Sometimes we need to take a deep breath and laugh at how silly we all can be.  From church conferences to pastors’ smoking hot wives, from “prom songs for Jesus” worship songs and ridiculous pastor jokes to every church wanting a black worship leader, comedian Shama4realz and Joey poke fun of, laugh at and lament about church culture.   

Shama4realz
Check out https://www.instagram.com/shama4realz on Instagram for more making fun of Christians.  You’ll be happy you did.  Unless you are a real stick in the mud.  

Church Stories Podcast:
https://www.instagram.com/churchstories

Joey/PWNA Instagram:  www.instagram.com/joeysvendsen
Current DonorSee giving opportunity: https://donorsee.com/pwnahelps

Support Us:
Join us as a patron! https://www.patreon.com/pwnapod
or leave a Venmo tip right @  https://venmo.com/joey-svendsen

Join the discussion:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/PWNAtalk

Socials:
https://twitter.com/joeysvendsen
https://www.facebook.com/PWNApod

E-mail [email protected] for correspondence.

Music on this episode courtesy of Derek Minor:  http://www.derekminor.com

Other music originally composed by Joel Hamilton + friends
https://mechanicalriver.bandcamp.com/
http://embassyfreqs.com/

Executive Producer of PWNApod:  Jared Svendsen

E-mail Joey here.

Support Joey's work by Being a Patron / (Venmo)

Check out Joey's Substack.

Theme Song by Stoy Prioleau (aka: Riggy Roc): Apple Music

Pastor, author and bartender, Abby Norman, shares Joey’s zeal for loving people right where they're at, both seeing the Christian faith through more progressive lenses and are in fellowship with (and in shepherding roles with) those who are more conservative.

Abby shares some of her experiences in life, including the story that led to her writing, “You Can Talk to God Like That: The Power of Lament to Save Your Faith.”   She shares the time when she grasped God's acceptance of the emotion of anger, even when directed at Him; and how this realization sealed the deal  in her being a Christian from that point on.  Joey shares how his current positioning in ministry is a more unique space than what his involvement was in the BadChristian Podcast. 

At top of episode, Jack, Ellen and Joey talk deconstruction.  Jack used to be a Calvinist and Ellen is in an uncomfortable season of rethinking the bible.  Joey wonders if the influx of progressive Christian faith may be the beginning of a new reformation.  Jack says “hell no” (my words, not his) to that theory.  

Abby Norman:
https://abbynorman.net/
https://twitter.com/abbynormansays

Ellen Mauro:  https://www.instagram.com/ellenmauro
Jack Hoey: @jackthelesser (twitter and Instagram)

Joey/PWNA Instagram:  www.instagram.com/joeysvendsen
Current DonorSee giving opportunity: https://donorsee.com/pwnahelps

Support Us:
Join us as a patron! https://www.patreon.com/pwnapod
or leave a Venmo tip right @  https://venmo.com/joey-svendsen

Join the discussion:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/PWNAtalk

Socials:
https://twitter.com/pwnapod
https://twitter.com/joeysvendsen
https://www.facebook.com/PWNApod

E-mail [email protected] for correspondence.

Theme Song courtesy of Derek Minor:  http://www.derekminor.com

Other music originally composed by Joel Hamilton + friends
https://mechanicalriver.bandcamp.com/
http://embassyfreqs.com/

Executive Producer of PWNApod:  Jared Svendsen

E-mail Joey here.

Support Joey's work by Being a Patron / (Venmo)

Check out Joey's Substack.

Theme Song by Stoy Prioleau (aka: Riggy Roc): Apple Music

Podcaster (Bible for Normal People), Author (Sin of Certainty, Exodus for Normal People, How the Bible works and more), bible scholar (PhD) and just a heck of a dude, Pete Enns tries to answer tons of dumb-ass theology questions from the mind of Joey Svendsen.  Some themes that come out of this one: mystery of the afterlife, the importance of the resurrection, how systematic theology is broke, The Message Bible, some of Jesus’ limitations and a different way to look at the story of Adam and Eve.  How’s that for a jam packed episode!

