BRANCHES November 2016

BRANCHES
ELECTION AFTERMATH
vital christianity beyond
the voting booth
NOVEMBER 2016 | southwood.org
photo montage
from Harvest Heyday
youth trip to Peru:
the value of another perspective

SOUTHWOOD
BRANCHES
DESIGNER Phillip Lackey
CONTRIBUTORS
Will Spink
Ron Clegg
Peter Render
Niña Banta
James Parker
Winnie Winford
Michael Moultrie
Mary Morgan Plott
overview
COVER PHOTO
A fun afternoon at Harvest HeyDay 2016
CONTENTS
3 pastor's note
4 youth trip to peru
The Value of Another Perspective
5 ask a pastor
It's a Matter of the Heart
6 election aftermath
Vital Christianity Beyond the
Voting Booth
8 harvest heyday photos
Photo montage from HeyDay 2016
10 gospel-driven racial reconciliation
What Does It Look Like?
PHOTOS
Phillip Lackey
Kim Delchamps
Winnie Winford
Pete Meenen
Southwood Members
FEEDBACK!
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your suggestions and comments to
branches@southwood.org
1000 CARL T. JONES DRIVE | HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA 35802
(256) 882-3085 | WWW.SOUTHWOOD.ORG
CHURCH STAFF
NIÑA BANTA Director of Children's Ministry
RITA CLARDY Executive Assistant
SHANNON CLARK Administrative Assistant
RON CLEGG Assistant Pastor, Shepherding
JANICE CROWSON Director of Facilities/Finance
KIM DELCHAMPS Administrative Assistant
TERRI GOOD Accountant/Bookkeeper
PHILLIP LACKEY Graphic Designer
SARAH NIEMITZ Director of Community Development/Assimilation
JAMES PARKER Chief Musician
PETER RENDER Director of Youth/Families
ANGELA SIERK Assistant Director/Children's Ministry
WILL SPINK Senior Pastor
WINNIE WINFORD Assistant Director/High-Life
11 all that is fair
In Christ There Is No East or West
UPCOMING EVENTS
Small Group Leader Lunch
November 6
Telling God's Story Lunch
November 13
Second Mile Secret Santa Collection
November 13 through 20
Deck the Halls
November 20
Office Closed
November 23 through 25
2 NOVEMBER 2016 | SOUTHWOOD.ORG

PASTOR’S NOTE
How Important is Thanksgiving?
This month we will gather with families,
consume tons of food, and overdose on
football games, all in the context of giving
thanks for the blessings of life. Giving thanks is
a great thing for us to do and is something well
worth celebrating, but do we understand what
being thankful means? Being thankful is a part
of having good manners, and it is an aspect of
good biblical character. That said, we must go
even further. Putting it negatively, if I am not
thankful, I demonstrate the heart of an idolater.
From a positive angle, a thankful heart is a key
sign of the presence of faith.
In Romans 1, Paul writes of how mankind, apart
from Christ, is in open rebellion against their
Creator. A pivotal section in that description
of fallen human nature is verses 21-23: “For
although they knew God, they did not honor
him as God or give thanks to him, but they
became futile in their thinking, and their foolish
hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise,
they became fools, and exchanged the glory
of the immortal God for images resembling
mortal man and birds and animals and creeping
things.” Man, in the ultimate expression of folly,
exchanged rightful worship of the Creator for
twisted worship of the creation with himself at
the pinnacle. To get to that place, man refused
to give God two critical things—honor and
thanks.
Why are these so critical? Honor exalts God
and puts Him in His rightful place as God and
King. Man’s rebellion attempted to usurp that
high place God alone deserved. Refusing
to give thanks pertains to man’s thinking of
himself. Not only did he lower his image of
God, but he also elevated himself. You do
not generally give thanks for what you earn or
what you are entitled to. You give thanks for
what is not deserved or for assistance given in
time of need. You give thanks for mercy, not
justice. You give thanks for things you cannot
provide for yourself. Therefore, only a contrite,
dependent person who sees himself as needy
and undeserving will be thankful. A proud,
self-sufficient person who demands his due
will consider what he has as the produce of
his own hands. In that state being thankful is
not required. So, when we are not thankful, we
demonstrate our natural twisted tendency to
worship self rather than our gracious Creator.
