<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:podcast="https://podcastindex.org/namespace/1.0" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/">
	<channel>
		<title><![CDATA[Above All Love!]]></title>
		<link>https://podpoint.com/above-all-love</link>
		<language>en-us</language>
		<copyright>&#xA9; </copyright>
		<lastBuildDate>Mon, 04 May 2026 21:54:44 +0000</lastBuildDate>
		<generator>PodPoint: Podcasting for Churches and Ministries</generator>
		<ttl>360</ttl>
		<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[The Good News, quietly told.]]></itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:author><![CDATA[David Holdsworth]]></itunes:author>
		<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Simply Fellowship (Above All Love) is a short, gentle podcast bringing simple Christian community to anyone who needs it — without the noise, pressure, or performance.
Each episode follows a quiet rhythm: a welcome, a hymn, a prayer, a scripture reading in plain language, a short reflection on the Good News of Jesus, wondering questions to sit with, and a benediction to close. Fifteen to thirty minutes. Nothing more.
Simply Fellowship is especially for neurodivergent people, autistic adults and their families, the church-hurt, and anyone who has ever felt too much or not enough for conventional church. You are welcome exactly as you are.

Pax et Bonum — Peace and the Good.

Also includes some sermons and messages from my archives.]]></itunes:summary>
		<description><![CDATA[Simply Fellowship (Above All Love) is a short, gentle podcast bringing simple Christian community to anyone who needs it — without the noise, pressure, or performance.
Each episode follows a quiet rhythm: a welcome, a hymn, a prayer, a scripture reading in plain language, a short reflection on the Good News of Jesus, wondering questions to sit with, and a benediction to close. Fifteen to thirty minutes. Nothing more.
Simply Fellowship is especially for neurodivergent people, autistic adults and their families, the church-hurt, and anyone who has ever felt too much or not enough for conventional church. You are welcome exactly as you are.

Pax et Bonum — Peace and the Good.

Also includes some sermons and messages from my archives.]]></description>
		<itunes:owner>
			<itunes:name><![CDATA[Simply Fellowship]]></itunes:name>
			<itunes:email>davidholdsworth@ymail.com</itunes:email>
		</itunes:owner>
		<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/large/7fec4cb756d853eab5705ee4a61ca402.png" />
		<itunes:category text="Religion &amp; Spirituality">
			<itunes:category text="Christianity" />
		</itunes:category>
		<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
		<podcast:locked>no</podcast:locked>
		<podcast:guid>4c4035b4-cb98-559c-bec5-9ba91f09f87a</podcast:guid>
		<podcast:txt>83984bf16b46060372ae5edeed166fd1</podcast:txt>
		<itunes:type>episodic</itunes:type>
		<atom:link href="https://podpoint.com/feed/11888" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
								<item>
				<title><![CDATA[The Silent Death of the Jury: Is the UK Moving to a "Pre-Magna Carta" Justice System?]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Alan (Eleven Labs)]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[By David Holdsworth 
Read by Alan (Eleven Labs)

For over 800 years, the right to be tried by a jury of one’s peers has been the "golden thread" of British liberty. It was the ultimate safety valve—a way for 12 ordinary citizens to stand between a defe...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[By David Holdsworth 
Read by Alan (Eleven Labs)

For over 800 years, the right to be tried by a jury of one’s peers has been the "golden thread" of British liberty. It was the ultimate safety valve—a way for 12 ordinary citizens to stand between a defendant and the power of the state.

​But as we navigate 2026, that thread is being cut in the name of "efficiency" and "order."

​"No free man is to be arrested, or imprisoned... except by the lawful judgment of his peers or by the law of the land."

— Magna Carta, Clause 39 (1215)





​1. The Rise of the "Swift Courts"
​Under the Courts and Tribunals Bill 2026, the government has introduced judge-only "Swift Courts" for mid-level ("either-way") offences. Previously, a defendant could choose a jury trial for crimes like criminal damage or public order offences. Now, that choice is gone. We are moving toward a system where the state is both the accuser and the sole judge, removing the "judgment of peers" that has protected us since Runnymede.

​2. Preachers and the "Hate Speech" Trap
​It isn't just political activists being silenced. Street preachers are being arrested at an alarming rate for simply expressing traditional religious views that bystanders find "offensive." This creates a profound moral dilemma for those who feel a higher calling to speak.

​"Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard."

— Acts 4:19-20


​When the law of the land conflicts with the law of conscience, the preacher is placed in a "Pre-Magna Carta" dock—judged by a state official rather than a jury who might understand the nuance of faith and free speech.

​3. Protesters and the Terror Label
​The most extreme shift has been the treatment of pro-Palestine protesters. By treating groups like Palestine Action as "terrorist," the government can bypass standard rights. In these juryless trials, judges are often banning defendants from mentioning their motivations. A "peaceable Quaker granny" can be convicted for damage without a jury ever hearing that she acted to stop what she believes is a genocide.

​"Have you ever had to choose between your beliefs and the law? ... What does 'speaking truth to power' mean to you?"

— Quaker Queries (Social Justice & Conscience)


​4. The Pandemic’s Lingering Shadow
​Many of these changes were test-driven during the pandemic. The use of "Justice by Video" and the suspension of assembly rights for "public health" provided the blueprint. The record court backlog—partially a result of pandemic mismanagement—is now being used as the primary excuse to abolish jury trials forever.

​Conclusion: Ignorance or Exhaustion?
​The UK is currently an experiment in whether a Western democracy can maintain the appearance of freedom while dismantling the mechanisms (like juries and free speech) that protect it.

​Between the "New Normal" of the pandemic and the current "Managerial Justice" model, the British public is being exhausted into accepting a system where "legal" and "just" are no longer the same thing.

​What do you think? In a world where preachers, grandmothers, and activists are processed by "Swift Courts" for their conscience, can we still claim to live in a land of liberty?

*Image source: Wiki Commons]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[By David Holdsworth 
Read by Alan (Eleven Labs)

For over 800 years, the right to be tried by a jury of one’s peers has been the "golden thread" of British liberty. It was the ultimate safety valve—a way for 12 ordinary citizens to stand between a defendant and the power of the state.

​But as we navigate 2026, that thread is being cut in the name of "efficiency" and "order."

​"No free man is to be arrested, or imprisoned... except by the lawful judgment of his peers or by the law of the land."

— Magna Carta, Clause 39 (1215)





​1. The Rise of the "Swift Courts"
​Under the Courts and Tribunals Bill 2026, the government has introduced judge-only "Swift Courts" for mid-level ("either-way") offences. Previously, a defendant could choose a jury trial for crimes like criminal damage or public order offences. Now, that choice is gone. We are moving toward a system where the state is both the accuser and the sole judge, removing the "judgment of peers" that has protected us since Runnymede.

​2. Preachers and the "Hate Speech" Trap
​It isn't just political activists being silenced. Street preachers are being arrested at an alarming rate for simply expressing traditional religious views that bystanders find "offensive." This creates a profound moral dilemma for those who feel a higher calling to speak.

​"Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard."

— Acts 4:19-20


​When the law of the land conflicts with the law of conscience, the preacher is placed in a "Pre-Magna Carta" dock—judged by a state official rather than a jury who might understand the nuance of faith and free speech.

​3. Protesters and the Terror Label
​The most extreme shift has been the treatment of pro-Palestine protesters. By treating groups like Palestine Action as "terrorist," the government can bypass standard rights. In these juryless trials, judges are often banning defendants from mentioning their motivations. A "peaceable Quaker granny" can be convicted for damage without a jury ever hearing that she acted to stop what she believes is a genocide.

​"Have you ever had to choose between your beliefs and the law? ... What does 'speaking truth to power' mean to you?"

— Quaker Queries (Social Justice & Conscience)


​4. The Pandemic’s Lingering Shadow
​Many of these changes were test-driven during the pandemic. The use of "Justice by Video" and the suspension of assembly rights for "public health" provided the blueprint. The record court backlog—partially a result of pandemic mismanagement—is now being used as the primary excuse to abolish jury trials forever.

​Conclusion: Ignorance or Exhaustion?
​The UK is currently an experiment in whether a Western democracy can maintain the appearance of freedom while dismantling the mechanisms (like juries and free speech) that protect it.

​Between the "New Normal" of the pandemic and the current "Managerial Justice" model, the British public is being exhausted into accepting a system where "legal" and "just" are no longer the same thing.

​What do you think? In a world where preachers, grandmothers, and activists are processed by "Swift Courts" for their conscience, can we still claim to live in a land of liberty?