Pete:
https://twitter.com/peteenns
https://peteenns.com/
https://thebiblefornormalpeople.podbean.com/

Episode 90 with Pete Enns [aired June 4th 2017]
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1511929/6549841

Joey/PWNA Instagram:  www.instagram.com/joeysvendsen
Current DonorSee giving opportunity: https://donorsee.com/pwnahelps

Support Us:
Join us as a patron! https://www.patreon.com/pwnapod
or leave a Venmo tip right @  https://venmo.com/joey-svendsen

Join the discussion:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/PWNAtalk

Socials:
https://twitter.com/joeysvendsen
https://www.facebook.com/PWNApod

E-mail [email protected] for correspondence.

Theme Song courtesy of Derek Minor:  http://www.derekminor.com

Other music originally composed by Joel Hamilton and friends.
https://mechanicalriver.bandcamp.com/
http://embassyfreqs.com/

Executive Producer of PWNApod:  Jared Svendsen

E-mail Joey here.

Support Joey's work by Being a Patron / (Venmo)

Check out Joey's Substack.

Theme Song by Stoy Prioleau (aka: Riggy Roc): Apple Music

Regulars to the show, Chip Judd (30+ years counseling experience) and Ellen Mauro debate and discuss the risks of spending "alone time" with the opposite gender in date-like scenarios, car rides, closed doors, out of town business trips.  Is this playing with fire?  Or is this a dated policy that churches need to abort from, so females can stop feeling like they are merely hot-bodies, dangerous, predatory, male-slaying dragons?  [Originally released 5/6/2018]

Chip Judd:
https://chipjudd.com/
https://www.instagram.com/chipjudd

Ellen Mauro:
https://www.instagram.com/ellenmauro

Joey/PWNA Instagram:  www.instagram.com/joeysvendsen
Current DonorSee giving opportunity: https://donorsee.com/pwnahelps

Support Us:
Join us as a patron! https://www.patreon.com/pwnapod
or leave a Venmo tip right @  https://venmo.com/joey-svendsen

Join the discussion:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/PWNAtalk

Socials:
https://twitter.com/joeysvendsen
https://www.facebook.com/PWNApod

E-mail [email protected] for correspondence.

Theme song by Derek Minor:  http://www.derekminor.com

Old theme song by Dan Koch: https://dankoch.net/

Executive Producer of PWNApod:  Jared Svendsen

E-mail Joey here.

Support Joey's work by Being a Patron / (Venmo)

Check out Joey's Substack.

Theme Song by Stoy Prioleau (aka: Riggy Roc): Apple Music

Here's to friends and hope.  Joey and Pricilla reflect on Joey’s mental health crisis of 2019 with their pastors and friends, Josh and Lisa Surratt;  these two who were in their corner, up close and personal like very few were.  Josh and Lisa reflect on the sense of urgency they felt in prioritizing Joey’s health and as their leaders, doing whatever was in their power to keep him safe.  

During this time Joey’s brain wasn’t processing thoughts in a healthy manner (major understatement).  Fear of losing his job equated in fear of losing the house.  The Surratts are the leaders  of the church Joey is employed at so he [Josh] fielded a lot of Joey’s irrational questions pertaining to these fears.  Lisa, a seasoned healthcare professional, wanted Joey to admit himself into the hospital right away.  Joey eventually ended up there for a week, and he shares what that time looked and felt like.  

Brian McLaren also joins to converse with Joey who shares the role Brian played in his eventual full recovery.  

Other episodes with Brian McLaren:
230 – Why Does Jesus Sound So Harsh
273 – Brian McLaren and His Book “Faith After Doubt.”

Episodes of this story that precede this one:
258 – “Why Talk About Our Hell.”
261 – “To See a Son Suffer.”
266 – “Anxiety and How it All Began.”

