.

[54:04] >> No. Well, yes. Well, you were the one

[54:06] that commented on it. You said my eyes

[54:07] were starting to water. Anyway.

[54:09] >> Oh, yeah. No, that did. It came on

[54:10] strong.

[54:11] >> Um, also, um, we saw a deer. So, a

[54:14] couple of people

[54:15] >> that was cool.

[54:15] >> That was so beautiful. We saw a deer in

[54:17] the middle of one of the um readings and

[54:19] we filmed it and you can watch it last

[54:21] week's episode. We cut to the mobile

[54:23] phone footage of a beautiful deer

[54:25] grazing in the garden. So, a lot of

[54:26] people really like this. Um Jackie

[54:30] Moon4587. I love this show so much. It's

[54:33] my church. I pray for you to get all to

[54:36] all get through this difficult time. I

[54:38] spent 5 years in prison and I know what

[54:40] it's like to be waiting impossible

[54:42] imprisonment and the huge pressure it

[54:44] places on your loved ones. You will get

[54:46] through it eye and sharpens eye and the

[54:48] presence of God is everywhere in prison

[54:51] as well in a way I've never felt

[54:53] anywhere else. I'm thinking of you all

[54:55] and send love to you all to all involved

[54:57] in the process. Yeah.

[54:59] >> Yes.

[55:00] >> I don't like things where it's like you

[55:02] might have to go prison.

[55:03] >> No, I know. But that's the nature of the

[55:06] trial is a trial that carries a

[55:08] custodial sentence.

[55:09] >> That's right. It's not to say one of the

[55:10] challenges. I don't exactly. It's one of

[55:12] the challenges and what this lovely

[55:14] person Jackie

[55:15] >> who am I to do you know what I thought

[55:16] when we were in before you go on with

[55:18] this I want to say this

[55:20] >> when when we first heard the news in

[55:23] that scan that Herby was going to have

[55:25] diff like you know I go you know I said

[55:27] is this ever going to be nothing again?

[55:28] and the doctor said, "No, this is

[55:31] something. We don't know what it is and

[55:32] it's serious and you might want to

[55:34] consider the termination type vibes and

[55:36] then eventually the flat out offer of

[55:38] that."

[55:39] >> Um,

[55:40] >> I remember saying to you, I'm not going

[55:41] to Great Orman Street Law. Famous

[55:43] hospital like Fson Jews America. Not

[55:44] going to Great Orman Street.

[55:46] >> Not going to Great Or Street. Kid with

[55:47] tubes up his nose. I'm not doing all

[55:49] that. I don't know what I was saying cuz

[55:50] I wasn't saying get a termination.

[55:53] >> I know you just It was

[55:54] >> But I was like I was rejecting it.

[55:56] >> You were rejecting it. Yeah. Then I

[55:57] remember

[55:57] >> the idea of it.

[55:59] >> Then I recall being in Great Orland

[56:01] Street.

[56:02] >> Mhm.

[56:03] >> And being among ill children and

[56:06] grieving parents

[56:08] >> and dedicated medical staff and it the

[56:12] it came. This is now I recognize the

[56:14] voice.

[56:16] Who are you to say you're not going to

[56:19] Great Orman Street? It came while I was

[56:21] at Great Or Street. Who do you think you

[56:22] are

[56:23] >> to not go Great Ormer Street? Who do I

[56:25] think I am to not go to prison?

[56:27] >> Yeah,

[56:27] >> I go where you want.

[56:29] >> Yeah. Well,

[56:30] >> prison, not prison, center parks,

[56:33] Legoland, Universal, Disney.

[56:36] >> The the idea here is that there's a lot

[56:37] of

[56:38] >> Jerusalem, Gaza.

[56:39] >> Gosh. Okay. That

[56:41] >> eye of the storm. And did you know that

[56:43] at the no matter how big the storm is,

[56:47] now this is hold on to your hats,

[56:48] everybody. I want to I want

[56:50] >> the eye of the stall. It's ear.

[56:56] >> You've been practicing that recently.

[56:58] You're not dirt on me.

[57:00] >> That

[57:00] >> cuz Jack Nicholson does it.

[57:02] >> In as good as it gets.

[57:03] >> I get confused to this day. Jack

[57:05] Nicholson. Yeah.

