Season: Trinity Sunday

Speaker: Rachel Sensenig

Location: 2212 S. Broad St.

About Talk: Sometimes it really is as simple as listening to God and doing what he says, even when it sounds ridiculous or too obvious. He knows what we need; he is a good Father.

Season: Moving with the Spirit

Speaker: Julie Hoke

Location: 29 West Tulpehocken St.

About Talk: Jesus can help us move through the uncertainty of transitions and newness in faith. We say "We’re called to move with what the Spirit is doing next" because we have this crazy hope, based on the resurrection of Christ, that God does always want to do a great new thing in and through us. It doesn’t erase the goodness or difficulty of the old things, but it does call us to keep moving on in hope, for ourselves and others. Jesus told Mary Magdalene, “Do not hold on to me” because there was more to do, and in the future they would be even more connected, heart to heart, spirit to Spirit.

Season: Rewards of Risk

Speaker: Ben White

Location: 3800 Marlton Pike

About Talk: Our human relationships are not utterly distinct from God's relationship with us. Our vulnerability in loving another is present in God loving us. God created us for love and with love comes risk. The ancients who wrote Genesis knew this and did not hide it. Though many Christians have hidden it, imagining God as more in line with divine ideals from other sources, we can share our experience of love and know that it’s source is in God. God is not like us, but we are like God.

Season: The Resurrection Changes Everything

Speaker: Jonny Rashid

Location: 2007 Frankford Ave.

About Talk: What we’re trying in Circle of Hope is not just to teach a theology, one that is even less doctrinal than it is social, but to actually live it out. Rather than point to Jesus who came to us 2,000 years ago, pray that you can live in a way that shows the world he is alive in you today.

We hope that we can relate to others in a self-giving way, in a relational way, that makes room for the other right in us. That means across gender, racial, economic, cultural, and religious lines. If we can be that kind of Circle of Hope, we really will show the world the love and embrace of Jesus and we might even do some teaching about the Trinity.

Season: Eastertide

Speaker: Julie Hoke

Location: 29 West Tulpehocken St

About Talk: The Spirit of God is present in the words and actions of the Body of Christ, the church. God has given us each other and we are meant to share our lives together and to be in dialogue with each other. Our dialogue helps to knit us together and draw us out of the places we are stuck; the loneliness of our own looping thoughts and fears, self condemnation, cynicism—whatever it is. As we talk and act together, the Spirit of God moves.

Season: The Resurrection Changes Everything

Speaker: Jonny Rashid

Location: 2007 Frankford Ave.

About Talk: Pentecost worked because there was a truth that was revolutionary, it drew people in. Moreover, people stayed to understand it because it was delivered to them in a language they understood. And they continued to movement because that truth was applied in a body of believers.

Season: Pentecost

Speaker: Rachel Sensenig, Bethany Stewart

Location: 2212 S. Broad St.

About Talk: Jesus planted a seed of fire in the earth that is destined to renew and transform us and the whole world. Like our proverb says, we are called out to be a living organism, building community together in love. The Holy Spirit enables and empowers us! The tough thing about being an organism, though (as opposed to an organization) is that we are rather fragile and vulnerable; we suffer when parts of us are not caring for the whole, because every part is essential. However, organisms are also extremely powerful; the life force undermines death all the time. We are subversive like that, so we need not be shaken. We can suffer the fire of transformation because the power of eternal life lives in us.

Season: Life in the Spirit

Speaker: Ben White

Location: 3800 Marlton Pike

About Talk: What is the difference between these two spirit words? How do they work of each other and dance? Ben thinks it is a lot. We shared stories of being inspired. We think it has a lot to do with who you are. Your aspirations may be part of your inspiration (no they definitely are). Let’s not separate what the Spirit is bringing together. It’s a mess, yes, but it is the best way to be alive.

Season: Life in the Spirit

Speaker: Ben White

Location: 3800 Marlton Pike

About Talk: Join us in the refrain: "God is alive! Jesus is working in our dialogue as a community. We’re giving it up to the Holy Spirit!" Say it again for the people in the back. "God is alive! Jesus is working in our dialogue as a community. We’re giving it up to the Holy Spirit!" Ben told stories of how being together breeds revelation and naming it makes it more real. The Holy Spirit among us means that we can be a different sort of people in the world—people who actually talk about what’s real inside us and discover how often we are being brought together. You are not alone, but you can deny your togetherness, because everything is deniable. But that doesn’t mean you should do it.

Season: Eastertide

Speaker: Rod White

Location: 29 West Tulpehocken St

About Talk: Jesus compares himself to a dying seed. New life always comes from death in the plant world, usually in us too. Jesus will raise us up and strengthen new shoots in us. Some of us could start following Jesus for the first time right now, like Kim or my cell apprentice or my friend who became a lawyer. Some of us are hearing a call of newness that’s moving us from where we have arrived now. Now is a good time to respond, to lose your dormant life, precious as it might seem, and grow something new—receiving the eternal life Jesus offers, just like we were meant to live.