BRANCHES March 2014

BRANCHES
PUZZLED OVER
THE PARABLES?
tips for understanding
what Jesus is saying &
what it means for you
ask a pastor:
will spink wrestles
with issues raised
by school rezoning
welcome home
from vida nueva
MARCH 2014 | southwood.org

SOUTHWOOD
contents
˜
ABOUT THIS ISSUE
Regularly we reevaluate how BRANCHES can best serve our church.
Your staff works hard to produce content that is apropos to the season,
events and life of the church. Recently we discussed how one key aspect
seems short most issues—you! In this issue we began to implement
this desire. But, the only way we can effectively get more of our church
family’s fingerprints in BRANCHES is with your help.
We want your pictures—of your small groups, of the places you serve,
the needs you see, the beauty you create and bear witness to. We need
your tweets, thoughts on books you’ve read, perspective on art, music
and movies. We want to hear your stories, your thoughts on life, your
questions, and your witness to His kingdom being advanced. Help us
share how we experience and express grace.
Send an email to branches@southwood.org or call and stop by the
office. We’d love to hear from you.
BRANCHES
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jonathan Barnette
DESIGNER Jacki Gil
COVER PHOTO
Taken by Jacki Gil of Kim Delchamps
holding mustard seeds.
CONTRIBUTORS
Will Spink
Sarah Niemitz
Chad Townsley
James Parker
Jim Holland
PHOTOS
Winnie Winford
Jacki Gil
Sarah Niemitz
Students of High-Life
1000 CARL T. JONES DRIVE | HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA 35802
(256) 882-3085 | WWW.SOUTHWOOD.ORG
Jonathan Barnette, Editor
JEAN F. LARROUX, III Senior Pastor
MELISSA PATTERSON Executive Assistant
ADULT MINISTRIES
SARAH NIEMITZ Director of Community Development/Assimilation
JAMES PARKER Chief Musician
WILL SPINK Associate Pastor/Shepherding
STUDENT MINISTRIES
KIM DELCHAMPS Administrative Assistant
NIÑA BANTA Director of Children
NANCY McCREIGHT Assistant Director /Children/Nursery
CHAD TOWNSLEY Associate Pastor/High-Life
WINNIE WINFORD Assistant Director/High-Life
MINISTRY SUPPORT
TERRI GOOD Accountant/Bookkeeper
JONATHAN BARNETTE Director of Communication
JACKI GIL Graphic Designer
JANICE CROWSON Director of Facilities/Finance
LYNDA CLAYDON Facilities
MIKE MARREN Facilities
ELIZABETH BUTZ Receptionist
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13
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4
5
8
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12
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about this issue
pastor’s note
REFLECT
puzzled over parables?
Tips for understanding what Jesus
is saying & what it means for you
curl up with
Pat Six tells us why The Valley of
Vision means so much to her
RESPOND
ask a pastor
Will Spink wrestles with heart
issues about school rezoning
5 questions
Jim Holland answers questions
about Lent
RELATE
southwood by the numbers
session update
in the midst
A picture recap from 2014 High-Life
Winter Retreat
paul's picture of small groups
Being able to share in struggles
and triumphs
the Lord is there
Justin Huston updates us on his trip
to the Sudan
welcome home from vida nueva
A recap from Sarah Niemitz from her
mission trip to Monterrey, Mexico
all that is fair
Soundtracks for the Lenten Season
UPCOMING
EVENTS
Church Family Work Day
March 1
Ash Wednesday
March 5
CEP Conference
March 8
Easter Sunday
April 20
2 MARCH 2014 | SOUTHWOOD.ORG

