January-2019-Branches-Web_Production-Master

Pastor's Note
Moving Toward Shalom
The night our family returned
home from Thanksgiving, I had
just drifted off to sleep when one
of our daughters came running
into the room sick to her stomach.
There would be no more rest the
remainder of the evening. Over the
next several hours, all three of our
girls woke up sick and took turns
keeping the rest of us awake. The
shalom of our home was shattered
by the stomach bug.
“Shalom” is a Hebrew word that
refers to the holistic wellbeing
God created us to experience
– intimate relationship with our
Heavenly Father, peace with those
around us, deep enjoyment of
God’s glorious creation. Sadly,
since the Fall we live in a broken
world where our own sinful
natures and the cursed creation
war against experiencing that
shalom God intends for us.
Every day in our world shalom is
interrupted by things much more
serious than a stomach bug. Gun
shots bring chaos into the lives of
many. Medical diagnoses shatter
dreams of others. Many battle
generational poverty, a lack of
good employment, and unjust
governmental systems. Others
struggle against mental illness that
leaves them depressed, confused,
or alone. Every day in Huntsville
betrayal wreaks havoc on
relationships. Every day in our city
parents struggle to feel the dignity
God created them to have, and
children struggle to experience the
love and support they need.
The good news of the gospel,
though, is that God is passionately
committed to restoring shalom. He
hates unrighteousness, injustice,
oppression, and sin – but through
Jesus Christ He has promised to
renew and restore his creation so
that death and all the other effects
of the Fall are defeated forever.
Even now He is working through
his Spirit and his people to bring
his kingdom to come on earth as it
is in heaven, and Jesus tells us we
must pray for, long for, and work
for that reality.
That’s why we’ve entitled our
Express Grace Conference this year
“Moving Toward Shalom.” The grace
of Jesus Christ brings shalom into
our lives and relationships with God,
and it gives us shalom to share with
our neighbors. As individual lives
are restored to their Creator and
others around them, communities
are transformed into places that
increasingly reflect the gracious and
peaceful kingdom of God.
“Moving toward shalom” is much
bigger than one conference or
ministry. You’ll read in this issue of
Branches about many ways God
is working here to create the kind
of true community only the gospel
can create. As we each experience
the grace of Jesus restoring our
relationship with our Father, we need
other brothers and sisters in small
groups, in the midst of parenting
battles, and in the struggles of
youthful years to help us live in the
shalom of God’s kingdom.
Then we can ogether share restored
relationships with a community in
need of transformation – personal,
corporate, and systemic. This is
the focus of our Express Grace
Conference – equipping and
mobilizing us to be the people
of God on the mission of God
particularly here in Huntsville. Our
heart is that we together would
be inspired and enabled to bring
kingdom shalom here so that
Huntsville would be more and
more like heaven – where we all
know God, rejoice in his glory, and
experience his goodness.
Gospel community is a community
on mission together – taking the
good news of a shalom-restoring
God to everyone around us. So,
while there are top-notch speakers
coming to Southwood for this
conference (see more inside), they
will leave Huntsville afterwards, and
we will be the ones God calls to
carry the gospel to our neighbors
and city day in and day out. Don’t
let anything short of a stomach
bug cause you to miss this chance
to pray, dream, and learn together
about what that can look like!
If you would like to contact
Will, use the following:
will.spink@southwood.org