Josh and Lisa Surratt:
https://www.instagram.com/joshsur
https://www.instagram.com/lisasurratt

Brian McLaren:
https://twitter.com/brianmclaren
http://brianmclaren.net

Pricilla Svendsen:
https://www.instagram.com/pricillala

Joey/PWNA Instagram:  www.instagram.com/joeysvendsen
Current DonorSee giving opportunity: https://donorsee.com/pwnahelps

Support Us:
Join us as a patron! https://www.patreon.com/pwnapod
or leave a Venmo tip right @  https://venmo.com/joey-svendsen

Join the discussion:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/PWNAtalk

Socials:
https://twitter.com/joeysvendsen
https://www.facebook.com/PWNApod

E-mail [email protected] for correspondence.

Music by jejune, courtesy of Joe Guevara
https://www.discogs.com/artist/717259-Joe-Guevara
https://rateyourmusic.com/artist/jejune

“Keep Hope Alive” originally composed by Joel Hamilton 
https://mechanicalriver.bandcamp.com/

Executive Producer of PWNApod:  Jared Svendsen

E-mail Joey here.

Support Joey's work by Being a Patron / (Venmo)

Check out Joey's Substack.

Theme Song by Stoy Prioleau (aka: Riggy Roc): Apple Music

Mennonite Pastor, Duke Graduate and author, Melissa Florer-Bixler, talks about her newly released book, How to Have an Enemy: Righteous Anger and the Work of Peace.  She explains why she is an "empathy skeptic" and how she can have rage for some one like President Trump while still wanting him to be free, as there's no healing that comes from a desire to see one punished.  She poses an important question: what are some justice-related issues that Christians can agree to disagree on and what issues are universally intolerable and incongruent to the gospel of Jesus Christ? 

“We need a radical reorientation to the reign of God.”  -- Melissa

That sounds beautiful, doesn’t it? Umm, YES. 

At the top of the episode, Joey, Ellen Mauro and Hayne Griffin discuss their issues with the word "heresy" and how the bible isn’t age-appropriate for kids.  Hayne shares a story in which Bill Hybels "came to the rescue for women" and Ellen shares a spiritual awakening she’s walking through in how one can’t go wrong with focusing on Jesus’ love while also having critical eyes for everything outside of Jesus.   Joey thinks he used to be brainwashed by Mark Driscoll.
[This podcast is "chapter marker" abled]

Melissa:
https://www.melissaflorerbixler.com/
https://twitter.com/MelissaFloBix

Ellen Mauro:
https://www.instagram.com/ellenmauro

Joey/PWNA Instagram:  www.instagram.com/joeysvendsen
Current DonorSee giving opportunity: https://donorsee.com/pwnahelps

Support Us:
Join us as a patron! https://www.patreon.com/pwnapod
or leave a Venmo tip right @  https://venmo.com/joey-svendsen

Join the discussion:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/PWNAtalk

Socials:
https://twitter.com/joeysvendsen
https://www.facebook.com/PWNApod

E-mail [email protected] for correspondence.

Music on this episode courtesy of Derek Minor:  http://www.derekminor.com

Other music originally composed by Joel Hamilton + friends
https://mechanicalriver.bandcamp.com/

Executive Producer of PWNApod:  Jared Svendsen

E-mail Joey here.

Support Joey's work by Being a Patron / (Venmo)

Check out Joey's Substack.

Theme Song by Stoy Prioleau (aka: Riggy Roc): Apple Music

[Theme song not included, all music on this episode by Andy Squyres]

“Joey Svendsen here.  This is a conversation for the ages for me and the epitome of where I’m at in how I view my faith, God and my church .  May we all accept the freedom from our arrogance.  May we strive to progress in our love."

Musician/song-writer Andy Squyres discusses with Joey the following post he made on his Instagram: 

The good news of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God is always given by people who only partially understand it, and it is received by people who probably know a little less.  The preaching of the Gospel is the active work of displaying our partial understanding (or misunderstanding) of God to those who also have only a partial understanding. There is no systematic theology or statement of belief which provides ultimate understanding of God.

