Southpoint News November 24, 2016
In Advent, we are invited to watch for a world that is closer than our breath yet just beyond the limits of our perception. We listen to the prophets describe this world where lambs cuddle against wolves, swords morph into plowshares, and nations collaborate for peace rather than compete for profit. They describe for us the leader of this world, One heavy laden with righteousness, like an apple tree smothered in fruit. They describe a creation so teeming with the life force that streams sprout out of nowhere in the desert and sick folk find healing coursing through their veins. It is a fantastical world, and yet in Advent, we do the audacious. We dare believe in such a reality. We proclaim that even now, this kingdom is upon us, within us, around us. We announce the good news that one day, it will fill all in all. In Advent, we stand at the threshold of our world, with all its suffering and disappointment, with all its cruelty and outrage, and we stare out the door, waiting for our King, waiting for the Kingdom Coming.
OUR ADVENT CALENDAR
November 27th: PIZZA AND PEEPS: Relatively new to Southpoint? Want to get to know a few more folk? Join us for some pizza and salad after the service and learn about the community here at Southpoint.
November 27th: SUNDAY SERVICE – ADVENT BEGINS as an ALL IN! You can help us prepare for this morning by bring binoculars, old glasses, and magnifying glasses! Just mark them with your name so you can make sure they get home again!
December 4th: SUNDAY SERVICE – Speaker: Anne Smith
December 9th: Youth Group
December 11th: SUNDAY SERVICE – Speaker: Anne Smith
December 18th: SUNDAY SERVICE – ALL IN NATIVITY PLAY
December 19th: Ice Skating Christmas Party – stay tuned for more details:)
December 24th: CHRISTMAS EVE COMMUNION and CAROL SING
@ Brooksdale Center from 4-5
December 25th: NO SUNDAY SERVICE
ADVENT THRESHOLDS
A Contemplative Advent Experience December19th, Kingfisher Farm, 11 am – 2 pm
Come prepare your heart for the coming of Christ through some quiet prayer time in nature. This will be a drop in sort of event that can be done alone or with your family. We will have several contemplative prayer stations set up outside for you to engage with. Find instructions at the barn. Please come ready for any kind of weather!
A Man Called Ove by Frederik Backman
Ove is a curmudgeon, whose mission in the world is to right all the wrongs that he dislikes, which is just about everyone. And everything. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse, all masking a deep sadness. When an Iranian woman enters the neighborhood, unfamiliar with Swedish cultural values of privacy, he finds his boundaries accosted, literally, as a trickle of strangers begin to cross the threshold of his front door. Herein lies the beauty of this book, and the slowly unfolding redemption of Ove. This book was part of the inspiration for our Advent theme “Threshold”. We bought four copies for your reading pleasure, a few are already circulating, but let Anne or Angela know if you are interested. As you read it, watch for the repetition of the word “threshold” and take notice of just how many times someone is crossing over into someone else’s “world”.
“Joyeux Noel”
Last year Matt Humphrey invited us to watch this remarkable true story of the Christmas Day truce of 1914, during which the French, German, and Scottish soldiers meet on the front lines and negotiate a cease fire, which leads to singing of carols, the sharing of the Eucharist, and a soccer match. In a world of increasing hostility, this movie becomes a threshold through which we discover our common humanity and the exquisite power of peace. Here is the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRrr-CDXijs
Blood-Drive
There are just 6 weeks left to donate blood this year. Hospitals never close and neither does Canadian Blood Services. They need donors throughout the entire month of December. When donating remember we are in the Partners for Life Program and our church ID is: THEC180665
Here’s a quick video to inspire you:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wuXLGePDp4&feature=youtu.be
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