*Image source: Wiki Commons]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/episodes/images/original/35400844db480b287e78d8b83b365f3a.jpg" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/2bd154b35a51d2a1a64e7592d57fa53e.mp3" length="4311711" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://podpoint.com/download/2bd154b35a51d2a1a64e7592d57fa53e.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://podpoint.com/above-all-love/the-silent-death-of-the-jury-is-the-uk-moving-to-a-pre-magna-carta-justice-system</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 04 May 2026 21:54:44 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>04:29</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[New Commandment Love]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Ben Torrey]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Ben Torrey teaches on the importance of New Commandment love, which is the love that Jesus commands us to have for one another, as He loved us, willing to suffer and die for us.]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Ben Torrey teaches on the importance of New Commandment love, which is the love that Jesus commands us to have for one another, as He loved us, willing to suffer and die for us.]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Ben Torrey teaches on the importance of New Commandment love, which is the love that Jesus commands us to have for one another, as He loved us, willing to suffer and die for us.]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/episodes/images/original/2582cd87852efc355a4608da07415430.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/c143147a87e9c8776dd4cb1ded1c61a0.mp3" length="1853544" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://podpoint.com/download/c143147a87e9c8776dd4cb1ded1c61a0.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://podpoint.com/above-all-love/new-commandment-love</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 04 May 2026 21:04:08 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>07:43</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Intro to "The Four Loves"]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[C.S. Lewis]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[C.S. Lewis shares the four Greek words for love.]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[C.S. Lewis shares the four Greek words for love.]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[C.S. Lewis shares the four Greek words for love.]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/episodes/images/original/ce5a234f7a8f8901b19dd3e86bec08e4.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/dd5f34f6fab5d020ec869989b877119c.mp3" length="120960" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://podpoint.com/download/dd5f34f6fab5d020ec869989b877119c.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://podpoint.com/above-all-love/intro-to-the-four-loves</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 04 May 2026 20:25:40 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>00:30</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[The Practice of the Prescence of God: 05 First Letter]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Kirsten Ferreri]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[The Practice of the Presence of God is a collection of letters and transcriptions of conversations, compiled by a disciple of Brother Lawrence. Brother Lawrence was a Carmelite monk and head cook in his monastery’s kitchens. He quickly gained an internati...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[The Practice of the Presence of God is a collection of letters and transcriptions of conversations, compiled by a disciple of Brother Lawrence. Brother Lawrence was a Carmelite monk and head cook in his monastery’s kitchens. He quickly gained an international reputation as a mystic and spiritual counselor. The Practice of the Presence records his last words of advice to his friends and disciples, as he suffered from an unnamed illness which would eventually take his life. (Description written by Kirsten Ferreri.)]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[The Practice of the Presence of God is a collection of letters and transcriptions of conversations, compiled by a disciple of Brother Lawrence. Brother Lawrence was a Carmelite monk and head cook in his monastery’s kitchens. He quickly gained an international reputation as a mystic and spiritual counselor. The Practice of the Presence records his last words of advice to his friends and disciples, as he suffered from an unnamed illness which would eventually take his life. (Description written by Kirsten Ferreri.)]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/episodes/images/original/b4e0621557c955ed84deeba089aebf41.jpg" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/7bbdbd21709cd2011bf6072207c6db50.mp3" length="3401152" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://podpoint.com/download/7bbdbd21709cd2011bf6072207c6db50.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://podpoint.com/above-all-love/the-practice-of-the-prescence-of-god-05-first-letter</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 04 May 2026 19:14:49 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>03:32</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Simply Fellowship — Episode 6 The Waiting Father]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[David Holdsworth]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Welcome

Welcome to Above All Love. This is Simply Fellowship — the Good News, quietly told.

This is a gentle space. No pressure, no performance. You don't have to have it together to be here. You don't have to be certain, or hopeful, or even very pr...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Welcome

Welcome to Above All Love. This is Simply Fellowship — the Good News, quietly told.

This is a gentle space. No pressure, no performance. You don't have to have it together to be here. You don't have to be certain, or hopeful, or even very present today. You're welcome exactly as you are, wherever you are reading this.

If you need to read slowly, or stop and come back — that's completely fine. There's no right way to be here. Just be here.
Hymn

We begin with a hymn verse. Read it slowly. You might want to sit with each line before moving on.
Just as I am, without one plea,
But that thy blood was shed for me,
And that thou bidst me come to thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come. — Charlotte Elliott
Prayer

Loving God,

Thank you that you do not wait for us to deserve welcome before you offer it.

Thank you that your arms are already open before we have finished our speeches, before we have explained ourselves, before we have made ourselves presentable.

Meet us today in the far country, if that is where we are — or in the long road home, or at the door.
Wherever we are on the journey, let us feel the movement of your love running toward us.

And if we have been standing in the field a long time, watching from a distance, finding it hard to go in — grant us the grace to step across the threshold.

Amen.
Old Testament Anchor

"I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no more worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants."

— Luke 15:18–19 (NKJV, for context)

But before we reach the son's rehearsed speech, we need to hear the older word that echoes underneath it. The prophet Hosea, writing from within a broken covenant — God's people far from home, scattered, faithless — hears God speak in a way that should not sound like God at all:
"How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel?... My heart is changed within me; all my compassion is aroused. I will not carry out my fierce anger... For I am God, and not a man — the Holy One among you." — Hosea 11:8–9

This is the heartbeat underneath the parable. The God who cannot let go. The Father who is undone by love. Not a cold sovereign distributing justice from a distance — but one whose heart turns within him at the thought of the lost child.
How can I give you up?

It is not a rhetorical question. It is a cry. And it is the cry that sends the father running down the road.
Scripture

Our reading today is from Luke chapter fifteen, verses eleven to twenty-four, from the Easy English Bible.
Jesus also said, "There was a man who had two sons. The younger son said to his father, 'Father, please give me my part of your property now.' So the father gave each of his sons their part of his things. A few days later, the younger son sold everything that was his. He went away to a country far away. There he wasted all his money by living in a wrong way. He spent everything. Then there was no food to eat in that country, and he began to be hungry. He went to work for a man who lived there, and that man sent him to his fields to look after the pigs. He was so hungry that he wanted to eat the pig food. But nobody gave him anything. Then he began to think clearly again. He said to himself, 'My father's servants have plenty of food to eat. And here I am, so hungry that I am nearly dying. I will go back to my father, and I will say to him, "Fathe...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Welcome

Welcome to Above All Love. This is Simply Fellowship — the Good News, quietly told.

This is a gentle space. No pressure, no performance. You don't have to have it together to be here. You don't have to be certain, or hopeful, or even very present today. You're welcome exactly as you are, wherever you are reading this.

If you need to read slowly, or stop and come back — that's completely fine. There's no right way to be here. Just be here.
Hymn

We begin with a hymn verse. Read it slowly. You might want to sit with each line before moving on.
Just as I am, without one plea,
But that thy blood was shed for me,
And that thou bidst me come to thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come. — Charlotte Elliott
Prayer

Loving God,

Thank you that you do not wait for us to deserve welcome before you offer it.

Thank you that your arms are already open before we have finished our speeches, before we have explained ourselves, before we have made ourselves presentable.

Meet us today in the far country, if that is where we are — or in the long road home, or at the door.
Wherever we are on the journey, let us feel the movement of your love running toward us.

And if we have been standing in the field a long time, watching from a distance, finding it hard to go in — grant us the grace to step across the threshold.

Amen.
Old Testament Anchor

"I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no more worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants."

— Luke 15:18–19 (NKJV, for context)

But before we reach the son's rehearsed speech, we need to hear the older word that echoes underneath it. The prophet Hosea, writing from within a broken covenant — God's people far from home, scattered, faithless — hears God speak in a way that should not sound like God at all:
"How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel?... My heart is changed within me; all my compassion is aroused. I will not carry out my fierce anger... For I am God, and not a man — the Holy One among you." — Hosea 11:8–9

This is the heartbeat underneath the parable. The God who cannot let go. The Father who is undone by love. Not a cold sovereign distributing justice from a distance — but one whose heart turns within him at the thought of the lost child.
How can I give you up?

It is not a rhetorical question. It is a cry. And it is the cry that sends the father running down the road.
Scripture

Our reading today is from Luke chapter fifteen, verses eleven to twenty-four, from the Easy English Bible.
Jesus also said, "There was a man who had two sons. The younger son said to his father, 'Father, please give me my part of your property now.' So the father gave each of his sons their part of his things. A few days later, the younger son sold everything that was his. He went away to a country far away. There he wasted all his money by living in a wrong way. He spent everything. Then there was no food to eat in that country, and he began to be hungry. He went to work for a man who lived there, and that man sent him to his fields to look after the pigs. He was so hungry that he wanted to eat the pig food. But nobody gave him anything. Then he began to think clearly again. He said to himself, 'My father's servants have plenty of food to eat. And here I am, so hungry that I am nearly dying. I will go back to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have done wrong things against God and against you. I am not good enough to be called your son. But please let me be one of your servants."' So he got up and he went back to his father. While he was still a long way away, his father saw him coming. His father felt sorry for him and he ran to meet him. He hugged him and he kissed him. The son said, 'Father, I have done wrong things against God and against you. I am not good enough to be called your son.' But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best clothes and put them on my son. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fat calf and kill it. Let us eat together and be happy. My son was dead, but now he is alive again. He was lost, but now I have found him.' So they began to celebrate."
Devotion

He came to himself.

That is the line Luke gives us, quietly, before anything else happens. The turning point in the story is not the speech, not the journey, not the reunion. It is an interior moment — something shifting in the mind of a young man sitting in the mud beside a pig trough, a long way from home. He came to himself.

Which suggests he had, for a time, been somewhere other than himself. Spent. Scattered. Unrecognisable, even to his own heart.

We know that feeling, perhaps. The seasons of life when we have lived so far outside the person we meant to be that coming back requires not just a journey but a recovery of self. The far country is not only a geography. It is a state of soul.

And yet — even in the far country, he remembered. He remembered his father's house. He remembered that there was bread enough, and more than enough. The memory of home is what makes homecoming possible. Even at the furthest reach of the wasted years, something in him still knew the way.

So he rehearses his speech. Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no more worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants. It is a careful speech. Measured. Modest in its ambition. He is not asking to be received as a son — only to be given a place among the workers. To earn, in some small way, what cannot truly be earned back.

But the father is not listening to the speech.

The father has been watching the road. And when he sees the figure — still a long way off, still dusty and thin and uncertain — he does not wait. He does not compose himself. He does not arrange his dignity. He runs.

A father running in first-century Palestine is not a small thing. It is undignified by the standards of the time. It is the act of a man who has abandoned the performance of respectability because something more important than respectability is coming down the road. He runs, and he falls on his son's neck, and he kisses him before a single word has been spoken.

The speech still comes. The son begins his rehearsed lines. But notice: the father interrupts him. He does not let him get to the hired-servant part. He is already calling for the robe, the ring, the sandals, the feast. The son wanted to earn his way back in. The father refuses to let him.

This is the radicalism of the parable. It is not about second chances — as if the son had one more opportunity to prove himself. It is about a love that cannot be outrun, cannot be forfeited, cannot be earned or un-earned. The robe is given before any work is done. The ring — a sign of sonship, of belonging — is put on the finger of a boy who wanted to be a servant.

The celebration is not for what the son has done. It is for what has happened to him: He was dead, and is alive again. He was lost, and is found.

That is the only criterion. Not the quality of the repentance. Not the adequacy of the speech. Not the length of the road back. The son was lost, and now is found — and that is enough to throw a party.

There is, of course, another son. Standing in the field. Hearing the music. Refusing to go in. Jesus leaves that story unfinished — we do not know if the older brother crosses the threshold. We do not know if the father's gentle words reach him. The parable ends with the door open, the feast going on, and a young man who has a choice to make.

