BRANCHES April 2017

BRANCHES
LIFE OUT OF DEATH
Dry Bones, Easter Life, and
A Dependent Church
APRIL 2017 | southwood.org
photo montage from
southwood women's retreat
confession from
southwood session

SOUTHWOOD
overview
CONTENTS
3 pastor's note
BRANCHES
DESIGNER Phillip Lackey
CONTRIBUTORS
Will Spink
Ron Clegg
Peter Render
Sarah Niemitz
James Parker
Angela Sierk
PHOTOS
Winnie Winford
Erin Cobb
Kim Delchamps
Heather Joffrion
Gayle Clegg
FEEDBACK!
We want to hear from you! Please send
your suggestions and comments to
branches@southwood.org
1000 CARL T. JONES DRIVE | HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA 35802
(256) 882-3085 | WWW.SOUTHWOOD.ORG
COVER PHOTO
Resurrection garden from Women's Retreat
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
4 session update
Confession from Southwood Session
5 resurrection garden
Telling the story of Jesus at Easter
6 Life out of Death
Dry bones, Easter life, and a dependent
church
8 the word for all people
Southwood youth ministry
9 southwood women's retreat
Photo montage
10 training to volunteer
Learning to engage with Lincoln Village
Ministry
11 all that is fair
Love and Hard Times
UPCOMING EVENTS
Maundy Thursday/Good Friday
April 13/14 (services at 6pm both nights)
Easter Sunday
April 16 (services at 6:30am and 10:30am)
Lincoln Village Training
April 19
New Members Join
April 23
Telling God's Story
April 23
2 APRIL 2017 | SOUTHWOOD.ORG

PASTOR’S NOTE
Living In the Past vs. Living Out of the Past
My story begins long before 34-plus years ago
when I was born. As a child of God inextricably
connected to Jesus, my story began before
the foundation of the world when my Heavenly
Father set his love upon me. It involves chapters
where my nature was shaped by Adam’s sin
and my sin forgiven by Jesus’ death. Vital to
my understanding of who I am is an awareness
of those past events and realities that shape
the way I live today.
This “living out of the past” has always been
significant to the people of God. God gave his
people ceremonies, festivals, and even songs
to remind them of formative chapters of their
story that were years or even generations in
the past. He knew it was crucial to their living
as his people that they understand how the
relationship started, the ways in which they
tended to stray from him, and the lengths to
which he would go in order to restore them to
himself. That’s what it means to live out of the
past—to have your present part in the story
shaped by the truth (good, bad, and ugly) of
past chapters.
We all know people who “live in the past.” They
aren’t living in the present part of the story at
all but rather seeking to turn back the clock or
freeze time in a particular instance. Perhaps
they are still trying to live in the glory days of
their high school athletic careers. Perhaps they
are constantly obsessing over bitterness from
a broken relationship from years ago. Perhaps
they are spending money they no longer have
because they got used to a certain lifestyle.
Perhaps you think the Southwood Session
is doing that very thing with the corporate
confession we shared on April 2: living in the
past, not being willing to move on from a hard
season and live where God has us today. I want
you to know how much your Session invests in
praying for your present needs and planning
for the future of Southwood. And I also want
you to know how important we believe it is that
we live out of the past (not in the past).
Being honest about the good and bad of our
history as God’s people enables us to trust
God more humbly and more fully. It’s true with
seasons of church conflict, with seasons of
church growth, with instances of sin, and with
experiences of God’s forgiveness. We shouldn’t
get stuck in the past, but we should have our
present part in the story shaped by what God
has shown us of ourselves and of himself in the
past. Our hope and prayer is that God will do
that with this particular chapter of Southwood’s
story where your Session, including your
present senior pastor, sinned deeply and hurt
many. In the midst of that same chapter, God
also demonstrated his faithfulness, called men
and women to himself, and built his church.
Whether or not you were at Southwood/
in Huntsville during the season of church
conflict, I hope this corporate confession is an
occasion for you to live out of the past. I hope
it is an opportunity to consider your own sin
more deeply or the nature of sinful people in
general, even and especially church leaders.
And beyond that I hope it is an opportunity
to consider in a fresh way the glory and grace
of God, who is so committed to loving his
children and building his church that he works
through, beyond, and (gloriously) in spite of us.
Southwood, your story personally and our story
together are still being written. But we can and
must look honestly at the past and hopefully
to the future because of the same gracious
Father who has shown himself faithful in our
failures and has promised to be faithful forever.
