As you close out your work week and head into the weekend, spend time with this blessing from 500 years ago.

God says “I live with the humble.” Perhaps that’s because the humble aren’t holding on to their precious self-image (or anything else) - so there’s plenty of space around them for God to live.

Trying hard to please God can often mislead us.

Sometimes it’s hard to accept authentic selves - perhaps we’ve been taught that parts of who we are should be hidden away - for example, our strong opinions. Or perhaps certain sexual attractions. Or perhaps our questions about God.

This is the prayer that was prayed over us on Sunday. What a great way to head into the weekend.

Today we continue to celebrate all the goodness of Affirming Sunday with the poem that Brenna Rubio read.

we see Jesus choosing three close friends for one of the highlight moments of his life. And it’s not just about connecting with Moses and Elijah - also part of Jesus’s chosen family - but about connecting with the Trinity!

Jesus had chosen family. He aligned himself so closely with people that he considered them family and called them such

And yet, Onesiphorus came through for Paul in his time of need. He demonstrated faithfulness and sacrifice. And he showed up. Some people say that showing up is 90% of friendship.

900 years ago a fourteen year old boy named Aelred went off to become a monk in Yorkshire, England. He was known for having and making good friends. Later in life he would become an author and a leader in his monastery.

As we all know, good friends give good advice. Typically not too much of it!

Regardless of what form it takes, it is often the component of challenge that shifts an acquaintanceship to a friendship.

One of the key attributes of friendships is just showing up. A friend is one who “sticks close” according to this verse in Proverbs. This isn’t the only way to think about a friendship, but it’s certainly an important one.

It may be helpful to think about intentionally making friends instead of just letting friendship happen.

These thoughts come from a wise old pastor who recently passed away. He shares two key thoughts on what it means to mentor well. His advice is relevant not just for mentoring relationships.

In Paul’s remarkable speech in front of the philosophers in the center of Athens, he makes that claim that “God is not far from any one of us“ (Acts 17:27).

In the very same book where Paul highlights two of TImothy’s key mentors (his mother Eunice and his grandmother Lois), it’s also quite obvious that Paul himself was one of Timothy’s mentors. It’s crucial to have more than one mentor.

One of the roles of mentors is to give a fresh perspective with directness and encouragement.

Timothy was mentored by the Apostle Paul. But Paul is smart enough to know that Timothy’s mentoring didn’t start with him. It started with his mother and his grandmother - women of deep faith who trained Timothy up in a way of life that oriented towards God.