“God is Love” – Anthony Falbo

I Desire

“I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things…I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings..”-  Philippians 3:10

This is one of my favorite passages of scripture. I feel the intensity of Paul’s passion, and the clarity of his desire.  He seems overcome by a hunger to know Jesus, so much so that wants the Full Monty.  His desire to know Christ is so pervasive and thorough that he welcomes, personally, experiences of suffering and experiences of power.

In Jesus’ suffering form, we see the fulness of God’s love. God is not satisfied just walking beside us when we are in pain. God, in Christ, welcomes our suffering. God chooses to experience the full gamut of our pain, sorrow, frustration, anger and powerlessness, from the inside out, joining us even in death.  For those drinking deeply from the cup of suffering, a God who enters our suffering and experiences it with us is a source of great comfort. However, it is not the end of the story.  Jesus drinks the cup of suffering to the last dregs, taking our suffering into himself,  so that he can offer us the cup of life. This cup of life is filled to the brim with the power of resurrection.  He came for this, so that we may ultimately drink, deeply from the cup of life.

When I look at church history,  I see traditions that emphasize the suffering of Christ, and others that place a greater emphasis on the victory and power of Christ.  We’re not very good at holding the two together, living in the tension of joy and sorrow.

Yet watch how LOVE  holds these two realities together in this passage.  Jesus loves so completely that he willingly opens  himself to  our suffering and offers us his power. Paul, in this passage, mirrors back this love.  Paul loves Jesus so completely that he willingly opens himself up to Christ’s suffering and welcomes in his power.

For both Paul and Jesus, love is the guiding desire. Out of such love flows life.

Calendar: Easter Season

May 5th: What Does Resurrection Look Like?, Part 2, “Vocation” Scriptures: John 21:1-19 and Acts 9:1-6, (7-20), Speaker: Anne

May 12th: “What Does Resurrection Look Like?”, Part 3, “Life”  Scriptures:  Acts 9:36-43, John 10:22-30, Speaker: Anne

May 19th: “What Does Resurrection Look Like?”, Part 4, “Connection” Scriptures: Acts 11:1-18, John 13:31-35, Speaker: Anne

May 26th:  ALL IN + Pot Luck 

June 2nd:  “What Does Resurrection Look Like?” Part 5 “Communion”  Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21 John 17:20-26, Speaker:  Anne

June 9th:  PENTECOST SUNDAY 

Opportunities for Deepening Connections:

Southpoint Intergenerational  Spring Activity: Bike Ride

Sunday, May 5 @ 2:00 – bike around Barnston island in North Surrey. Meet at the ferry at 2:00 and enjoy a flat quiet 10 kilometre kid friendly ride around the island. Bring along some snacks/goodies to share at Robert Point rest area. If it’s raining we’ll cancel and try for another day. Contact Art Stuivenberg with any questions.

Actors wanted!

We are doing a play on Sunday May 26 called “The Miraculous Catch” written by Jason Goode.  We are looking for 7 actors (age 13 and up) to work on this during the month of May.  Please talk to Angela if you are at all interested angneufeld@gmail.com

Roots:

An open small group for youth/young adults.

Monday @ 8:30 pm, Anne and Craig’s house.

We dig deep into connecting with God and each other as we play games, discuss books, pray, share.  Interested?  Contact Anne (aksmith64@gmail.com)

Have an Announcement?

If you have an addition you would like included in this newsletter, please send a prepared announcement as you would like it to appear to: office@southpoint.ca by Tuesday and we will get back to you.

Prayer

If you have a need for prayer that you would like to pass on to the prayer chain, please contact John Hardy.
johnandwendyhardy@gmail.com