{"id":4839,"date":"2016-07-19T06:43:05","date_gmt":"2016-07-19T11:43:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/pilgrimsroadtrip\/?p=4839"},"modified":"2016-07-19T06:43:05","modified_gmt":"2016-07-19T11:43:05","slug":"talk-amongst-yourselves-new-conversations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/pilgrimsroadtrip\/2016\/07\/talk-amongst-yourselves-new-conversations\/","title":{"rendered":"Talk Amongst Yourselves: New Conversations"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Does it seems as though\u00a0civil discourse is on the endangered species list? When discussion is reduced to talking heads yelling at one another\u00a0on cable news channels, posting inflammatory commentary on Facebook, or calling each other snarky names on Twitter, where is there space in our world to ask questions, listen to the experiences of others, and stretch both mind and soul?<\/p>\n

When my friend Melinda told me she was gathering a group of women for the purpose of conversation, I\u00a0was all ears. When she was one of the co-hosts of Midday Connection<\/a>, the one show on the Moody Broadcasting Network to which I listened on the regular, their Friday show was dedicated to something they dubbed The Millrose Club. The format was simple. Each of four cohosts and\/or guests would come with a discussion topic, and they\u2019d take 10-15 minutes per topic to talk about it. Subjects ranged from current events to literature to faith questions to relationship issues. The lively conversation and willingness to question ideas in gracious ways drew me in every time I listened. They modeled for me listening well to one another and sharpen one another\u2019s thinking without becoming one another\u2019s echo chamber. Disagreeing with another person\u2019s ideas wasn\u2019t an invitation to a brawl. The program stood in contrast to pretty much any roundtable discussion on CNN, FoxNews, or MSNBC.<\/p>\n

When Moody pulled the plug on Midday last year, I grieved its passing just as thousands of other listeners did. I was privileged to be a guest on the show several times, and would fight the temptation to pinch myself in disbelief while I was on the air.\u00a0It was a high honor to be a part of the ongoing conversation Midday had with its audience. But the warmest\u00a0conversation of all came when the Midday team turned their chairs to one another in the studio on Fridays and invited us all to listen in.<\/p>\n

Those Friday Millrose Club broadcasts were deceptively simple. But think about it: do you have a group in your life with whom you can have thoughtful conversation on regular basis? Some have book clubs, but the discussion is is supposed to be about, you know,\u00a0the book. Bible studies have their own goals and purpose. Few of us have a place to sharpen our minds, and this life of the mind is an important (and often neglected) component of our ongoing discipleship<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Our
Our New Conversations group at a recent gathering.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I let Melinda know I\u2019d love to be a part of the in real life Millrose-type gathering she and another friend were planning last fall. They called it \u201cNew Conversations\u201d, and was a six-month experiment. The initial group of six women didn\u2019t all know one another, though most of us knew one of the others gathered. We each sent our chosen discussion questions to everyone in the group via email a couple of days before we gathered. We\u2019ve tackled politics (of course), refugee issues, our changing appearance as we age, our faith stories, Target\u2019s transgender bathroom issues, the challenge of feeling invisible in groups, parenting and grandparenting challenges and so many more.<\/p>\n

We meet over a simple meal. Soup or a simple main course is provided by the person hosting, and the rest of us bring sides (salad, bread, a dessert). We use our meal time to catch up and visit, and then allow about 20-30 minutes to talk through each of those discussion questions. Sometimes we don\u2019t make it to each of them, but we do make an attempt while respecting the time limits we put on our gatherings. Melinda recently told a prospective new member, \u201cThis group is all about conversations and practicing civil conversation even if we don\u2019t agree! It\u2019s not a prayer group. It\u2019s not a Bible study. It\u2019s confidential and everything stays in the room.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Our six-month experiment has continued past the original\u00a0time frame. I hope at some point to launch a group like this nearer to my home, but for now, I\u2019ve really enjoyed the gift of these conversations with this group of new friends. Many of the topics echo in my mind for days afterwards. I\u2019ve been stretch to rethink my previously-held ideas about several things. I find myself better focused on listening with attention and intention\u00a0in other conversations I have.<\/p>\n

\"cover170x170\"<\/p>\n

Melinda and I recently sat down with Anita Lustrea, another former host of Midday Connection, to talk about the life of the mind, conversation groups and more. Anita is now hosting an excellent podcast called Faith Conversations. You can click here<\/a> to listen online, or click here<\/a> to head over to iTunes to download the episode (or better yet, subscribe!)<\/p>\n

If the idea of a conversation group intrigues you, perhaps this podcast will give you a nudge to gather a few people together to try a experiment of your own. If you do, please let me know how it goes!<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Does it seems as though\u00a0civil discourse is on the endangered species list? When discussion is reduced to talking heads yelling at one another\u00a0on cable news channels, posting inflammatory commentary on Facebook, or calling each other snarky names on Twitter, where is there space in our world to ask questions, listen to the experiences of others, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1449,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4839","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-everyday-christian-life","category-spiritual-formation"],"yoast_head":"\nTalk Amongst Yourselves: New Conversations - Pilgrim's Road Trip<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Does it seems as though\u00a0civil discourse is on the endangered species list? 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