Politics, vaccines, the pandemic, religion, culture wars—we hear a lot of talk about how divided we are, even downright angry. Sometimes the wrong people in our lives become scapegoats of anger that has nothing to do with them. It seems like these last two years of pandemic life have the whole country pent-up with anger in need of release. Normalcy fell apart, and anger has become part of the complexity and perplexity of how we respond. Is there always a “right” and “wrong”? A “strong” and “weak”? Or can we make room for the subtleties of grace, love, suffering, mystery and God without dualistic thinking that pits us against each other? Have we learned any positive lessons from our experiences with anger? What is the role of the faith community in navigating through this fraught emotional place and rebuilding connections?

This month's episode of The Mystic explores our relationship with money—what shapes it in the first place and how we can intentionally use our giving habits to express the values we aspire to more intentionally. Whether you have modest means or a high-end income, whether you are planning as an individual or an organization, a budget is a theological document because it is a values document. Do we only give for a tax break? Or do we give because we know money is a means for goodness and because giving is a spiritual discipline that can transform us. We all receive many unhealthy messages about what money signifies, but what do want to choose that it will signify in gifts that reflect who we are, whether at year-end or throughout the year?

This episode features the reflections of people who were born and grew up in Memphis, whomoved away and came back, who thought they would be in Memphis temporarily, and thosewho are full-on transplants.Through their eyes we see the challenges of the city, which alwaysseem front and center, but also the assets, which are too often overlooked. Both are amicrocosm of the experiences of our country and call us to both truth and hope in somethinggreater than ourselves.

Everyone has mental health. The question is how well we care for it as part of seeing ourselves and others as whole persons. We can't compartmentalize our bodies, minds, and spirits. This episode of The Mystic honestly admits that all of us face intensities that twist up what happens in our minds and spirits in ways that impact our bodies, work, and relationships—and might even implode our family. Whatever your spiritual tradition is, how do you rest in hope and see life through a lens of faith that welcomes help when you need it?

As we resume more and more "normal" interactions and routines, many of us face the anxiety of restoring normality. Life is the same, but everything is different. Pat answers are not going to work anymore. Our sense of time feels warped as we relearn how to live with others not in our pandemic bubbles and reevaluate what grounds us day in and day out. The demands of the pandemic don't end just because we take our masks off. It's a time when we need grace for ourselves and each other.

This month, we are sitting together in Crosstown Concourse's Green Room telling stories and jokes to lighten our moods as we exit a traumatic period of time. Life is resuming, and we are meeting it with humor and reflections from our year spent in the pandemic. We hope this episode brings you a few laughs, but more importantly, hope of bright future.

This month’s episode falls during the annual Memphis in May festival where we celebrate the culture, spirit and BBQ that makes Memphis famous. We take time this month to reflect on our most precious “Memphis in May” memories — some intrinsically tied to the festival and others bound to changing seasons in life. Join us for another conversation combining music, matters of the spirit, story and more.

As we continue to progress through the pandemic and every meeting, event and gathering that now occurs virtually, The Mystic is re-assessing and re-imagining what corporate worship means in the context of our online world. This month we are celebrating Easter and Passover and noticing the differences between online worship services and pre-pandemic in-person worship services. Some people choose Peloton Church over traditional corporate worship; other people choose fellowship opportunities like Taco Tuesday. How will corporate worship return when the pandemic is over?

This month marks one year of the pandemic shutdown. Led by Joshua Narcisse, we are spending time reflecting on the many changes the past twelve months have brought. Inequalities glare us in the face and fear is ever-present in our daily lives. We discuss the things that are providing us hope and joy daily, and the changes we anticipate in the future of our society.