Because this story is told to two kinds of people. To those who have been in the far country and are not sure they are welcome home — it says: the father is already running. And to those who have stayed close, and worked hard, and quietly accumulated a ledger of resentments — it says: everything I have is yours. Come in. The feast is not a threat to you. It is yours too.

The good news in this parable is not only that the lost are welcomed. It is that the welcome is excessive. Unreasonable. Running-down-the-road welcome. Best-robe welcome. Kill-the-fatted-calf welcome. The God of this story does not say: well done, you came back. He says: my son was dead and is alive.

Hosea heard this voice centuries before the parable was told: How can I give you up?

The answer, it turns out, is: I can't. I won't. I never could.

And somewhere down the road — still a long way off, still unsure of our welcome, still rehearsing our speeches — the father is already running.
Wondering Questions

These aren't questions that need answers. They're just things to hold and sit with. You might want to pause here, step away from the screen for a few minutes, and let them settle.

    I wonder what it felt like to come to himself — and what that moment of clarity was actually like, in the middle of the mud and the hunger?
    I wonder what the father was doing on all the days he watched the road, before his son came home?
    I wonder what the son expected when he finally saw his father — and what it felt like to be run to, rather than waited for?
    I wonder why the father interrupted the speech — and what the son felt when he realised the hired-servant part would never be needed?
    I wonder about the older son in the field, and whether his anger was entirely without reason, and what it would have cost him to go in?
    I wonder if there is a speech I have been rehearsing — something I believe I must say before I can be welcomed — and whether the Father is already at the door before I have finished it?
    I wonder what it would feel like to simply be found?

A Query — in the spirit of the Quaker tradition:
Is there a part of me still standing in the far country — not for want of a father to come home to, but because I am not yet sure I deserve the robe?
A Moment of Quiet
Before you read on, you might like to pause here.
Close your eyes, or look out of a window.
There's no rush. Just rest for a moment.
An Invitation

Before you go — a quiet word.

If you have never followed Jesus, or if faith has felt, for a long time, like something that belongs to better people than you — this parable was not told about better people. It was told about a boy in a pig field who had made a thorough mess of things. The welcome in the story is not conditional on the quality of the mess you made, or how long you were away, or how far you travelled.

If you want to respond to that love today, you might simply say, in your own words or in the quiet of your heart:

I am coming to myself. I am remembering the way home. And I am willing to be surprised by who comes running to meet me.

And if you already walk with Jesus — if you have been welcomed home before and perhaps need welcoming again, or if you have been standing in the field for a long time, dutiful and faintly resentful — the father's words are for you too: You are always with me, and everything I have is yours.

The feast is not a competition. The robe is not a threat. The door is open. The music is already playing.

Come in.
Going Out
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.

May you know today that you are not beyond the reach
of a love that runs down roads.

May something in you come to itself —
some forgotten corner that has been in the far country a long while —
and may it remember the way home.

May you find, on the road,
that the welcome is already moving toward you.

And may you receive, without earning,
the robe, the ring, and the feast —
and hear it said of you, in whatever language your heart speaks:

This one was lost, and is found.
Was dead, and is alive again.

Above all, love.

Amen.

Thank you for being here. Above all, love.]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/episodes/images/original/b6ef36636fc43edbea075b3737f26fed.jpg" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/7113519880220f1adb26965bb3aabe12.m4a" length="19866576" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://podpoint.com/download/7113519880220f1adb26965bb3aabe12.m4a</guid>
				<link>https://podpoint.com/above-all-love/simply-fellowship-episode-6-the-waiting-father</link>
				<pubDate>Sat, 02 May 2026 21:36:07 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>13:24</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[The Practice of the Prescence of God: 04 Fourth Conversation]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Kirsten Ferreri]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[The Practice of the Presence of God Brother LAWRENCE (1614 – 1691) The Practice of the Presence of God is a collection of letters and transcriptions of conversations, compiled by a disciple of Brother Lawrence. Brother Lawrence was a Carmelite monk and he...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[The Practice of the Presence of God Brother LAWRENCE (1614 – 1691) The Practice of the Presence of God is a collection of letters and transcriptions of conversations, compiled by a disciple of Brother Lawrence. Brother Lawrence was a Carmelite monk and head cook in his monastery’s kitchens. He quickly gained an international reputation as a mystic and spiritual counselor. The Practice of the Presence records his last words of advice to his friends and disciples, as he suffered from an unnamed illness which would eventually take his life. (Description written by Kirsten Ferreri.)]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[The Practice of the Presence of God Brother LAWRENCE (1614 – 1691) The Practice of the Presence of God is a collection of letters and transcriptions of conversations, compiled by a disciple of Brother Lawrence. Brother Lawrence was a Carmelite monk and head cook in his monastery’s kitchens. He quickly gained an international reputation as a mystic and spiritual counselor. The Practice of the Presence records his last words of advice to his friends and disciples, as he suffered from an unnamed illness which would eventually take his life. (Description written by Kirsten Ferreri.)]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/episodes/images/original/4d8146dd7d9aa9ad3c0a633ecb3b4be8.jpg" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/1ed4606f17e812b2a99d3431d4eb19b6.mp3" length="8436306" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://podpoint.com/download/1ed4606f17e812b2a99d3431d4eb19b6.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://podpoint.com/above-all-love/the-practice-of-the-prescence-of-god-04-fourth-conversation</link>
				<pubDate>Fri, 01 May 2026 21:45:03 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>08:47</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[The Practice of the Prescence of God: 03 Third Conversation]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Kirsten Ferreri]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[The Practice of the Presence of God Brother LAWRENCE (1614 – 1691) The Practice of the Presence of God is a collection of letters and transcriptions of conversations, compiled by a disciple of Brother Lawrence. Brother Lawrence was a Carmelite monk and he...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[The Practice of the Presence of God Brother LAWRENCE (1614 – 1691) The Practice of the Presence of God is a collection of letters and transcriptions of conversations, compiled by a disciple of Brother Lawrence. Brother Lawrence was a Carmelite monk and head cook in his monastery’s kitchens. He quickly gained an international reputation as a mystic and spiritual counselor. The Practice of the Presence records his last words of advice to his friends and disciples, as he suffered from an unnamed illness which would eventually take his life. (Description written by Kirsten Ferreri.)]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[The Practice of the Presence of God Brother LAWRENCE (1614 – 1691) The Practice of the Presence of God is a collection of letters and transcriptions of conversations, compiled by a disciple of Brother Lawrence. Brother Lawrence was a Carmelite monk and head cook in his monastery’s kitchens. He quickly gained an international reputation as a mystic and spiritual counselor. The Practice of the Presence records his last words of advice to his friends and disciples, as he suffered from an unnamed illness which would eventually take his life. (Description written by Kirsten Ferreri.)]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/episodes/images/original/20638c3759623fc53d7bbe6919cf8dc0.jpg" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/fe3c85ca9a217a86268ea420a48958f1.mp3" length="3662376" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://podpoint.com/download/fe3c85ca9a217a86268ea420a48958f1.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://podpoint.com/above-all-love/the-practice-of-the-prescence-of-god-03-third-conversation</link>
				<pubDate>Fri, 01 May 2026 20:38:45 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>03:49</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[The Practice of the Prescence of God: 02 Second Conversation]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Kirsten Ferreri]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[The Practice of the Presence of God Brother LAWRENCE (1614 – 1691) The Practice of the Presence of God is a collection of letters and transcriptions of conversations, compiled by a disciple of Brother Lawrence. Brother Lawrence was a Carmelite monk and he...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[The Practice of the Presence of God Brother LAWRENCE (1614 – 1691) The Practice of the Presence of God is a collection of letters and transcriptions of conversations, compiled by a disciple of Brother Lawrence. Brother Lawrence was a Carmelite monk and head cook in his monastery’s kitchens. He quickly gained an international reputation as a mystic and spiritual counselor. The Practice of the Presence records his last words of advice to his friends and disciples, as he suffered from an unnamed illness which would eventually take his life. (Description written by Kirsten Ferreri.)]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[The Practice of the Presence of God Brother LAWRENCE (1614 – 1691) The Practice of the Presence of God is a collection of letters and transcriptions of conversations, compiled by a disciple of Brother Lawrence. Brother Lawrence was a Carmelite monk and head cook in his monastery’s kitchens. He quickly gained an international reputation as a mystic and spiritual counselor. The Practice of the Presence records his last words of advice to his friends and disciples, as he suffered from an unnamed illness which would eventually take his life. (Description written by Kirsten Ferreri.)]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/episodes/images/original/d91296535e895a489e959a22ea4c2ffd.jpg" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/ec632a57e5e213bf8795d223ce3fbecc.mp3" length="7283575" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://podpoint.com/download/ec632a57e5e213bf8795d223ce3fbecc.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://podpoint.com/above-all-love/the-practice-of-the-prescence-of-god-02-second-conversation</link>
				<pubDate>Thu, 30 Apr 2026 22:02:10 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>07:35</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[The Practice of the Prescence of God: 01 First Conversation]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Kirsten Ferreri]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[The Practice of the Presence of God

Brother LAWRENCE (1614 – 1691)
The Practice of the Presence of God is a collection of letters and transcriptions of conversations, compiled by a disciple of Brother Lawrence. Brother Lawrence was a Carmelite monk an...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[The Practice of the Presence of God

Brother LAWRENCE (1614 – 1691)
The Practice of the Presence of God is a collection of letters and transcriptions of conversations, compiled by a disciple of Brother Lawrence. Brother Lawrence was a Carmelite monk and head cook in his monastery’s kitchens. He quickly gained an international reputation as a mystic and spiritual counselor. The Practice of the Presence records his last words of advice to his friends and disciples, as he suffered from an unnamed illness which would eventually take his life. (Description written by Kirsten Ferreri.)]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[The Practice of the Presence of God

Brother LAWRENCE (1614 – 1691)
The Practice of the Presence of God is a collection of letters and transcriptions of conversations, compiled by a disciple of Brother Lawrence. Brother Lawrence was a Carmelite monk and head cook in his monastery’s kitchens. He quickly gained an international reputation as a mystic and spiritual counselor. The Practice of the Presence records his last words of advice to his friends and disciples, as he suffered from an unnamed illness which would eventually take his life. (Description written by Kirsten Ferreri.)]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/episodes/images/original/b4b31548e28ddf34d73da6b31b9d9313.jpg" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/991729c8dd513556f64ef43ae980fb4d.mp3" length="3881805" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://podpoint.com/download/991729c8dd513556f64ef43ae980fb4d.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://podpoint.com/above-all-love/the-practice-of-the-prescence-of-god-01-first-conversation</link>
				<pubDate>Wed, 29 Apr 2026 22:45:42 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>04:02</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Simply Fellowship — Episode 5: The One Who Came Back]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[David Holdsworth]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[This is a gentle space. No pressure, no performance. You don't have to have it together to be here. You don't have to be healed, or feeling anything in particular today. You're welcome exactly as you are, wherever you are reading this.

