Adarius Gerard Jenkins
12/10/00 - 06/09/13
Son of Kip and Leenetta Smalls, brother of Kazadia Smalls

Honoring all who are mourning the loss of a loved one, during this Mother's Day 2022. 

Sunday morning of June 9th 2013 started just like any other day, but by the time the sun set, a metaphorical darkness had settled in the hearts of Leenetta and Kip Smalls, as their minds were forced to grapple with the prospect of their precious 12-year-old Darius not coming back home to them on this side of heaven.

This is the story of the human experience.  Not one person is in the clear from pain like this, it's always potentially right around the corner.  Life gives the potential for the highest highs and unbearable lows. 

What stands out in this story is the abundant, God-given peace that was  received by these suffering parents, peace that guided them through the unbearable pain they weren't sure they could survive.

This is also a  "2 Corinthians 1 story," one in which Paul says "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.......And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort." 

Just one year after their loss, Kip and Leenetta were afforded the opportunity to pass along the supernatural comfort they had received to those in similar shoes.   

May this story of peace amidst such agony, be an encouragement to us all.  If life turns for us in a way that brings to our hearts insurmountable pain, may we have faith in a hope that  God's love for us will prevail, even if we have no eyes to see how God will do it. 

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Production and Editing:  Jared Svendsen
Mixing / sound engineering on this episode: Andrew Holder
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Theme song and other music, courtesy of Derek Minor



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Co-hosts Robbie Madison and Matt Oxley, join host Joey Svendsen with the original purpose of continuing a conversation from episode 340, “Courage Not to Cancel the Racist,"  asking the question, "what about the statues of racists?"

We accomplished this while at the same time, Joey believes the Holy Spirit moved in real time, opening his eyes to a facet of his white privilege that was sobering to see. Robbie was in an English town where actors still practice "black face" and Joey shares how he doesn't want to have the label of "woke," nor does he want to be seen as "not woke."

Thankful for my listeners who let me learn in front of them; also happy to be able to release content like today for other people who find interesting, things like the amount of money one would have to be paid in order to get a "genitalia tattoo" on his/her arm.  -- Joey

Matt Oxley / Web  / Twitter
Robbie Madison / Web / Instagram / Musi
Ellen Mauro / Instagram

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Production and Editing:  Jared Svendsen

Theme song, courtesy of Derek Minor

Other music originally composed by Joel Hamilton and Joel Hamilton + friends

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[with special appearances from Pete Enns, John Mark McMillan, Brandan Robertson, Jared Svendsen and Hayne Griffen]

The original intent of the episode was to get deep into the theology of the Cross of Jesus, and Brian Zahnd covered us [profoundly]  in that department.  We discuss with Brian how the church explains too much the “death and resurrection of Jesus,” stripping it from its beauty and power.  Also how the western world, despite the profound baggage it’s delivered, also gets credit for the “Christ infused convictions” it's delivered to the world; and according to Brian, has greatly changed for the better, how we see dignity and worth in all of humanity. 

What if God exists but Jesus never came and died?  What kind of shit storm would we be in then?  We talk Jesus’ non-violent approach to life and whether it applies to national governments.  Penal substitution is what the Western church world is stuck on and according to Brian Zahnd, it’s an abhorrent theological approach to the Cross.   

With a Pastor praying at the end, an interview that might as well have been the best Easter sermon ever, and testimonies galore from some of your “church fam,” this is your Easter service, "PWNA style" of course.  

Brian Zahnd
Website / twitter / Instagram

Special Guests
Pete Enns / website / twitter
Brandan Robertson / website / Instagram
John Mark McMillan /  website / Instagram

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Welcome to a new (and permanent) angle of Pastor With No Answers Podcast.  

Ellen Mauro, Amy Alderman and Liz Miller, all mothers and wives,  one hates her job as a stay at home mom, each medicated for anxiety and really bad OCD.   One seems to be pro-violence,  one swings both ways, each  of them think critically enough not to cancel everyone who makes a mistake, and all three want to follow Jesus as best as she can.  

We discuss Liz’s journey of being widowed for 10 years and recently getting married this past January.  Liz processes with us evangelicals' perspective of her as a “broken woman" due to her gay marriage.  We discuss the irony that religious organizations -- full of promiscuity, sexual scandal, and pedophilia themselves-- are the ones shouting the loudest about sexual sin.  