Will Spink
Senior Pastor
If you would like to contact
Will, use the following:
will.spink@southwood.org
@WillSpink
APRIL 2017 | SOUTHWOOD.ORG 3

SOUTHWOOD
branches
SESSION UPDATE
The Session has been wrestling over the last 12-18 months with
our hearts before God in light of the season of conflict Southwood
experienced several years ago. As we have prayed, talked, and at
times fasted together, God
has shown us more of our
sinful attitudes and actions
as a Session that were
dishonoring to the name of
Christ and hurtful to many
others. We have sought
God’s forgiveness in this
regard and are thankful that
he has continued to deal
graciously with us and with
Southwood.
We decided that it would
be appropriate to share
our corporate confession
with the congregation,
and we made that public
confession during the
worship service on Sunday,
April 2 (The Session’s
statement is included with
this article. If you would like
to hear the heart behind
that communication, please
listen to the sermon file from
that Sunday at southwood.
org/audio. It includes
comments from ruling elders
following the sermon). We
are aware that in doing so,
we could unintentionally
cause additional frustration
or confusion to some,
especially since this season
in the life of our church is
not a consistent focus of
the life of the church today.
At the same time, though,
while our sin was first and
foremost against God, it was
also very public in nature,
with many at Southwood and in Huntsville impacted by it. We
wanted our repentance to be as public as our sin inasmuch as we
were able to see that happen.
CONFESSION FROM
SOUTHWOOD
SESSION
A few years ago, our church endured a season of
conflict that impacted many people both in our
own congregation and in the broader Huntsville
community. During this season in particular, we
corporately as church leaders failed to love as God
has called us to and sinned against the name of God,
the church in general, and many brothers and sisters
we care for deeply. Rather than focusing on the glory
of God and our own sin, we focused on our own
agendas and others’ sin. In our zeal for being right and
defending ourselves and our positions, we neglected
to love well, spoke harshly to some, overlooked the
concerns of others, and so wounded many.
We are sorrowful over our sins, and in particular
we grieve the dishonor they caused to the name
of Christ and then the pain they caused others. We
desire humbly to repent to and be a part of healing
for anyone still struggling with the consequences of
our sin. We acknowledge that we do not know all the
ways that our sin hurt and continues to hurt some,
but the heart of our Session is to listen to, learn from,
and aid the healing process of anyone we can. We are
grateful for God’s continued mercy upon us and upon
Southwood as well as for his faithfulness to work
through and in spite of us to see his kingdom advance.
Sincerely,
The Southwood Session
In our individualistic culture, it can also be confusing to consider
what corporate confession of sin means. Examples like Ezra 9-10
and Daniel 9 show us that corporate confession of sin is at times
important for God’s people,
who are impacted by
broader sin patterns “in the
camp.” Corporate sins are
thoughts, words, and deeds
against the character and
commands of God generally
true of a group of people
(in this case, the Southwood
Session). On the other hand,
individual sins are thoughts,
words, and deeds against
the character and commands
of God specifically true of a
particular person. While there
are many individual sins that
individual Southwood elders
have confessed in other
contexts, this confession is
not attempting to confess
the sins of any current or past
elder personally but rather
to confess our corporate sins
against God that impacted
our congregation and
community.
It is the heart of the Session
that we communicate as
clearly as we can and that
we listen thoughtfully to
how others receive this
confession. Please know that
if you have any questions,
confusion, or feedback for
us, we would greatly value
it. Please continue to pray
with us that God would
bring ongoing healing and
restoration in individual
and corporate relationships
and that we would remain
sensitive to our sin and God’s grace. You may contact the entire
Session by email at elders@southwood.org or find email contact
for individual elders at southwood.org/officers.
4 APRIL 2017 | SOUTHWOOD.ORG

anches
SOUTHWOOD
DAY 1 (The Sunday prior to Palm Sunday)
Look at the materials for your Resurrection Garden and talk
about how the earth was void and without form. As you begin
to assemble the dirt and rocks in the tray, talk about creation. As
you place the tomb and cover it with soil, talk about how sin and
death entered the world through Adam’s sin. Do not place the
sin or crosses yet.