If you need to m...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[This is a gentle space. No pressure, no performance. You don't have to have it together to be here. You don't have to be healed, or feeling anything in particular today. You're welcome exactly as you are, wherever you are reading this.

If you need to move, or step away and come back later — that's completely fine. There's no right way to be here. Just be here.

HYMN
We begin with a hymn verse. Read it slowly. You might want to sit with each line before moving on.

Breathe on me, Breath of God,
Fill me with life anew,
That I may love what thou dost love,
And do what thou wouldst do.
— Edwin Hatch

PRAYER
Loving God,
Thank you that you do not wait for us to be well before you notice us.
Thank you that in the middle of our years — in the middle of our waiting, our weariness, our half-lived lives — you are not absent.
Revive us today, not in some distant future,
but here, in the midst of things.
And if we find ourselves healed and walking forward,
may we be the kind of people who turn back.
Amen.

OLD TESTAMENT ANCHOR
"Lord, I have heard your fame. I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord. Renew them in our day, make them known in our time; in wrath remember mercy."
— Habakkuk 3:2

The prophet Habakkuk is not praying from a place of triumph. He is praying from the middle. He has heard what God has done in the past — the great deeds, the ancient mercies — and he is asking that those same deeds might happen again, now, in his own time. Not in some golden age. Not when things are better. Now. In the midst of the years.

Revive us, O Lord, in the midst of the years.

It is one of the most honest prayers in scripture. It does not pretend things are fine. It does not wait until they are. It simply asks: would you do it again? Here? For us?

SCRIPTURE
Our reading today is from Luke chapter seventeen, verses eleven to nineteen, from the Easy English Bible.

As Jesus was going to Jerusalem, he walked along the border between Samaria and Galilee. He was going into a village when ten men met him who had a skin disease. They were standing far away from him. They called out to him, "Jesus! Master! Please help us!" When Jesus saw them, he said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." As they went, they were healed and made clean. When one of them saw that he was healed, he came back. He praised God with a loud voice. He bowed down at Jesus' feet with his face on the ground. He thanked Jesus. This man was from Samaria. Jesus asked, "Were not ten healed? Where are the other nine? Has no one come back to praise God except this man from another country?" Then Jesus said to him, "Stand up and go. Your faith has made you well."

DEVOTION
They were standing far away.
That is where the story begins. Not in a crowd, not in a conversation — at a distance. Because they had to be. The law said so. They were unclean, and the world had arranged itself accordingly: over there, not here. Close enough to be seen, far enough not to touch.
But they had heard about Jesus. And so they called out — a single, desperate cry across the gap: Jesus! Master! Please help us!
It is not an elaborate prayer. There is no theology in it, no doctrinal precision. Just a name, a title, and a please. Just ten human beings, standing at a distance from everything they wanted to belong to, asking to be brought back in.
And Jesus does something surprising. He doesn't touch them, doesn't pronounce them healed, doesn't make a spectacle. He simply says...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[This is a gentle space. No pressure, no performance. You don't have to have it together to be here. You don't have to be healed, or feeling anything in particular today. You're welcome exactly as you are, wherever you are reading this.

If you need to move, or step away and come back later — that's completely fine. There's no right way to be here. Just be here.

HYMN
We begin with a hymn verse. Read it slowly. You might want to sit with each line before moving on.

Breathe on me, Breath of God,
Fill me with life anew,
That I may love what thou dost love,
And do what thou wouldst do.
— Edwin Hatch

PRAYER
Loving God,
Thank you that you do not wait for us to be well before you notice us.
Thank you that in the middle of our years — in the middle of our waiting, our weariness, our half-lived lives — you are not absent.
Revive us today, not in some distant future,
but here, in the midst of things.
And if we find ourselves healed and walking forward,
may we be the kind of people who turn back.
Amen.

OLD TESTAMENT ANCHOR
"Lord, I have heard your fame. I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord. Renew them in our day, make them known in our time; in wrath remember mercy."
— Habakkuk 3:2

The prophet Habakkuk is not praying from a place of triumph. He is praying from the middle. He has heard what God has done in the past — the great deeds, the ancient mercies — and he is asking that those same deeds might happen again, now, in his own time. Not in some golden age. Not when things are better. Now. In the midst of the years.

Revive us, O Lord, in the midst of the years.

It is one of the most honest prayers in scripture. It does not pretend things are fine. It does not wait until they are. It simply asks: would you do it again? Here? For us?

SCRIPTURE
Our reading today is from Luke chapter seventeen, verses eleven to nineteen, from the Easy English Bible.

As Jesus was going to Jerusalem, he walked along the border between Samaria and Galilee. He was going into a village when ten men met him who had a skin disease. They were standing far away from him. They called out to him, "Jesus! Master! Please help us!" When Jesus saw them, he said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." As they went, they were healed and made clean. When one of them saw that he was healed, he came back. He praised God with a loud voice. He bowed down at Jesus' feet with his face on the ground. He thanked Jesus. This man was from Samaria. Jesus asked, "Were not ten healed? Where are the other nine? Has no one come back to praise God except this man from another country?" Then Jesus said to him, "Stand up and go. Your faith has made you well."

DEVOTION
They were standing far away.
That is where the story begins. Not in a crowd, not in a conversation — at a distance. Because they had to be. The law said so. They were unclean, and the world had arranged itself accordingly: over there, not here. Close enough to be seen, far enough not to touch.
But they had heard about Jesus. And so they called out — a single, desperate cry across the gap: Jesus! Master! Please help us!
It is not an elaborate prayer. There is no theology in it, no doctrinal precision. Just a name, a title, and a please. Just ten human beings, standing at a distance from everything they wanted to belong to, asking to be brought back in.
And Jesus does something surprising. He doesn't touch them, doesn't pronounce them healed, doesn't make a spectacle. He simply says: Go and show yourselves to the priests. Go. As if it's already done. As if the healing will happen on the way.
And it does. As they went, they were healed.
We don't know what that felt like — to look down at your hands mid-walk and find the skin changed. To feel the wrongness lifting. To realise, somewhere between where you were and where you were going, that something had shifted in the world. That you were not who you had been.
Nine of them keep walking. Which is not, perhaps, as heartless as it sounds — Jesus told them to go to the priests, and they are going. They are obeying. They are doing the sensible next thing. They have what they came for.
But one of them stops. And turns around.
He is a Samaritan — the detail Luke gives us quietly, without fanfare, but it matters. He is the outsider among the outsiders. The one who, even after healing, would have had the least to go back to in the religious system Jesus pointed toward. The priests would not have welcomed him. The community he was returning to was already one that looked at him sideways. He had every practical reason to keep walking.
And yet.
He turns. He comes back. He falls at Jesus' feet, face to the ground, praising God. And Jesus asks the question that still hangs in the air: Where are the other nine?
It is not a question of accounting. Jesus is not keeping score. It is a question of wonder — of something like grief, perhaps, at how much can be received and how little noticed. How easy it is to be changed and not know it. To receive a gift so overwhelming that you simply carry it away, too stunned or too busy or too focused on the next thing to look back at where it came from.
This story is the answer to Habakkuk's prayer. Revive us, O Lord, in the midst of the years. Not at the end. Not when we are ready. Not when the priests have certified it and the paperwork is done. In the midst of the going, while the feet are still moving, on the ordinary road between one place and another — there it is. The reviving. The skin made clean. The life given back.
The question the story leaves us with is not whether God revives. It is what we do when he does.
The nine received a gift. The one received a relationship. Both were healed. But only one came back to know the healer.
Stand up and go, Jesus says to him. Your faith has made you well.
He was already well. The skin had already changed. What Jesus is speaking to here is something deeper — a wholeness that goes beyond the body. A being-known that the nine, walking away, did not stop to receive.
There are seasons in a life when we are mid-healing. When things are better than they were but not yet where we want them to be. When we have been changed but haven't fully understood how. When God has done something, quietly, on the road — and we are not quite sure whether to keep walking forward or to stop and look back at where it came from.
The good news in this story is that it is not too late to turn around.
The one who came back did not arrive at Jesus' feet with everything together. He arrived with a loud voice and a face on the ground and a gratitude he couldn't contain. He arrived exactly as he was — just changed.
That is enough. It has always been enough.
In the midst of the years, God revives. And when we notice — when we stop and turn and fall at the feet of the one who did it — we find that the healing was only the beginning.

WONDERING QUESTIONS
These aren't questions that need answers. They're just things to hold and sit with. You might want to pause here, step away from the screen for a few minutes, and let them settle.
I wonder what it felt like to be standing far away — to call out and not be sure anyone would answer?
I wonder what happened in those ten bodies as they walked, and the moment each one noticed they were healed?
I wonder why nine kept going and one came back — and whether the answer is simple or complicated?
I wonder what it cost the Samaritan, as the outside outsider, to be the one who turned around?
I wonder what Jesus meant when he said something beyond the physical healing to the one who returned?
I wonder if there is something God has already done for me — quietly, on some road I was walking — that I have not yet stopped to acknowledge?
I wonder what it would look like, today, to turn back?

A Query — in the spirit of the Quaker tradition:
Is there a healing in my life — a reviving, however small — that I have received and carried away, without yet turning to notice where it came from?

