Friendship Into the Deep

Help me to journey beyond
the familiar and into the unknown.
Give me the faith to leave old ways
and break fresh ground with You.
Christ of the mysteries, I trust You
to be stronger than each storm
within me.
I will trust in the darkness and
know that my times, even now,
are in Your hand.
Tune my spirit to the music of heaven,
and somehow, make my
obedience count for You.
— Attributed to St Brendan

Having a summer series on friendship was Madison’s brainchild, and what a beautiful theme it has proven to be. He suggested one subtheme be the emotional scripts of “white, self-sufficient masculinity” that get in the way of deep friendship. One of those scripts is: “Don’t be vulnerable. Be self-sufficient and independent.” Markku Kostamo was our chosen storyteller for this theme, and he shared this past Sunday.

Sent to boarding school as a child of six when his family lived in Nepal, Markku shared how this experience left a core wound of abandonment that that has affected the fabric of his life, including his relationships. He has been on a long journey of healing into the deep waters of his core wound, most recently with the help of Illuman, Richard Rohr’s Global Non-Profit. This organization supports men interested in becoming better, more authentic men. He shared about the friendships that have accompanied him on his journey into the deep and being met there by the mystical presence of Christ. If you are interested, there is a monthly local meeting of Illuman, and I’m sure Markku would be happy to share more about it with you.

Weaving together imagery of Jonah in the belly of the whale and the voyage of St. Brendan, Markku talked about how his own journey of descent, uncomfortable as it is, was also necessary for his healing. In the deep, he faced challenges, found companionship, experience moments of divine consolation, and found himself renewed. The descent into darkness is not something we have to do alone. Companioned in our vulnerability by the friendship of God, Creation, people who meet us there, and people who love us there, the deep becomes the necessary path to spiritual rebirth and authenticity.

Reflection
How might God be inviting you into the deep end of vulnerability in your friendships with God, Creation, your own self, and others? 

Friendship Nudge
Playfully try out small gestures of vulnerability this week. Put words to a need you have, ask someone for help, collaborate with someone rather than solve a problem on your own, name a feeling, ask for someone to do an errand with you. These simple things can deepening the friendships we have right around us. 

Deep peace and blessing,

Anne

Rev. Anne Baxter Smith
Pastor, Southpoint Church

Sun Aug 11
Janice Young
Friendship, Sameness, and Difference: “Found Family”
1 Cor 11:17 f

Sun Aug 18
Carolyn Gerber
Friendship Across Generations
2 Tim 1:1-14

Sun Aug 25 Wild Church at Kingfisher Farm
No Service in the Sunnyside building

New to Southpoint?

At Southpoint, it all begins with God’s love. Just as a plant grows, it receives sunshine, so we grow as we receive God’s love. At Southpoint, we are growing in our capacity to love God, ourselves, one another, and Creation.

We seek to be a community of grace that is intentional yet organic, spacious yet authentic, grace-filled yet accountable. * We are fully welcoming. *

We encourage relationships rather than run programs, yet we recognize the importance of intentionality and structure as we nurture life together.

As a community, we seek to put our love in action. We value helping out on Sunday mornings, sharing food, and showing up in hard times. We keep our church life simple so folk have time to build relationships with family, friends, and neighbours. We encourage folk to serve in tangible ways within the wider community. We rent space rather than own a building, allowing us to do more with less, supporting missions at home and abroad.

Curious to know more?

These six slides express what motivates our ministry (best viewed on a monitor). Here’s the bio of our Pastor, Rev. Anne Baxter Smith.

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