PASTOR’S NOTE
Lather, Rinse, Repent for Lent
As the season of Lent approaches, many
Christians will do more thinking than normal
about things like repentance. Most of us will
develop somewhat of a list of things that we
need to repent of, but this list is usually limited
to isolated acts of sinful behavior. We trust our
hearts to operate like a control room, directing
our repentance and confession. In doing so, we
act as if our hearts were somehow insulated from
the full effects of the Fall and are therefore "safe"
governors on the repentance engine of our lives.
When we rely on our hearts or our consciences to
operate this way—as the primary voice telling us
when to repent, what to repent of and how much
of any given problem was really our fault, we can
easily miss the reality that the heart is at the heart
of the problem.
Imagine that the United States is invaded by a
hostile nation. Imagine that there are images on
the news of sieges on both coasts and reports from
small towns of skirmishes all across the country.
We would be counting on the military leaders in
the Pentagon to direct how, when and where to
fight, right? But what if the first wave of insurgents
had infiltrated the Pentagon? What if, although we
were counting on the Pentagon to deliver proper
orders, the Pentagon had been compromised
and enemy orders were actually coming from the
control room! We would go from fear to despair!
If the control room is compromised then help
has to come from outside of our normal defense
strategies, right?
The battle against sin is exactly the same. The
control room was not insulated from the Fall. It
took a direct hit. It was hijacked by sin and we
were blindfolded to our motives, our heart's
inclinations, and our evil intentions. We can’t see
that our blood is on our own hands. Therefore,
when I personally devise strategies of deliverance
I am actually asking the general of the invading
army to assist in the eradication of an occupying
force. Some of you may be thinking, “But Jean,
the Spirit lives within me and wars against the
flesh for us, doesn’t it?” Absolutely. That is a
Biblical guarantee, but remember when Romans
7 talks about a struggle between the Spirit and
the flesh, that means there is actually a struggle!
There is a struggle that exists because there is
never a surrender by the flesh—NEVER! The
control room is compromised, and to think we
can muster up enough repentance and grief,
even during Lent, to restrain external behavioral
skirmishes is naïve. We act like the small battles
against behavior are actually the real war, but to
reduce sin even to a very long list of behaviors is
to concede the real war. For ultimate victory the
heart must be conquered! We need to take back
the Pentagon!
If you are like me, then after reading that last
sentence everything in you wants to jump up
and hear the theme music from Rocky and fight,
but in just two short paragraphs we can easily
forget something—we aren’t the cavalry, we are
in captivity! We are not conquerors; we must
be conquered. We already took the Pentagon
once and we know how that turned out. That
is the problem! We must be suspicious of our
sinful behavior and our sinful behavior restraint
strategies. Those strategies may be nothing more
than complex coded messages from an overtaken
control tower designed to keep us in charge and
exclude King Jesus. Our sin doesn’t care whether
it is in charge and leading self-indulgent sinful
excursions or in charge and leading self-indulgent
spiritual exercises—either way it is ruling and that
was the goal: I would be like God—in charge! So
what is the solution? Lather, rinse, repent.
Most shampoos include three small but powerful
instructions: lather, rinse, repeat. The product
presupposes perpetual dependence and repeat
usage. The Gospel is the same and the season of
Lent is a specific time to look in every nook and
cranny of the control room; evaluate every sinful
skirmish; reconsider every supposed spiritual virtue
and then ask one question, "Who is trying to be
in charge here?" When it is us (and that’s most of
the time) then it’s time to lather, rinse and repent.
We need to repent, return to the cross and repeat
this process over and over again. As Christians we
are called to go to the cross of Christ repeatedly
with repentance and faith—not just for our sinful
behavior, but also for our sinful trust in our hearts
as safe governors on that behavior. Lather, rinse,
repent—it’s Lent!
Jean F. Larroux, III
Senior Pastor
For more from Jean, check out
his sermons at southwood.org
jean.larroux@southwood.org
@jflarrouxiii
MARCH 2014 | SOUTHWOOD.ORG 3

southwood by the numbers
The March numbers come from our Thursday morning Women's Small Groups. Each
Thursday these ladies meet together to share in struggles with the Gospel and in life.
If you would like to know more about their gathering, email smallgroups@southwood.org.
203
Discussion questions covered
this spring in John Stott's Jesus
Christ: Teacher, Servant, Savior.
eighty-three
Number of women involved this
year in Thursday morning small
groups at Southwood.
nineteen
Average number of kids in the
nursery on a Thursday morning.
81.6
Decibels Cindy Howard
has to reach in order to get
everyone's attention.
V
3,123
Sweet rolls, muffins, donuts (and
other such goodies) consumed
annually in preparation for really good
small group time together.
15
Homebound or elderly members
who received a visit and Valentine's
basket from the women last month.
Some snapshots from the ladies
putting the baskets together are
pictured below.
4 MARCH 2014 | SOUTHWOOD.ORG

