Sermons from Southpoint Church

What’s going through Peter’s mind, in the space between Jesus’s words of comfort and invitation, and them bringing in the boats deep-laden with fish and landing again on shore, where Peter leaves everything to follow this rabbi? Madison Friesen invites into the scene in his meditation on Luke 5:1-11 .

Our endeavour this year as we work through the book of Luke is to encounter Jesus in a fresh way by asking “What does love look like, now?” In the aftermath of Jesus’ announcement that the prophecy of Isaiah 61 was fulfilled in the hearing of his listeners (Luke 4:20-30), what does love look like?

Putting actions on our words...

Let's talk about good news...

Why did Jesus choose to be baptized into John's baptism of repentance from sin? What if it's because he felt compelled to be with us, to stand alongside us in our need for repentance, for forgiveness? Drawn near by his love for us...

The very curvy journey of the magi reminds me just how unfettered is our God, how much God exists outside the straight lines and the grid patterns that we create. We worship (or, we fail to worship!) a God who is clothed in the vast of curvatures of the heavens AND coiled in the minute curvature of a baby's spine. That, for me, is good news!

The Christian story proclaims that God chose to be born as one of us because we are worth the risk, no matter how messy our stories are. Our sacred stories are full of God showing up—but in the story of Jesus' birth, God chose to show up in the riskiest of ways and in the riskiest of birth stories: born to a single teenage girl from a marginalized people group living under the violent thumb of an...

We may think, “I'm just one person. What can I do?” Yet, as followers of Jesus, we’re invited to consider a different question, one rooted in hope and action: “What is mine to do?”

What did it look like for Ruth and Naomi to "gather up the pieces" and begin again?

We are starting a new year in the Christian calendar—here, in Advent, in the dark, as we long for the light. And in our advent series “Gathering the Pieces” Christie Goode starts us off today by acknowledging that YOU are a blessing, that we are a blessing…  (Isaiah 43; 1-7, Luke 1: 26-38). 

It is possible to keep our eyes open to the work of darkness—to be present to it and look it in the eye. And to be present to beauty,  goodness, mystery, and awe. To be present to Presence.

Authentic God-Talk seeks to liberate, advocating for systems and structures that uphold human dignity, alleviate suffering, and protect life on this planet.  As Job challenged orthodoxy when it deepened his suffering, authentic God-Talk will challenge theological perspectives when they invalidate those who suffer or justify oppression.

The central question in the book of Job is not about the nature of God, but about the nature of human beings. "Are human beings capable, in the midst of unjust suffering, of continuing to assert their faith in God and speak of God without expecting a return?” ( — Gustavo Gutiérrez, On Job: God-Talk and the Suffering of the Innocent )

Twenty years ago, in October 2004, The Church at Southpoint (now Southpoint Church) was registered as a non-profit society in British Columbia, Canada. Our theme for Sunday morning was “Stories and Stones”. We remembered and gave thanks for the many different groups of people who have sustained us over the years using stories, images, and songs. Laura Koch came to sing with us, and the musicians o...

Gratitude begins with an  awareness that everything we have is a gift. Gratitude is more than a response —it is a constant awareness of God's presence, kindness and provision in our lives.

What comes to mind when you think of home? We all have a need or longing for home. Wherever we are, we can receive the love the land has for us, and we can love the land in return. We end this year's Season of Creation with this good news—as we hope and act with Creation, we are coming home.  

How do we know when the peaceable kindom has arrived?

For the Creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.  Romans 8:19. This calling does not require us to be heroes, but it does ask us to show up, sometimes in mundane ways and sometimes in heroic ways, and be present to what is happening around us. We are called to listen to the groaning of Creation, including our own. We wrestle with the complexities and search out w...

“Hope is the virtue that asks us to take responsibility for the future, to act joyfully and with perseverance, despite the obstacles.” (Lyanda Lynn Haupt, Rooted: Life at the Crossroads of Science, Nature, and Spirit )  This Sunday marks the beginning of the Season of Creation, a global Christian commitment to care for creation, our common home. The theme this year is “To Hope and Act with Creatio...

Carolyn's tender story of an unexpected friendship across generations weaves into this blessing from our liturgy this summer: May the God who befriends us and tenderly invites us to join in a divine dance of friendship, bless each and every one of us. May we daily grow in friendship with God and all that God has created as we journey through our days. May we trust that “Divine Presence” is at work...

We often make friends with those who are similar to us. So often, cultural, historical, racial, and economic differences divide us, but sometimes, the richest gifts are found in friendships with those who are different from us.   On Sunday, Janice Young shared an unusual and personal story of unexpected friendships with the Nuxalk First Nation in Bella Coola.   Her story began 140 years ago when h...

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, an...

In today's meditation Brent Unrau encourages us to think about all the things we value about friendship. What if we get to develop a relationship with the Bible's narrative passages—especially the gospel stories—that's a kind of a friendship? Is there a way to make peace and find friendship with those stories and find yourself included? What if we get to explore the heart of God throug...

Words from Amy Rogness Ris, who gave us an eloquent and beautiful way of engaging with the content of her meditation: through song.  "As I've been reflecting on, and been given the opportunity to practice self-compassion, I find that the context in which I have most felt this is in my friendships with others. When I can be vulnerable enough to share with another person  all  of what it me...

As we discern where greater depths of connection and friendship might be chosen and entered into in our lives, there is the deepest reality always present with us: the reality that all our pursuits of friendship and connection and flourishing take place within the abiding flow of loving connection that is God: God as Creator and Ground of Being; God as Incarnate Son; God as Life-Giving Spirit.