Week of Feb 21-27, 2021.

The Grit and the Wind

Sandwiched between our ten years in the majesty of BC and our ten years in the pastoral beauty of England, we made our home in Sterling, Kansas: a town of 2,500 people with one stoplight; one paved road led into the city. The same paved road led out of the city. The other roads turned to dirt a mile or so out of town.

In Sterling, Kansas, we did not have the rain of BC and England. We had wind. Glorious strong wind that whipped your face like little shards of ice in the winter and wicked the moisture off your skin in the summer. I say glorious, because one gift that wind gave me is the feeling of being alive, caught up in principalities and powers far greater than my own. I also learned that it is much more enjoyable pedalling with the wind than against it!

The other thing the wind did was pick up little pieces of grit and press them into any available nook and cranny. In Sterling, the dust in our home was red. The sweat on my forehead had texture. Living in this flat, fierce landscape took grit and humour and an ease with being uncomfortable. Things didn’t have to be perfect to be good. I learned a lot from living with the good folk of Sterling, Kansas.

I think it takes grit and humour and an ease with being uncomfortable to inhabit the landscape we are in right now as a church, practicing the gritty work of inclusion. It is uncomfortable to imagine losing our sense of belonging within the denomination, and yet staying at the table. It is uncomfortable to feel the gritty texture of our differences, and yet stay open-hearted. It takes effort to pedal into the headwinds of judgement and disapproval, and yet stay pointed forward.

I do believe, deep in my heart, that we are pedalling with the Wind, not against it. It is good to remind ourselves we do not have to be perfect, or do this perfectly, to be good. Like Sterling, there are not a lot of churches choosing to live in this exposed, windswept landscape. It is a small town, but the people are good. And I think we are learning a lot from living here.

 

 

Southpoint Central: Lenten Conversations

Here is a complete list of dates & speakers.

Missed the first one? You can still view the David Gushee video:  watch.

Wed. Feb 24 , 8:00-9:30 pm 

This evening personal stories will be shared, so it’s only open to regular participants in Southpoint services. 

Storytelling –  Our Journeys as Leaders: Brent Unrau and Brian Oger

Inquiry: “How have you wrestled with the theological tensions around inclusion as leaders? 

 

 

Wed. March 3, 8:00-9:30 pm PST

Invite a friend to hear Kathy Baldock!

Inquiry:  “What cultural filters have shaped our perceptions?”

We’d love to share this event widely – send this poster to your contacts. The zoom link is included but we’d still like people to sign-up so we have an idea of numbers.

Kathy Baldock is executive director of Canyonwalker Connections (site) and author of Walking the Bridgeless Canyon. Her mission is to repair the division between conservative Christians and LGBTQ communities through education, training, encouragement, and civil conversations. Baldock’s writing explores the long-standing historical, cultural, medical, and political filters that lead to discrimination against the LGBTQ community.

 

 

Together @Southpoint 

Lenten Worship

This link will provide you with the information you need to join our Sunday service at 10:00 am.

Feb 28   Guest speaker Marcus Peter Rempel
Stumbling Blocks or Stepping Stones? The Grit of Naming the Tension
Leviticus reading
Find out about Marcus Peter Rempel
Or listen to one of his podcasts at The Ferment

March 7   Anne Smith
Clearing an Inner Pathway: The Grit of Listening Within
Psalm 40: 5-10

March 14   Brian Oger
Clearing an Outer Pathway: The Grit of Courageous Hospitality
A Luke reading

March 21   Nadia Vanderkuip
Removing Boulders: The Grit of Changing Your Mind
Acts 10

March 28   Christie Goode
The Cleared Path: When Tension Eases into Spaciousness
Rev 7: 9-10 and 22: 17

Lent at Home 

Resources for the forty days of Lent: a Lenten Prayer Pathway (link) and a Lenten Prayer Journey (link).

Lean into these practises with your children and yourselves – they are very accessible for all.

The prayers could be incorporated wherever you can carve out a window in your day to turn your attention towards the well of God’s love.

However you are able to enter into this season: drinking deeply, clearing out the rocks and enlarging the circle, may you be met in your journey towards the well.

– Angela

 

Care

Prayer Circles
Wednesdays at Noon, by Zoom
If you would like to join in, please contact Anne (778-878-4352, email).

Prayer Chain
If you have a confidential prayer need, please contact John Hardy (email).

Pastoral Support
If you’re needing to talk or to pray, please contact Anne (778-878-4352, email).

 

Supporting Southpoint 

Thank you for considering your giving while we are not meeting in person. Possible means of giving include:

Pre-authorized debit (monthly or one-time) with our linked form. Cost to Southpoint is $0.50.

Paypal to the The Church at Southpoint. Cost is 3% of the donation. No Paypal account is required, only a credit card.

Charitable Impact Foundation.
Cost is 2.8% of the donation