RESURRECTION
GARDEN
by Angela Sierk
Much like Christmas, Easter comes filled with many wonderful
and exciting things—Easter baskets, chocolate bunnies, egg
hunts, baskets, new clothes, a delicious family brunch… but we
know that Easter is SO much more than that. More than visits
from the Easter Bunny, more than dyeing the most beautiful
egg, Easter is the amazing realization of God’s promise to us
that He would send His Son to die for and to save each and
everyone of us. It is easily the most beautiful story in the entire
Bible. And as much as that is deserving of a huge celebration
and exciting activities, how can we ensure that we are keeping
this special day Christ-centered for our family?
While on the Women’s Retreat, the women made resurrection
gardens. These simple little table “centerpieces” beautifully
and tangibly tell the story of Jesus—“A tomb. A death. And a
risen Savior.” One of the women shared a wonderful way that
parents and grandparents can make these adorable parable
gardens with their children and grandchildren and share the
story of Jesus’ resurrection all week leading up to Easter Sunday.
Here are the supplies you’ll need for your little garden (supplies
available at Walmart for around $10-15):
• Terra cotta mini pot (tomb)
• Terra cotta small tray
• Small pebbles
• Fast growing grass seed
• One small bag of potting soil
• Small twigs and large rock (Smaller than a child’s fist)
• Glue gun
• Spray water bottle
Instructions for how to build your garden can be found at:
wearethatfamily.com/2012/03/diy-mini-resurrection-garden/
DAY 2 & 3
Share stories about how the fallen world waited for their Savior.
Discuss how the world became very wicked during Noah’s time
that God brought the flood to start over with one faithful family.
DAY 4
Talk about how Jesus was born. Walk a tiny horse or donkey
figurine to the garden. Share the miracles and wonders He did
as He grew. Leave the donkey in the garden.
DAY 5 (Palm Sunday)
Talk about Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem on the
donkey. Have the kids scatter the grass seed on the hill just like
the children laid palm branches on the ground for Christ and
walk the donkey over it. Water the seeds with the spray bottle.
Explain how Jesus wept over the city because He knew they
would not let Him save them.
CONTINUING THE WEEK
Water the seeds each day and discuss how the leaders sewed
discord and lies among the people. Remind the kids how Jesus
cried because He loved us so much. Remove the donkey.
DAY 6 (Maundy Thursday)
Talk about how Christ and his disciples met in the upper room
and partook of passover. Tell what the bread and juice represent
and how Jesus was betrayed.
DAY 7 (Good Friday)
Discuss Christ’s crucifixion. Turn out all the lights in the house as
you place the three crosses on the hill. Leave the house darkened
for a while. Then place the stone in front of the tomb and tell how
Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea cared for Christ’s body.
DAY 8 (Easter Eve)
Remind the kids of our sin and how we are the reason Christ had
to die. We were not there, but our sins were included on the
cross. Talk about how sin creates fear. The disciples spend this
day hidden out of fear. Perfect love casts out fear.
DAY 9 (Easter Morning)
Roll the stone aside. Discuss how Christ was not there. He is
risen! New life (like the new grass) has been given to us and the
price for our sins is complete if we accept Christ’s gift. Enjoy the
beauty growing in your garden and pray as a family, thanking
God for new life in Him.

SOUTHWOOD
branches
Perhaps the most famous passage in the book of Ezekiel (high
praise, right?!) comes in chapter 37 when God takes his prophet
into a valley full of dry bones. After 30-plus chapters of prophesying
judgment on idolatrous, exiled Israel, God uses the lifeless bones
as a picture of the nation of Israel—“dried up,” “without hope,”
“cut off” (37:11).
Into this hopeless scene, where God’s people appear doomed
to certain death, God promises to bring life. In one of the most
vivid Old Testament images of resurrection life, God breathes
life into the dry bones and sees them become a multitude, “an
exceedingly great army,” of living people. God tells Ezekiel that
this represents his promise for hopeless Israel – that he will open
their graves and raise them from death to new life, that his Spirit
will bring revival to his people in the midst of their failure.
Right now we are in a season of the church calendar where we look
forward to the celebration of Easter and the resurrection of our
Savior. But before the joy of Jesus’ resurrection came the shame of
betrayal and the suffering of the cross. Before we get to celebrate
Easter, we first mourn our sins and betrayal that drove Jesus to the
cross. And the more deeply we are aware of the brokenness and
death Jesus came to deliver us from, the more deeply we will long
for the glory of the new life and hope that Easter brings.
