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Shade of Life; Shades of Learning

Check it out. Kathy Jourdain, Jerry Nagel, Janet Trump and I explore some wonder and wander on the meaning of it all. In groups. In society. In ourselves.

The basic format is to share what feels interesting to us. Work stuff. Life stuff. Figured out stuff. Puzzing stuff. Joyful stuff. Frustrating stuff. No scripts. Just present moment attentiveness. Honesty. And playfulness.

And then we wonder about the medicine found therein. It’s quite a thing to be human, in friendships that know and value curiosity together. It’s one of the ways that I most like to live and find most fruitful and most delightful.

This is a slow format. It’s 53 minutes. Not meant to be a microwave. We’ll have a few more. Thx for listening. If you want to join the conversation live — email me.

Set Good Context; Ask Good Questions

There is power in simplicity. And beauty. Like these birds. Gathering, then flying, then repeating. There is power in simplicity of group facilitation. And beauty. Gathering. Flying. Repeating.

I keep learning this.

Last night I co-hosted a group of faith community leaders. It was Zoom, Zoom — online for 2 hours, a group of eleven. It was a first meeting for me with this group in progress, imagining their way to their community’s next steps of planning and integration.

Our design was simple and beautiful.

Set Good Context

We spoke it out loud. “This meeting is about leadership and governance. Let’s do that well. What lives nearby leadership and governance is belonging and becoming. So that we lift connection. And courage. And compassionate action. In our leadership and our governance.”

Ask Good Questions (Circles); Then Listen

  1. Who are you? How did you come about love of church and community?
  2. Who are we? What’s possible? To do, to discover, to get messy with, to be inspired on behalf of, to evolve?
  3. Do you feel freedom to experiment? How might we grow that?
  4. What might we need to learn about “saying no to good things”?
  5. When we are further along in this work, what would you want to be proud of?

Close Well

What was one of the gifts you got tonight?

I keep learning. To trust simplicity. To trust the group with simplicity. And beauty. That helps the group go well together — leadership, governance, and community — with things they care about.

To gather. Then fly. Then repeat.

Influencer — Thx John Roedel

And thx Katharine Weinmann, who posted and reflected on this John Roedel piece a few days ago.

I’ve found myself using lines from this a couple of times ever since. Like, “I don’t want to
blaze a path for you ~ I want to get lost with you ~” It suggests something about the “co” part of “co-learning.” It also says something about the never before encountered. And about the pre-supposition that there is wisdom in us that wishes to be found together.

Enjoy the read. I did. “Flow with me.” Until “your ear is shaped like your heart.”

Influencer
John Roedel

I don’t want to to sound out of touch,
but I really am exhausted by the word “influencer”

that word suggests trying to
have control over somebody else

and there is already
too much of that going
in the world already

I don’t like the term
“clout” either

that word is too fickle for me

whenever I desire power it feels like I’m trying to hold a melting ice cube in my hand

I don’t want to
sway anyone

I want to serve them

I don’t want to
blaze a path for you

~ I want to get lost with you ~

to crave authority
would require me
to surrender
my amateur status

and I quite love being
a newbie here with you here

I don’t want to guide you down
this River

I want to enjoy the ride with you
until we reach the great waterfall

don’t follow me
flow with me

and as we go

let’s not influence
each other to be like us

instead

let’s listen to
each other

until our ears become
shaped like our hearts

~ John Roedel from his upcoming poetry collection “wonderache” ~

Gifts of Circle — Almost Done

Gifts of Circle, Circle, The Circle Way, Tenneson Woolf

Getting close. Exciting.

Today I meet with Bi, a soul brother. He’s helping create the cover and formatting. And he’s confidante in making choices for the book.

Near done. Exciting to feel that flow. I’ve also created a set of Question Cards that will likely add accessibility and simplicity of applied practice.

The forward is by Meg Wheatley. We’ve been in some layer of cahoots now for 30 years. I’m glad for her wisdom and blessing.

Here’s a teaser…

“Circle is what I turn to in the most comprehensive stories that I know — the stories of human beings trying to be kind and aware together, trying to make a difference in varied causes. Circle is also what I turn to in the most immediate needs that live right in front of me and in front of most of us — sharing dreams and difficulties, exploring conflicts and coherences. Circle is what I turn to. Circle is what turns us to each other. It is the most simple of containers, yet so often the most lasting of experiences.”

Almost done. Final proof copy review today. Glad to contribute with words, insights, questions, clarities, encouragements.

Gifts of Circle - Question Cardsasd
Gifts of Circle is 30 short essays divided into 4 sections: 1) Circle's Bigger Purpose, 2) Circle's Practice, 3) Circle's First Requirements, and 4) Circle's Possibility for Men. From the Introduction: "Circle is what I turn to in the most comprehensive stories I know -- the stories of human beings trying to be kind and aware together, trying to make a difference in varied causes for which we need to go well together. Circle is also what I turn to in the most immediate needs that live right in front of me and in front of most of us -- sharing dreams and difficulties, exploring conflicts and coherences. Circle is what I turn to. Circle is what turns us to each other."

Question Cards is an accompanying tool to Gifts of Circle. Each card (34) offers a quote from the corresponding chapter in the book, followed by sample questions to grow your Circle hosting skills and to create connection, courage, and compassionate action among groups you host in Circle.

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In My Nature
is a collection of 10 poems. From A Note of Beginning: "This collection of poems arises from the many conversations I've been having about nature. Nature as guide. Nature as wild. Nature as organized. I remain a human being that so appreciates a curious nature in people. That so appreciates questions that pick fruit from inner being, that gather insights and intuitions to a basket, and then brings the to table to be enjoyed and shared over the next week."

This set of Note Cards (8 cards + envelopes)  quotes a few favorite passages from poems in In My Nature. I offer them as inspiration. And leave room for you to write personal notes.

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Most Mornings is a collection of 37 poems. I loved writing them. From the introduction: "This collection of poems comes from some of my sense-making that so often happens in the morning, nurtured by overnight sleep. The poems sample practices. They sample learnings. They sample insights and discoveries. They sample dilemmas and concerns."

This set of Note Cards (8 cards + envelopes)  quotes a few favorite passages from poems in Most Mornings. I offer them as inspiration. And leave room for you to write personal notes.

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