elate
SOUTHWOOD
SESSION UPDATE Chad Townsley
The February stated meeting of the session of Southwood was
held on Tuesday, February 11, 2014. General business included a
monthly report from the Diaconate given by Chairman Steve Jakab,
the approval of minutes of the February 2, 2014 congregational
meeting as well as a pastoral update from Jean Larroux. All reports
and reviews from the church and its ministries (including Finance,
Children, Youth, Shepherding and Christian Education) from
the past four weeks were extremely positive and
encouraging.
In regards to our recent
congregational meeting,
the Session wishes
to communicate its
excitement over the
state of the church and
the budget which was
presented for review.
The total budget for
2014 is $2,006,796
which is broken down
in broad categories
to the right. We would
again like to express
our thankfulness to the
Finance Committee for all
they have done to prepare us
fiscally for the year ahead. Both
the report on the life of the church
Facility
$407,500
Ministry
$199,250
2014 Budget Breakdown
Debt
$153,600
10%
8%
20%
and the trajectory of the budget make clear the health and wellbeing
of Southwood. We encourage the congregation to celebrate
with us over all that God has done in the past year.
The Session is also discussing how best to adjust and sharpen
some of the logistics of our “Gathered and Scattered” approach
to ministry and the allocation of ministry resources. Seeking to
champion and serve well many ministries in the
congregation, the Session plans to continue
to lean upon the church staff to draw
10%
52%
Missions
$198,872
Staff
$1,047,574
up details for a more refined
“Gathered and Scattered”
ministry philosophy.
As always, the Session
covets your prayers as
we continue to move
the church forward.
Please pray for
continued guidance
and wisdom as we look
to take bold steps in
proclaiming the gospel
to all of Huntsville and
beyond! Pray that God
would grow all of our hearts
for those who have yet to
experience the amazing news of
God’s grace!
THOUGHTS ON
THE VALLEY OF VISION
When my day beings with the reading of these prayers, I find
myself worshipping and praising the majesty, honor, glory and
reverence of my God and Heavenly Father. Instead of focusing on
what I think I or others need, I am refocused on him—who he is and
how he is to be honored. I am reminded that what I really need is
the grace to believe that he is who he says he is—holy, sovereign,
merciful and gracious.
Pat Six
FIND IT IN
THE GUEST
CENTER!
God has also used these prayers to remind me to listen. I rarely hush long enough to
listen and hear him; I am always too busy telling him what I think or need. As I read
these prayers, I am often surprised to find myself on my knees wanting him to speak
rather than me. And I am amazed that he really does talk as he promises! These are
wonderful prayers to pray when we are too hurt or angry to pray ourselves, or too
consumed with our own desires to ask him for anything else.
Find it in the Guest Center in paperback and the leatherbound gift edition.
MARCH 2014 | SOUTHWOOD.ORG 5

Puzzled Over
the Parables?
Tips for understanding what Jesus is saying & what it means for you
by Will Spink
ith parables of one type or another making up about one-third of all of Jesus’ teaching
in the gospel accounts, parables are widely considered Jesus’ favorite teaching method. The
word “parable” can refer to many different kinds of comparisons, but comparisons made
in stories are Jesus’ most well-known. Because Jesus often does not explain the meaning of
his parables, hearers and readers often puzzle over what he is communicating. Here are a
few tips for putting that sometimes difficult “parable puzzle” together. These would also
be good principles for interpreting Scripture in general, but they are particularly true in
regard to parables.
Tip #1
Don’t miss the original context
in whichJesus is speaking.
It is dangerous to take any biblical passage out of its
historical or literary context, but this is especially true with
parables. Jesus used examples from everyday life in the
Ancient Near East to make comparisons his hearers
could understand, relate to, and remember day
in and day out. Do you know what a denarius
is or how a fig tree grows? Jesus’ original
hearers would have, and it’s vital for
us to understand that lest we make
up meanings that are entirely
foreign to what Jesus was saying.
A good Study Bible or reliable
commentary can keep you
grounded and answer questions
about context for you.
The other significant aspect of
context is the parable’s location in
the gospel account. What is the gospel writer talking about
when the parable arises? Is it couched in a narrative that
helps explain its significance? For example, the focus of the
parable of the prodigal son is sharpened by noticing that
it follows in a series of parables about other “lost” things
in Luke 15. The significance of the parable of the forgiven
debtors is made clear by the narrative of Simon and the sinful
woman in which it is found. Context is crucial, especially for
figuring out the main point of the parable!
Tip #2
Don’t miss the main point
Jesus is making.
The history of parable interpretation
is a cautionary tale. Early allegorical
interpretations often looked for hidden
meaning in every detail. Some even
concluded that in the prodigal son parable
the pigs represented demons, the citizen
of the far country stood for the devil, and
the ring the so received upon returning
home was Christian baptism.
6 MARCH 2014 | SOUTHWOOD.ORG

