Peaceful Practices: Sundays through November 27, 2022

Sundays through November 27 we are privileged to host Jessica Buller at our evening services. She will be teaching and coaching us on how to foster peaceful practices in our lives that can lead to genuine conversations of dignity.

An Introduction:

The way we interact with one another in inter-personal conflicts matters. It creates habits in us that begin to influence the way we see people who think differently than we do. So often, when we find ourselves in situations of conflict and difference of opinion, we want to listen, but our frustration gets in the way. After all, we believe that life and death are implicated in the theological, political and ideological ideals over which we argue. We forget to put into practice the kinds of basic skills that are helpful in communicating through a conflict, such as active listening and “I-statements.” We quickly become defensive, and after the conversation, we find ourselves regretful of the way it turned out.

The reflections, tools and activities in these sessions are simple yet foundational. They are meant to call us back to ways of engaging with conflict that offer dignity to the other, while effectively expressing our own thoughts and opinions. Each session has a focus word meant to be a key for remembering the lessons and tools of that session. Each session also has a “peaceful practice,” a simple, short instruction for how to communicate in conversation. Together, the peaceful practices offer a list of guidelines for engaging well in dialogue together.

They are skills we need to practice so that we do them naturally in conversations of conflict. What we do on a small scale sets patterns for the whole. It takes intentional work to make these patterns of communicating habitual, especially in conflict. Yet peaceful practices are more than just mental tools. True dialogue requires a transfor-
mation of the heart. The goal is transformed relationships rather than changed opinions. In this sense, peaceful practices can also be approached and embodied as a spiritual discipline. Our responses to conflict reflect our theology and can open us to the movement of the Holy Spirit in our conflicts.

This is open to the New Vision family and our community. You are invited to join us beforehand for dinner at 5 PM. Please be our guest! No need to bring anything for your first visit. An RSVP is appreciated (newvisionbic@gmail.com).