A MOMENT OF QUIET
Before you read on, you might like to pause here. Close your eyes, or look out of a window. There's no rush. Just rest for a moment.

AN INVITATION
Before you go — a quiet word.
If you have never followed Jesus, or if faith has felt, for a long time, like something happening at a distance — you do not need to be clean before you call out. The ten weren't. They called from exactly where they were, with exactly what they had, and Jesus heard them.
If you want to respond to that love today, you might simply say, in your own words or in the quiet of your heart:
I am standing at a distance. But I am calling out. And I am willing to notice what changes on the road.
And if you already walk with Jesus — if you have been revived before, and are perhaps in need of reviving again — may this be the moment you stop and turn. Not because you have to. Not because nine others didn't. Simply because the one who gave the gift is still there, and it is not too late to look him in the face.
The road is not over. The reviving is not finished. In the midst of the years, he is still at work.

GOING OUT
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
May you know today that you are not standing at a distance from a God who cannot reach you.
You are standing within earshot of the one who heals on the road.
May something change for you, quietly, in the midst of the going —
and may you have the grace to notice.
May you be the one who turns back.
May you find him still there when you do.
And may you hear, in whatever language your heart speaks,
the words that were spoken on that dusty road:
Stand up and go. Your faith has made you well.
Above all, love.
Amen.

Thank you for being here. Above all, love.]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/episodes/images/original/82fdfc5311b0c20211eef47fad7de97b.jpg" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/dcd7f8e9e4a85ef7a731e99e6d2dc876.m4a" length="17273806" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://podpoint.com/download/dcd7f8e9e4a85ef7a731e99e6d2dc876.m4a</guid>
				<link>https://podpoint.com/above-all-love/simply-fellowship-episode-5-the-one-who-came-back</link>
				<pubDate>Wed, 29 Apr 2026 22:22:38 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>11:39</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Episode 4: The Road to Emmaus]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[David Holdsworth]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[WELCOME
Welcome to Above All Love. This is Simply Fellowship — the Good News, quietly told.

This is a gentle space. No pressure, no performance. You don't have to have it together to be here. You don't have to be hopeful, or certain, or even feel part...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[WELCOME
Welcome to Above All Love. This is Simply Fellowship — the Good News, quietly told.

This is a gentle space. No pressure, no performance. You don't have to have it together to be here. You don't have to be hopeful, or certain, or even feel particularly faithful today. You're welcome exactly as you are, wherever you are reading this.

If you need to move, or step away and come back later — that's completely fine. There's no right way to be here. Just be here.

HYMN
We begin with a hymn verse. Read it slowly. You might want to sit with each line before moving on.
Abide with me; fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide;
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, oh, abide with me.
— Henry Francis Lyte

PRAYER
Loving God,
Thank you that you walk beside us even when we do not know it is you.
Thank you that you ask us questions and listen to our answers, and do not tell us off for getting things wrong.
Help us today to recognise you — in the breaking of bread, in the kindness of a stranger, in the moment when our hearts feel strangely warm.
And may we find, when we look back, that you were with us all along.
Amen.

SCRIPTURE
Our reading today is from Luke chapter twenty-four, verses thirteen to thirty-five, from the Easy English Bible.

That same day, two of Jesus' followers were going to a village called Emmaus. It was about eleven kilometres from Jerusalem. They were talking together about everything that had happened. While they were talking, Jesus himself came near and walked along with them. But they did not recognise him. He asked them, "What are you talking about as you walk along?" They stopped. They looked very sad. One of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered, "Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that happened there recently?" Jesus asked them, "What things?" They told him about Jesus of Nazareth. They told him that the chief priests and rulers had handed him over to be killed. They had hoped that he was the one who would set Israel free. But now it was the third day since these things had happened. Some women of their group had surprised them. The women went to the tomb early in the morning. They did not find his body there. They came and told them that they had seen angels, who said that Jesus was alive. Then Jesus explained to them what was said about himself in all the scriptures. When they came near to the village, Jesus acted as if he was going further on. But they asked him strongly to stay. "Stay with us," they said. "It is nearly evening and the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them. While he was at the table with them, he took the bread. He gave thanks for it. He broke it and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognised him. And he disappeared from their sight. They said to each other, "Our hearts were burning inside us while he talked with us on the road."

DEVOTION
They are walking away.
That is the first thing to notice. Not towards Jerusalem, where the other disciples are gathered. Away from it. Away from the empty tomb, away from the rumours, away from the women's astonishing report that he was alive. They have heard all of it and it has not been enough. They are going home — or somewhere that feels more like home than a city full of confusion and grief.
It is hard to blame them. Three days earlier, everything they had hoped for had been nailed to a cross and buried....]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[WELCOME
Welcome to Above All Love. This is Simply Fellowship — the Good News, quietly told.

This is a gentle space. No pressure, no performance. You don't have to have it together to be here. You don't have to be hopeful, or certain, or even feel particularly faithful today. You're welcome exactly as you are, wherever you are reading this.

If you need to move, or step away and come back later — that's completely fine. There's no right way to be here. Just be here.

HYMN
We begin with a hymn verse. Read it slowly. You might want to sit with each line before moving on.
Abide with me; fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide;
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, oh, abide with me.
— Henry Francis Lyte

PRAYER
Loving God,
Thank you that you walk beside us even when we do not know it is you.
Thank you that you ask us questions and listen to our answers, and do not tell us off for getting things wrong.
Help us today to recognise you — in the breaking of bread, in the kindness of a stranger, in the moment when our hearts feel strangely warm.
And may we find, when we look back, that you were with us all along.
Amen.

SCRIPTURE
Our reading today is from Luke chapter twenty-four, verses thirteen to thirty-five, from the Easy English Bible.

That same day, two of Jesus' followers were going to a village called Emmaus. It was about eleven kilometres from Jerusalem. They were talking together about everything that had happened. While they were talking, Jesus himself came near and walked along with them. But they did not recognise him. He asked them, "What are you talking about as you walk along?" They stopped. They looked very sad. One of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered, "Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that happened there recently?" Jesus asked them, "What things?" They told him about Jesus of Nazareth. They told him that the chief priests and rulers had handed him over to be killed. They had hoped that he was the one who would set Israel free. But now it was the third day since these things had happened. Some women of their group had surprised them. The women went to the tomb early in the morning. They did not find his body there. They came and told them that they had seen angels, who said that Jesus was alive. Then Jesus explained to them what was said about himself in all the scriptures. When they came near to the village, Jesus acted as if he was going further on. But they asked him strongly to stay. "Stay with us," they said. "It is nearly evening and the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them. While he was at the table with them, he took the bread. He gave thanks for it. He broke it and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognised him. And he disappeared from their sight. They said to each other, "Our hearts were burning inside us while he talked with us on the road."

DEVOTION
They are walking away.
That is the first thing to notice. Not towards Jerusalem, where the other disciples are gathered. Away from it. Away from the empty tomb, away from the rumours, away from the women's astonishing report that he was alive. They have heard all of it and it has not been enough. They are going home — or somewhere that feels more like home than a city full of confusion and grief.
It is hard to blame them. Three days earlier, everything they had hoped for had been nailed to a cross and buried. They had believed he was the one. The one who would change things. The one who would make it all come right. And he hadn't — or so it seemed. Now there was just the long road, the sore feet, and the words they kept turning over between them, trying to make sense of something that refused to make sense.
And Jesus falls into step beside them.
He doesn't announce himself. He doesn't say: it is I, do not be afraid. He just walks with them, at their pace, in the direction they are going. And then he asks a question — one of the most tender questions in all of scripture. What are you talking about?
He knows. Of course he knows. But he asks anyway. He lets them tell it. He listens to the whole sad unravelling of their hopes. He does not interrupt or correct or rush them to the good part. He walks and listens while two heartbroken people explain, to the very person they are heartbroken about, that they had hoped so much and now that hope is gone.
Only after they have said it all does he begin to speak.
And even then, they do not recognise him. Not on the road. Not through the teaching. It is only later — at the table, in the breaking of the bread, in that one ordinary and familiar gesture — that their eyes are opened. And in the moment they see him, he is gone.
But what they are left with is enough. Our hearts were burning, they say. All along the road, something was happening inside them that they couldn't name. They thought it was just a conversation with a stranger. It was something else entirely.
There are seasons in a life when faith feels like walking away from Jerusalem. When the things we hoped for haven't happened the way we expected. When the tomb is empty but somehow that doesn't feel like good news yet — just another confusing thing to carry. When we are mid-road, mid-grief, mid-doubt, and not sure where we are going.
The good news in this story is that Jesus does not wait for us to turn around before he finds us. He walks in the direction we are walking. He asks what is on our heart. He stays when we ask him to stay. And he makes himself known not in a vision or a thunderclap, but in the breaking of ordinary bread at an ordinary table at the end of an ordinary road.
Sometimes we only recognise him when we look back. But he was there. All along the road, he was there.

WONDERING QUESTIONS
These aren't questions that need answers. They're just things to hold and sit with. You might want to pause here, step away from the screen for a few minutes, and let them settle.
I wonder what it felt like to be walking away — and to have a perceived stranger fall into step beside you?
I wonder why Jesus chose to ask questions rather than simply reveal himself at once?
I wonder what it means that they recognised him in the breaking of bread, and not before?
I wonder if there has been a time in my own life when I felt I was walking away — and later wondered if someone was walking with me?
I wonder what their hearts were burning about, and what that burning felt like?
I wonder what made them say "stay with us" to one they thought was a stranger they had only just met?
I wonder where on my own road I might have missed someone walking beside me?

A Query — in the spirit of the Quaker tradition:
Is there any part of me that is walking away from something right now — and might I be willing to notice who is walking with me?

A MOMENT OF QUIET
Before you read on, you might like to pause here. Close your eyes, or look out of a window. There's no rush. Just rest for a moment.

