BRANCHES March 2018

BRANCHES
PARENTING PARTNERS
MARCH 2018 | southwood.org
saturday seminars:
engaging the world where we live
resurection, so what?:
the importance of easter

SOUTHWOOD
OVERVIEW
CONTENTS
BRANCHES
DESIGNER Eli Maples
CONTRIBUTORS
Will Spink
Ron Clegg
Robert Blevins
Peter Render
Derrick Harris
Christine Betts
James Parker
PHOTOS
Southwood Members
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
Father and son hold hands
CHURCH STAFF
CHRISTINE BETTS Assistant Director, Youth/Families
NIÑA CASH Director of Children's Ministry
RITA CLARDY Executive Assistant
SHANNON CLARK Administrative Assistant
RON CLEGG Assistant Pastor, Discipleship
TY COMMONS Youth and Family Intern
JANICE CROWSON Director of Facilities/Finance
KIM DELCHAMPS Administrative Assistant
TERRI GOOD Accountant/Bookkeeper
DERRICK HARRIS Asst. Pastor, Shepherding & Young Families
ELI MAPLES Graphic Designer
ROBERT BLEVINS Director of Community Development
JAMES PARKER Chief Musician
PETER RENDER Assistant Pastor, Youth/Families
ANGELA SIERK Assistant Director/Children's Ministry
WILL SPINK Senior Pastor
3 pastor's note
4 saturday seminars
Living missionally where we are
5 who is my neighbor
6 parenting partners
8 ask a pastor
resurection, so what?
10 unclaimed baggage
photos from the sr. high retreat
11 all that's fair
UPCOMING EVENTS
Saturday Seminars
March 10
Time Change
March 11
Southwood Women's Retreat
March 16-18
Maundy Thursday Service
March 29
Good Friday Service
March 30
Easter Egg Hunt
March 31
2 MARCH 2018 | SOUTHWOOD.ORG

PASTOR’S NOTE
A Beautiful Evening
A couple of weeks ago on a Tuesday night
about 75 parents of young children gathered
in the Lodge to eat tacos, share the joys and
struggles of parenting, and be encouraged
and equipped for pointing their kids to Jesus.
Across the street about 80 of their kids ate pizza,
shared toys (and germs), and demonstrated
their need for being pointed to Jesus.
Actually they behaved perfectly (mostly), but
you get the idea. It was a beautiful evening.
What a delight to see people connect with
each other and consider the common calling
God has given them as parents. In the midst of
busy lives, what was happening around those
plastic tables will undoubtedly have eternal
impact. This night is indicative of the heart
that we have at Southwood for impacting the
next generation. We believe that parents have
a great responsibility for the nurture of their
children and that we have the great privilege
to partner with, encourage, and equip them in
that gloriously difficult task.
You can read more of that heart in the middle of
this issue of BRANCHES, as Pastor Derrick and
Pastor Peter describe a vision for more such
evenings and more such relationships with
parents in our congregation and community
in the days and years ahead. We can’t wait to
see the Gospel transform lives now and impact
generations for the future through these
relationships.
But I haven’t even told you the most beautiful
part of the evening yet. In order to feed and
care for the 150 people mentioned above, we
needed a lot of help. And the majority of that
help came from Southwood members (more
than 20 of them!) who no longer have young
children at home. Some of them have spent
many years raising children of their own, and
others of them have for many years made the
children of Southwood their family. But they
cooked, they served food, they chased kids,
they cleaned up after spills, they talked with
young parents, and they prayed for young kids.
Now that’s beautiful. When we show up to
serve rather than consume, when we help pull
off events not designed for us, when we treat
others as more important than ourselves, we
are loving in the beautiful way God has created
his family to love. This happens in many ways
in the life of our church, but I didn’t want you
to miss this one!
As I thanked some of those volunteers, they
said things like “I can’t imagine parenting
these days; anything I can do to help these
parents, I’m happy to do,” “It encourages my
heart to see these young people looking to
Jesus and connecting with each other,” and
“O, I wouldn’t be anywhere else; please let
me know when you do this again so I can help
again.”
