Leaving Egypt podcast - ‘A Church Listening for the Spirit’
Leaving Egypt is a podcast co-hosted by Jenny Sinclair and Al Roxburgh exploring what it means to be God’s people in an age of unravelling, part of the Missional Network and Together for the Common Good.
Co-founder of the School for Synodality Avril Baigent was invited to discuss Synodality on episode 45 ‘A Church Listening for the Spirit’’.
Leaving Egypt described this episode as: “In this episode Al Roxburgh and Jenny Sinclair meet again with Avril Baigent. In an earlier episode (#05) of Leaving Egypt, Al and Jenny discovered Avril’s involvement with the movement known as Synodality. This is a process initiated by the late Pope Francis across the Catholic Church, enabling Catholics at all levels of the Church to come together in processes of listening to one another and to the Holy Spirit. Centred on an ancient method called “Conversation in the Spirit”, Synodality is slowly enabling fresh spaces within the Church for discerning how the Spirit is calling us to join with God.
Sharing real stories of deep transformation through her own experience of this global movement, Avril is clear that this process is no “add water and stir” quick fix for ailing parishes. It takes time. This process takes us deep into encounter with one another and has the potential to resolve difficult decisions, overcome power imbalances and resolve painful conflict. And not only within the Church, it also takes us into deep, listening relationships with the people in our neighbourhoods and local communities. It is in these engagements that discernment emerges as we hear the Spirit through the other.”