It is not impossible to understand the Gospel, but it is never accurate to claim to have all understanding of it.  All communication of Christ IS the communication of our limited understanding of him.  Or in other words, it is the bold proclamation of our misunderstanding.

The communication of the Gospel, whether by word or deed, can in no way happen perfectly
because the God story can only come through imperfect vessels with limited understanding.

This is the brilliance of God and is a testimony to his reliance on patient love rather than on control.  His good news always travels by imperfect means and yet it never stops producing peace.  This isn’t to say that all presentations of the gospel are on equal footing or that we should never wrestle through theological systems of thought.  We should always seek the face of Christ in order to see him better.  But we can trust that God’s grace is sufficient at the point of our limited understanding and we can rely on the fact that he is the author and finisher of our faith. 

So who is the preacher you don’t like?  What is the church, mega church, denomination that you have proclaimed judgement upon? I have my list.  I am guilty of holding court in my mind and pronouncing guilty verdicts on many different communities of faith who have come to different conclusions that I have.  This is arrogance which came to set us free from.  In the Church, we are witnessing a massive “leaving church” movement and I can actually see the justification for it, but I worry that there is no place to go.  Because here is the actual truth: hypocrisy abounds EVERYWHERE.  There is no human community that has eradicated hypocrisy from its midst.  Progress in love is our only aim. 

Andy Squyres:
https://twitter.com/andysquyres
https://andysquyres.com/
https://www.instagram.com/andysquyres

Joey/PWNA Instagram:  www.instagram.com/joeysvendsen
Current DonorSee giving opportunity: https://donorsee.com/pwnahelps

Support Us:
Join us as a patron! https://www.patreon.com/pwnapod
or leave a Venmo tip right @  https://venm

E-mail Joey here.

Support Joey's work by Being a Patron / (Venmo)

Check out Joey's Substack.

Theme Song by Stoy Prioleau (aka: Riggy Roc): Apple Music

So many of us evangelicals (current or former) have done it.  We thought the rapture happened, can’t find our Christian loved-ones, so we call our born-again, spirit-filled grandma.  If the rapture happened, she’d be gone!  We sigh a deep relief when she answers, “Hey, sweetie.” 

End times theology, the book of Revelation, the mark of the beast, the tribulation, a 1000-year reign, the Left Behind series and that “scary-ass” 70s movie they made us watch in youth group.  Author and theologian, Zach Hunt, says “not so fast, the book of Revelation is about liberation and hope.”   He shares with Jack Hoey and Joey Svendsen the content he wrote in his book, Unraptured: How End Times Theology Gets It Wrong .  Did Paul and Jesus think God was coming back in their lifetime?  How is a belief in the rapture anti-biblical?   Oh, yeah and what is it about Dolly Parton and Tom Hanks that make them both perfect candidates for the Anti-Christ.  

Zach Hunt:
https://twitter.com/zaackhunt
https://zackhunt.net/

Jack Hoey:
https://twitter.com/jackthelesser

Joey/PWNA Instagram:  www.instagram.com/joeysvendsen
Current DonorSee giving opportunity: https://donorsee.com/pwnahelps

Support Us:
Join us as a patron! https://www.patreon.com/pwnapod
or leave a Venmo tip right @  https://venmo.com/joey-svendsen

Join the discussion:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/PWNAtalk

Socials:
https://twitter.com/joeysvendsen
https://www.facebook.com/PWNApod

E-mail [email protected] for correspondence.

Music on this episode courtesy of Derek Minor:  http://www.derekminor.com

Other music originally composed by Joel Hamilton + friends
https://mechanicalriver.bandcamp.com/
http://embassyfreqs.com/

Executive Producer of PWNApod:  Jared Svendsen

E-mail Joey here.

Support Joey's work by Being a Patron / (Venmo)

Check out Joey's Substack.