As I talked with some of the young parents,
they said things like “What a huge blessing
to have people I look up to so much serving
us at an event like this,” “I love the fact that
our church has people ahead of me on this
parenting path who care enough to share what
God has taught them with us,” and “I hope we
do this more often. And I hope we as younger
people can return the favor to those who
served us tonight.”
Wouldn’t that be beautiful? It may not be age
differences every time, but when we love and
serve those who are different from us in any
way rather than focusing on what we need and
want others to do for us, we’re loving a little bit
more like Jesus. One generation commends
his works to another, and the greatness of the
grace of Jesus spreads exponentially to more
who need to know Him.
I hope you’ll take a moment to thank God for
loving us enough to put us in this kind of family
together. And I hope while you’re praying,
you’ll ask him to give us hearts that continue
looking to welcome others into this family – so
they can learn about parenting, so they can
serve alongside us, but ultimately so they can
experience the beauty of the family of God.
Will Spink
Senior Pastor
If you would like to contact
Will, use the following:
will.spink@southwood.org
@WillSpink
MARCH 2018 | SOUTHWOOD.ORG 3

SOUTHWOOD
SESSION UPDATE
At the annual congregational meeting in February, we rejoiced
together in God’s gracious provision for Southwood and in
many encouraging ways God is at work to advance
his kingdom here and around the world. The
congregation elected Brent Snyder to the
office of deacon in the church, and Bud
Smith, Landa Pennington, and Jimmy
Cook were selected as trustees for the
corporation.
We also at that meeting presented
the 2018 budget, which is set at
$2,113,605. We consider every
penny of this budget to be for God’s
mission, and we ask you to pray and
give with us so that we might in
particular share funds with kingdom
partners here and around the world
as well as support our Southwood
staff which currently has every approved
position filled for the first time in many years.
OPERATIONS
MINISTRIES
$
226,717 • 11%
$
533,935 • 25%
DEBT SERVICE
$
153,800 • 8%
The Congregation voted to approve pursuing the sale of the
White House property, which the church purchased about five
years ago. The Trustees have received helpful input from several
members at recent informational meetings and will work to
complete the sale on behalf of the church. Please contact the
church office if you have any further questions, and
we would be happy to answer them at any time.
MISSION PARTNERS
$
200,983 • (Planned at
11% of Operating Expenses)
STAFF
$
998,070 • 47%
Finally, thank you for praying for our
recent Officers Retreat. Your elders
and deacons enjoyed a rich time of
fellowship and discussion of various
items including strategic planning
and discipleship. A significant
portion of our time away, however,
was spent praying for each other
and for the congregation. We
found this to be deeply needful
for each of us, and we encourage
you to be sharing and praying with
us, with your small groups, and in
many other contexts as we seek to
follow Christ and advance his kingdom
together.
LIVING MISSIONALLY: ENGAGING THE WORLD WHERE WE LIVE
Saturday Seminars are a new discipleship opportunity at
Southwood designed to provide more intensive equipping
for faithful living and effective ministry. Our desire is to take
advantage of concentrated times to provide training on particular
topics focused on living out our faith and engaging the world
around us. In this setting we can dive deep into challenging
areas and take the time to work out the practical implications
in our lives.
Our first seminar, entitled “Living Missionally,” will address ways
to build relationships across cultural, ethnic, and socioeconomic
barriers. It will be led by Ted Offutt, the Director of Training
for Encompass World Partners. This initial seminar will begin
at 9:00am with a light breakfast and end at 1:00pm after lunch.