As a PART II of this episode, Pricilla Svendsen joins Amy, Ellen and Joey to discuss different facets of "the Chris Rock getting popped by the Fresh Prince" craziness.  As this discussion unfolds, it’s discovered that Amy and Ellen are going to drive one another crazy for years to come.  Awesome!  For starters, Amy supports corporal punishment for kids while Ellen is dumbfounded why southerners don’t call this abuse.    

"Violence is wrong" -- Ellen 
"Chris Rock deserved to get his ass kicked worse." -- Amy

You get the picture, right?  

Co-hosts
Liz Miller / Instagram / Memoirs
Amy Alderman / Facebook
Ellen Mauro / Instagram
Pricilla Svendsen / Instagram

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Production and Editing:  Jared Svendsen
 
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Derek and I have hung out online doing podcast episodes  for the last 7 years or so and we've talked very little about Christian faith.  In this episode, that's the focus; Derek's faith  - Joey

Deconstruction is the buzz word.  Those who "deconstruct" typically demolished "static pillars" of fundamentalism and over time, new ones go up.  There exists different beliefs, but same old regimented, manmade approach to spirituality.

People who sense a faith change coming on may have been living in a mindset in which certain beliefs need to be true in order for God to be real. This paves the way to an arduous road that can end in so many places.

What does Derek struggle with?  Seeing the church with nuance.

What does he artistically regret?  His ego in earlier work. 

We learn about "Calvinist Rap" that Derek took part in for a spell, we toil with the thought of "good samaritan type people," who live a life of love and service (all the things Jesus said were most important) to all, but do not have "correct" beliefs.   How in the living hell do people (i.e. John Piper) know so much about infinite God?  What's it look like to be a Christian in 2022?  All of this and more with fam of the podcast. 

We talk J-Cole, and at the beginning of episode, Matt and Robbie help Joey process his "did I steal from Wal-Mart" situation. 

Derek Minor
All music on this episode from Derek's new album.
Hit Derek up here for all your music needs and to keep us with his life's work.

Co-hosts
Robbie Madison / Web / Instagram / Music
Matt Oxley / Web  / Twitter

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Production and Editing:  Jared Svendsen

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[At top of episode, Ellen, Ryan and Joey discuss Ryan's ignoring of God, why it's a bit morbid when a Christian asks "was he/she a believer" after some one dies, and how the church is trying to convince Ellen's friend to stay with her cheating husband because he "reads the word" and "it was only a blowjob."]

For our main talk, biographical author, George Azar, lived it and wrote a book for us to peer into his journey from leading vocational ministry as a pastor (and as a gay man) to “eventually having enough" and leaving Christianity all together.  He shares his story here.  

Joey and George discuss the senselessness of appealing to “traditional theology” as a standard not to evolve past for the reason of "God ever changes."  This ideology seems to assume that God hasn’t anything further to say about the teachings in the bible and no more revelatory direction for humanity.  Pretty boring God, if you ask me.  

Joey shares how hard it was to maintain his un-affirming views of homosexuality when close friends of his shed light on her/his relationship with the Holy Spirit, the journey of diligent searching for the truth of God’s view on sexuality, and the current peace they have found in pursuing gay companionship. 

George and Jack reflect on the prospect of him being an adult gay man in the very much less accepting world we lived in, just 20 years ago.  Joey takes the opportunity to get a “Billy Graham Rule” critique from a gay man, the two discuss the dynamics of gay Christians fellowshipping with non-affirming ones, and Joey asks if the word “homosexual” is even appropriate terminology anymore. 

George Azar and My Gay Church Days / Website / Amazon / Instagram

Host Ellen Mauro / Instagram

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Theme song, courtesy of Derek Minor

Other music originally composed by Joel Hamilton and Joel Hamilton + friends 

Production and Editing:  Jared Svendsen

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BONUS EPISODE

This situation is so intriguing, if you're interested in human behavior.  So much here.   

But this episode is like the RobCast.  There's just one person talking here.  The big difference  between this episode and the RobCast is that they have Rob Bell, he's smart, and has tons of answers.    I have a smart therapist who has helped shape how I see humans and encouraged me to be curious about our tendency to mark people, due to certain actions, as "good" or "bad."  I find this sort of categorization  very UN-Christian and the less i do this to others, the more mercy and grace i have for myself.     -- Joey Svendsen

*NOTE*
New listeners, this episode usually has lots of people and fun music (and stuff).  This is pretty much a speech by one person. 