Theme Song by Stoy Prioleau (aka: Riggy Roc): Apple Music

Mennonite Pastor, Duke Graduate and author, Melissa F-B, joins to talk about what she calls “reproductive justice.”  Is a living embryo an actual living person?  Is it mere tissue waste?  “No” and “no,” according to Melissa.  We discuss these matters and reflect on a truth that many evangelical Christians do not want to face:  their pro-life stances are actually conditional and far from consistent.  Just ask a beautiful (and desperate) couple who went the in vitro fertilization route, were successful, but have additional frozen embryos that will never be used.  What does a consistent pro-life stance look like and what sorts of hypocrisies are currently rampant in those who claim pro-life?  Within discussions along these lines, is there an important distinction between human life and personhood?  

At the top of the episode, Joey talks with friends Ellen Mauro and Hayne Griffen about whether the "woke culture" wants to eliminate gender differences.  Joey embarrassingly reflects on how he didn't want his son to say "whoopsies" back in 2012 because it sounded too feminine and Ellen doesn't let her daughter say "panties."

Part ONE:
303 - Pro-Choice or Pro-Life (Part 1): Pro-Grace
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1511929/8809719

Melissa:
https://www.melissaflorerbixler.com/
https://twitter.com/MelissaFloBix

Ellen Mauro:
https://www.instagram.com/ellenmauro

Joey/PWNA Instagram:  www.instagram.com/joeysvendsen
Current DonorSee giving opportunity: https://donorsee.com/pwnahelps

Support Us:
Join us as a patron! https://www.patreon.com/pwnapod
or leave a Venmo tip right @  https://venmo.com/joey-svendsen

Join the discussion:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/PWNAtalk

Socials:
https://twitter.com/joeysvendsen
https://www.facebook.com/PWNApod

E-mail [email protected] for correspondence.

Music on this episode courtesy of Derek Minor:  http://www.derekminor.com

Other music originally composed by Joel Hamilton + friends
https://mechanicalriver.bandcamp.com/
http://embassyfreqs.com/

Executive Producer of PWNApod:  Jared Svendsen

E-mail Joey here.

Support Joey's work by Being a Patron / (Venmo)

Check out Joey's Substack.

Theme Song by Stoy Prioleau (aka: Riggy Roc): Apple Music

While some people call ProGrace.org “Pro-Life Lite,” others label it as teetering on pro-choice.  Angie Weszely and her organization (Pro-Grace) takes heat from both sides, and as you’ll hear in this episode, Angie doesn’t believe Jesus would own either label. He always starts with grace, and this seems to be something unfortunately lacking in many hearts of those in the pro-life camp.  Co-host Ellen Mauro, who considers herself a “pro-life liberal” and one who is pro-life but votes pro-choice, joins us to talk about perhaps the most polarizing and potentially heated issues of the century.  

ProGrace.org is a movement that offers training and other resources founded on a belief for God to give us a creative solution based on His wisdom and provision - and His love for BOTH the woman and the child.

[Preview in Intro] of Pro-Choice or Pro-Life (Part 2): Melissa Florer-Bixler

Angie Weszely:
https://twitter.com/angieweszely
https://prograce.org/

Ellen Mauro:
https://www.instagram.com/ellenmauro

Joey/PWNA Instagram:  www.instagram.com/joeysvendsen
Current DonorSee giving opportunity: https://donorsee.com/pwnahelps

Support Us:
Join us as a patron! https://www.patreon.com/pwnapod
or leave a Venmo tip right @  https://venmo.com/joey-svendsen

Join the discussion:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/PWNAtalk

Socials:
https://twitter.com/joeysvendsen
https://www.facebook.com/PWNApod

E-mail [email protected] for correspondence.

Music on this episode courtesy of Derek Minor:  http://www.derekminor.com

Other music originally composed by Joel Hamilton + friends
https://mechanicalriver.bandcamp.com/
http://embassyfreqs.com/

Executive Producer of PWNApod:  Jared Svendsen

E-mail Joey here.

Support Joey's work by Being a Patron / (Venmo)

Check out Joey's Substack.

Theme Song by Stoy Prioleau (aka: Riggy Roc): Apple Music