In much the same vein, there’s something about the dreary darkness
of a cold, wet winter day that makes you long for spring and the
new life it brings. It happens that way every year, doesn’t it? It’s a
truth of God’s character he has built into creation as well as into his
relationship with his people—winter gives way to spring, a death
always precedes a resurrection, brokenness comes before renewal.
Life
OUT
OF
Death
Dry Bones, Easter Life,
& A Dependent Church
by Will Spink

anches
SOUTHWOOD
Why does it work this way?
Why does brokenness tend to come before renewal? There
are many answers to that question, but the simplest one is this:
Renewal comes from God, and brokenness drives us to Him. From
the Old Testament people of God through Pentecost and into the
New Testament church, renewal and revival is a work of God’s Holy
Spirit. He is the one who brings healing and forgiveness to the land
in response to the prayers of God’s people (II Chronicles 7:14). He
is the one who sweeps through crowds of people like fire (Acts 2).
He is the one who brings life to dead people (Ephesians 2).
And what drives us to cry out to God more than our brokenness?
It is an awareness of our weakness and need that drives us back to
God, the source of our renewal. We find that when we are weak,
then we are strong because his power is made perfect in our
weakness (II Corinthians 12:9-10). Lest we forget, the point of the
gospel and the purpose of our lives is that God’s power and glory
be made much of, not that our power and glory be highlighted.
Theologians have long emphasized the importance of seeing our
need so that we would run to Jesus, as Roy Hession explains in We
Would See Jesus: “The Lord Jesus is always seen through the eye
of need. … The acknowledgment of need and the confession of
sin, therefore, is always the first step in seeing Jesus. Then, where
there is acknowledged need, the Holy Spirit delights to show to
the heart the Lord Jesus as the supply of just that need.” Our
brokenness drives us to Jesus, and He brings the renewal we need.
How should this shape a church?
There are many implications of this reality in our individual lives,
but the Valley of Dry Bones is about a corporate reality for God’s
people. What does it teach us about being the people (church)
God intends for us to be? For us as a church corporately, this
reality is a reminder that God alone brings revival and that He
brings revival to communities that are driven to their knees (or to
the point of all their bones falling apart!) in humility and cry out
to Him.
Have you ever wanted to be a part of a church that could be
accurately described as a hopeless, lifeless pile of dry bones?
Probably not, but do we try to fashion our church as a successful
church or a needy church? A proud church or a humble church? A
capable church or a praying church? We have to beware of trying
to experience the resurrection life God has called us to live as his
people without dying first – without first and continually dying to
our own capabilities, our own wisdom, and our own glory.
Do we spend more time trying to arrange people and details
to make a service, ministry, or program come off just right or
pleading with God for his Spirit to breathe life into dead hearts
and make his power evident in our weakness? Just like the image
of the Valley of Dry Bones in Ezekiel 37, God delights to find his
people despairing of themselves and pleading for Him to show up
and bring revival.
Perhaps even more pointedly in light of the recent corporate
confession from our Session, are we more embarrassed by
past failures or grateful for repentant leaders? Do we get more
discouraged by our weaknesses or more encouraged by God’s
strength? I praise God that He has continued to breathe life into
our seemingly dead bones, and I pray that we would increasingly
be a church that displays the life-giving power of God even and
especially in our weakness.
What might God do?
Some days I feel what Ezekiel must have felt at the beginning of
chapter 37 as he stared at the dry bones and thought of God’s
people. The individual and corporate brokenness at Southwood
breaks my heart, and I grieve the struggles experienced in the
pastor’s office and the pews. Those are also some of the times
where I get most excited about what God is doing in our midst. I
can’t escape the fact that He loves us – is crazy about us! – in spite
of ourselves! I can’t escape the biblical reality that it’s when we
seem most dead that he tends to bring most true life. What might
God do if we embraced our weakness and looked eagerly for his
strength? If he breathed life into dead bones, what might he do
at Southwood?
What if broken people in a broken church found renewal in their
hearts and revival in their congregation? What would be the result
beyond the doors of their homes and churches? The beautiful thing
that begins to happen when God brings this renewal and revival
is that broken people move toward brokenness to offer hope!
Because we are aware of our own weaknesses and dependency,
we want to introduce fellow sinners to the Great Physician, in
whom the broken and hurting find refuge and a home.
Think of all the broken lives, families, and relationships you know
just in your own circle of friends and acquaintances. Think of all the
broken systems, schools, and neighborhoods in our community.
As God brings renewal to our hearts and revival to our church, the
result will inevitably be our moving into the brokenness of others.