What does this look like on a daily basis?
When I complain instead of giving thanks, even
about something trivial like the weather, I am
making statements that I don’t often realize.
I am saying that God made a mistake. He
should have known better than to allow it to
be so hot! If He had only listened to me. I
refuse to honor Him as God, and instead I
worship myself. Complaining also says that I
am entitled to something better. Ingratitude
takes for granted the gracious gift of family,
material possessions, and experiences, and
says, whether consciously or not, that I am not
needy. I accomplished all of this. I do not need
a benefactor. I am enough.
Sadly, my life often reflects this idolatrous
approach to life. I need Thanksgiving Day to
call me back to a right comprehension of who
God is and who I am. In that day I need to thank
God, not just be generically thankful. He alone
can and will provide for all of my needs. I also
need to thank God not only for things I have but
also for the mercy I have received in Christ. In
myself I am needy beyond my understanding,
but in Christ I am given everything. In Christ
I receive the lavish grace of fulfilled justice for
my sin. In Christ I am being made new. I am no
one outside of Christ, but in Him I am all that I
was made to be. All that I can be thankful for,
and hopefully I’ll be thankful for more than just
one day of the year.
Ron Clegg
Assistant Pastor
If you would like to contact
Ron, use the following:
ron.clegg@southwood.org
NOVEMBER 2016 | SOUTHWOOD.ORG 3

YOUTH TRIP TO PERU
THE VALUE OF ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE
by Winnie Winford
Most people have had the experience of driving down the
road and having a passenger exclaim, “Watch out!” In that
moment it is terribly tempting to get frustrated at the gasping
passenger. Some people, perhaps even a person on staff with
a youth ministry, get defensive and want to suddenly prove that
she does not need help with anything ever and that she has all
things under control at all times.
But the truth in that moment is that the passenger exclaims
because she has a different perspective and could see a danger
that the driver could not see. The passenger speaks out in love
and care, willing to take whatever response gets lashed out at
her in order to bring helpful information to light.
Often the Lord uses others to bring light to the darkness in our
lives. Such is the case for many of the students and adults who
have gone on the youth trip to Peru. The students and adults
alike have expressed the honored blessing they have received
from being exposed to a perspective different from their own.
They have communicated what a privilege it is to hear of God’s
love and care in the lives of people no matter the circumstance.
The Southwood Peru team will travel again next summer to the
mountains of Peru in order to serve and build relationships with
boys who live at a group home. The boys have fewer material
possessions than the Southwood team and are living in the
home because of difficult family situations. The Southwood
team has consistently found that they end up being served
by the boys much more than they serve. With their limited
resources, the boys overwhelm the team with a welcoming spirit
and concern for the American team’s wellbeing. They long to
share God’s blessings with the team, both material and spiritual.
Over campfires and the brightly starlit nights, the boys have
been willing to share with the team how they have seen the
Lord’s faithful work in their lives.
What a humbling experience to be reminded that God is a
faithful God when times are hard and when times are easy, when
the harvest is plentiful and when one’s soul feels in drought.
There is a deep and rich advantage in spending a week with
these boys who long to share their stories of God’s strong refuge
in their lives. One cannot help but walk away humbled by their
stories and service and reminded of ways in which the believer
often seeks things other than God. What a beautiful reminder
to consider the cross and its central importance in all of our lives.
When the Lord uses another person and their viewpoint to reveal
your need for him, what is your response? How often do you
intentionally engage a person who has a different point of view
from your own? Consider asking a Peru team member whom you
have sent how seeing a different perspective has impacted their
understanding of God. Here are two of their answers.
