Season: Things Jesus Never Said

Speaker: Jonny Rashid

Location: 2007 Frankford Ave.

About Talk: God doesn’t burden you with all of your problems, and on your own they can seem overwhelming. We can find rest in intimacy with God, a love relationship with the Body of Christ, and through spiritual practices like contemplation. So, our lives will often give us more than we feel like we can handle, but God is faithful, walking with us in our suffering, and God is present within us and within God’s body.

Season: Things Jesus Never Said

Speaker: Ben White

Location: 3800 Marlton Pike

About Talk: Most of the stuff we believe we don’t actually believe. We unconsciously skip over big assumptions. This can’t be a fault because it is so basic to our human brains. We can, however, pay attention to our assumptions and see if we are being led more by the wisdom of the world than the wisdom of the cross (1 Corinthians). Christ has become for us wisdom from God, so we look to him first for our assumptions. This old saying has all kinds of sayings that come from other sources. The effects can be disastrous for faith. Let’s look to Christ for our definitions, not principles about God.

Season: Someone Asked

Speaker: Jonny Rashid

Location: 2007 Frankford Ave

About Talk: Jonny Rashid, pastor at 2007 Frankford Ave., answers questions from the audience on a wide range of serious and fun topics from theology to the best food in the city.

Season: Someone Asked

Speaker: Rachel Sensenig

Location: 2212 S. Broad St.

About Talk: Rachel answers questions from the crowd. The questioner audio is difficult to hear, so here's a summary of questions asked and comments made:

1. You were asked to speak the the Praxis Gathering. What was that all about?

2. How are we going to multiply this congregation. What's the rubric?

3. What does it look like to tithe in 2019, in this economy, in our largely impoverished city?

4. How can we get creative about fundraising to expand our reach and mission?

-Story about Richard Wurmbrand (tortured for Christ vs by Christ joke), how he gave his broth to someone sicker than him every 10th day in prison.

-Jesus talks about money the most because it has power over us. Tithing is worship and a way to get free.

-Scarcity mentality vs reality. We take care of each other through the mutuality fund when people can't tithe. But everyone gets transformed by giving.

-Modern "widow's mite" story

5. How do find wisdom in sacrificial giving?

-Story about a family in Ukraine that shared everything out of their cupboards cheerfully. The importance of being a cheerful giver.

-This topic of sharing money was huge at our Stakeholders meeting yesterday. Perhaps that means that God is speaking to us directly about this and we are moved to keep listening and responding.

Season: Someone Asked

Speaker: Rachel Sensenig

Location 2212 S. Broad St.

About Talk: Rachel Sensenig answers questions from the crowd. The audio is a bit hard to hear, when it comes to the questions, so here is a summary of the questions and other comments made during the meeting to fill in Rachel's answers:

1. What happens after we die, especially if we don't believe in God? Are we eternally condemned?

2. How can I fully trust God to take care of me when I've heard all these great promises about God's care that haven't come true? I heard that God would protect me from sorrow and loss and I'm experiencing so much of it.

-How I learned that nothing is wasted through battling MS (Carrie)

-Some of the things we go through (like my boyfriend dying) can be used to comfort others (Kyle)

3. Is God with everyone, and how? Do we have a choice in that or not?

4. Why should we read the Bible?

-Ellen and Josh answer

5. When is Jesus coming back and what is he waiting for? (Because it's getting pretty hopeless here, especially for creation)

Season: Someone Asked

Speaker: Ben White

Location: 3800 Marlton Pike

About Talk: There is something universal about the desire to be seen and known as uniquely who you are. But the demand for authenticity can be a terrible burden as much as an empowering credo. Jesus knows this paradox first-hand. He identifies with us and shows us how to persevere in submitting to our sacred purpose. Creative and non-creative types find their purpose in making whatever they make to reflect the glory of God.

Season: Someone Asked

Speaker: Rachel Sensenig

Location: 2212 S. Broad St.

About Talk: "How do you tell the difference between your intuition and God speaking to you?" Rachel talks about how we can genuinely hear God speaking to us in our lives.

Season: Someone Asked

Speaker: Jonny Rashid

Location: 2007 Frankford Ave.

About Talk: Jesus suffered to relate to us. But he suffered too, to show us the cost of following him. He suffered because reparations need to follow injustice. Because evil is in the world. Because the wrongness in the world needs to be made right.

Season: Someone Asked

Speaker: Tessa Librada

Location: 29 West Tulpehocken St.

About Talk: Tessa talks about her experiences in teaching and her study of history and how that affects her relationship to the Bible and its many stories and cultures.

Season: Someone Asked

Speaker: Rod White

Location: 3800 Marlton Pike

About Talk: The Lord's life from beginning to end is suffused with prayer. His example and his teaching (as in "The Lord's Prayer" - Matt. 6) demonstrates this. Part of following Jesus is also praying. Development Pastor Rod White talks about what praying means and some good disciplines for practicing it.