Soil and Fruit

This past Sunday, for our ALL IN service, we engaged the parable of the fig tree (Luke 13:6-9), and asked: 

What does the ‘soil’ of our lives need in this season? 

What ‘fruit’ do we hope for?

May you continue to find space to reflect on these questions as you move through your week. We offer this excerpt from A Sanctified Art’s material as a supplement to our ALL IN:

“The gardener in the vineyard knows the fig tree needs rest, nutrients, and time—and it also needs to produce fruit. Both things are true, which is also true for us. If we are always striving for more growth without taking time to rest, we will burn out. But if we are only ever resting, we won’t bear fruit or grow. The fig tree also teaches us that the in between time—of nurture before fruit—can be where transformation begins…

… We don’t know exactly why Jesus told this parable and what he intended his original audience to take away from it, though many allegories have been posited over the centuries. As modern readers, one thing is true: we may easily identify and sympathize with the fig tree. We ourselves may often feel as if our worth is defined and measured by what we produce. We know how difficult it can be to rest in a world that never stops sprinting. We may feel the pressure to produce outcomes without the support and resources to feasibly do so. And like the fig tree, many of us journey through in-between seasons: undefined and uncertain chapters when we don’t quite know if any change is—or can—take place.

When facing uncertainty, perhaps we can put the gardener’s skills into practice. We might imagine that the gardener practises patience, hope, trust, discernment, resilience, and openness as he tends to the roots and soil. Can we embody these traits as well?

(Commentary on Luke 13:6-9 | by Rev. Jeff Chu)

Deep peace and blessing,

Anne and Madison

Rev. Anne Baxter Smith
Pastor, Southpoint Church

Sun Mar 30 Sunday Brunches — No Service at Sunnyside
Luke 15: 1-7

Fri Apr 18 Good Friday
(Stay tuned for more info)

Sun Apr 20 Easter Sunday
Luke 24:1-12
Anne Baxter Smith

Sun Apr 27 All Out
More information to come

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.

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