There is no cost for this seminar. Just come and learn with us
how to more intentionally build relationships with those who
need to hear about the Kingdom of Jesus. To sign up, email
shannon.clark@southwood.org
4 MARCH 2018 | SOUTHWOOD.ORG

CORNERSTONE CONFERENCE FOR COMMUNITY COMPASSION
Crossing the Street
We interact with countless people on a daily basis -- in our
neighborhoods, at our schools, at our jobs, or even in the coffee
shop. But actually “crossing the street” to get to know these
neighbors takes effort and intentionality. Who are the neighbors
God might be calling us to engage through a kind word,
invitation to coffee, or simple act of service? Let’s challenge
ourselves to be on the lookout for these opportunities as they
occur, and really notice the people that the Lord has placed in
our midst.
by Robert Blevins
At this year’s C4 Conference hosted by the Cornerstone
Initiative, we examined the question, “Who is my neighbor?”
The conference focused on our call as believers not only to serve
others but also to pursue authentic relationships.
This reminds me of back when I was in high school. I had
realized that the best place to play basketball wasn’t out in the
country where I lived, but in the neighborhood of a city that was
unfamiliar to me. There, I found myself the only white guy in an
African-American community where I wasn’t known or trusted. I
did a lot of standing on the sidelines during those first few pickup
games! It was pretty awkward. But once I proved that I could
hold my own, I gained access onto the courts...and eventually
into their lives. Through mutual, authentic friendships I started
seeing—and caring about—the issues that affected them.
In the church, we often think of being a good neighbor as
squeezing volunteer work into our busy schedules. Three
themes surfaced in the C4 Conference that challenged this idea
of “neighboring” as an extracurricular activity:
• We cannot say that we honor God and NOT love our
neighbor (in other words, loving our neighbor is not an
option).
• Loving our neighbor means relinquishing idols of apathy,
fear, and comfort.
Crossing the City
Our neighbors are more than those who live in the same cul de
sac. City council member Devyn Keith challenged us to embrace
both the Huntsville known for PhDs and progress, as well as the
parts in our city dealing with higher levels of crime and violence.
If we only know these communities by what we see on the news,
we miss the richness and resilience of our entire city.
Southwood partners with a number of ministries that serve
people of diverse ethnicities and socio-economic backgrounds.
This affords us an opportunity to come alongside our neighbors
all over the city. Doing so requires us to shed perceived positions
of power and take on a posture of humility. What might this look
like practically? It means meeting people on their terms. We
listen more than we talk. We learn about why new friends might
make certain life choices rather than judge. We open ourselves
to having our opinions, attitudes and lifestyles transformed as
we gain a broader perspective of people in our city. This type
of mutual discipleship leads us to bear each other's burdens as
fellow citizens of Huntsville and, in some cases, co-laborers in
the kingdom.
Good Neighboring as a Lifestyle
Perhaps your stage of life doesn’t allow you to volunteer in a
ministry or host parties for your neighbors. But I’d challenge
you to seek out avenues to practice good neighboring in ways
that fit into the natural rhythms of your life, as well as to pray for
neighbors both near and far.
Who is my neighbor? Image bearers of God whom He calls me
to love.
• Loving neighbors across socioeconomic and racial lines is
often awkward and costly, but essential.
COMMUNITY IMPACT DAY:
On April 7, we’ll have an opportunity to express grace to
our neighbors by serving alongside a few of our ministry
partners. Please save the date and be on the lookout for
more information later this month.

SOUTHWOOD
PARENTING
PARTNERS
by Derrick Harris
and Peter Render
Parenting! What comes to mind when you read the word?
Good? Bad? I don’t wanna talk about it? Do you gloat in your
successes or loathe the memories of past mistakes? Whatever
comes to your mind, it will never change one fact: there is only
one perfect parent and it is not you. It’s not us either. It IS God.
Though, if we analyze his style of parenting, it can become, well,
downright confusing.
Many have judged God by our modern secular parenting
standards and accused him of cosmic child abuse for letting
his only son die, abandonment for watching it happen, and
negligence for being nowhere in sight. But wait, Jesus IS God!