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Dr. Latimore, author of “Unshakable Faith of Famous and Little Known African Americans from Colonial Times to the Present"  joins co-hosts Robbie Madison and Joey Svendsen to discuss the important outlooks and insights his book delivers on.

In our diverse communities, churches, organizations and political spaces, [Black] history offers a window into the meaning of America  and the opportunity to reflect and marvel at, the strength of a people who refused to be destroyed and who fought and loved their way into our nation’s story. 

In this conversation, an unexpected theme is processed in real time and confirmed by Robbie and Dr. Latimore.  As African American men who value their blackness and maintain passion for  equality and social justice for all people,  the concept of blindly "cancelling a racist" for them seems lazy, rudimentary, and contrary to the Spirit of love represented by Jesus' words "Father, forgive,  for they know not.."  This new "cancelling trend" in our culture basically eliminates the chances of some thing Jesus seemed pretty adamant about all of us having: new beginnings and second chances, birthed by Grace. 

The book also highlights a deeper, even heart-wrenching path of grace that many have painfully walked through.    Sometimes the unfairness of life (as it was for many of the saints discussed in his book) makes it is hard to keep going with soundness of mind, hope, and contentment in our hearts.  Dr. Latimore shares the stories of African Americans who found all three, even in the midst of grave injustices that personally destroyed the hopes of having what many of the more privileged were able to take for granted as "simple rights" and receiving "our due." 

May our hearts be changed forever by the stories of our fellowmen and women who persevered while truly walking in the footsteps of Jesus.   A lesson for all mankind, especially in 2022. 

Carey Latimore / Info / Facebook / Book
Robbie Madison / Web / Instagram / Music

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Theme song, courtesy of Derek Minor

Other music originally composed by Joel Hamilton and Joel Hamilton + friends 

Production and Editing:  Jared Svendsen

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Matt Johnson used to live in Mark Driscoll’s basement as “one of the interns” (inside joke you’ll find out later) and eventually became an integral part of Mars Hill Church's operations and ministries, as a pastor. 

On this episode, Matt and Joey reflect on Christianity Today’s The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill Podcast, including guesswork on Driscoll’s heart, ("that only God can judge") mental state and marriage.  

Reflecting on the story of Mars Hill, Matt is left with a faith unshaken but a complete distrust of the competitive-driven, consumer-minded, charismatically-led model of church-planting and that model of church in general.    

We discuss here the power of charisma, “spiritual narcissism,” and whether things are different at  Driscoll’s new church in Phoenix.  There’s also some “Driscoll Myths” debunked, including Mark’s “they’re out to get me” narrative of the "divorce."   We also ask Matt if he was personally intimidated by Mark and whether he currently has empathy for him.  

At the beginning of the episode, Ellen shares with Joey and Ryan Amick, her problem with alcohol.

17 Years At Mars Hill on Mockingbird.

Getting Jesus Wrong by Matt Johnson

Getting Jesus Wrong (Matt Johnson) Episode 202 

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Theme song, courtesy of Derek Minor

Other music originally composed by Joel Hamilton and Joel Hamilton + friends, and Ray Deezy. 

Executive Producer of PWNApod:  Jared Svendsen

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What a roller coaster ride, “riding through” purity culture as a guy.  I can’t imagine the beautiful world of being a teen and accepting (even embracing) sexuality (and all the feelings) as a gift to be celebrated; instead we were taught shame and guilt about one of the most natural and beautiful gifts there are.  – Joey (host)

Purity culture affected the guys here in various ways.  Lots of “sexually impaired marriages” and one even attributes the beginning of his drug addiction to the horrors of purity culture.  And yes, we talk about real “horrors” available for every guy entering into the unforgiving (literally) world of purity culture.  Parents, listen here to the perspective of Hayne’s parents who encouraged healthy ways of sexual release (i.e. masturbulatory occasions) once he hit the age of fourteen.  

As far as sex in general, theologically have Christians added rules to sexuality, that never existed in the bible?  Lots of questions here, but the truth be told,  if evangelical purity culture’s standards are indeed correct, the mismatch between human anatomy and a goal for absolute purity, is truly overwhelming.   And it has been for all generations.  

Thanks, Matt, Jed Pene, and Hayne for their time given and for their transparency about embarrassing stuff.

Joey/PWNA Instagram and Twitter

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Theme song, courtesy of Derek Minor
Special song "Sometimes I Forget," by Robbie Madison Music. 

Producing and Mixing, Jared Svendsen.

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