Midrash Nyc

We aren’t the first generation to deconstruct or recover from church trauma… this has been apart of our human life cycle forever! In this sermon, Rev. Josh Lee focuses specifically on the wilderness season that Peter and the disciples found themselves in after Jesus death… full of questions, doubt, regret, uncertainty, perhaps certain of what they didn’t believe but unsure of what they do believe. Sunday we will glean from our ancestors on how they navigated reconstructing their faith after it all came crashing down.

Our different perspectives and backgrounds allow us to practice cultural humility where we are able to self reflect, value each other's culture, and develop mutually beneficial relationships all through the love of Christ. Listen to Rev. Venida Rodman Jenkins in this final sermon in our series "The Wander Years".

Rev. Josh Lee speaks on the passage of Jesus turning water into wine (John 2:1-11). This passage reminds us that God is present where the wine has run out, waiting to be revealed in extravagant abundance where we too have run out of energy and patience and found ourselves wandering looking for renewal!

A Season of Preparation. Jesus experienced hunger and temptation during his time in the wilderness. Our wilderness experiences can be times of testing and preparation as the Holy Spirit leads us through various seasons of our lives. It's important to be patient through the process. Watch Rev. Venida Rodman Jenkins speak about the positive sides of being in the wilderness for a while.

On Jesus' twelfth birthday, he is finally allowed in the temple, but the problem was he didn’t exactly want to leave once he got there. When his parents realized he pulled a Home Alone stunt and found him amongst the religious leaders they doubted if he belonged there. How many of us have been told our culture is too different, we are too young, too old, too fat, too differently abled, too divorced, too single, too queer, too feminine to participate in the full life of the church. Well, Jesus knows the feeling and he made a place for himself and others in many of spaces where people said he and we had no place.

We welcome Joel Field this week as Guest Preacher. Joel is a long time Forefronter, preacher and financial advisor and strategist. Joel reminds us that Jesus showed us that it’s not about what we do as much as it is about where our heart is when we’re doing it.

Hospitality is the act of showing generosity and kindness and can be an extension of our worship. In our Forever Forward series, Rev. Venida Rodman Jenkins talks about how important it is to look beyond ourselves, and consider how we can reimagine hospitality as an extension of our worship. Reimagine inviting people (guests, visitors, strangers) into our church, spaces, lives, stories, worlds.

Rev. Josh Lee draws from modern tips, personal experiences and wisdom literature in the book of Proverbs to discover some tips on how to steward our time and treasures (money) well. Where do we spend our money and our time? Do they align with our values? Long term goals? How might we realign and reassess as we enter a new year and find our way out of this pandemic?

Follow The Light | Sermon | Rev. Venida Rodman Jenkins The season of Epiphany can help ground us in the light and love of Jesus even during unprecedented times. Watch Rev. Venida Rodman Jenkins preach as she opens our new Sermon Series, Forever Forward.

At our Christmas Celebration service, Rev. Venida Rodman Jenkins unpacks the hidden meaning behind Angels, hidden figures of Advent and Worship Pastor Angela Lockett leads the band in a powerful and inspiring 2021 finale!

If you've followed this podcast for a while, then you've already heard the name of Rev. Wil Gafney when we spoke with Char Adams, who had written a thesis on Womanist Theology and in this episode, we get to speak directly to the Right Rev. herself! A leading voice and intimidating intellect in the study of Womanism, Rev. Gafney speaks to Forefront about many topics including why the phrase "the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob" neglects the importance of biblical women figures and is indicative of a long history of male-centric theology. Just in time for the holiday season, she also sheds light on approaches to studying both the Advent and Christmas seasons, what the Church means when it differentiates the two, and which figures have been overlooked in the long tradition of retelling the Christmas story. ABOUT REV. GAFNEY Womanist biblical scholar, the Rev. Wil Gafney, Ph.D. is the Right Rev. Sam B. Hulsey Professor of Hebrew Bible at Brite Divinity School in Fort Worth, Texas. She is the author of Womanist

Rev. Josh Lee takes the stage and explores the hidden message behind the Advent figure: the Donkey. Have you every felt left out or unappreciated? Have you ever been the ass in a Christmas pageant? If you have, you probably weren’t very excited about it, few people want to be the donkey. The donkey is totally hidden and only a part of our sanctified imagination in the Christmas story. It’s only oral tradition, not written tradition that even has the donkey in the story. What can we learn from this hidden character? Who else is unseen or unappreciated in our Scriptures and in our lives?

Rev. Venida Rodman Jenkins reflects on the Shepherds and The Great Joy of Good News in our series: "Hidden Figures of Advent". The shepherds in ancient times were deemed to be unreliable witnesses, and these hidden figures received and shared the good news of the birth of the Christ child. There are things in our life which we may deem to be insignificant yet can bring great joy to someone else's life.

This Sunday we began a new series: "Hidden Figures of Advent". Community Pastor Rev. Josh Lee took inspiration from the story of the three wise men and how the coming light of a star led the men to find hope and relief in a newborn baby. Are you in need of hope and relief? What burdens do you carry?

Let's be honest, y'all - there's been a lot of transitions at Forefront recently and many of you have certainly been wondering what the future of our church is going to look like. Thankfully, with the commissioning of new Community Pastor, Josh Lee, we're all celebrating knowing what the next steps are going to look like as we work towards ushering in the next 500 years of Christianity! Deacon Jim is joined by Teaching Pastor, Venida Jenkins, and Executive Producer, Makenzie Gomez, to chat with Josh and help you all get a clearer picture of his story, his background, and how his journey of overcoming shame as a queer man ultimately led him to becoming the person that he is and Forefront's newest member of the Executive Council. ABOUT JOSH Josh's experiences have exposed him to a wide spectrum of thought, that compelled him to create greater unity among diversity. He has served as an Associate Pastor in the Assemblies of God & United Methodist Church, Youth Director in the American Baptist Church, Senior

During those times that we wrestle with pain and challenging situations where we find it difficult to forgive, God can help us release the burden of un-forgiveness and live with peace and freedom. Rev. Venida Rodman Jenkins explores forgiveness in this service. This sermon marks the end of our "Keepin' It Real" series. Watch the entire series here: t.ly/4B4s.

We're excited to welcome our new Community Pastor at Forefront, Rev. Josh Lee to the stage today as he tackles shame and how we might overcome it in our own lives.

In our "Keepin' it real" sermon series, Rev. Venida C. Rodman Jenkins presents a powerful message about fear. "It seems at times action from fear is easier than action from hope - how can we change that?".

Building a radically inclusive and diverse Church requires understanding the difference between our written and our lived theology. In this sermon Guest Preacher Mark Charles challenges us to explore where we believe we are included into the Gospel story. And the answer might not be where we think. Systemic racism, white Christian Nationalism and implicit racial bias are continuing to dominate the national news and headlines. And unfortunately, the Church is not a place of refuge from the issues. This sermon challenges the church to be better.

Mak Gomez takes to the stage and speak about the disciples and community. In the midst of loss, change or fear, where do we turn for stability, for reassurance? In this sermon, Mak reminds us of the love that surrounds us all as being part of a community. We aren't meant to go it alone.