Do the Good That is Yours To Do

“For true evangelical faith… cannot lay dormant: But manifests itself in all righteousness and works of love: It… clothes the naked, feeds the hungry, consoles the afflicted, shelters the miserable, aids and consoles all the oppressed, returns good for evil, serves those that injure it, prays for those who persecute it.” —Menno Simons

We lived in a small town in rural Kansas for four years, right smack in the middle of tornado alley. Whenever a tornado warning came on, we’d gather up the basics: radio, flashlight, dogs, kids, water and snacks, pillow, stuffed animals, and yes, a quilt or a blanket. 

For the past two Sundays, we’ve been gathering up the basics. Pieces of homespun wisdom to help resource and comfort us as we enter into the unknown of what is predicted to be a stormy new year. As we wait in the dark basement of Advent, we’ve been gathering phrases that a grandparent might say to a grandchild, or Mary might have whispered to Jesus:

“You are a blessing.” 

“You don’t have to go it alone.” 

And today’s phrase: 

“Do the good that is yours to do.”

What is the good that you are already doing?
What is the good that is not yours to do?
What is the good that is yours to do?
What is the good that is waiting for you to do? 

John the Baptist went out in the wilderness to baptize people. When the crowds followed him, he did not soft pedal the message. He challenged everyone for the way they have participated in injustice, and he told them to go bear fruit worthy of repentance. In response, the crowd, the tax collectors, and the soldiers came to him and asked, “What, then, should we do?” 

To the crowds, John said, “Share what you have. If you have two coats, give one away.” To the tax collectors John said, “Take no more than you’re due.” To the soldiers he said, “Do no harm in pursuit of personal gain.” 

John was calling out economic disparity and the abuse of power. He called them to DO things differently. 

“What should we do?” 

“Do the good that is yours to do.” 

In Isaiah 58, the prophet called his people to be the “repairers of the breach, the restorers of streets to dwell in.” The restoration would come as each person did the good that was theirs to do. 

The cumulative power of small individual acts stitched together creates a quilt of communal flourishing. Small, ordinary actions add up. It makes a difference when you are kind to a person who is lonely, when you compost, when you give food to those who are hungry, show up to a rally, or go to therapy and don’t pass on generational trauma. As we work for the restoration of others, we are also restoring ourselves. When we “remove the yoke” from others, we remove it from ourselves. Our actions create a ripple effect of restoration, Our good work contributes to interdependent systems of mutual flourishing.

We may think, “I’m just one person. What can I do?” Yet, as followers of Christ, we’re invited to consider a different question, one rooted in hope and action: “What is mine to do?
… I can’t do it all, but I can do something that matters.”  

—Kayla Craig, A Sanctified Art

This Advent, in the quiet where God’s still, small voice speaks, we are to listen and discern what is ours to do. Consider the unique quilt of gifts, talents, responsibilities, delights, convictions, values and resources that make up your life. What does this uniquely shape you to do? 

Our efforts are gathered up into the Divine Quilt that Creator God is stitching. Other parts of the community will provide what we cannot. We are not expected to complete the entire project, but neither are we free to abandon our part in it. Brian McLaren writes: “This hot-mess world needs changing, and there are beautiful, unique contributions that only you can make.”

You are uniquely situated to bring light into the world. May you find courage this season to do the good that is yours to do, for it matters. You matter. Your actions expand outwards, touching lives and sending waves through the fabric of our shared humanity. May God give us wisdom to choose wisely what we say and do. 

Breath Prayer, Third Week of Advent:
Good of Goodness,
inhale
Guide the work of my hands.
exhale
 
With God’s help, may our acts of love and works of justice bring flourishing of life on earth.

Deep peace and blessing, 

Anne

Rev. Anne Baxter Smith
Pastor, Southpoint Church

Harvest

Maybe none of it matters.

Maybe you can’t make a difference.

Or maybe that watermelon seed you spit out over the summer will grow into a green orb, full of

sticky sweet fruit. Maybe the rain will nourish it. Maybe your mother’s hands will pull it from the

vine, slice it into wedges, and place it on the dining room table. Maybe the neighbours will come over

and chomp into that soft pink fruit, juicy water running down their chins. Maybe you will laugh at

the shared experience, at this garden-grown communion, and maybe the stars will shine brighter

that night.

People say the problems of the world are too big to make a difference,

but surely those people have forgotten the fruit that grows from one little seed.

Poem by Rev. Sarah A. Speed | A Sanctified Art LLC | sanctifiedart.org

New to Southpoint?

At Southpoint, it all begins with God’s love. Just as a plant grows, it receives sunshine, so we grow as we receive God’s love. At Southpoint, we are growing in our capacity to love God, ourselves, one another, and Creation.

We seek to be a community of grace that is intentional yet organic, spacious yet authentic, grace-filled yet accountable. * We are fully welcoming. *

We encourage relationships rather than run programs, yet we recognize the importance of intentionality and structure as we nurture life together.

As a community, we seek to put our love in action. We value helping out on Sunday mornings, sharing food, and showing up in hard times. We keep our church life simple so folk have time to build relationships with family, friends, and neighbours. We encourage folk to serve in tangible ways within the wider community. We rent space rather than own a building, allowing us to do more with less, supporting missions at home and abroad.

Curious to know more?

These six slides express what motivates our ministry (best viewed on a monitor). Here’s the bio of our Pastor, Rev. Anne Baxter Smith.

If you’d like to really peek inside, sign up for our weekly Southpoint News (scroll to brown footer at bottom of page). The Southpoint News is a MailChimp distributed email—you can unsubscribe anytime and will not be added to our contacts list. Email us at office@southpoint.ca. Website: southpoint.ca.