SOUTHWOOD
In response to such fanciful interpretations, early
Church father John Chrysostom advised, “When we
have learnt the object for which (the parable) was
composed, reap this and don’t busy one’s self
about anything further.” This is generally
good advice, especially since our
tendency is to read into things further
than we should.
Some parables, however, do have
more than one meaning, particularly
if there is more than one main
character of whom a significant point
is made. For example, the parable
of the prodigal son in context seems
to highlight the nature of the father who
pursues and forgives lost sons. In doing so he
clearly shows us something of our Heavenly Father. But each
of the two sons in the parable receives significant character
development as well and connects to a segment of Jesus’
audience in a way that reveals two kinds of “lostness” as
significant sub-points to the main point of the story. This is
often the case when multiple main characters exist in the same
parable.
In fact, Jesus himself explains some of his parables in a way
that makes multiple points with some of the details. But the
reason Chrysostom’s advice to focus on one point is important
is that even when there are multiple points to gather, parables
characteristically highlight one main point. Thus, it is vital to
focus on this point first and foremost and see how other points
fit with it.
Tip #3
Don’t miss the personal message
Jesus is delivering.
One of the most significant things about parables is the unique
message Jesus has for his people to hear in every single story.
He condescends to speak in stories
we can relate to and understand.
He picks up aspects of our daily
lives and endows them with
eternal significance. The heart
of our Savior as he stoops to
communicate to us is remarkable!
While there is an aspect of
concealing truth in parables (see
Mark 4), Jesus is always revealing truth
to his sheep as well.
Parables deal with weighty matters like the
kingdom of heaven, the grace and forgiveness
of God, and the person of Christ. So, they are
not merely making cute comparisons for the purpose
of entertainment but rather addressing issues of eternal
import for the purpose of saving souls.
And that is exactly the issue that Jesus’ parables press toward
time and again. They do communicate deep theological
truths, but time and again they do so in a way that causes
intense personal consideration and self-examination. Will
the Son of Man find me faithful upon his return? Do I love my
neighbor as well as I thought I did? Why did Jesus cast me
as one who loves little? Will I find myself among those with
weeping and gnashing of teeth? Which lost son am I, and am
I feasting at the Father’s table yet?
These and many other intensely personal questions are
to be asked not only by Jesus’ original hearers but also in
many cases by us. Jesus’ desire is that we not simply learn
intellectual facts about God or his kingdom but that we
consider our hearts and our personal relationship with the
God and the kingdom of which the parables speak. So, never
stop with historical or literary observations about context.
Never stop with establishing the main point of the parable.
Take the difficult and sometimes unnerving step to do with a
parable what the one who taught it intended: apply its truth
to your heart. See what it means in your own life and take
comfort in the love of a Savior who would desire to teach you
his truth and transform your heart.
Don't Miss the Series on the Parables
We are currently in the middle of a Sunday
morning sermon series on the Parables of Jesus
called “Can You Hear Me Now?” This series will
continue through this spring, and we hope
this article will be an aid in your study of the
parables of Jesus in this context or any other.
You can catch up on the ones you might have
already missed at southwood.org/audio.
MARCH 2014 | SOUTHWOOD.ORG 7

Winter Retreat 2014: In the Midst
SOUTHWOOD
These pictures capture just a few of the many memories made by our Sr. High students and
adult leaders at our recent Sr. High-Life Winter Retreat. This year’s retreat theme, In the Midst,
focused on the principle of God’s sovereignty and how his love and care through all of our
life’s circumstances are a part of his grand plan of redemption. As you can see from these
snap shots, there was much to be thankful for! Thank you, the congregation of Southwood,
for praying for us while our students were away on the trip. It truly was an amazing weekend!