When I was in Peru, one difference I noticed
was how important "family" was. In church, I
would usually hear the phrase "brothers and
sisters in Christ," and in Kusi that seemed to
have a much stronger meaning than I had
ever thought about. It was great to be able
to take my Peru experiences and apply them in my life as I met
new people and started building relationships after moving
to college. I also feel that it strengthened my relationship in
Christ because I got to witness how blessed I was in my life, and
how He wants me to treat everyone I meet the same way I was
treated in Peru—like family. —Michael Moultrie
Going to Peru showed me just how much of
a little “Christian bubble” I had grown up
in. God’s love for His people isn’t affected
by skin color, language or social status.
Despite the few material items they have,
they considered themselves abundantly
blessed by God. They don’t view the circumstances they have
been placed in as something negative. God’s love for them is
worth so much more than money or materialistic things. My
biggest takeaways from the Peru trip would be to find joy in all
situations and to look past differences because Christ loves us
all the same. —Mary Morgan Plott

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SOUTHWOOD
ASK A PASTOR
Q
It's a
Matter
of the
Heart
by Peter Render
Why are today's
youth so ungrateful?
A
This issue seems to be on the top of the mind
for many people these days. Be it viral videos
showing students, some of them young children,
being disrespectful to teachers and other authority
figures, the questioning and dishonoring of longheld
cultural traditions by those same students, or the general
perception that these youth are expectant of and entitled to
some sort of preferential treatment, if the issues are drilled into
deep enough, it seems to come down to the reality that kids today
are ungrateful. At the same time, we all know the exception that
proves the rule. Whether it is our own child(ren), kids from "my
church," or some other tribe of youth with some commonality, it
is not all youth that suffer from being ungrateful. But it is most of
them, right?
People are hard. People are difficult. People are ungrateful. One
of the helpful things about a question like this is that we do not
have to look too far to begin answering it. As with any question
which poses "us vs. them," the answer to this question probably
begins with a dose of Matthew 7:5 followed by a long look in the
mirror. Make no mistake—this question presupposes a superior
moral high ground, usually occupied by the asker.
All of us who are members of the church are charged with the
care of our youth. Parents are charged to raise their children in
the nurture and admonition of the Lord, as sort of a functional
Proverbs 22:6. Other members of the church are charged to assist
these parents in the Christian nurture of these children. Both of
these charges assume a primary thing, that we humbly rely upon
God’s grace and set before them a godly example.
The ugly and simple fact is, I am ungrateful. I will let one stressful
moment ruin the rest of my day, causing me to react in distress to
those around me. I will look back on any given day and only recall
the things that caused me problems. I will sit back on a Saturday
evening and consider my week and be impressed with myself that I
could survive such hardships as my life offers. This is where I linger,
impressed with myself and less impressed with those around me.
Thankfully, Jesus meets us in these places. True gospel
transformation is the only hope that any of us have to be truly
grateful. You, me, the youth of today, and the generations of
yesterday all have one hope, and that is that we can identify
with the God of the universe as he proceeds on his mission to
reconcile all things to himself through his Son. Unfortunately, we
have thrown a stick in the spokes of this tire’s mission. We actively
choose ourselves over God. And God loves us anyway.
The answer to a youth who is ungrateful is humble repentance.
Interestingly enough, that is also the answer for a youth pastor
who is ungrateful. That is also the answer for the youth parent
and the critical youth observer. We are all members of the same
community of believers. We are a community that is being shaped
and molded by the Holy Spirit operating in us individually and
corporately. Sanctification is a grace-filled, transformational
process that only exists when the Gospel is embraced from the
heart. Parenting paradigms, political motivations, and social
conventions change. Pushing back against them is only seeking
behavior modification. The heart of this matter of gratefulness is a
matter of the heart. All of our hearts need gospel transformation.
NOVEMBER 2016 | SOUTHWOOD.ORG 5

ELECTION AFTERMATH
Vital Christianity Beyond the Voting Booth
by Will Spink
In recent weeks and months, pastors, bloggers, and analysts of all
sorts have spilled plenty of ink in discussing how to be a Christian
on November 8. To read the articles, one would think that day
will be the most significant in the history of American Christianity
and that decision in the voting booth the most consequential
American Christians will ever make. Yet in spite of (or perhaps
to some extent because of) all this flurry of passion and analysis,
many Christians remain confused, uncertain of how they will vote,
unclear on how they should feel about the current climate in their
country.
