All Things Considered

The United Nations climate change conference (COP 26) will meet in Glasgow this November. It’s the first time the conference has been held in the UK, and representatives from nearly 200 countries will meet to tackle the climate emergency. For many this is seen as a crucial opportunity to work together to reduce global carbon emissions. The Bishop of St. Davids, Joanna Penberthy, has launched a virtual pilgrimage to Glasgow to draw attention to the conference, and churches across Wales are holding a ‘Climate Change Sunday’ to raise awareness too. Jonathan Thomas hears about these endeavours, and explores the concept of ‘Creation Care’. He hears how for some Christians looking after the Earth is central to their Christian life – not simply a nice and well-meaning addition to it. Andy Atkins from the global environmental charity A-Rocha explains how their ‘Eco-Church’ award scheme works, and how it’s supporting people across Wales to make changes to everyday church life to help protect the environment.

"Kind words are like honey" the Bible tells us, "they are sweet for the soul and healthy for the body". But as Roy Jenkins discovers in this week's programme, kindness isn't always about saying nice things to people; true kindness can sometimes involve telling unpalatable facts. The programme shares the stories and insights of four very different people who’ve both received and sometimes offered kindness in extraordinary ways. Brenda Fogg started a charity for homeless people in Llandudno after the kindness she received from others in that town; Idris Baker is a consultant in palliative care, deeply aware of the need to offer kind words and to listen to his patients; disability theologian Jane Wallman-Girdlestone offers her perspective as a wheelchair and guide-dog user, whilst Wynford Ellis-Owen speaks about the importance of a moment of true kindness in helping him on his journey of recovery from alcohol addiction.

A programme to mark Mothering Sunday that has our presenter’s name all over it; Mary Stallard explores the relevance and significance for us today of Jesus’s mother, Mary of Nazareth. We hear about some of the long-standing traditions that have evolved around Mothering Sunday. It’s a day on which many church communities will honour their mothers and grandmothers as well as Mary herself. During the programme we hear from both Roman Catholics and Protestants about what Mary means to them. We also learn how Mary is the inspiration for contemporary religious movements and prayer groups. While Mary is loved by many to the extent of prayers offered to her, she has become a divisive person for others. Certainly, the ‘Magnificat’ - Mary’s poetic expression upon hearing she would be the mother of Jesus - has been seen as a powerful text. But with lines such as ‘he hath put down the mighty from their seat’, it can also make for an uncomfortable message. Finally we consider another text - the ‘Stabat Mater’, Mary’s outpouring of grief at the foot of the cross upon which Jesus is being crucified, and explore whether it has anything to say to us during the present pandemic. Our guests are the Very Revd Sarah Rowland-Jones OBE, Dean of St David’s Cathedral; the Revd Dr Gareth Leyshon and Revd Fr Matthew Roache-Saunders; Lucy Williams from Cwmbran and a member of ‘Focolare’, Revd Fr Damian Jackson SJ from St Beuno’s Jesuit Spirituality Centre in Denbighshire, and the Revd Dr Jennie Hurd, Chair of the Synod Cymru district of the Methodist Church. Music in the programme includes extracts from ‘Ave Maria’ by Robert Parsons, The St David’s Service by Neil Cox, ‘Stabat Mater’ by Giovanni Pergolesi and popular Marian hymns including ‘Daily daily’, and ‘Immaculate Mary’.

Rosa Hunt looks at the implications of censuses for people of faith. Whilst the question concerning religions is a relatively recent innovation, censuses go back to ancient times. Some of the earliest references are to be found in the Bible, although within Jewish tradition there is deep suspicion towards the idea of counting individual people, as Professor Dan Cohn-Sherbok explains. In Christian the most famous census of all is the one mentioned in Luke's Gospel - a census that some claim never happened. But according to Sabine Huebner, a professor of ancient history, there is compelling evidence that Luke may be a reliable historian. Moreover, it is possible to see some of the world's earliest census returns recorded on papyrus and preserved in the dry heat of Egypt. But what of Wales' relationship to the census? Sociologist David Voas eagerly anticipates the answers to the religion question, but voices scepticism as to the reliability of the data when it comes to matters of religious belief, as opposed to cultural identity. Rosa talks to two ministers working in what emerged to be the least Christian part of Wales at the last census - Blaenau Gwent. Does the census data match up with the impression of working day-to-day with a church and wider community?

The fires of Revival in the nineteenth century sent missionaries from Wales around the world, and many of them fostered Christian communities which still thrive today. On the eve of St. David’s Day we ask why Christians from different countries are drawn back to Wales and why many feel so passionate about this land. Chris and Lyra Vaz are pastors at the Gateway Church in Abergavenny. Lyra’s home region of Shillong in North Eastern India was visited by Thomas Jones, a missionary from Montgomeryshire, and Christianity still thrives there to this day. We hear what brought them to Wales, how easy they found it to make a home here, and their hopes for faith communities in Wales. Wales has had a close connection with Korea since the visit of Robert Jermain Thomas in 1865. Today the SaRang megachurch in Seol, which often sees 40, 000 people in their Sunday congregations, is financially supporting The Union College of Theology in Bridgend. We hear from their Executive Director Joel Morris, who was sent by the church as a missionary to Wales to oversee the college development. But what about revival? Many people who come here have been motivated by passion to see spiritual renewal – so is there a certain disappointment in the present reality? Rana Khan, Rector of St. Edmund’s Church in Crickhowell argues that we might need to revisit our image of revival. Pastor of the Tabernacle Baptist Church in Newbridge, Peter Cho, shares his vision of hope for faith communities in Wales.