Therefore, we should rightfully and respectfully award God with
the glory that he is due. God, the Author of life, redeemed the
entire universe through his life, death, and resurrection, offers
us eternal security, provides constant presence and friendship
through his Spirit, and extends the opportunity to be adopted
as his sons and daughters through faith. He also has a plan to
renovate all of creation through lives that are surrendered to his
will until he returns to take us all home. When we really remember
who God is, we are forced to focus on his righteousness that has
been imputed to us and has washed away our ultimate failures.
Parenting is yet one more opportunity to remember our Creator,
our redemption, and our future hope.
Peter and I have been working with parents for nearly 40 years
combined, and we have never heard a parent say, “I’ve got this
parenting thing down and I don’t need any help or support.”
Rather, it has been the complete opposite. It’s been countless
meetings with families, typically done in confidence, where they
unmask their struggles with parenting. Most feel as though they
are the only ones who have difficulty, describing the lonely island
that they inhabit as castaways from the “normal” life. This lonely
island feels like separation from the rest of the world where they
are just trying to figure out how to survive. Many times, they
blame themselves for the struggles they are facing. They feel
ill-equipped to face the challenges that rearing another sinful
creature affords. The struggle works itself into every crevice
of their lives, especially their marriages. We get the amazing
opportunity to pray with them, lead them to God’s throne of
grace, and remind them of the truth. You are made in the image
of God, and so are your children, which means that you are not
alone AND that you are not in control.
As parents, God has given you influence, but he has not given
you control. To find joy in parenting, we must surrender control
to the Author of our children. God has not designed parents to
be perfect or to control their child’s faith outcomes or choices.
Rather, he has designed parents to have influence, over time.
Influence means that we cannot control the outcomes. Trying to
control outcomes will only leave us busier, emptier, and missing
even more opportunities to relate with our children.
Our lives are made up of phases. Those phases change fast. For
our children they change every year. Family ministries expert
Reggie Joiner defines a phase as “a timeframe in a kid’s life
when you can leverage distinctive opportunities to influence
their future and their faith.“ That’s why it is important for us all
to learn as much as we can about the ever changing phases of
our children. Joiner also writes that “the average parent has
less than 1,000 weeks from the time their kids are born until they
move out of the house.” WOW! That means that every moment
counts. Though every child is unique, there are similarities
that we can learn. God has hardwired us for different needs in
different phases. The book It’s Just a Phase So Don’t Miss It
sums up the major developmental phases of our children in four
words: EMBRACE, ENGAGE, AFFIRM, and MOBILIZE.
6 MARCH 2018 | SOUTHWOOD.ORG

SOUTHWOOD
EMBRACE their physical needs (Birth-Preschool): During this
phase parents must learn to “embrace” their child’s tangible
needs so they can begin to establish physical trust. In doing
so, they teach them about the loving embrace of our loving
Heavenly Father.
ENGAGE their interests (1st Grade-5th Grade): During the
elementary years, parents should take a crash course in
storytelling and play so they can “engage” the interest of their
child. This will be the best time to earn relational credit, which
you’ll need to cash in later.
AFFIRM their personal journey (6th Grade-8th Grade): During
middle school, parents need to master the skill of never
freaking out. This is when they learn to “affirm” the personal
journey of their tween. During this time, they will have plenty
of opportunities to prove a relational commitment.
MOBILIZE their potential (9th Grade-12th Grade): At ninth
grade, parents start mastering the art of negotiating. They
have approximately 200 weeks left to “mobilize” their kid
toward a better future. This is when parents need to leverage
their relational influence.
Whatever phase or phases of parenting you are in, it’s going
to move fast, and God has designed you to be the primary
influencer. Remember that you are not alone and you are not
in control.
Deuteronomy 6:1-8 reads, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God,
the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your
heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these
words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You
shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of
them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the
way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.”