While not seeking to denigrate the importance of thoughtful
involvement on Election Day, this article will not even attempt
to clear up that particular confusion—and it’s quite unlikely that
the Bible will announce a late-breaking endorsement of any
candidate! Instead, this article will ask a perhaps more significant
question and one to which the Bible gives all followers of Christ
some clear answers and direction: What does it look like to live as
a Christian on November 9 (and all the days to follow)?
The Church of Jesus Christ is predicted by many experts to have
a significant impact on November 8, but it is promised by God
himself to have a significant impact on the rest of history. The
Church must consider now what a faithful witness will look like
then or risk falling into the trap of short-sighted pride or despair.
The Bible calls God’s people to many things, of course, but here
are three particularly needful beginning on November 9, 2016.
TRUST THE TRUE KING
When we wake up on November 9, the White House will have a
new prospective occupant; the Throne of Heaven will have the
same one as always. Now doubtless that statement can be a trite
truism thrown around without much meaning, but sometimes it’s
easy to forget that the authority of the most powerful leader in
the world pales in comparison to and ultimately comes from the
sovereign King of Kings.
This is why God consistently warns his people to “put not their trust
in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation” (Psalm
146:3). Blessing, rather, is found in placing one’s hope in the God
of Jacob, who reigns forever, the psalmist says. Functionally living
this way provides the people of God comfort and hope because
one who shares their values is always in control. The next president
may appoint cabinet members and Supreme Court justices, but
the ultimate “balance of power” will remain intact: YHWH reigns,
and therefore we have unfading hope!
Election cycles are good at revealing one particular idol in my
heart: power—or control. I remember as a boy rooting for the San
Antonio Spurs to win the NBA Championship because their star
player, David Robinson, was an outspoken Christian, so clearly
(I assumed) his team’s gaining success and influence would best
advance God’s kingdom. Sound silly? Isn’t that how we’re often
prone to think the world will be impacted for Christ—by getting
power and exerting our ever-expanding influence?
Yet time after time the Bible makes clear that God’s strength
typically works not from the top down, through human might, but
rather from the bottom up, through the poor and weak. In fact, as
we see in the book of Daniel and elsewhere, God uses apparent
defeat to bring ultimate blessing to his people and honor to his
name. Nebuchadnezzar appears to have the upper hand, to have
greater power than YHWH, to be exerting greater influence in the
6 NOVEMBER 2016 | SOUTHWOOD.ORG

anches
SOUTHWOOD
world. He’s got the votes, the positions of power, and the military
might. And yet God is controlling the king’s every move, and
no one has unseated the Ancient of Days from his throne. And
that’s the glorious and eternal hope the prophet offers to God’s
seemingly displaced and disenfranchised people.
How did Jesus himself impact his society? By amassing votes? By
associating with the influential? By accruing political capital? Quite
the opposite. The “friend of tax collectors and sinners” attracted
the poor, alienated the religious elite, and ended up being
sentenced to death by those in power. The pattern of kingdom
impact that Jesus sets is one that features humility and human
weakness—highlighted by his apparent defeat in his death on
the cross—and it is the one from which his Church has seen the
greatest fruit for centuries.
It’s vital, then, that while we pursue justice and pray for excellent
leaders, we also remind our hearts to trust the true King whether
our preferred candidate is elected or not. A Church that despairs
due to the results of an election or a Church that declares ultimate
victory due to the results of an election would be a Church that has
ceased to depend on her Sovereign King and to follow his pattern
for cultural impact. A Church, however, that remains confident and
hopeful regardless of the outcome of an election testifies to the
treasure of a heavenly citizenship, a mighty King of Kings, and an
eternal inheritance that no one and nothing on earth can diminish.
