Loneliness is a universal human experience that affects our physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. The Covid pandemic worsened the problem of loneliness for many, as they faced isolation, loss, and uncertainty. How can we cope with loneliness and find connection in the world? The answer is cultivating a deeper friendship with God and each other.
I invite you to join me in a book study of Trevor Hudson’s Beyond Loneliness: The Gift of God’s Friendship. Hudson guides us to discover how God wants to be friends with us and how we can accept God’s invitation. He also helps us to explore how our friendship with God can transform our relationships with ourselves, others and the world.
Hudson looks to the Bible to reimagine our relationships. We find God speaking to Moses as a friend (Exodus 33:11), calling Israel the descendants of Abraham, God’s friend (Isaiah 41:8), and Jesus saying to his disciples, “I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” (John 15:15) Jesus reveals the depth of God’s love and friendship. He shows us how we are invited to share in God’s life and mission, as friends and not as slaves.
By studying and supporting each other through the summer, I want us to learn how to nurture friendship with God through prayer, silence, Scripture, and other practices. You will be challenged to share God’s love and friendship with others, especially the lonely, hurting or needy. You will be encouraged to celebrate God’s friendship with gratitude, joy and worship.
The vision for this summer season of study is “To transform our image of God.” By reading this book, I hope we can grow in our understanding and experience of God’s love, grace, and presence.
Grace & Peace,