SOUTHWOOD respond
Isn’t Lent a Roman Catholic holiday?
Why are Presbyterians talking about it?
Well I suppose that Lent does come from the Catholic
tradition, but so do Christmas and Easter and I don’t hear any
Presbyterians talking about forgoing them. I think the reason
more Presbyterians are talking about it these days is because we
have realized there is much in the “Catholic Traditions” of the
church we just ignored or threw out without reflection. Also many
folk who think deeply about the gospel have found that the
rhythm of Lent-Resurrection makes sense. It is the embodiment
of the great truths the gospel teaches us—“we are
more lost than we imagine and more loved than
we ever dreamed.”
What is the difference
between penance and
repentance?
I think we usually associate penance
with a punishment we inflict upon
ourselves to atone for our sin. The
problem with that is obvious, it is
about the self. Repentance on the
other hand is realizing that our sin,
any sin, is first of all against God. To
repent is to stop looking at yourself
and feeling sorry for yourself, and
instead looking at who the offense
is against—God. Penance will only
lead you inward and to a hatred of
the self. Repentance will lead you
to the possibility of joy because the
grace and mercy of God to sinners is objective
and real; because Jesus was punished for our sins
there is real forgiveness.
WHO IS JIM HOLLAND
AND WHY ASK HIM?
Jim planted St. Patrick as a daughter church
out of Second Presbyterian Church in Memphis
in 1998. He and his “better half” Teri are
the parents of six children, and the proud
grandparents of three grandsons. Jim is an
avid gardener and fan of the sports teams of
his alma mater, the University of Memphis.
Reverend Jim Holland answers
questions about Protestants
participating in Lent.
Should I give up something for Lent?
Lent is a forty-day discipline! If we are serious about
joy, which is the same thing as a life of gratitude and
obedience to God, we will take seriously the call to
examine our lives periodically to weed out the clutter and
idols that keep us from deep joy and contentment and
to purposefully cultivate new habits of grace! This is why
during Lent you often hear people say they are “giving up
something for Lent.” When you give up something you
really love, even if it is a good and legitimate pleasure, it
is a reminder to ponder what Jesus has given up for you
and thus a spur to greater joy in the gospel.
Also, however, when we give up something,
we are making room for good things to
take root and grow in our lives.
Does celebrating
Lent make me more
spiritual than people
who don’t?
Of course not, any more than
reading the bible every day
makes you more spiritual. If Lent
does not lead to greater humility
and greater wonder over what
Jesus did for you on the cross,
you have simply missed the
whole point of the Lenten season
and any other spiritual discipline
for that matter.
What is your personal practice of
celebrating Lent?
I have tangible pleasures I forsake for a season. I usually
give up something I really love like coffee, alcohol or
bread. Sometimes it is other food as well. Why? Because
I love food and sometimes wonder if I just live to eat! My
daughter and I even gave up books for Lent one year. I
still remember her calling me from Ole Miss and saying,
“Daddy, what is one of the things we love the most.” I knew
where she was going and dreaded it. But, how can you deny
your daughter when she calls you out? I also typically have
a devotional that I make a pilgrimage through that focuses
on the work and passion of Christ. Lent-Resurrection is the
gospel embodied! Since I am not merely a “spirit” it is
helpful to have tangible things that remind me that though
I am giving up this small thing, Jesus went all in for me. He
gave up everything so he could spend eternity singing over
me. I need to move deeper into the gospel of Jesus and
Lent helps me see the cross more clearly. That is why Lent is
important to me.
10 MARCH 2014 | SOUTHWOOD.ORG

elate
SOUTHWOOD
PAUL'S
PICTURE
OF SMALL
GROUPS
Will Spink
Being able to share in
stuggles and triumphs
is the main goal of
small groups.
Tears roll down his face
as he leans forward on
the sofa and talks about
caring for his wife with
dementia. Across the
room a single mom and a
middle-aged couple share
about challenges with
their teenage kids. Before
the circle is complete,
someone has announced
a new pregnancy, another
has asked for prayer for
loneliness, and yet another
is seeking to make ends
meet financially for his family. All in one night. All in one small
group. All of them pointing each other to the same loving God
who meets them in very
different circumstances.
That’s a small picture
of what Paul has in
mind when he writes in
Ephesians 3:17-18, “And
I pray that you, being
rooted and established
in love, may have power,
together with all the
saints, to grasp how
wide and long and high
and deep is the love of
Christ …”
The dimensions of the
love of Christ for us are
almost unfathomable.
In each of our own
experiences, we see glimpses of the immensity of this love as
our sin is forgiven, our needs are met, our eternity is secured.
In this passage, though, with the little phrase “together with all
the saints,” Paul suggests that there is a dimension of the love of
Christ that we cannot fully appreciate on our own. Thus, it is not
going too far to state that our relationship with God will not be all
he intends for it to be if we experience it in isolation.
At Southwood we talk about small groups in terms of three key
relationships: relationships with each other (where we connect as
His people), relationships with God (where we consider His truth),
and relationships with our neighbors (where we show His care
and compassion). One of the things this passage in Ephesians
teaches us is that as our relationships with each other grow, our
relationships with God should be deepened as well.
This first (somewhat) fictionalized paragraph is but one snapshot
of why small groups offer us a chance to deepen our grasp of
Christ’s love and thereby enrich our relationship with God. As
we share life in community, we join people of perhaps different
ages, perhaps different races, perhaps different social standings,
and definitely different life experiences—all of whom have
experienced the love of Christ and all of whose lives display
beautifully varying facets of Christ’s amazing love. In fact, it is
possible that in your small group or even your church you will
share little else in common other than your gracious Father, your
amazing Savior, and your indwelling Holy Spirit.
Being in a small group is certainly not the only way you can
witness new facets of God’s love, but it is certainly one good way.
I have often left a time with my small group and marveled at how
God sustained another member of the group in a circumstance
I thought would have done me in. I have often rejoiced with a
brother or sister in
my small group who
shared of God’s
deliverance from a
specific situation I
haven’t personally
faced. I have
often had my faith
strengthened by a
small group member
older than I am
who has seen God’s
faithfulness through
stages of life I haven’t
seen yet. In each
of those cases, my
personal relationship
with God is enriched
by someone else’s
relationship with Him
and my relationship with them. It’s part of why God has called us
into the family of God, the body of Christ.
If you’re struggling to see the full dimensions of the love of Christ
or if you feel you’re living the Christian life largely in isolation
from other believers, consider joining (or even starting!) a small
group. If you’re in a small group already, as you share about
football, kids, work, politics, and the struggles of life, don’t forget
to stop and point out the love of Christ you can see in each
other’s lives. Talk about how it encourages your faith. Talk about
how another “saint” has shown you a new dimension of the love
of Christ. Rejoice together in a faithful Father who has placed you
in a family with others of his children!
The article above is adapted from a blog post Will wrote to equip small
group leaders. Check out his blog and other resources for small groups
at southwood.org/smallgroups/leader
MARCH 2014 | SOUTHWOOD.ORG 11