PRAY FOR THE PRESIDENT
This may seem obvious, but emotions have run so high and attacks
have been so demeaning that many will find it easier to desire
failure than success for the next president. So let’s not forget that
one of the implications of God being the True King is that no one
has any authority unless God establishes it. We may argue about
the reasons why God would give such a president to our country,
but regardless He will be the one who does so.
God is very clear that we are to pray for those in all places of
authority (I Timothy 2:1-3), and the basis seems to be connected to
the admonition in Jeremiah 29 to seek the welfare of “Babylon” or
whatever other land where we find ourselves in exile. The blessing
of the leader means blessing and prosperity for all the people. And
before we give up on anyone—no matter how big a failure—let’s
remember that in particular the hearts of kings are mentioned as
being in God’s hand and controlled by him in whatever direction
he pleases (Proverbs 21:1).
So, let’s start praying now… for whoever it may be. As our
Confession of Faith teaches us, God’s Word will call us to “pray
for,” “honor,” and “be subject to” someone we may find quite
difficult to respect. The best way to begin moving our hearts
in that direction with anyone we struggle to love or respect is
sincerely to pray for their good, to ask for God’s blessing on them,
and to ask God to change our hearts that we might genuinely
seek their welfare.
LOVE THOSE WHO DIFFER
In a way I’ve not witnessed in a presidential election season
before, people are calling those on the other side unreasonable,
misguided, or disingenuous for voting differently from them—
and then sitting in the same pews on Sundays. The number of
people assuming “all good Christians” will vote the way they are
(or are not) voting is remarkable. How do you feel about someone
handling their November 8 decision different from you? How does
Christ call you to treat fellow Christians who nonetheless think
differently from you on this?
Brothers and sisters, this is a huge challenge for the Church today.
The question is not where “evangelicals” throw our weight around
on Election Day but how we show our love for each other afterwards.
Are we preparing now to love and seek to understand those who do
on November 8 what we consider unconscionable? We must! That
is the mark of those who follow Christ—that we love each other in
spite of our differences for Jesus’ sake!
And this need is true, of course, beyond the Church. Whether we
consider things politically, ethnically, or socioeconomically, our
nation as a whole seems to be highly polarized, and not many
would argue that any decision on November 8 will change that
reality very much. We say we long for a “unifier,” who will break
down these barriers and “reach across the aisle” to bring us
together, but we consistently pull back to our own corners, defend
our own positions, and push our elected leaders to implement our
own preferences.
Brothers and sisters, no man or woman has the power to break
down barriers between people single-handedly, but we are the ones
with the gospel of Jesus Christ, the hope of glory that promises to
unite those radically divided by ethnicity, class, religious or political
background (Ephesians 2, Galatians 3:28). God has called you and
me to carry a message not of division but of reconciliation—with
God first and as a result, then, with each other. We must speak truth
with love, not venom. We must build bridges, not barricades. We
must point to Christ the King, not any human leader.
I usually love watching election returns, doing the math, watching
the trends. It’s interesting to watch and learn about the culture in
which God has placed us. This year on the evening of November 8,
I’m scheduled to be in a Session meeting, and I’m glad. I suspect
it will be a room where people will have cast votes that day for
multiple different candidates. I know it will be a room where we will
be preparing for November 9 and the days that follow—praying
for our next president to the True King and asking him to make us
gracious messengers of reconciliation for the sake of Huntsville,
America, and the world.
NOVEMBER 2016 | SOUTHWOOD.ORG 7

2016

What Does Gospel-driven
Racial Reconciliation Look Like?
by Ron Clegg
This is a hot topic in our day that does not sidestep the Church.
You would think that Christians, those who love and follow
Christ, would be at the forefront in the battle for reconciliation.
Many are. Yet history has shown us the Church is not immune
from society’s ills and sometimes finds herself even inflaming
these ills. The PCA, our denomination, in her early years was
complicit in defending and even furthering segregation and
systemic racism. Even now many of our well intentioned efforts
to bring unity among ethnic groups do as much harm as good.
The problem is that the issue is highly complicated. It is not
simply a matter of not hating those of other ethnic groups. It
involves economics, cultural values, social and governmental
systems, and more. It is an issue of which ethnic group has
the dominant position and can determine society’s values.