Having received healing from Him, nothing could stop us from
shining his light into darkness around us and offering his hope to
others also facing despair.
Thus, God’s cycle of brokenness leading to renewal starts all over
again. Dry bones leave an Easter service (or any other Sunday) and
know where to look for resurrection life for themselves and where
to point other dying people in need of the same.
APRIL 2017 | SOUTHWOOD.ORG 7

THE WORD
FOR ALL PEOPLE
by Peter Render
One of my favorite things about Southwood is our dedication to
the teaching and preaching of the Word of God as contained in
the Old and New Testaments. We affirm the Westminster Shorter
Catechism by saying that “the Scriptures principally teach what
man is to believe concerning God and what duty God requires
of man.” If we are not about the Word, we will not know how to
live. This reality echoes throughout every ministry of the church.
I have heard student ministry described as “the thing that anybody
can do, but nobody wants to.” This description comes from the
idea that student ministry is primarily a way to keep middle and
high school students around the church until they are old enough
to participate in and benefit from Gospel teaching. Until then,
keep them quarantined and let someone else deal with the raging
hormones and sensory overload. While this is obviously a gross
caricature, it is not uncommon to see the youth segmented from
the rest of the church.
It is certainly tempting to operate in and grow a ministry program
by offering fun and excitement. If the planning is good, the food
is tasty, the music is fun, and the right kids come, High-Life might
be the best thing going in town. Kids will talk about us. Parents
will praise us. Sunday morning attendance might increase.
Unfortunately, this can come at a strong price.
The ministry of the Word is fundamental to student ministry. The
teens around you might be some of the more tired and stressed
out people that you know. Technology allows for life to come at
them in tidal waves. Afternoon, evening, and weekend schedules
are packed. Peer and parent pressure is endlessly pressing
in on them in unique ways. Emotional centers in the brain are
rapidly developing and causing mood swings and uncontrollable
outbursts. Life is very real, yet they keep being told that their real
life has not yet begun.
There is an interesting quirk in people like Winnie Winford, me,
and the adult leaders in the student ministry. When we walk
into a room of students, we simply see people. We see joy and
heartache, accomplishment and struggle, fear and expectation,
and endless places for the Gospel of Jesus Christ to penetrate
hearts and lives. We know that their lives have begun.
What I referred to as an interesting quirk a moment ago is actually
a spiritual gift to be nurtured and exploited. The beauty of the
Word of God is its sufficiency for all people in all times. God’s
heart for the littlest, the least, the lost, the lonely, and the leftout
is the only eternal hope that anyone can offer. For students,
finding an identity in who they are as image-bearers of the eternal
God is essential. Before you are an athlete, before you are an
actor, before you are a singer, before you are a college student,
before you are a husband or wife, before you are a parent; before
your "real life" begins, know that you are first and foremost a child
of God.
A good definition for the word “wisdom” is “skill in the art of godly
living.” The junior high students have been studying Ecclesiastes,
James, and the nature of God this year, all in the hope to learn
more about wisdom, how to get it, and how to use it. Ecclesiastes
teaches us that life does not hold the key to itself. Our complete
knowledge and understanding of a situation is not a prerequisite
for our obedience to the God who loves us and takes care of us.
James teaches us a similar lesson reminding us that if we “draw
near to God, he will draw near to you…If you humble yourself
before the Lord, he will lift you up” (James 4:8, 10).
The senior high has been exploring Genesis 1 and the book of
John. We want to embrace the reality of a Creator God who
made us in his image to be in relationship with us. God has
pursued his image-bearers, even in our brokenness, to be about
his mission in the world. John allows his readers to experience
the beauty and wonder of the God-man, Jesus. God of very God
condescended to his creation in order to seek and save the lost.
The reality of this identity can only be experienced in the study
of the Word.
Pray for us. Think of us. And if you think that you share the same
quirk of loving students, be sure to talk to Winnie or me about
how you can be involved.
8 APRIL 2017 | SOUTHWOOD.ORG

Southwood Women's Retreat
During the weekend of March 24-26, 60 Southwood ladies attended our annual retreat at Doublehead in Town Creek, AL. We were
able to spend time with old friends and meet new friends. This was done by having meals with ladies that you didn't necessarily
know all that well, fishing with Stephanie in the early morning, joining the walking or running group, or just sitting outside with
friends in rocking chairs or hammocks or on the dock beside the water.