This reality is the reason why our children and youth ministries
are necessarily FAMILY ministries. Yes, we love you and
want to be actively involved in your lives, learning from each
other in Christian community. But also, we are charged with
something similar to you. God’s ultimate role for parents is to
be mature followers of Jesus, raising up immature followers to
maturity. Our ultimate role as pastors is not too different. We
struggle, together as one family, “with all Christ’s energy that
he powerfully works within us” (Col. 1:28-29). None of us is on
an island. None of us is too far gone for help. None of us has
it figured out. But our Creator and Father has made a way for
us to be better parents. We have a way to grow in our abilities
through the Holy Spirit in the same ways that we grow in other
areas that we cannot figure out. Intentional pursuit, interrupted
by sin, repentance, and running to Christ. Sound familiar?
What we do every day matters. How we do it matters, too.
It requires intentionality, support, and learning on our part as
parents so that we may do our best to prepare for the parenting
phase that we are in and the one we’re moving towards. That’s
one of the reasons that Peter and I have designed something
called a Parent C.A.F.E. that will begin on Tuesday, April 17.
It’s all in the name. This is an environment designed for us
to C-onnect, A-cknowledge that we don’t have it all together,
F-ocus on what really matters, and E-ncourage each other. In
short, this is an evening designed to support, encourage, and
help equip each other for this journey called parenting. Would
you consider joining us?
JOIN US
APRIL 17
FOR THE FIRST PARENT C.A.F.E.!
MARCH 2018 | SOUTHWOOD.ORG 7

SOUTHWOOD
ASK A PASTOR
Resurection,
So What
by Ron Clegg
core of my being.
On another more daily level, though, for me the resurrection
is huge. It means death is ended, and life is coming. It is a
promise to me that my death is not the end of the story, nor is it
even an extremely bad thing. Death is swallowed up in life, and
in that new life, all things will be made new. Internally, that gives
me a joyous hope.
Q
It is not hard to notice that
Easter, the day we celebrate the
resurrection of Jesus, is not quite
the celebration that Christmas is.
So, what is the significance of the
resurrection?
Life on this side of heaven is a process of dying, and not just
physically. Daily my fl esh, that part of me that insists on selfcontrol,
self-autonomy, self-suffi ciency, and self-determination is
steadily dying. Through His Spirit, God the Father is opposing
my fl esh and putting it to death. He does that through exposing
my sin and shame. He brings my sin to the surface in ways
that are very hurtful to other people. My self-determination is
the source of so much emptiness, thirst, and dissatisfaction. I
absolutely long for the day when my struggle with sin will end
and this painful process of dying will be completed, because
I know what lies on the other side. The resurrection of Jesus
guarantees that life is coming—new life, resurrected life, eternal
life, gloriously joyous and free life! I can’t wait until that day
comes. In the here and now, I wait in certain hope because
Jesus rose from the dead.
A
In this season that we celebrate the resurrection
of Jesus from the dead, we often spend a
great deal of time defending the reality of the
resurrection. This historical event is absolutely
critical for our faith, no doubt. But on a daily
basis, what difference does it make? How does it make my day,
my relationships, my work, and my play different? So what that
Jesus rose from the dead—What is the big deal?
We can look at it on a theological level and say that the
resurrection was God the Father’s glorious stamp of approval
on the sacrifi ce Jesus made for our sins. It validated everything
Jesus did and said. It also means that, because of the
resurrection, my justifi cation, my perfect standing with God
the Eternal Judge, is settled. I am accepted, approved, and
enjoyed. No more divine enmity. No more condemnation.
Rather, I now am the target of the Judge’s passionate and
unending delight. That truth is life-changing. It gives me a
freedom that goes deep and causes joy to gush up from the
On another level, daily I experience the pain and frustration
of death that is physical. I live with a very dear woman who
is almost 92 years old and who suffers with dementia. She
can no longer do the simplest things in life. She is helpless
as she waits in abject confusion and darkness until the day of
her fi nal departure. But this is not the end of the story. A day
is coming when she will leave the darkness of this life behind,
and with clarity of mind like she has never had, she will rejoice
in the fullness of her resurrected life. She will know fully. She
will remember. She will praise the One who was raised from
the grave. Jesus said He would make all things new, and the
resurrection was simply the fi rst step in that wonderful journey, a
journey of hope for all who trust in Him.