SOUTHWOOD
relate
THE LORD IS THERE Justin Huston
I remember sitting on a cold stone bench in the clammy darkness
of a small church located in the heart of Mundri, South Sudan. As
we flipped through the ragged pages of the songs to worship, I
stumbled my way through the transliterated Juba Arabic singing the
words Rabuuna fi. It was at the end of my site visit and I was already
falling in love with the people, and the constant reassurance of the
ever-presence of the Spirit was confirmed in the simple message of
those words: Rabuuna Fi, “The Lord is there.”
On December 15, 2013, South Sudan erupted in a wave of
violence in what the ruling powers label an attempted coup and
rebels call the governments attempt to consolidate power. Some
claim it is political. Others say it is tribal. While the cause may
always lay on the edge of obscurity, one thing that is a certain
truth: the country is overwhelmed by violence. In the first month
of fighting over 10,000 are estimated dead, many of those being
innocent civilians. Numbers soaring over 800,000 have been
forced to flee their homes and the UN believes over 3.7 million to
be in urgent need of food. That’s a third of the population on the
brink of starvation. When you look at the mission field, especially
one like South Sudan, it is easy to be overwhelmed and even
depressed by the daunting statistics. Yet, in the face of such dire
need the first truth we must always remember: Rabuuna fi.
Psalm 139 has been a great help to me in this as it states, “Where
can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the
depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of dawn, if I settle on
the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your
right hand will hold me fast.” Here David beautifully expounds
through poetic means, the vastness of God and His love. A
sentiment echoed by the Apostle Paul in his letter to the church
in Rome when he says, “For I am convinced that neither death
nor life, neither angles nor demons, neither the present nor the
future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything
else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of
God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” We could run forever in
any direction and still not outrun God’s loving Spirit. That means
that when this violence begins to subside and I am at last able
to work in South Sudan God will already be there. While I wait
in the states, The Lord is there. While I wait in Kenya, the Lord
is there. When I leave behind all that I love, God will go before
me and God will stay behind, for the Lord is there. Though this
may dispel our want to worry it should also strengthen our call to
prayer. Pray that peace come quickly, pray that strength should
last when peace does not. Pray that hearts and eyes be opened
to the loving presence of Christ our Lord.
As spring approaches and the snow and ice melt away, the earth
is made ready again for planting. Should the earth be able to
feel and to speak; do you imagine it would give cries of joy when
we take the tiller to turn up the soil? Yet only then can a seed be
planted that great fruit may grow. When you see such tilling in
your own life, in the world around you, and the world afar, pray
not that we never feel the tiller but that a seed be planted and
that we remember whose hand is on the plow. Rabuuna fi!
Justin has been at Southwood for over twenty
years. He is A Teaching Elder in the PCA and a
missionary with World Harvest Missions serving for
a time in Nairobi Kenya and Mundri, South Sudan.
To follow his adventures overseas you can find his
blog at www.namingthewind.wordpress.com
and to support him, or missionaries like him, log on
to www.whm.org/give/missionary?ID=51234.
12 MARCH 2014 | SOUTHWOOD.ORG
Justin is planning to leave for Kenya in March to
serve with a WHM team there and wait for the
violence to settle a bit in South Sudan. By being in
Kenya, he will be better positioned to move in, and
he will also have more time to learn the language.