It involves many things most of us in white, middle-class,
suburban, evangelical America just do not understand, because
we are a part of the dominant culture. We have little idea of what
life is like in the minority. So, how does a predominantly white,
middle-class, suburban church like Southwood further healing
in our community? This is such an important and challenging
question that the Southwood Session has formed a committee
to lead us in considering our role. As we have begun to read,
listen, and pray, we have realized how much we have to learn,
and we've also recognized a vital first step.
This first step might sound simple, but it might also be the
most difficult—build relationships. To do this we must think
like missionaries. When we moved to Hungary in 2001, our
first challenge was getting to know Hungarians. That involved
crossing a lot of barriers, language being one of the biggest.
You could be easily fooled that you had adequate knowledge
of what these people were like and what made them tick. They
generally looked like you. They listened to some of the same
music and watched some of the same movies. But underneath
they were radically different, even from other Europeans. They
lived for centuries under authoritarian rulers from outside
Hungary. Throughout their history they were beaten down and
oppressed, which greatly affected their psyche. At the same time,
they highly valued family and close friends. They were warmly
hospitable once they knew you well enough. To get down to
these differences in life experience, you had to spend time with
them, talk to them by telling them your story and listening to
theirs. You, the foreigner, had to take the initiative in gaining this
depth of understanding by being in their world and in their lives.
This is the way we also must attack racial reconciliation. If you're
like me, you live in a community of like-minded and like-faced
people. We don’t consciously harbor ill will towards others who
are different, but we also don’t know them or understand their
life experience. How can the Church begin to bring the Gospel
to bear effectively on this societal challenge if we don’t fully
understand the issue? We have to take the initiative and build
bridges of understanding and compassion. I spoke to a black
pastor recently about all this, and his answer to what we could
do was simple and straightforward: build relationships. Get into
the lives of people in other ethnic groups to the point that you
begin to taste their experience, their values, and their world
outlook. This is the ruling principle with ministry to any people
group. I cannot bring the Gospel to bear on a life I do not know.
Of course, Jesus was the great example. He crossed eternal
barriers to enter humanity, taking upon Himself our experience.
In that personal identification, He can effectively help us in our
need. He knows us. He knows our pain. He knows our situation.
He feels the weight we carry. He speaks our language. This is
how we demonstrate the Gospel to our fractured society. We
build bridges of knowledge and understanding by crossing
barriers that divide, in order to enter into the world of another
that they might understand how the Savior has done that for us.
SESSION UPDATE
The Session would like to thank everyone who helped out with
HeyDay – both formally and informally. What a great afternoon
together! Perhaps the only thing more exciting than the dunk tank
was the number of neighbors, guests, and kids who joined us and
received a warm welcome from the people of Southwood.
In case you were not present in the worship service that Sunday
morning (Oct. 23), we announced then the approval of a playground
project that has been in discussion and planning for the past
couple of years. The new playground will cover basically the same
footprint as the current playground but provide updated and more
age-appropriate equipment for our kids to improve the safety and
utility of the playground for years to come. The Children’s Ministry
Committee has been working on these plans, and the Diaconate
and Finance Committee worked carefully to find the best timing
from a stewardship perspective to make this decision. Pray with us
in the coming months as you see the work begin that God would
use this new playground to welcome many kids and families into
his kingdom and the joys of relationships in the family of God.
Thank you for your faithful giving that has allowed for regular
needs and a project like the playground to be addressed without
the need for a special capital campaign. We are grateful for God’s
good provision and ask for your continued support toward the end
of this year as we take on these projects and seek to fill out our
approved staff positions. Join us in praying for God’s provision and
direction for Southwood.

ALL THAT IS FAIR
IN CHRIST THERE IS
NO EAST OR WEST
by James Parker
SOUTHWOOD
Mavis Staples was born in Chicago in 1939. She is an R&B/Gospel
artist whose career has spanned the last 66 years. She got started
in 1950 singing with her family's gospel act, The Staples Singers.