[57:06] >> Yeah. No, not in as good as it get. Oh,

[57:08] in one of the cookies. Yes, of course.

[57:10] >> Cookies when they go, "Hey, you want to

[57:12] be careful, you might get caught."

[57:14] >> Yeah. Anyway, I mean all the all these

[57:18] are the same. It's people wishing you

[57:19] well, Russell. They know that there's a

[57:20] trial coming, right? I know. I was being

[57:23] I was being sensitive.

[57:24] >> Okay.

[57:24] >> I'm so sorry.

[57:26] >> I'm sorry.

[57:27] >> Casey Campbell 312. What an amazing

[57:29] >> moon child.

[57:30] >> No, that was the last person. Jackie

[57:33] Moon4587.

[57:35] That was the person who had spent 5

[57:36] years in prison.

[57:37] >> Thank you. And thank you for

[57:38] encouragement, mate. And I didn't mean

[57:40] to be. I wasn't being dismissive. And

[57:42] thank you.

[57:42] >> Um at uh gosh, there's so many. Um Katy

[57:46] Campbell 312. What an amazing prayer,

[57:47] Russell. Please, no matter what happens

[57:48] in court, you do not lose your faith

[57:50] because your strong faith helps all

[57:52] Christians that watch you.

[57:54] >> I love it.

[57:55] >> That's good. Um, uh, Lori Lambeath 9007.

[58:00] Finding Noah's Ark would be cool, of

[58:03] course. But I know God is real because I

[58:06] see him in you.

[58:08] >> We're both so authentic and open. We

[58:10] learned so much from Sunday service

[58:12] about faith and love for one another.

[58:13] Thank you for this sweet time together.

[58:15] It's such a blessing. Praying for you

[58:17] both. You are not alone. Sending love

[58:19] from Atlanta.

[58:20] >> Oh, and look at this. Especially you,

[58:22] Russell.

[58:23] >> No, that's not in it.

[58:24] >> Nora sometime.

[58:25] >> I actually I just am scanning past the

[58:28] compliments of me.

[58:29] >> Got to do one then.

[58:30] >> Uh, let's say Well,

[58:32] >> next week, mystery woman in yellow.

[58:34] >> Yeah,

[58:34] >> they'll there'll be I think the hem

[58:37] should have been bought. That lapel was

[58:38] too big.

[58:39] >> All right, good. Good. I'm just joking.

[58:40] I can't wait. No, that's that could be a

[58:42] whole feature if you want. the fashions,

[58:43] the court fashions.

[58:45] >> Um,

[58:47] Kate, Kelly 367, Laura, take time for

[58:50] yourself. As mothers, we always put

[58:52] everyone and everything before

[58:53] ourselves. Love and prayers to you both.

[58:56] Um,

[59:00] I don't like that noise. S

[59:02] >> you know that noise. Did you do it

[59:04] sometimes when you were a kid?

[59:05] >> I used to like Yeah.

[59:07] >> Yeah.

[59:07] >> I don't like it.

[59:08] >> Um, Scarlet Montana 7. Russell and

[59:11] Laura, I'm praying for you both as you

[59:13] come to the UK. I know the Lord will be

[59:14] with you and will give you strength when

[59:15] you need. God bless you.

[59:18] >> Dear um or at sometimes the names are

[59:20] hard to read for me at I Zu

[59:25] I U. Yeah. Dear God, thank you for these

[59:28] dear souls. Please protect Russell and

[59:29] Laura in this troublesome time.

[59:31] especially strengthen protect Russell

[59:33] and give them the peace, power and

[59:34] presence of Holy Spirit to be with them

[59:36] and help them transcend through the all

[59:38] the trials and tribulations to your

[59:40] glory in Jesus' name. Amen. Um then

[59:45] there was actually some direct

[59:47] nutritional advice for me like take

[59:49] vitamin D.

[59:51] I am better but I read it.

[59:53] >> Oh,

[59:54] >> um I just didn't take them but thank you

[59:56] and I will next time. Uh dear at last

[59:58] one at Virginia Elizabeth 1990. Good

[1:00:02] morning beautiful brands. Thank you so

[1:00:04] much for sharing your blessed energies.

[1:00:06] Hair looks great Laura. Thank you

[1:00:08] >> and peace, love and light to you. Yours

[1:00:10] and all. There we go.