espond
SOUTHWOOD
ASK A
PASTOR
Will Spink
Will Spink wrestles
with issues raised by
school rezoning
What is your take on the current
school rezoning discussion?
This is a question I’ve been asked numerous times in
recent weeks. My family and I live in the Whitesburg P-8
school district (currently and in every proposed new plan
I’ve seen), a school that is within 2 miles of Southwood
and appears to be significantly impacted by rezoning proposals.
Our first child goes to first grade this fall (a big step for any family),
so my wife and I have spent many days in conversations with friends
and neighbors about the proposed changes, many nights talking
and praying together about our role, and many hours reviewing
proposals or attending town hall meetings.
One of the first things this reminds me of is how passionate we
tend to get when something involves our kids. For the most
part, that’s exactly as it should be, although, it has raised some
questions in my own heart. This is the first time our family has
really been engaged so personally in such a city-wide discussion,
so it has brought more questions for me than it has answers, and
this response is much the same. Specifically, I will not attempt to
answer “Where should I send my kids to school?” —a question that
involves significant prayer and personal knowledge from any and
all parents. It has, however, challenged me to think about some
issues both personally and corporately (as a church).
I’ll start with some personal issues, where God has used this to
reveal sin in my own heart and caused me to rethink how I view
things in some ways. Early this year in the midst of some heated
debate over rezoning proposals, I posted on Facebook, “Rezoning
Priority #1: My Heart—Needs more seats for my neighbors and
fewer seats for myself. #loveourneighborsasourselves.” What
God was showing me in the midst of this was that it’s easy to get
self-focused when my kids are involved. I caught myself thinking
and saying things that were entirely “us-centered," but it didn’t
immediately seem so self-centered because it was cloaked in the
guise of being “for my kids.” I realized God has called me to love
my neighbors (and their kids!) as I love myself, and I realized again
to my sorrow that I don’t.
As a dad, I’ve had to ask questions about my responsibilities and
what is best for my daughter. What does it mean to “protect”
her, and how can my trying to do that both help and harm her?
What or who am I protecting her from? What am I seeking from a
school she would attend in regards to her educational and social
development, and where do I expect her primary worldview to be
shaped? How important are each of these particular issues in her
life, and what does it look like for her to love her neighbor? Isn’t
she too young to do that yet? What am I communicating to her in
these moments is most important in her life and development?
Do my words and actions encourage her to think about herself
or others first? These questions and more are ones I haven’t
answered, but I think are worth asking.
Another area of personal evaluation has been in regards to our
involvement in local politics and social systems that really impact
people. I’ve wondered what it looks like for me to support and
respect our elected leaders while finding the right context to
express concerns and opinions. I’ve asked myself why the school
superintendent, school board, and local representative get my
emotions going but don’t get many of my prayers. Again, I’ve
thought about the extent to which I care about all of Huntsville as
I do myself or whether the only property value that matters to me
is my front yard.
As a church, Southwood is always trying to ask what it means
for God to have placed us in our community, for our community.
What does it look like for us to pursue the welfare of Huntsville?
Southwood has a track record of caring about the materially poor,
particularly by investing in high-need schools and the students
who attend there. Will we respond as well when the school with
high levels of materially poor is the one our kids attend? Do we
love materially poor people in our backyard as well as we do
when they are across town? How does that look different?
Regardless of what elected officials decide about school
rezoning, I’ve concluded God has given me a lot to wrestle
with in my own heart. I’m also convinced that He is bringing
some really exciting opportunities and unique challenges to
Southwood’s doorstep. I hope we can increasingly become a
community of people (kids in tow) helping each other battle
our own narcissistic hearts as we seek to love our neighbors
and our city.
MARCH 2014 | SOUTHWOOD.ORG 13

SOUTHWOOD
relate
WELCOME HOME
FROM VIDA NUEVA
Sarah Niemitz
Saturday, February 1, Ben, Sarah and Riley Niemitz joined Susan and Andes
Hoyt for a mission trip in Monterrey, Mexico. Our primary goal was to develop
relationships with the members and leaders of Vida Nueva—the church
plant Southwood currently supports. Our secondary goal was to accomplish
whatever project the pastor asked of our team.
Sunday morning we worshiped at Vida Nueva and enjoyed fellowship and
lunch with all of the church members afterwards.
Sunday afternoon we hiked a large hill in Monterrey, from the top of which you
can see the city spread out in all directions. There are six-million people in the
six cities that make up Monterrey, and there are only six reformed churches.
We were blessed to hear Teo and other pastors' passions to reach the lost in
their city.
Monday morning we buckled down and got to work! Our job: build a dividing
wall between the sanctuary and the kitchen/fellowship area and repaint
the entire downstairs of the church building. We took directions from the
Vida Nueva members working alongside us and learned a lot of Spanish
construction terms!
By Thursday, we had a finished wall, and fresh coats of paint on the entire
downstairs! Even more importantly we had new friends who celebrated with
us—cooking an amazing meal and improving our Spanish through bingo!
We look forward to returning to visit our partners in Monterrey soon, and
hope to introduce many more Southwood members to this wonderful church.
If you are interested in participating in a short-term mission trip through our
Community Development department, please contact Sarah Niemitz!
Our wonderful host teams sacrificed their bedrooms, bathrooms,
and schedules to open their homes for us! We were so thankful
for the chance to stay in the comfort of homes and get to know a
few families even better! Extra bonus? Our host family threw us a
Super Bowl party!
14 MARCH 2014 | SOUTHWOOD.ORG
Having a 9 month old baby on a mission trip can present certain
challenges while at the same time opening unexpected doors. The
love for babies transcends language barriers, and there happened
to be two other 9 month old babies at Vida Nueva! Thanks to Riley
for serving as a wonderful conversation starter as well as a cute
traveling companion.

