Centrally Speaking

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? In this podcast, we interview Rev. Dr. David McKinley, Senior Minister at Central Schwenkfelder Church, about spiritual experiences that will lead to a faith filled Christmas and keep Christ in Christmas. #spiritualityChristmas   #spiritualpracticesMary  #spiritualpracticesJoseph  #keepingChristinChristmas   Centrally Speaking is a ministry of Central Schwenkfelder Church in Lansdale, PA USA. Website: www.cscfamily.org

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 Schwenkfelder Church. In this podcast, Rev. Dr. David McKinley, Senior Minister of Central Schwenkfelder Church, interviews Rev. Dr. Drake Williams, Minister of Mission and Theology at the church. The interview contains discussion about Caspar Schwenckfeld's writing about prayer, the catechism of the first American pastor in America, the 1762 hymnal of the Schwenkfelders, a comparison with the Pietists, and the practice of Schwenkfelders taking the Eucharist in the early 1900's. It also considers some suggestions for modern application. #Schwenkfeldersprayer  #Schwenkfelderhymnal  #CasparSchwenckfeld  #Schwenkfeldpietists #PietistsSchwenckfeld Centrally Speaking is a ministry of Central Schwenkfelder Church in Lansdale, PA USA. Website: www.cscfamily.org

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 minister in Lancaster, PA in the United States. Her book recounts her conversion experience and her journey. It is entitled, From Pain to Purpose: A Young Woman's Journey from a Communist Prison to an American Pulpit is published by Wipf & Stock in 2022: https://wipfandstock.com/9781666748604/from-pain-to-purpose/ Besides these experiences, Luminița is also a family person, being married to Eric and then having two daughters.  #conversion #persecutionconversion  #Romanianrevolution  #Christianconversion   Centrally Speaking is a ministry of Central Schwenkfelder Church in Lansdale, PA USA. Website: www.cscfamily.org

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 Schwenkfelders and the Sacraments that she wrote in 1965 for her Master of Sacred Theology Degree that she did at Lutheran Seminary. The thesis was published in 1968. Now after over 65 years of ordained ministry experience, she provides this reflection on her book and about the sacraments in general. #sacramentsSchwenkfelders  #EucharistSchwenkfelders   #PalmSchwenkfelder #Stillstand  #Schwenckfeld Centrally Speaking is a ministry of Central Schwenkfelder Church in Lansdale, PA USA. Website: www.cscfamily.org

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 for increasing social justice in society.  It is becoming increasingly criticized, however. In this podcast, we ask Dr. Patrick Casey about DEI and its future. Dr. Casey is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Holy Family University in Philadelphia, PA.  He has written an article entitled "The reeducation of DEI" for the online publication Inside Higher Education.  That article can be read here:  https://www.insidehighered.com/opinion/views/2024/05/07/reeducation-dei-opinion #DEI  #reformingDEI  #improvingDEI  #changingDEI  Centrally Speaking is a ministry of Central Schwenkfelder Church in Lansdale, PA USA. Website: www.cscfamily.org