[1:00:13] >> Um

[1:00:14] yeah, there we go.

[1:00:16] >> Okay.

[1:00:16] >> Many.

[1:00:17] >> Thank you for your lovely comments.

[1:00:18] Please continue to leave comments and

[1:00:20] support our podcast means the world to

[1:00:22] us. Thank you. This is from Zechariah.

[1:00:29] Then he showed me Joshua the high priest

[1:00:32] standing before the angel of the Lord

[1:00:34] and Satan standing his right side to

[1:00:37] accuse him. The Lord said to Satan, "The

[1:00:40] Lord rebuke you, Satan. The Lord who has

[1:00:42] chosen Jerusalem rebuke you. Is not this

[1:00:45] man a burning stick snatched from the

[1:00:48] fire." You know, I've um felt a lot like

[1:00:52] that my whole life. And my name, our

[1:00:55] name now, beloved wife Brand has

[1:00:58] something of this fire.

[1:01:01] >> And um now I feel um I feel that the I

[1:01:06] wanted that verse and that image in my

[1:01:08] mind as we move towards the prayer for

[1:01:11] conclusion of our Sunday service.

[1:01:13] >> Now was there something you wanted to do

[1:01:15] that psalm? I

[1:01:16] >> was going to read the psalm and then if

[1:01:18] I read the psalm then can you go into

[1:01:19] the prayer please and then we'll close

[1:01:21] the show.

[1:01:22] >> What psalm was it darling? Uh 107.

[1:01:25] Let me just check. 107. Yeah.

[1:01:29] >> And I will say this.

[1:01:31] >> Yes.

[1:01:31] >> Because I will be looking online at

[1:01:35] >> video. No, hurricane videos. Yeah.

[1:01:37] Videos of storms later. And the thing

[1:01:40] I'm going to really specifically look up

[1:01:41] is videos of weather meteor

[1:01:44] meteorologists

[1:01:45] uh weather reporters in the eye of a

[1:01:47] storm.

[1:01:48] >> It doesn't happen. And I've already

[1:01:50] challenged you on that.

[1:01:50] >> Okay. I'm going to look it up. I even

[1:01:52] said earlier there's videos where people

[1:01:54] are in in planes in the eye of a

[1:01:57] >> I was watching you a ghast at the claims

[1:02:00] you were making

[1:02:01] >> I'm about

[1:02:02] >> I'm going to find the one from the 2024

[1:02:04] hurricane on the west coast of Florida.

[1:02:06] I'm going to find you a selection of

[1:02:07] videos and then we'll go from there.

[1:02:09] >> All right. So Psalm 107

[1:02:12] off this. Will you go into prayer?

[1:02:13] Please close it.

[1:02:15] >> Um give thanks to the Lord for he is

[1:02:17] good. His love endures forever. Let the

[1:02:20] redeemed of the Lord tell their story.

[1:02:22] Those he redeemed from the hand of the

[1:02:24] foe. Those he gathered from the lands,

[1:02:27] from east and west, from north and

[1:02:29] south. Some wandered in desert

[1:02:31] wastelands, finding no way to a city

[1:02:33] where they could settle. They were

[1:02:35] hungry and thirsty, and their lives

[1:02:37] ebbed away. Then they cried out to the

[1:02:40] Lord in their trouble, and he delivered

[1:02:42] from them their delivered them from

[1:02:44] their distress. He led them by a

[1:02:47] straight way to a city where they could

[1:02:49] settle.

[1:02:50] Let them give thanks to the Lord for

[1:02:52] this unfailing love and his wonderful

[1:02:54] deeds for mankind. For he satisfies the

[1:02:57] thirsty and fills the hungry with good

[1:02:59] things. Some sat in darkness in utter

[1:03:02] darkness, prisoners suffering in iron

[1:03:05] chains because they rebelled against

[1:03:07] God's commands and despised the plans of

[1:03:09] the Most High. So he subjected them to

[1:03:12] bitter labor. They stumbled and there

[1:03:14] was no one to help. Then they cried to

[1:03:17] the Lord in their trouble and he saved

[1:03:19] them from their distress. He brought

[1:03:22] them out of darkness, the utter

[1:03:24] darkness, and broke away their chains.