So, what difference does the resurrection make? Everything.
Because Jesus came up from the grave, I do not go through my
days without hope. I am moving towards something that is so
good, so much better even than Christmas, that I can’t wait for
it fi nally to come.
8 MARCH 2018 | SOUTHWOOD.ORG

SOUTHWOOD
CURL UP WITH...
EASTER READINGS
AVAILABLE IN THE GUEST CENTER:
DOCTRINE OF REPENTANCE
by Thomas Watson
Knowing what repentance is and
actually repenting are essential to true
Christianity. Jesus Christ himself said
that if we do not repent, we will perish!
Thomas Watson was a master of both
Scripture and the human heart and
wrote with a simplicity and directness
that keeps his work fresh and powerful
for the twenty-first century.
THE PASSION OF JESUS CHRIST
by John Piper
Denying that Christ suffered and
died is like denying the Holocaust.
Those who deny either event live in a
historical dreamworld. Jesus suffered
unspeakably and died. The Passion
of Jesus Christ shows that the gore
of Christ's suffering is turned to glory
by the enormity and diversity of what
his death achieved. To do this, John
Piper uncovers fifty accomplishments
of Christ's suffering. He shuns
embellishment and shows from the
Bible key evidence for each outcome of
Christ's death.
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED
by Scott James
Although Easter Sunday only happens
once a year, the truths behind it are big
enough to shape our lives every single
day. Starting on Palm Sunday, your
family will spend two weeks (fourteen
devotions) walking in time with Jesus
as he finished the work his Father had
given him. Extending beyond Easter
Sunday will encourage your family to
follow the risen Jesus as he calls his
disciples on a Spirit-filled mission to
spread the good news to all nations.
Each devotion takes just ten minutes
and is suitable for all ages of children.
MY EASTER BASKET AND THE TRUE
STORY OF EASTER
by Mary Manz Simon
Easter is about much more than yellow
chicks and white bunnies. Young
children can use the colors in this
basket to discover the real meaning of
this special day. As they walk through
the Bible story, they will learn why we
celebrate Easter–because Jesus is alive!

y Christine Betts
Our luggage is not light as we arrive Friday night.
Our hearts are of one accord as we listen to Mike Ford.
We are told, “Do not seek to sin, but give Jesus your burden.”
We enjoy skits, small groups, and ice cream scoops.
We play lots of pool and ping-pong and dance to our favorite song.
The time we spend doing devotions brings quite a few emotions.
The afternoon is spent playing games in the monsoon.
From a pyramid to a human pretzel everyone is competing for the medal.
From painting to playing kickball there was fun to be had by all.
Everyone paints wood and all of them look good.
Everyone screams each other’s names and plays lots of games.
We take courage and let go of our baggage.
We are gently serenaded by guitars under the cloud-covered stars.
The bags are loaded up and there is coffee in each cup.
The games and the talks are all complete so we come home from the winter retreat.

ALL THAT IS FAIR
WERE YOU THERE?
by James Parker
Let's pretend you are standing on the edge of the Grand
Canyon. You look to the opposite edge many miles away.
Your gaze moves from the horizon down to the raging river
thousands of feet below. You follow every twist and turn of the
landscape, every variation in color and light, every tree, every
squirrel, every bird... the scene surrounds you. It wraps you up
in a cosmic bear hug. It makes you feel like your senses are just
too small to receive it. Your head feels like it's spinning off your
shoulders desperately trying to take it all in. Then, you take a
few pictures...
Let's also pretend that you still use a film camera. You wait
with eager anticipation for the photos to be developed,
remembering the awesome power of the experience you had.
A few hours or maybe a day of waiting and reminiscing. You've
recounted your trip to your friends dozens of times already
and you've only just returned the day before. Its impact is
profoundly imprinted on your memory and you can't wait to
go back. Until then, settling for a eucharistic remembrance
in pictures and stories of glory will have to be your surrogate.
The pharmacy calls, your images are ready...