AN INVITATION
Before you go — a quiet word.
If you have never followed Jesus, or if your faith has grown cold on a long and disappointing road — you do not need to have turned around yet. The two on the road to Emmaus hadn't. They were mid-doubt, mid-grief, mid-leaving. And Jesus walked with them anyway.
If you want to respond to that love today, you might simply say, in your own words or in the quiet of your heart:
I'm not sure where I'm going. But I'm willing to notice who might be walking beside me.
And if you already walk with Jesus — if you have followed him for years, or are finding your way back after a long absence — may this be a moment of recognition. A reminder that the one who walked to Emmaus has not stopped walking. He is still asking: what are you talking about? He is still listening to the whole of it. He is still breaking bread at ordinary tables with tired and hopeful people.
The road is not abandoned. You are not alone on it.

GOING OUT
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
May you know today that on whatever road you are walking —
whether it leads toward Jerusalem or away from it —
you are not walking it alone.
May your heart burn, even when you cannot explain why.
May you find him in the ordinary things —
the bread broken, the table set,
the stranger who asked how you were and actually waited for the answer.
May you look back on this day and say:
he was there. All along the road, he was there.
Above all, love.
Amen.

Thank you for being here. Above all, love.]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/episodes/images/original/93447a3c00194e37589eace246b69e15.jpg" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/2e2b52a1739adea5aa376924a0176c3d.m4a" length="14787936" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://podpoint.com/download/2e2b52a1739adea5aa376924a0176c3d.m4a</guid>
				<link>https://podpoint.com/above-all-love/episode-4-the-road-to-emmaus</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 19 Apr 2026 15:10:18 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>09:59</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Instrument of Peace]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[Craig Campbell]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[A prayer often attributed to:
Saint Francis of Assisi (1181 - 1226)

St. Francis of Assisi (Italian: San Francesco d'Assisi, born Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, but nicknamed Francesco ("the Frenchman") by his father, 1181/1182 – October 3, 1226) wa...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[A prayer often attributed to:
Saint Francis of Assisi (1181 - 1226)

St. Francis of Assisi (Italian: San Francesco d'Assisi, born Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, but nicknamed Francesco ("the Frenchman") by his father, 1181/1182 – October 3, 1226) was an Italian Catholic friar and preacher. He founded the men's Order of Friars Minor, the women’s Order of St. Clare, and the Third Order of Saint Francis for men and women not able to live the lives of itinerant preachers followed by the early members of the Order of Friars Minor or the monastic lives of the Poor Clares. Though he was never ordained to the Catholic priesthood, Francis is one of the most venerated religious figures in history.

Links

Wiki - Saint Francis of Assisi]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[A prayer often attributed to:
Saint Francis of Assisi (1181 - 1226)

St. Francis of Assisi (Italian: San Francesco d'Assisi, born Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, but nicknamed Francesco ("the Frenchman") by his father, 1181/1182 – October 3, 1226) was an Italian Catholic friar and preacher. He founded the men's Order of Friars Minor, the women’s Order of St. Clare, and the Third Order of Saint Francis for men and women not able to live the lives of itinerant preachers followed by the early members of the Order of Friars Minor or the monastic lives of the Poor Clares. Though he was never ordained to the Catholic priesthood, Francis is one of the most venerated religious figures in history.

Links

Wiki - Saint Francis of Assisi]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/episodes/images/original/3fdd244760d31d550281f73fdbf97408.jpg" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/a0294dc76a4c20ea469de8ae6e97125f.mp3" length="1715811" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://podpoint.com/download/a0294dc76a4c20ea469de8ae6e97125f.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://podpoint.com/above-all-love/instrument-of-peace</link>
				<pubDate>Wed, 15 Apr 2026 21:36:10 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:47</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Episode 3 - The Woman Who Lost Her Coin]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[David Holdsworth]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[WELCOME
Welcome to Above All Love. This is Simply Fellowship — the Good News, quietly told.
This is a gentle space. No pressure, no performance. You don't have to have it together to be here. You don't have to be eloquent, or certain, or spiritually sor...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[WELCOME
Welcome to Above All Love. This is Simply Fellowship — the Good News, quietly told.
This is a gentle space. No pressure, no performance. You don't have to have it together to be here. You don't have to be eloquent, or certain, or spiritually sorted. You're welcome exactly as you are, wherever you are reading this.
If you need to move, or step away and come back later — that's completely fine. There's no right way to be here. Just be here.

HYMN
We begin with a hymn verse. Read it slowly. You might want to sit with each line before moving on.
Depth of mercy! Can there be
Mercy still reserved for me?
Can my God his wrath forbear?
Me, the chief of sinners, spare?
— Charles Wesley

PRAYER
Loving God,
Thank you that you are the one who searches.
Thank you that when we are lost — even when we don't know we are lost — you have not stopped looking.
Help us today to hear the sound of that search reaching us where we are.
And may we know that when we are found, all of heaven rejoices.
Amen.

SCRIPTURE
Our reading today is from Luke chapter fifteen, verses eight to ten, from the Easy English Bible.
Or think about a woman who has ten silver coins. She loses one of those coins. She takes a light and she looks carefully all through her house. She looks until she finds it. When she finds it, she calls together her friends and her neighbours. She says to them, "Be happy with me! I have found the coin that I had lost." I tell you, in the same way God's angels are happy when one sinner turns back to God.

DEVOTION
She has ten coins. She loses one.
Nine are still there, safe and accounted for. Most people, most of the time, would count the nine and be grateful for what remains. They might chalk up the missing one to bad luck, to carelessness, to simply the way things go.
But this woman lights a lamp. She gets down on her hands and knees. She sweeps every corner. She does not stop until she has found what was lost.
And when she finds it — this one small coin — she does not put it quietly back with the others. She calls her friends. She calls her neighbours. She says: Come and be happy with me.
Jesus tells this story to explain what God is like.
Not a God who sits and waits for the lost to find their own way back. Not a God who loves the nine and shrugs at the one. A God who lights a lamp. Who sweeps. Who searches every corner of every dark place until the lost thing is found.
The coin didn't do anything. It wasn't searching. It had no idea it was being looked for. It was just — lost. Somewhere on the floor in the dust. And it was enough that she knew it was lost. It was enough that she cared. That was all that was needed for the search to begin.
There are days when we feel like that coin. Not rebellious. Not running away. Just — somewhere we didn't mean to end up. Lost in a way we can't quite explain. Not sure how we got here or how to get back.
The good news, in this small and beautiful story, is that God is not waiting for you to find your own way home. God has lit the lamp. God is sweeping. God is searching. And when you are found — even if you didn't know you were being looked for — all of heaven celebrates.
That is the kind of love this is.

WONDERING QUESTIONS
These aren't questions that need answers. They're just things to hold and sit with. You might want to pause here, step away from the screen for a few minutes, and let them settle.
I wonder what it felt like to be that coin — lost, in the dark, not...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[WELCOME
Welcome to Above All Love. This is Simply Fellowship — the Good News, quietly told.
This is a gentle space. No pressure, no performance. You don't have to have it together to be here. You don't have to be eloquent, or certain, or spiritually sorted. You're welcome exactly as you are, wherever you are reading this.
If you need to move, or step away and come back later — that's completely fine. There's no right way to be here. Just be here.

HYMN
We begin with a hymn verse. Read it slowly. You might want to sit with each line before moving on.
Depth of mercy! Can there be
Mercy still reserved for me?
Can my God his wrath forbear?
Me, the chief of sinners, spare?
— Charles Wesley

PRAYER
Loving God,
Thank you that you are the one who searches.
Thank you that when we are lost — even when we don't know we are lost — you have not stopped looking.
Help us today to hear the sound of that search reaching us where we are.
And may we know that when we are found, all of heaven rejoices.
Amen.

SCRIPTURE
Our reading today is from Luke chapter fifteen, verses eight to ten, from the Easy English Bible.
Or think about a woman who has ten silver coins. She loses one of those coins. She takes a light and she looks carefully all through her house. She looks until she finds it. When she finds it, she calls together her friends and her neighbours. She says to them, "Be happy with me! I have found the coin that I had lost." I tell you, in the same way God's angels are happy when one sinner turns back to God.

DEVOTION
She has ten coins. She loses one.
Nine are still there, safe and accounted for. Most people, most of the time, would count the nine and be grateful for what remains. They might chalk up the missing one to bad luck, to carelessness, to simply the way things go.
But this woman lights a lamp. She gets down on her hands and knees. She sweeps every corner. She does not stop until she has found what was lost.
And when she finds it — this one small coin — she does not put it quietly back with the others. She calls her friends. She calls her neighbours. She says: Come and be happy with me.
Jesus tells this story to explain what God is like.
Not a God who sits and waits for the lost to find their own way back. Not a God who loves the nine and shrugs at the one. A God who lights a lamp. Who sweeps. Who searches every corner of every dark place until the lost thing is found.
The coin didn't do anything. It wasn't searching. It had no idea it was being looked for. It was just — lost. Somewhere on the floor in the dust. And it was enough that she knew it was lost. It was enough that she cared. That was all that was needed for the search to begin.
There are days when we feel like that coin. Not rebellious. Not running away. Just — somewhere we didn't mean to end up. Lost in a way we can't quite explain. Not sure how we got here or how to get back.
The good news, in this small and beautiful story, is that God is not waiting for you to find your own way home. God has lit the lamp. God is sweeping. God is searching. And when you are found — even if you didn't know you were being looked for — all of heaven celebrates.
That is the kind of love this is.

WONDERING QUESTIONS
These aren't questions that need answers. They're just things to hold and sit with. You might want to pause here, step away from the screen for a few minutes, and let them settle.
I wonder what it felt like to be that coin — lost, in the dark, not knowing anyone was looking?
I wonder what made the woman search so carefully for just one coin when she had nine others?
I wonder what the lamp represents to you?
I wonder if you have ever felt lost in a way that was hard to explain?
I wonder what it means that the coin didn't have to do anything — it just had to be found?
I wonder how it feels to know that heaven celebrates when one person is found?
I wonder if there is somewhere in your life right now where you can sense a light searching the corners?
A Query — in the spirit of the Quaker tradition:
Is there any part of me that believes I am too lost, too small, or too ordinary to be worth searching for?

A MOMENT OF QUIET
Before you read on, you might like to pause here. Close your eyes, or look out of a window. There's no rush. Just rest for a moment.

