All of the members of our panel work in high profile jobs - jobs where we meet and know a lot of people, and also jobs where there are strict expectations and norms about relationship boundaries. In light of this, what makes a friendship authentic? Who is a true friend to a doctor? A rabbi? A Grammy award-winning musician? The CEO of the nonprofit in town? How do we avoid loneliness while seemingly befriending so many all the time?

In light of the mid-term elections and local elections looming, The Mystics thought it would be helpful to discuss how people of faith should approach politics and how we can interact with people who think differently then we do.   Enjoy.

Don’t know bout you, but they occupy an inordinate part of my week.  

We get better at ignoring regrets! But we share our thoughts/wisdom on how to rise above those confounded, haunting things called REGRETS.  

So, in this month’s episode, the Mystics chat with Dorcas Griffin and reflect on the intentional work of increasing both spiritual and human maturity as many of us move through different seasons of life and growth. One of the areas we’re exploring together is strengthening our ability to apologize well when we’ve hurt someone — and, honestly, learning the ways not to apologize. 

Too often, we can focus on our intentions or whether the other person “deserved” our response, and in doing so, our apologies can end up serving us more than the person we hurt. We’re recognizing that sometimes the way we apologize can do more harm than good. 

This episode is a real “keeping it 100” conversation for us and for anyone in the Mystic community who might need a little encouragement to get it right. 

Special guest - Renuka Reddy, a calming and radiant light. This will be the first Mystic episode to focus on how Eastern religions and cultures—like our awesome Hindu community in Memphis—approach timely and timeless issues. A bit of meditation is involved. Enjoy!

Arguably no one tears down Memphis like people that live in Memphis. Rather than counter the negative narratives and stereotypes in this city, some Memphians seem to delight in taking shots at our beloved home, even though we only end up hurting ourselves in the process. So, my question for us at the Mystic is, "Why Memphis?" When any of us can choose to live somewhere else, and many of us have called other cities and countries home, why do we choose to make Memphis our hometown. Why do we believe in this city and what do we see that makes it so special?

How do we understand God's mercy in a time when the issue of justice is bandied about at every turn? As we think about your own understanding of both justice and mercy, we hope to give illustrations of both. Collectively, the panel answers the question "When have you experienced mercy in your own life?"  

February Mystic for 2026. A discussion on words getting us twisted, but music can lead to truth and clarity. Let's go spelunking into the meaning of songs.

Questions being discussed are:

1. Do you even believe that there is currently an uncivil discourse war? Am I just being too dramatic?
2. What is even the “course” we are supposed to stay in this current environment? I have mentioned the course is love but really what does that even mean?
3. What are your prescriptions for staying the course?
4. So, I mentioned, I retreat and become passive aggressive in the face of uncivil discourse. Is this the right way to handle it? What might you suggest that I try instead? 😊
5. But the stuff people say and do is SO bad, like how in the world do I deal with them?

abbi Micah Greenstein hosts December's installment of The Mystic. This month's theme is "Preventing A Spiritual Deep Freeze as Winter Approaches." Stellar music with Kirk Whalum Ashley K. Davis Keia Johnson, and the wisdom of Rev G Scott Morris, Rev Lillian Hallstrand Lammers, and Dorcas Griffin.