[1:03:27] Let them give thanks to the Lord for his

[1:03:29] unfailing love and his wonderful deeds

[1:03:31] for mankind. For he breaks down gates of

[1:03:34] bronze and cuts through bars of iron.

[1:03:37] Some became fools through their

[1:03:39] rebellious ways and suffered all

[1:03:41] affliction because of their iniquities.

[1:03:44] They loathed all food and grew near the

[1:03:46] gates of death. Then they cried to the

[1:03:48] Lord in their trouble and he saved them

[1:03:50] from their distress. He sent out his

[1:03:52] word and healed them. He rescued them

[1:03:54] from the grave. Let them give thanks to

[1:03:57] the Lord for his unfailing love and his

[1:03:59] wonderful deeds for mankind. Let them

[1:04:01] sacrifice thank offerings and let and

[1:04:03] tell of his works with songs of joy.

[1:04:06] Some went out on the ships in on the sea

[1:04:09] in ships. They were merchants on the

[1:04:11] mighty waters. They saw the works of the

[1:04:14] Lord, his wonderful deeds in the deep.

[1:04:17] For he spoke and stirred up a tempest

[1:04:19] that lifted high the waves. They mounted

[1:04:22] up to the heavens and went down to the

[1:04:24] depths. In their peril, their courage

[1:04:26] melted away. They reeled and staggered

[1:04:30] like drunkards. They were at their wits

[1:04:32] end. Then they cried out to the Lord in

[1:04:34] their trouble, and he brought them out

[1:04:36] of their distress. He stilled the storm

[1:04:39] to a whisper. The waves of the the sea

[1:04:42] were hushed. They were glad when it grew

[1:04:45] calm, and he guided them to their

[1:04:47] desired haven. Let them give thanks to

[1:04:49] the Lord for his unfailing love and his

[1:04:52] wonderful deeds for mankind. Let them

[1:04:54] exalt him in the assembly of the people,

[1:04:57] and praise him in the council of the

[1:04:58] elders. He turned rivers into a desert,

[1:05:02] flowing springs into thirsty ground, and

[1:05:04] fruitful land into a salt waste, because

[1:05:07] of the wickedness of those who lived

[1:05:08] there. He turned the desert into pools

[1:05:11] of water, and the parched ground into

[1:05:13] flowing springs. There he brought the

[1:05:15] hungry to live, and they found it

[1:05:17] founded a city where they could settle.

[1:05:19] They sowed fields and planted vineyards

[1:05:22] that yielded a fruitful harvest. He

[1:05:24] blessed them and their numbers greatly

[1:05:26] increased and he did not let their herds

[1:05:28] diminish.

[1:05:30] >> Then their numbers deceased decreased

[1:05:32] and they were humbled by oppression,

[1:05:34] calamity and sorrow. He who pours he who

[1:05:38] pours contempt on nobles made them

[1:05:40] wonder in a trackless waste. But he

[1:05:44] lifted the needy out of their affliction

[1:05:46] and increased their families like

[1:05:47] flocks. The upright see and rejoice, but

[1:05:51] all the wicked shut their mouths. Let

[1:05:54] the one who is wise heed these things

[1:05:57] and ponder the loving deeds of the Lord.

[1:06:03] >> It's pretty amazing.

[1:06:04] >> It's really good. It's really good to

[1:06:06] read that.

[1:06:06] >> What does you like about it?

[1:06:07] >> I like the repetition. I like the

[1:06:10] repetition.

[1:06:12] That

[1:06:14] >> that was a Daxon just chasing a cat by

[1:06:16] >> Oh. Oh goodness. Um, I like the

[1:06:19] repetition of of of the the end of the

[1:06:24] each of the sort of

[1:06:25] >> Stop it.

[1:06:26] >> Oh, Coco, now you have to calm down.

[1:06:28] >> Stop it.

[1:06:28] >> Cuz especially at this

[1:06:30] >> That's enough. That's enough now. That's

[1:06:32] enough.

[1:06:32] >> What I liked is the um, let them give

[1:06:34] thanks to the Lord for his unfailing

[1:06:36] love and his wonderful deeds for

[1:06:37] mankind. Like the repetition of those

[1:06:39] sort of lines I think is important. And

[1:06:41] >> incantation.

[1:06:42] >> Incantation.

[1:06:44] >> Okay.