Organized activities included making a resurrection garden with Mary Railey, learning about the art of washi tape with Anna Babin,
learning to clog (and other dances) with Debbie Babin and her teacher/friend, Anne Sentell, and learning how to dress for your
body type with Jana Warner and Debbie Smith. Some ladies attended these events, while others took advantage of down time
and just rested or visited with one another.
Melissa Patterson led us through a flyby of Revelation during three teaching times where we looked at the “Views and Vistas” of
the book. Melissa reminded us that Revelation isn’t a tale of gloom and doom but instead a story of hope, and she encouraged us
to soak ourselves in Scripture, cling to who He is, pray the Psalms, and seek community.

SOUTHWOOD
branches
by Sarah Niemitz
Why in the world would you attend a 2 ½-hour training in order to
volunteer by pulling weeds or serving a pot-luck dinner? These are
things you do every day in your normal life; what kind of training
could possibly be necessary?
These are the thoughts that might be running through your
head when you learn that, in order to engage with our friends at
Lincoln Village Ministry, you must attend a 2 ½-hour training on
Wednesday, April 19th. I understand the question, and to answer
it I must address WHY we engage not only with Lincoln’s Evolve
partnership, but with any ministry in our community or around
the world.
We seek to express to others the grace that has been shown to
us in Christ. This is why we as believers engage in any ministry
opportunity whether in our own neighborhood, across town, or
across the world. We have been rescued from certain, eternal
death and have been made part of God’s kingdom—a kingdom
that reflects the values of its King. In this kingdom the vulnerable
are protected, the lowly raised up, and the broken are made
whole. So you’re saying our motivation is the gospel; that’s great.
I hear that every Sunday. Why do I need more gospel training to
mow lawns or host a pot-luck?!
In our talk about the gospel and its effect on everything we do,
we can sometimes neglect to consider deeply the life-altering
affects of the Fall that make our rescue so necessary and surprising.
The Fall really did break everything and everyone, and it did so
at the deepest level. There are no quick fixes for the brokenness
in our lives or the lives of others. But while we acknowledge this
on a theological level, we can very often deal with the pragmatic
symptoms of this brokenness as though there is a simple solution.
Your marriage is falling apart? Read this book, and do a better job
“loving” or “submitting.” You lack material things necessary to
sustain your family? Get a better job or spend less money on _____.
The trouble is that the broken marriage or lack of material goods
is a symptom of the deeper brokenness—broken relationship with
God, with ourselves, with others, and with the rest of creation (I
know you’re groaning; you’ve heard this, but bear with me). The
reason we require training to engage in what seem like simple
ministry tasks with others is that we need to be honest about how
deep the brokenness goes and where it shows up. In my own life
sin most often shows up as self-reliance, pride, and materialism.
For others it shows up as laziness, co-dependence, or abuse. All
of these sins, whether self-reliance or laziness, pride or abusive
behavior, require the restoration of those four key relationships
before real transformation can happen.
“Yes,” you say, “but pulling weeds will not transform anyone’s
relationship.” Perhaps, but maybe it will transform your relationship
with God. Maybe you’ll see the smallness and inefficiency of your
work pulling weeds and you will realize that your Heavenly Father
doesn’t love you because of how many weeds you’ve pulled at all!
He loves you because of His Son, and then He graciously lets you
be a part of showing that same love to others through the simple
act of pulling weeds. If that happens, you and your ministry will be
changed forever.
However, it is important to note that this training will explore in
depth some of the unique ways sin and brokenness show up in
low-income communities. We will look at the effects of childhood
traumas and the culture of generational poverty—both of which
profoundly affect many of our neighbors in Lincoln Village. We
will learn how the gospel shapes our ministry in those contexts,
and we will be given best-practice methods for engaging with our
friends at Lincoln Village Ministry.
At Southwood • Wed, April 19 • 5-7:30pm
You may pre-order a Jason’s Deli Box dinner for $ 5 per
person or $ 20 per family.
• Childcare is available through elementary school, but
we must have an RSVP to reserve dinner and childcare.
• Training will begin promptly at 5:00pm and runs the full
2 ½ hours, so please plan to arrive on time so that we
can honor the 7:30pm deadline.
PLEASE NOTE that this training is required if you wish
to serve with Lincoln Village Ministry’s Evolve residents in
any capacity, whether mowing lawns or hosting dinners.
