Centrally Speaking
“Centrally Speaking” is a podcast from the Central Schwenkfelder Church and speaks about issues that would be of interest to our society. In particular it addresses how a Christian worldview intersects with western secular culture. In the spirit of the church's founder, we take the perspective of "the Middle Way," which is in agreement with the historic Christian church.
Episodes
69 episodes
Engaging Youth In our Day: A conversation with Dave Coryell from Christian Endeavor
How do we connect with youth today? What are the characteristics of what some people call Generation Z? Dr. Dave Coryell has been answering this question through Christian Endeavor for over 18 years. In the past 8 years, he has been the D...
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40:07
Latest News from Eastern Ukraine from a Career Missionary to Zaporizhzhya
During the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, American news was running many stories about the news. In recent months, however, the mainstream news is sharing much less. In this podcast, we interview Ken Sears, missionary from European Christian Miss...
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Season 5
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Episode 16
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23:58
Spiritual Practices for a Faith Filled Christmas
How can we have a more spiritual Christmas? While many are focused on gift giving and parties, Christmas is so much more than this. It has spiritual origins. People like Mary and Joseph had distinct spiritual practices. How can we recover these...
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Season 5
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Episode 15
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27:54
The Schwenkfelders: An Extraordinary Culture of Prayer
Prayer is an indispensable part of Christian experience. As the world has modernized, deeper and richer spiritual experiences have dissipated. Some Christian communities have been known for their devotion to prayer. One of these is the Schwenkf...
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Season 5
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Episode 14
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23:41
Christian Conversion, Dramatic and Ordinary
Why are some conversions to Christianity so dramatic while others seem more ordinary? Rev. Dr. Luminița Nichols knows both types well from her experience growing up in Romania and facing persecution during Communist times, and then serving as a...
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Season 5
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Episode 13
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40:34
Schwenkfelders and the Sacraments - Then and Now
The small Schwenkfelder denomination began in Silesia, Germany during the Reformation. It was particularly born out of the controversies about the Eucharist. In this podcast, we ask author Rev. Dr. Martha Kriebel about her thesis entitled S...
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Season 5
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Episode 12
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34:03
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and the University
DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) is a viewpoint promoted by American universities that has had substantial influence. This perspective encourages greater access to university resources for those who have been restricted. It is also used fo...
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Season 5
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Episode 11
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28:55
Islam and Christianity: Practical Differences
Christianity and Islam are two of the major religions in our world. How do Muslims practice their faith? How do Christians practice the faith? Are they alike? How are they different? In this podcast we ask Dr. Andrew Brunson about his time that...
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Season 5
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Episode 10
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42:40
The Renovation of the Central Schwenkfelder Church: how the church building intersects with the community
Central Schwenkfelder Church has been a noted edifice in the Lansdale/Worcester, Pennsylvania community since 1951. It was originally formed by merging two smaller meeting houses in the area - Towamencin and Worcester. The building in 1951 pres...
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Season 5
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Episode 9
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30:09
The Christian and Lent: A Perspective from Central Schwenkfelder Church
What should a Christian do during this time period to get the most out of it? Many Christians have an opinion on this, especially since the time has been in the Christian calendar since the fourth century. We caught up with Rev. Dr. David McKin...
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18:55
Schwenkfelders, Fraktur, and the Christian Faith: An artifact of a vibrant Christian community
Christian communities frequently produce art that represent their common life and values. The Schwenkfelders as well as other German based Christian groups created a distinct piece of artwork called fraktur. These paintings reveal valuable them...
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Season 5
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Episode 8
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26:26
How to Find Yourself: Why Looking Inside is Not the Answer
In the 21st-century in the West, identity is everything. It seems that it has never been more important to know who you are and be true to yourself. In this podcast, author and scholar Dr. Brian Rosner shares why looking inside is not the...
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Season 5
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Episode 7
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35:31
What is the Danger of Antisemitism?
Antisemitism has risen to a top news story following the October 7, 2024 Hamas-led attack on Israel which killed 1200 people and led to 240 hostages. Since then, accusations of antisemitism have been circulating in the media, demonstrations in ...
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Season 5
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Episode 6
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40:43
Celebrating Christmas with Family and Christ in a Consumer Age
Christmas is a greatly anticipated holiday in America each year, but now some cannot think about it unless there are extravagant gifts. In this podcast, we interview Rev. Dr. David McKinley, Senior Minister of Central Schwenkfelder Church...
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Season 5
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Episode 5
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33:04
Latest Developments in the Conflict between Ukraine and Russia
What is taking place in Ukraine from the perspective of Christian workers who are working in the region? Much of the world's attention has been on the conflict between Israel and Hamas on the Gaza strip. With much of mainstream news focused on ...
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Season 5
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Episode 4
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34:21
Making Sense of the Conflict between Israel and Hamas
On October 7, 2023, Hamas initiated a deadly surprise attack on Israel. Thousands of armed Hamas men tore down the fence at the border between Gaza and the Israeli border and then killed and captured many. Simultaneously, Hamas fired thousands ...
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Season 5
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Episode 3
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36:07
Guardian Angels
Does God send angels to protect us and guide us? What might they look like? Does the Bible say anything about this? Should someone pray to a guardian angel? These are all popular questions in society but there are many opinions. In this podcast...
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Season 5
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Episode 2
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36:12
Schwenkfelders, Faith, and the Peter Wentz Farmstead
The historic Peter Wentz Farmstead is known to represent colonial life from the 18th century in the Philadelphia area. While first settled by Peter and Rosanna Wentz in 1744, the farm was purchased by Melchior Schultz, a Schwenkfelder Minister,...
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Season 5
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Episode 1
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29:39
Christianity and Peace: Rebuilding a Historic Connection
Until recently, Christianity has been associated with peace. In the wake of the January 6 riot at the Capitol and past incidents like the Crusades, some are wondering if the connection between Christianity and peace is accurate. In this podcast...
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Season 4
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25:50
Health and the African Continent: A Perspective from Uganda
Many westerners take interest in world health, particularly in Africa. Diseases such as malaria, Ebolavirus, yellow fever, HIV, typhoid, are prevalent in Africa and being addressed by western organizations. Other health conditions such as...
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31:15
The Cross and Violence
The cross is likely the most identifiable symbol of Christianity. What does it mean? Certainly, it represents the death of Jesus which was a gruesome one. When the cross is represented in wars and riots, is it a symbol of violence? In this podc...
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18:19
Recent news from East Ukraine - a Christian Worker's Perspective
The pictures coming out of East Ukraine have been horrific. What is the perspective of a Christian leader who is living just over 25 miles (40 km) from the front lines? In this podcast, Volodya Degtyaryov tells recent stories of the war, ...
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Season 4
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Episode 8
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27:01
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Youth Ministry and Generation Z
How are the youth of today seeing our world? Generation Z (born from 1996-2012) has values that are distinct from other age groups. In this podcast, we interview Jonny Radcliff, a youth worker working to share the Christian message with this ge...
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Season 4
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Episode 7
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26:36
Messiah Here with Us
The Contemporary Worship Service will be presenting a Christmas Concert on Friday, December 30 at 7:00 pm. The Christmas program involves contemporary songs, carols, and readings. There is also a dessert afterwards. In this podcast, we di...
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Season 4
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Episode 6
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21:42
Blue Christmas: A Perspective for finding joy even with the loss of a loved one
How do you find some joy at Christmas after you have lost someone very special in your life? You are not alone if you are feeling this way. In this podcast, Rev. Dr. David McKinley, Senior Minister at Central Schwenkfelder Church, shares from h...
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Season 4
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Episode 5
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14:03