[1:06:48] Yahweh Shama, Yahweh Shama, Yahweh Shar,

[1:06:51] Yahweh Shar, Yahweh Shar to cosmo.

[1:06:56] The Lord will be there, light of the

[1:06:58] world. The Lord will be there, light of

[1:06:59] the world. The Lord will be there, light

[1:07:01] of the world. Heavenly Father, little

[1:07:02] God, there are the senses are glorious.

[1:07:06] the instruments of the senses that

[1:07:08] detect light and vibration and the

[1:07:10] movement in the air and molecular

[1:07:12] activity. The senses of touch, taste,

[1:07:15] sight, hearing, the senses that are

[1:07:17] subtler yet, Lord, that we can access.

[1:07:20] Lord, let us feel your presence and your

[1:07:22] light. As people continue to discern in

[1:07:25] the world of measurement, reality is not

[1:07:28] what we supposed it to be and even that

[1:07:30] which we consider most rudimentary,

[1:07:32] the name of which contains both mother

[1:07:35] and

[1:07:37] matter and contains much that

[1:07:42] births us yet somehow is voided of

[1:07:44] mystery. Even material is full of

[1:07:46] limitless mystery. space where it

[1:07:49] appears dense,

[1:07:53] remote when it appears local,

[1:07:57] non-local and miraculous material.

[1:07:59] Heavenly Father, a storm, the

[1:08:01] intensification of pressure, the

[1:08:03] movement of energy that's difficult to

[1:08:07] measure. Lord, when you spoke to Job and

[1:08:12] you asked in this most ancient of

[1:08:16] accounts,

[1:08:18] do you know when the light is kept in

[1:08:21] the cave or do you know where the snow

[1:08:22] comes from or so many questions about

[1:08:25] the origins of things? None of us know

[1:08:29] the true nature of reality. None of us

[1:08:32] know how biology begins. None of us

[1:08:36] understand how it unfolds and unpacks.

[1:08:39] And somehow by sliding that great glacia

[1:08:43] time

[1:08:44] >> 13.8 billion years into view that would

[1:08:48] answer it somehow. It's as if it was

[1:08:50] happening in this moment. The miracle of

[1:08:53] reality was created. There was a moment

[1:08:56] everyone agrees where there was no

[1:08:58] universe. And then there was a moment

[1:09:00] Lord where you said let there be light.

[1:09:03] where you've hovered above the water and

[1:09:05] Lord we feel fostered by you. You are

[1:09:07] our father Aba Yahweh. You provide.

[1:09:12] And whilst times like this, times of

[1:09:14] literal trial and focus and scrutiny can

[1:09:17] sometimes mean that it's natural for us,

[1:09:19] is it natural, Lord, for us to become

[1:09:22] socistic, caught in an inner cyclone, a

[1:09:25] storm inside the mind of self. Lord, I

[1:09:27] know that self is to be apart from you.

[1:09:30] Lord, you are enthroned. Jesus Christ,

[1:09:32] you sit on the throne. You are our king.

[1:09:35] It's you that sits at the right hand.

[1:09:37] Holy Spirit, come be with us, Holy

[1:09:39] Spirit. Power that is beyond storms

[1:09:41] because you created the storm. Power

[1:09:43] that's beyond weapons because you create

[1:09:45] the fire, the furnace, the blacksmith

[1:09:47] all reality. Almighty God, be with us

[1:09:51] >> and be with all those that are suffering

[1:09:52] and fearful. And in the end, that's all

[1:09:54] of us. Because in the end, this earthly

[1:09:58] existence ends in termination materially

[1:10:01] for us all. Unless we are the generation

[1:10:04] that will witness firsthand your second

[1:10:06] coming. And Lord, I already know that's

[1:10:08] going to be beyond the five senses and

[1:10:11] confined epistemology.

[1:10:14] The mind of man cannot conceive of you.

[1:10:16] As far as the heavens are from the earth

[1:10:18] are your thoughts from our thoughts and

[1:10:20] your ways from our ways. And the

[1:10:21] government, Lord, is upon your

[1:10:23] shoulders. And the nations are dropping

[1:10:25] in the bucket. And truth and justice,

[1:10:27] Lord, these words belong to you. And you

[1:10:29] died for all of us. Everyone involved in

[1:10:31] our trial, you died for them. People

[1:10:34] that I consider to be allies, people

[1:10:36] that I consider to be adversarial, we're

[1:10:38] all your children. And we're all

[1:10:40] deserving of your love. And I pray for

[1:10:42] peace and love for all the participants

[1:10:44] in this trial or any trial or the

[1:10:46] hospital that our son has known or the

[1:10:48] hospital that any of your children have

[1:10:50] known. I pray, Lord God, for your

[1:10:52] return. I pray for your will, not mine.