Stretching the speed limit a bit, you earnestly make your way
to pick them up. A few rolls of film from your day at the canyon
and a heart full of anticipation. Maybe you'll feel that same
feeling again? Maybe the belonging sense of smallness will
return and you can be overcome with delight and gratitude.
Swipe your card, grab the envelopes, and head to the car. As
soon as you sit down at the wheel you start flipping through the
photos. They're wonderful! Better than you'd imagined. Most
of the time on a 24 exposure roll, you'd be lucky to get 3 good
shots, but almost all of these are phenomenal. You captured
the setting sunlight in exaggerated ways, leaving an artistic
impression of something other than what you remember,
something even beyond nature, almost spiritual, enhancing
your memory of the day. But as lovely as these pictures are,
something's missing...
That same feeling didn't rush back to you. Why? Is something
wrong with you? Are the pictures not as good as you think?
No, it's just that experiencing something first-hand will always
yield a greater impact. Any attempt to rehash an experience
will fall short of actually being there. It doesn't matter if you're
trying to recount in words, pictures, music, dance... Nor does
it matter if the experience was massive or mundane, painful
or pleasant. At some point, our attempts at bringing people
into our remembrances will fall flat. It is the natural limitation
of being separated from each other's hearts and spirits by flesh
and bone...
There was this one time in human history, when a man came
saying all sorts of crazy things about himself and his father in
heaven. He lived among us as one of us, yet not one of us.
He taught to multitudes. He worked miracles. He had deep
relationships. He said he was one with the father. As if the
limitations of his humanity had been bypassed. How can a bag
of flesh and bone be one with the father? Don't you have to die
first for your spirit to be free to be in union with its creator? He
could never quite make us see exactly how that was possible.
Until...
He looked up to heaven from the cross of a thief and said "It
is finished." The temple veil tore, just like his body, removing
the inherent barrier of flesh and bone. He was buried, and on
the third day he rose again from the grave. That Grand Canyon
oneness that no frame can capture, because we are individuals
divided from each other... Jesus himself became that road back
to oneness. Back in the day, we depended on someone like
Moses to describe the glory of the lord to us, to bear witness
to the burning bush, to be the mouthpiece of the law. But now,
we have Jesus.
"Jesus said to him [Thomas], 'I am the way, and the truth, and
the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you
had known me, you would have known my Father also. From
now on you do know him and have seen him.'... 'Whoever has
seen me has seen the Father'"
Easter is so dramatic, so huge. All of our remembrances fall
profoundly flat. The very best songs, sermons, and soliloquies
we can muster just do not carry the impact of what it must have
been like for Mary Magdalene, Thomas the doubter, Simon
Peter, and everyone else who witnessed those events. Our
hearts are bigger than the canvas on which we paint.
This year during Holy Week, it's my prayer that we would all
recognize the limitations of what we do to celebrate these
events. But at the same time, remember that our hearts were
made for God himself. The images are not the thing itself. The
hymns we sing are only a retelling. Jesus, not pictures, is the
thing. He is the Grand Canyon. He fills our bottomless hearts.

Grace
Coming Alive to the Compelling Love of God !
HUNTSVILLE 2018
&MEN
April SATURDAY21st, 2018
SOUTHWOOD PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
9:00AM - 4:00PM
Scotty Smith
“How the Gospel
Changes Men”
Author & Teacher-In-Residence
West End Community Church (PCA)
“Everyday Prayers: 365 Days
to a Gospel-Centered Faith”
Franklin, TN
How does the good news of the Gospel help us change? Come for discussions
that will be personal not just clinical. Warm not just analytical. Practical not
just theoretical. Encouraging not burdening. If you have an interest in how the
Gospel makes you a happier, more fruitful man, join us on April 21st, 2018 at
the Grace & Men Conference at Southwood Presbyterian.
Conference Cost
Southwood (or Group) Cost: $52
Student Cost: $29
Price includes boxed lunch & refreshments
Register online
at graceandmen.com