elate
SOUTHWOOD
ALL
THAT'S
FAIR
Lenten
Soundtracks
James Parker
Ash Wednesday
marks the
beginning of
Lent, a period
of fasting and
repentance in
remembrance
of Christ. The
ashes of Ash
Wednesday are
a physical sign
of mourning our sin and of our frailty. Genesis 3:19 says “For
dust you are and to dust you shall return.” We enter in to this
season of repentance by first remembering that we are small
and frail and helpless. We may feel that we have control, and
it may seem like we can make ourselves better, but it’s just a
mirage—an illusion that we need to see beyond.
The older I get the more I see how true this is. I need to
repent of the futility of my efforts. I need to repent of thinking
I am anything other than dust. I need to repent of my selfish
ambition and embrace the calm and the peace of knowing I am
upheld by another. I can know that my anxiety need not rule
me. Jesus himself prayed anxious prayers in the garden, and
then embraced the comfort of saying “not my will, but thine.”
I am emphatically and completely human, which means I was
never supposed to live life alone. I was never supposed to be in
control. To quote the Fleet Foxes, I am supposed to be a “cog in
some great big machinery serving something beyond me,” and
I need a lot of help remembering this is true.
The music I listen to often points me in the right direction, and I
would say that good art in general does this. An artist seeking
to tell the truth cannot escape the fact that for all the greatness
and wonder of the human race, there is also profound weakness
and listlessness. It is clear that we are small and that something
bigger must exist for us to have a purpose, to which we might
be tethered. In addition to the Fleet Foxes and their song
Helplessness Blues, here are some other artists whose work may
be helpful to you this season:
The Brilliance | Lent
This album is structurally simple, but texturally
organic. It consists of seven scripture songs
that center around the repentance of Lent
and the sufferings of Jesus on our behalf. It
is sad and introspective but not without hope
and it mirrors how we should mourn our frailty.
We have sorrow but not without hope.
Jon Forman | Spring,
Summer, Winter, Fall
These EPs cover a wide range of human
experience. And they have many songs
that paint the imagery of Ash Wednesday
clearly. Lord, Save Me From Myself, Equally
Skilled, White As Snow, and The Cure for
Pain are just a few of these tracks.
New York Hymns | Songs
For Lent
This is a collection of protestant hymn texts
that walk the listener through the lenten
season and old liturgical concept of the
Stations of the Cross. All of these were
compiled by Brian T. Murphy formerly of Red
Mountain Music. He is responsible for many of the hymn arrangements
we sing at Southwood. And this album is available as a free download
from bandcamp.com.
There are countless other examples of art that point to the “ashes
and dust.” They are too numerous to list. This month, let me
encourage you to notice reminders of the frailty and weakness
that define our existence, but also know that Jesus came to give
the dust meaning. He became as we are, and brought us to the
Father, not as the dust we are, but as sons and daughters! Thank
God for the body and blood of Jesus—He who was broken for our
iniquities and crushed for our transgressions. Let us remember,
repent, and rejoice!
RADIOLAB PODCAST James Parker
Radiolab is a science based podcast produced in New York City. It airs on Saturday afternoons
at 3pm on our local NPR station and is also downloadable online. It is an extremely creative,
thought-provoking, and innovative radio show. One episode worthy of note is called The
Black Box. The episode chronicles a few examples of processes from the medical field and
the natural world in which a transformation takes place and, most importantly, the mechanism
of that transformation (the so-called “black box”) is unknown. One example is what happens
to a caterpillar inside a chrysalis. Another example is why anesthesia drugs work as they do.
The Christian life is also a mysterious transformation—a “black box” of sorts. We are
exhorted to “work out our salvation with fear and trembling knowing it is God who works in
us.” As we enter into Lent, give this podcast a listen and be reminded of the multitude of
signs that have been left for us to find—signs that tell us we are not static beings, but we are
dynamically being made new.
MARCH 2014 | SOUTHWOOD.ORG 15

ASH
wednesday
service
March 5 th at 6pm