10 APRIL 2017 | SOUTHWOOD.ORG

ALL THAT IS FAIR
LOVE AND HARD TIMES
by James Parker
Why in the world would God ever choose to tell the story this way?
Have you ever asked yourself that question? Why did he make
this world, and the universe that holds it, if keeping it all going
"according to his good pleasure" were going to be so difficult?
The simple act (for a divine being) of making the dirt and from it
forming all that is, including man, has proven to be a very costly
business for him... if God knew it was going to take the anxiety of
the garden, the pain of betrayal and abandonment by his closest
friends, the shame of the cross, the agony of a most brutal and
awful death, then why do it at all? I really have no idea. And
if we're honest with ourselves, we must admit that no one really
knows the answer. It's as if those particular answers are analogous
to the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. And just
like our ancient parents, maybe we just aren't supposed to know.
For some people, the inherent uncertainty of this might fling them
headlong into despair and depression. But be encouraged! Living
within a backdrop of mystery is a good thing. It resonates with our
humanity. As westerners we tend to look for truth to reveal itself
as a set of irrefutable propositions, like a math problem with its
complementary solution. But the existential questions we ask are
much more complicated and much less clear. We aren't going to
arrive at perfect answers. But we can choose to wrestle with them
and perhaps, through much perseverance, arrive at an authentic
hope that dimly lights and warms our path. So, the mystery of a
God who gives us a story arc, instead of a set of facts to follow,
comforts us in our humanity while also compelling us to search for
deeper meaning.
As an artist, I love this about God. He isn't stressed about whether
or not we figure out metaphysical things with precision. He is much
more interested in seeing us grow in faith, hope, and love. And like
any good father, he understands that his children will not become
wise or good simply by listening to a long list of "do's" and "do
nots." He knows that our hearts and minds require exercise just as
our bodies do. We have to wrestle with big questions, and in so
doing, we flex the muscles of faith, hope, and love. So he gives us
a Big Story. And from that story flows every other lesser story in
which we live, and move, and have our being. And as we explore
the limits of the Big Story, as well as all of the smaller ones, we make
connections between them, we practice being present in them,
and we actually become wiser, more loving, and more faithful.
Here is a lyric to a song called "Love And Hard Times" by one of
my very favorite songwriters, Paul Simon. This song represents his
existential wrestling. He's exploring the Big Story, and it isn't a nice,
tidy, perfectly summarized conclusion. He reframes the mystery in
his own words and makes connections to smaller stories in his life.
The thread of connection he finds is "love, love, love, love..." My
favorite thing about this song is the tension of it. God comes to
us, but he leaves us alone again. And we weep for belonging
underneath the difficulty of a hard world. But in the midst of our
anxiety that love has left us, we find each other and we can look
together to the "light at the edge of the curtain.. the quiet dawn."
It is very easy to get overwhelmed by uncertainty and follow one of
two wide paths. We can retreat into despair. Or we can medicate
ourselves away from the unanswered questions through continued
busyness. The narrower, middle path is sitting long hours with that
uncertainty and letting it compel us toward hope. In the words of
another Paul, "...suffering produces perseverance; perseverance,
character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to
shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts
through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us."
God and his only son
Paid a courtesy call on Earth one Sunday morning
Orange blossoms opened their fragrant lips
Songbirds sang from the tips of cottonwoods
Old folks wept
For his love in these hard times
'Well, gotta get going,'
Said the the restless lord to the son
'There are galaxies yet to be born
Creation is never done
Anyway these people are slobs here
If we stay it's bound to be a mob scene but...
Disappear
And it's love and hard times
I loved her the first time I saw her
I know that's an old songwriting cliché
I loved you the first time I saw you
Can't describe it any other way
Any other way
The light of her beauty was warm as a summer day
Clouds of antelope roll by
No hint of rain to come
In the prairie sky
Just love, love, love, love, love
When the rains came
The tears burned
The windows rattled
The locks turned
It's easy to be generous when you're on a roll
It's hard to be grateful
When you're out of control
And love is gone
The light at the edge of the curtain is the quiet dawn
The bedroom breathes in clicks and clacks
uneasy heart beat; can't relax
but then your hand takes mine
Thank god I found you in time
Thank god I found you
Thank god I found you

Maundy Thursday 6:00pm *
Good Friday 6:00pm *
Easter Sunrise Service 6:30am
Easter Sunday Worship 10:30am *
*Nursery Provided
JOIN
US FOR
EasterServices