Kinship Through Pentecost

On Pentecost Sunday, Diane Butler Bass published a beautiful article on her blog, “The Cottage”, which captures the essence of Kinship. I was so excited to read it and find other voices pointing to this profound spiritual reality. I share a portion of it below for your enjoyment, and encourage you to check out the full article here.  — Anne Baxter Smith

Pentecost is sometimes called the “birthday of the church.” A great wind howls from the skies, flames blaze above the heads of Jesus’s followers, and a huge crowd hears the Word of God in their own languages.

But it is the birth of something much bigger — the birth of a new humanity, a new creation. “In the last days,” God declares, “I will pour out my Spirit upon allflesh.”

All flesh. Not just some people. Literally, in Greek, “the whole of human nature” or “every physical body.” Pentecost is a story of the world’s baptism in holy fire. …

At Pentecost, the wind drives fire on the crowd, across the world, and through the cosmos. God’s breath remakes the universe, restores the oneness of all creation, and births a new humanity. All ground is scorched with holiness, all bodies soaked with the Spirit. All. All. All.

All people are God’s people. All people. The Spirit didn’t discriminate. The Spirit didn’t draw distinctions. Pentecost doesn’t birth a church. It isn’t the birth of the Church. Pentecost is the extension of the holiest of all moments — the naming of the One who sets the cosmos ablaze — in conversation with us, on this ground.

—Diane Butler Bass 

Diana’s passion is sharing great ideas to change lives and the world—a passion that ranges from informing the public about spiritual trends, challenging conventional narratives about religious practice, entering the fray of social media with spiritual wisdom and smart theology, and writing books to help readers see themselves, their place in history, and God differently. She holds a doctorate in religious studies from Duke University and is the author of eleven books. Website

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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