AN INVITATION
Before you go — a quiet word.
If you have never followed Jesus, or if you've drifted and aren't quite sure how far — you don't need to have it worked out before you come back. The woman in the story didn't wait for the coin to roll itself into the light. She came looking.
If you want to respond to that love today, you might simply say, in your own words or in the quiet of your heart:
I think I'm lost. But I'm ready to be found.
And if you already walk with Jesus — if you have followed him for years, or are finding your way again after a long absence — may this be a moment of renewal. A reminder that the God who searched for you once has not stopped. The lamp is still lit. You are still known.

GOING OUT
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
May you know today that you are being searched for —
not with frustration,
but with a lamp and a patient heart that will not give up.
May you know that your being found matters —
not just to you,
but to all of heaven.
May you go from this moment knowing you are not forgotten —
not in any corner, not in any dark,
not ever.
Above all, love.
Amen.

Thank you for being here. Above all, love.]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/episodes/images/original/5500e2bf2316be635db5f986988474d1.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/415dd20944aa6cb0cf5cae44c9b45021.m4a" length="11998586" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://podpoint.com/download/415dd20944aa6cb0cf5cae44c9b45021.m4a</guid>
				<link>https://podpoint.com/above-all-love/episode-3-the-woman-who-lost-her-coin</link>
				<pubDate>Fri, 10 Apr 2026 22:26:45 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>08:06</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Easter Sunday Devotional]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[David Holdsworth]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA["Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here — He is risen!" — Luke 24:5-6

The stone was rolled away not to let Jesus out — He needed no door. It was rolled away so we could look in and see that death had lost. The grave could not hold th...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA["Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here — He is risen!" — Luke 24:5-6

The stone was rolled away not to let Jesus out — He needed no door. It was rolled away so we could look in and see that death had lost. The grave could not hold the Author of Life. Every fear, every failure, every Friday you have ever lived — He has conquered it all. The empty tomb is not the end of the story. For those who follow Him, it is only ever the beginning.

He is risen. He is risen indeed. And because He lives, so shall we.

CÀISG SHONA DHUT / HAPPY EASTER

"A-nis thog Dia an Tighearna agus togaidh e cuideachd sinne le a chumhachd / And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by His power..."

(1st Corinthians 6:14)]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA["Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here — He is risen!" — Luke 24:5-6

The stone was rolled away not to let Jesus out — He needed no door. It was rolled away so we could look in and see that death had lost. The grave could not hold the Author of Life. Every fear, every failure, every Friday you have ever lived — He has conquered it all. The empty tomb is not the end of the story. For those who follow Him, it is only ever the beginning.

He is risen. He is risen indeed. And because He lives, so shall we.

CÀISG SHONA DHUT / HAPPY EASTER

"A-nis thog Dia an Tighearna agus togaidh e cuideachd sinne le a chumhachd / And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by His power..."

(1st Corinthians 6:14)]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/episodes/images/original/94e94b1ae1c78f0db66d530b8f21ecf0.jpg" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/3b82168301fbbf105df7fdefcf42d802.m4a" length="1736632" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://podpoint.com/download/3b82168301fbbf105df7fdefcf42d802.m4a</guid>
				<link>https://podpoint.com/above-all-love/easter-sunday-devotional</link>
				<pubDate>Fri, 10 Apr 2026 21:29:07 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:10</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Palm Sunday Devotional]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[David Holdsworth]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Holy Week bonus message for Palm Sunday.]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Holy Week bonus message for Palm Sunday.]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Holy Week bonus message for Palm Sunday.]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/episodes/images/original/90a86ddcdeffeae013d2e9d83180c7c5.jpg" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/3c14d2c6604f61b204a360891c5f8227.m4a" length="2648790" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://podpoint.com/download/3c14d2c6604f61b204a360891c5f8227.m4a</guid>
				<link>https://podpoint.com/above-all-love/palm-sunday-devotional</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 29 Mar 2026 21:50:24 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:47</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Episode 2 - Zacchaeus]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[David Holdsworth]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Welcome to Above All Love. This is Simply Fellowship — the Good News, quietly told.
This is a gentle space. No pressure, no performance. You don't have to have it together to be here. You don't have to be respectable, or popular, or have a good reputatio...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Welcome to Above All Love. This is Simply Fellowship — the Good News, quietly told.
This is a gentle space. No pressure, no performance. You don't have to have it together to be here. You don't have to be respectable, or popular, or have a good reputation. You're welcome exactly as you are...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Welcome to Above All Love. This is Simply Fellowship — the Good News, quietly told.
This is a gentle space. No pressure, no performance. You don't have to have it together to be here. You don't have to be respectable, or popular, or have a good reputation. You're welcome exactly as you are...]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/episodes/images/original/5073f101db9cf81229673231e82516d3.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/9a28ac6f5b88db634d66fdf4c49b1c72.m4a" length="10935901" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://podpoint.com/download/9a28ac6f5b88db634d66fdf4c49b1c72.m4a</guid>
				<link>https://podpoint.com/above-all-love/episode-2-zacchaeus</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 22 Mar 2026 21:23:53 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>07:23</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Episode 1 - Mary and Martha]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[David Holdsworth]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[ABOVE ALL LOVE | SIMPLY FELLOWSHIP
Episode One — Mary and Martha]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[ABOVE ALL LOVE | SIMPLY FELLOWSHIP
Episode One — Mary and Martha]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[ABOVE ALL LOVE | SIMPLY FELLOWSHIP
Episode One — Mary and Martha]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/7fec4cb756d853eab5705ee4a61ca402.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/e7f8ed3f235ac5709b40e93683b12b9d.m4a" length="10842917" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://podpoint.com/download/e7f8ed3f235ac5709b40e93683b12b9d.m4a</guid>
				<link>https://podpoint.com/above-all-love/episode-1-mary-and-martha</link>
				<pubDate>Mon, 16 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>07:19</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Advent Verses]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[David Holdsworth]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[A selection of advent verses read from the KJV]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[A selection of advent verses read from the KJV]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[A selection of advent verses read from the KJV]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/7fec4cb756d853eab5705ee4a61ca402.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/2e0ccbe615be500fc0762534c24d94e6.m4a" length="6748937" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://podpoint.com/download/2e0ccbe615be500fc0762534c24d94e6.m4a</guid>
				<link>https://podpoint.com/above-all-love/advent-verses</link>
				<pubDate>Tue, 09 Dec 2025 19:24:32 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>04:33</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[A Call to Peace]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[David Holdsworth]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Poppy Day 2025]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Poppy Day 2025]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Poppy Day 2025]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/episodes/images/original/0915644c8294ec082fc2aad86cc86b6c.jpg" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/8064bfe676cbd4c9fd9a05c1c91d2c5d.m4a" length="3843002" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://podpoint.com/download/8064bfe676cbd4c9fd9a05c1c91d2c5d.m4a</guid>
				<link>https://podpoint.com/above-all-love/a-call-to-peace</link>
				<pubDate>Tue, 11 Nov 2025 18:45:03 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>02:35</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Ares or Christós?]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[David Holdsworth]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Let us heed the encouragement given by Adin Ballou:
"The earth, so long a slaughter field, Shall yet an Eden bloom. The tiger to the lamb shall yield, And war descend the tomb."
Amen

Choose this day who you will serve!
Will you kneel to Ares or Chri...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Let us heed the encouragement given by Adin Ballou:
"The earth, so long a slaughter field, Shall yet an Eden bloom. The tiger to the lamb shall yield, And war descend the tomb."
Amen

Choose this day who you will serve!
Will you kneel to Ares or Christós?
O Lord, let it be Christós!]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Let us heed the encouragement given by Adin Ballou:
"The earth, so long a slaughter field, Shall yet an Eden bloom. The tiger to the lamb shall yield, And war descend the tomb."
Amen

Choose this day who you will serve!
Will you kneel to Ares or Christós?
O Lord, let it be Christós!]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/7fec4cb756d853eab5705ee4a61ca402.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/4795d22a7db3a964a41d8e476d8223d3.m4a" length="4000570" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://podpoint.com/download/4795d22a7db3a964a41d8e476d8223d3.m4a</guid>
				<link>https://podpoint.com/above-all-love/ares-or-christos</link>
				<pubDate>Tue, 21 Oct 2025 18:18:06 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>02:42</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Celebrate Peace Day]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[David Holdsworth]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA["The tiger to the lamb shall yield and war descend the tomb," ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA["The tiger to the lamb shall yield and war descend the tomb," ...]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA["The tiger to the lamb shall yield and war descend the tomb," ...]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/episodes/images/original/bbe8509be086935a539ed3dbd4ff525a.jpg" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/2a3272256aa9a96d2c5fd6bdb732e0b8.m4a" length="4347926" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://podpoint.com/download/2a3272256aa9a96d2c5fd6bdb732e0b8.m4a</guid>
				<link>https://podpoint.com/above-all-love/celebrate-peace-day</link>
				<pubDate>Tue, 23 Sep 2025 18:19:23 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>02:56</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[The Peace Testimony]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[David Holdsworth]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Originally taken from an article I had published in Ploughshares and written while studying at Highland Theological College.

References and other useful resources:

Acta Martyrum (Ratisborn, 1859)

Cadoux, The Early Christian Attitude to War: A Con...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Originally taken from an article I had published in Ploughshares and written while studying at Highland Theological College.

References and other useful resources:

Acta Martyrum (Ratisborn, 1859)

Cadoux, The Early Christian Attitude to War: A Contribution to the History of Christian Ethics (Headley Bros: London 1919)

Constitution of the Oberlin Non - Resistance Society (www.nonresitance.org 17/01/09)

Dresser The Bible Against War (Oberlin: Ohio, 2006)

Dymond ‘The Early Christians on the subject of war’ (1821) An Inquiry into the Accordancy of War with the Principles of Christianity

Gillman A Light that is Shining: an introduction to the Quakers (Quaker Books: London, 2003)

Kurlansky Nonviolence (Jonathan Cape: London, 2006)

Lock ‘Transcribers’ notes’, Pacificus A Solemn Review of the Customs of War (Oberlin: Ohio, 2007)

Meyer The Pacifist Conscience (Rupert Hart - Davis Ltd: London, 1966)

Molnar A study of Peter Chelcický’s Life and Translation of from Czech of part one of his Net of Faith (Berkeley: California, 1947)

Pacificus A Solemn Review of the Customs of War (Oberlin: Ohio, 2007)

Penn Address to the American Indians (1682) cited in Meyer The Pacifist Conscience (Rupert Hart - Davis Ltd: London, 1966)

Ringma Resist the Powers (Albatross, 1995)

Vanier Finding Peace (Continuum: London, 2003)

Water Moral Choices Made Simple (Hunt Ltd, 2002)

Whelpley Letters addressed to Caleb Strong ESQ (The Elm Street Printing Company, 1870)]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Originally taken from an article I had published in Ploughshares and written while studying at Highland Theological College.

