Southpoint News June 2, 2017

Unexpected Visitor

When I was pregnant with Johanna, Craig and I were living in Bristol, England, while Craig pursued his Ph.D. We lived in a tiny terraced house in a working class area south of the river known as Bedminster, a neighbourhood constructed in the 1800’s for miners and their families. Behind each house was a small area walled in on two sides which connected to a back alley by swinging gates. One day we noticed that a nearby factory had been pulled down, leaving a mountain of discarded bricks. Feeling young and adventuresome, still new to marriage and excited to be building a life together, we decided to collect these bricks and construct for ourselves a back wall, an enclosed garden for our little Jo. I remember the day so clearly. It was a warm and sunny day in June. I was 4 months pregnant, dressed in overalls and a tank top, and Craig had an old pair of jeans and a faded red shirt. I was scraping off the old mortar and carrying the bricks to Craig who lay them in wet concrete. I remember feeling expansive and unencumbered in my heart. As the afternoon wore on and our backs grew weary and the work lost some of its sheen, an old man appeared in the back alley right beside our half-built wall. He was carrying two glasses of sparkling wine and two chocolates on a tray, which he held out to us with a smile. We had not met him before, but apparently he had been watching us out his window, and he had decided it was time this young couple took an afternoon break. I remember being so delighted by this random act of neighbourliness, here in this working class neighborhood of South Bristol. We stood chatting with him in the golden light of the sun. I ate the chocolates, Craig drank the wine. We discovered he’d been the caretaker of the cathedral, that he’d lived in the neighbourhood most of his life. I remember being utterly smitten with him. I remember thinking how I wanted to be the kind of old person who brings sparkling wine to young couples great with child. When you look at the world from far away, things can look pretty grim. But from close up, there’s so much beauty. So much kindness. Everywhere. Let’s not lose heart. As long as there is someone to love, there is meaning. There is life. There is the presence of the resurrected Christ.
– Pastor Anne Smith

June Events

Parents of Kids entering Grades 6, 7 & 8:  Friday, 16 June  Save the Date. Come without kids to hear/participate in plans for this group in the autumn

+13 Youth Group: Jen & Andrew Hubbard’s home Friday, 9 & 23 June, 6:00 – 8:00 pm

Baptism class meeting with Anne Monday, 5, 12 & 19 June %:00 – 6:15 pm Kingfisher Farm

Camp-Out Weekend – see full item below

Sundays Ahead

4 June – Regular service at Sunnyside Pentecost

11 June – Regular service at Sunnyside

18 June – ALL OUT: Meet in Gathering Groups rather than at Sunnyside. (Also Father’s Day!)

25 June – Baptism service at Brooksdale (1620 192 Street, Surrey) Bring picnic lunch items for yourself and to share. BYO plates, cups, forks to reduce the load on our Brooksdale hosts.

2 July – Camp-out Weekend. Regular service at Sunnyside

Southpoint Camp-Out

Friday June 30 – Monday July 3 @Hazelmere Campground.

Thank you, Southpointers, for helping coordinate this Camp-Out at Hazelmere’s Group Site by responding promptly to our survey emails. You made it easy to move forward with this decision! Karin will be collecting camp fees over the next ten days as we need to pay the campground up front. We’ll be unable to offer refunds. Cheques can be made out to The Church at Southpoint; please note “Hazelmere Camping” in the item line. Cost is $40/night per family (meaning 3 nights is $120). For those who don’t enjoy roughing it, we invite you to join us as day guests. The campground charges $8/day for day guests who visit the campground. Saturday at 8:00 pm drop in for a marshmallow roast. Sunday at 4:00 pm drop in for a ‘tea party’! N.B. The Hot Dog Roast at Kingfisher has bee subsumed into the Camp-Out weekend.
Prayers
GRATITUDE! for the many Southpointers who mustered snacks and meals for the Youth Retreat weekend. We won’t be there but a tangible demonstration of the love of our intergenerational community will be GRATITUDE! for Jen and Andrew, Anne and Craig, who have organized their weekend to be with our youth.