[1:10:55] And I pray thanks for you for all of the

[1:10:58] glories you afford me and continue to

[1:11:00] afford me. This beautiful wife, this

[1:11:01] mystery woman in yellow, this insane dog

[1:11:04] creating chaos, our glorious children,

[1:11:07] and for your son Jesus Christ who died

[1:11:09] on the cross and rose again that we may

[1:11:11] know eternity together with you. Amen.

[1:11:14] >> Amen.

[1:11:16] >> Thank you.

[1:11:17] >> Yeah.

[1:11:18] >> Nice. Thank you. Thank you everybody.

[1:11:20] >> Oh, wait. Cuz you know I like No, we

[1:11:22] don't have to wait but like don't stop.

[1:11:24] Uh, don't

[1:11:25] >> don't stop believing.

[1:11:28] >> You went there.

[1:11:29] >> Yeah. Where else would you go?

[1:11:31] >> Okay. Don't stop me now. I'm having such

[1:11:34] a good time. I'm having a ball. Don't

[1:11:37] stop me now. If you want to have a good

[1:11:39] time, just give me a call. That's what I

[1:11:42] would have gone for. But I'm even not

[1:11:44] doing that. I'm doing this. And I didn't

[1:11:46] mean don't stop as in don't go. I mean,

[1:11:48] don't truncate me amidst this.

[1:11:51] Um,

[1:11:53] yeah, you can carry on, but just give me

[1:11:55] a second.

[1:11:56] >> I know.

[1:11:58] >> I then I had trouble cuz I couldn't get

[1:12:00] to the turning on the light. The light.

[1:12:02] >> Ah.

[1:12:04] >> Oh, yeah. That's it. Now I can see

[1:12:06] clearly now.

[1:12:10] You all right, my doll?

[1:12:11] >> Yeah. I'm waiting for you to

[1:12:13] >> Oh, yeah. This is what I'm looking for.

[1:12:14] Oh, no. No. I've realized now this is

[1:12:16] wholly inappropriate.

[1:12:18] >> Hold on. We'll just turn that bit down.

[1:12:19] No, no, not explicit. We're not doing

[1:12:21] explicit things.

[1:12:22] >> Oh, no. Wait. Now, now two pack like

[1:12:24] this bithood

[1:12:36] recck.

ArtistRussell Brand

Comedian, presenter and podcaster Russell Brand, born in Essex in 1975, now centres his work on conversation, community and awakening.

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Got Questions?

What is the video 'The I of The Storm | SS23' about?

It is a long, informal Sunday service livestreamed from the UK by Russell Brand and Laura Brand. It mixes playful banter with prayers for people affected by a hurricane and others suffering, a reading about a storm on the water, and a discussion of how to stay anchored in faith during a difficult period.

How can you anchor your faith during a hard time?

In the service, Brand says that when life brings challenge, you need to find your footing and your personal connection with God. The practical emphasis is on making faith personal and grounded rather than waiting for circumstances to resolve first.

Did Churchill really greet Eisenhower naked in his bath?

Brand presents the story as potentially apocryphal, saying it might be true or might not be. He tells it as an anecdote, not as verified history, and the video does not offer evidence either way.

Why pray for a hurricane in Florida from another country?

In the opening prayer, Brand asks for safety for the people in Florida as the hurricane approaches, and extends the prayer to all people suffering and all who have suffered harms. The prayer is framed around shared human suffering and unity rather than geography.

What psalm is read in the Sunday service?

The reading's opening words, about people gathered from the lands and brought out of the gates of death, match Psalm 107, a psalm of deliverance that includes the image of the sea being quieted. The transcript shows only part of the reading, so the full text is best checked in the video.

What is Laura Brand's Joy Journal about?

The Joy Journal for Magical Everyday Play is Laura's book on playful, low-cost activities. The service references a clip from its launch in which she demonstrates upcycled shadow puppets made from household items.