References and other useful resources:

Acta Martyrum (Ratisborn, 1859)

Cadoux, The Early Christian Attitude to War: A Contribution to the History of Christian Ethics (Headley Bros: London 1919)

Constitution of the Oberlin Non - Resistance Society (www.nonresitance.org 17/01/09)

Dresser The Bible Against War (Oberlin: Ohio, 2006)

Dymond ‘The Early Christians on the subject of war’ (1821) An Inquiry into the Accordancy of War with the Principles of Christianity

Gillman A Light that is Shining: an introduction to the Quakers (Quaker Books: London, 2003)

Kurlansky Nonviolence (Jonathan Cape: London, 2006)

Lock ‘Transcribers’ notes’, Pacificus A Solemn Review of the Customs of War (Oberlin: Ohio, 2007)

Meyer The Pacifist Conscience (Rupert Hart - Davis Ltd: London, 1966)

Molnar A study of Peter Chelcický’s Life and Translation of from Czech of part one of his Net of Faith (Berkeley: California, 1947)

Pacificus A Solemn Review of the Customs of War (Oberlin: Ohio, 2007)

Penn Address to the American Indians (1682) cited in Meyer The Pacifist Conscience (Rupert Hart - Davis Ltd: London, 1966)

Ringma Resist the Powers (Albatross, 1995)

Vanier Finding Peace (Continuum: London, 2003)

Water Moral Choices Made Simple (Hunt Ltd, 2002)

Whelpley Letters addressed to Caleb Strong ESQ (The Elm Street Printing Company, 1870)]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/episodes/images/original/edcb1830f0a054aa0a4d8c3f4e84cde9.jpg" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/c36ef3daf47b8d5b884fe9ccadde444c.mp3" length="5161085" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://podpoint.com/download/c36ef3daf47b8d5b884fe9ccadde444c.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://podpoint.com/above-all-love/the-peace-testimony</link>
				<pubDate>Sat, 14 Sep 2024 15:54:16 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>10:41</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Take Heart: A Catechism ]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[David Holdsworth]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[There are many good Catechisms available. But, somewhere along the line Christians in many parts of the church at large seem to have lost this age old practice of simple instruction in the format of questions and answers. In no way is this little contribu...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[There are many good Catechisms available. But, somewhere along the line Christians in many parts of the church at large seem to have lost this age old practice of simple instruction in the format of questions and answers. In no way is this little contribution meant to take away from good Catechisms already written, but rather to be a compliment to them. This is a simple way for me to share the good news with others. It is my hope that you the reader or listener may find biblical help from the simplicity of the good news. ]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[There are many good Catechisms available. But, somewhere along the line Christians in many parts of the church at large seem to have lost this age old practice of simple instruction in the format of questions and answers. In no way is this little contribution meant to take away from good Catechisms already written, but rather to be a compliment to them. This is a simple way for me to share the good news with others. It is my hope that you the reader or listener may find biblical help from the simplicity of the good news. ]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/episodes/images/original/91238c49848bba31104065a7c8b69f1e.jpg" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/2e960d8520077d584368de2112fa27cf.mp3" length="2743491" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://podpoint.com/download/2e960d8520077d584368de2112fa27cf.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://podpoint.com/above-all-love/take-heart-a-catechism</link>
				<pubDate>Tue, 20 Aug 2024 06:49:31 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>06:10</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Introduction to Righteousness of the Kingdom]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[David Holdsworth]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[The introduction to this message.]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[The introduction to this message.]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[The introduction to this message.]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/episodes/images/original/3d4c5b0c8900c598733a0a648a0aadfe.jpg" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/4e2b9dfc423be7fb6b90ccedad56277b.mp3" length="642017" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://podpoint.com/download/4e2b9dfc423be7fb6b90ccedad56277b.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://podpoint.com/above-all-love/introduction-to-righteousness-of-the-kingdom</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 07 Apr 2024 09:55:43 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>01:25</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Righteousness of the Kingdom as preached at Peebles Evangelical Church ]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[David Holdsworth]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Prayer:    Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.    Illustrative Opening:    Our Daily Bread on 17th February 1996 recounted this story:    “When Henry Rolls was walkin...]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Prayer:    Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.    Illustrative Opening:    Our Daily Bread on 17th February 1996 recounted this story:    “When Henry Rolls was walking through his factory in its early days, he overheard a lathe operator say, “Oh, that’ll do,” as he tossed a part into a basket. The part looked all right to the casual observer, but Henry Rolls expected his workmen to use a micrometer and be satisfied with nothing less than precision accuracy. So when Mr. Rolls heard that comment, he reprimanded the man, “That may do for anyone else, but it will not do for Rolls-Royce.”    God is satisfied with righteousness. Divine specifications do not allow for sloppy seconds.  Jesus brought this out in Matthew 5. First He says to His listeners, “You have heard”—that’s the human standard. Then He says, “But I say to you”—that’s God’s standard. He highlights the standard by which God’s children should stand out from the world. That is the difference between The Kingdom of men and The Kingdom of God.     

Todays message is Righteousness of the Kingdom    
READ: Matthew 5:17-32 ]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[Prayer:    Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.    Illustrative Opening:    Our Daily Bread on 17th February 1996 recounted this story:    “When Henry Rolls was walking through his factory in its early days, he overheard a lathe operator say, “Oh, that’ll do,” as he tossed a part into a basket. The part looked all right to the casual observer, but Henry Rolls expected his workmen to use a micrometer and be satisfied with nothing less than precision accuracy. So when Mr. Rolls heard that comment, he reprimanded the man, “That may do for anyone else, but it will not do for Rolls-Royce.”    God is satisfied with righteousness. Divine specifications do not allow for sloppy seconds.  Jesus brought this out in Matthew 5. First He says to His listeners, “You have heard”—that’s the human standard. Then He says, “But I say to you”—that’s God’s standard. He highlights the standard by which God’s children should stand out from the world. That is the difference between The Kingdom of men and The Kingdom of God.     

Todays message is Righteousness of the Kingdom    
READ: Matthew 5:17-32 ]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/episodes/images/original/0db57ef39c7c70628da50cb21320d0cf.jpg" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/905d86b716908ee73ea168fbc7ac4b04.mp3" length="12275413" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://podpoint.com/download/905d86b716908ee73ea168fbc7ac4b04.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://podpoint.com/above-all-love/righteousness-of-the-kingdom-as-preached-at-peebles-evangelical-church</link>
				<pubDate>Sun, 07 Apr 2024 09:37:43 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>26:40</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Grace Alone]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[David Holdsworth]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[My Christian Testimony (recorded before 2023).]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[My Christian Testimony (recorded before 2023).]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[My Christian Testimony (recorded before 2023).]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/7fec4cb756d853eab5705ee4a61ca402.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/3186a9eacf7003d36d53e869e1893982.mp3" length="6636492" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://podpoint.com/download/3186a9eacf7003d36d53e869e1893982.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://podpoint.com/above-all-love/grace-alone</link>
				<pubDate>Sat, 16 Mar 2024 16:42:04 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>06:55</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[ My Neurodiversity Journey]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[David Holdsworth]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA["...I don't believe this is a disorder, disease or demon. It is merely a difference, a neurodivergence. If people do wish to pray things away, may it be abelism in our society that they turn the fight against..."]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA["...I don't believe this is a disorder, disease or demon. It is merely a difference, a neurodivergence. If people do wish to pray things away, may it be abelism in our society that they turn the fight against..."]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA["...I don't believe this is a disorder, disease or demon. It is merely a difference, a neurodivergence. If people do wish to pray things away, may it be abelism in our society that they turn the fight against..."]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/7fec4cb756d853eab5705ee4a61ca402.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/42a9a3ec251ee09aa6384744644dbaff.mp3" length="2120861" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://podpoint.com/download/42a9a3ec251ee09aa6384744644dbaff.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://podpoint.com/above-all-love/my-neurodiversity-journey</link>
				<pubDate>Sat, 16 Mar 2024 15:09:53 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>02:13</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
											<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Righteousness of the Kingdom: Kelso Evangelical Church]]></title>
				<category>Podcast</category>
				<itunes:author><![CDATA[David Holdsworth]]></itunes:author>
				<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[A message by David Holdsworth on Matthew 5:17-32 for Edinburgh Preaching Group at Kelso Evangelical Church, Sunday 3rd December 2023.]]></itunes:subtitle>
				<itunes:summary><![CDATA[A message by David Holdsworth on Matthew 5:17-32 for Edinburgh Preaching Group at Kelso Evangelical Church, Sunday 3rd December 2023.]]></itunes:summary>
				<description><![CDATA[A message by David Holdsworth on Matthew 5:17-32 for Edinburgh Preaching Group at Kelso Evangelical Church, Sunday 3rd December 2023.]]></description>
									<itunes:image href="https://d2qyh7u0eavo4q.cloudfront.net/podcasts/images/full/7fec4cb756d853eab5705ee4a61ca402.png" />
								<enclosure url="https://media.podpoint.com/download/0128b024f2e45b71a59ebdbaf8dcfb3b.mp3" length="12281562" type="audio/mpeg" />
				<guid>https://podpoint.com/download/0128b024f2e45b71a59ebdbaf8dcfb3b.mp3</guid>
				<link>https://podpoint.com/above-all-love/righteousness-of-the-kingdom-kelso-evangelical-church</link>
				<pubDate>Sat, 16 Mar 2024 14:26:52 +0000</pubDate>
				<itunes:duration>27:44</itunes:duration>
				<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
			</item>
						</channel>
</rss>