Through the years, the Staples Singers, and Mavis herself, have
had tons of hits and notoriety. Her father, Roebuck "Pops"
Staples, was the leader of the Staples Singers. "Pops" was a close
personal friend of Martin Luther King, Jr. In the '60s their music
became a megaphone for the civil rights movement. So much
of what they did then, and what Mavis has continued to do, was
inspired by their involvement with King.
Fast-forward to 2010... Mavis is in the process of reinventing herself
as an artist. She starts working on various collaborations with
popular, indie, or even country artists. In 2010 she finished work
on an album called You Are Not Alone, a collaboration with Jeff
Tweedy from the band Wilco. It was recorded in Muscle Shoals,
and sounds like it too! It's really gritty and unpolished and creates
a perfect backdrop for the raw emotiveness of Mavis' voice. The
album contains old gospel songs, some Staples Singers songs, a
Tweedy original, and Mavis' retelling of this old hymn, "In Christ
There Is No East or West."
I love the selection of this hymn for the album. Mavis is a civil
rights crusader. She has fought for justice for the underserved and
marginalized—not just for the sake of her immediate community
but for the benefit of all humanity. This hymn captures that ideal.
It's the rhetoric of Dr. King. "...We will be able to speed up that
day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews
and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands
and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: 'Free at last!
Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!'" It is also
the sentiment of Jesus... Matthew 8:11 says "I tell you, many will
come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob in the kingdom of Heaven." Also Matthew 12:48-50
says, "But he replied to the man who told him, 'Who is my mother,
and who are my brothers?' And stretching out his hand toward
his disciples, he said, 'Here are my mother and my brothers! For
whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and
sister and mother.'"
When you take those huge gospel-centered reconciliation concepts
and marry them to the experiences and grit of Mavis Staples, this
hymn takes on a new meaning. True Gospel reconciliation between
groups who have been at war is something that is beautiful but
difficult. It produces indelible scars of struggle and suffering.
That's true of the civil rights movement, denominational or
congregational fights, marriage and family turmoil, and ultimately,
the rift between a holy god and a lovely, but diminished, imagebearing
human race. When you hear this retold with the weathered
power of Mavis' unmistakeable voice, you don't just understand
this; you can feel it too! Isn't that what good art is supposed to
do? Tell us something about ourselves that transcends the merely
propositional and reaches for the uncharted skies of our hearts?
In Christ there is no East or West,
No North or South;
Only one great love
Inside and out.
True hearts everywhere
Some deaf and some blind
Singin' one melody
Lost souls cannot find.
Join hands and have faith,
Whatever your race may be!
Who serves my Father as a son
Is surely kin to me.
In Christ now meet both East and West,
There is no black or white
Only one great love
Hatred cannot divide.
Join hands and have faith,
Forgive your enemy
Surely we're all a part
Of one big family.
Join hands and have faith,
Whatever your race may be!
Who serves my Father as a son
Is surely kin to me.
Join hands and have faith,
Forgive your enemy
Surely we're all a part
Of one big family.
NOVEMBER 2016 | SOUTHWOOD.ORG 11

SANTA’S
SECRET
SHOP
with Second Mile
Donate new toys November 13th through the 20th
2016 CHRISTMAS WISH LIST:
Girls' Stuff:
Baby Alive: any variety of doll, different races, learning to Go potty, Go to doctor, etc.
Make up Kits/Hair kits, shower gel/lotion kits, Ear Buds
Play Doh kits: Dentist, Cooking, etc.
Boys' Stuff:
Legos: Star Wars, Transformers, Large kits
Axe Bodywash Kits/shaving kits
skateboards & helmets, Ear Buds
TOYS THAT AREN'T AS POPULAR:
disney princesses, Barbies, Stuffed Animals, scooters,
Footballs/Basketballs/Soccer Balls
More Stuff:
V-tech educational toys: Watches,
game/learning systems, etc.
Bicycles (from training wheels up
to 26” bikes) for girls & boys
Alabama & Auburn items