Week of Jun 13-19, 2021.

Cultivating who you are and Letting Go of identity

One of the things we know of Jesus’ life was how he cultivated his union with God: he intentionally took time away from the busyness and demands on him to be with God… This time was at the very beginning of his ministry—he had just been publicly baptized, and affirmed as God’s beloved son, and his genealogy confirmed. And then “the Spirit led him into the wilderness”—curious timing—the desert: a place, literally, of losing and letting go… of momentum, of connection with other people, even of physical sustenance. And in the experience of desert, maybe the question arose, “How do I live into this identity? Into these expectations?” I wonder what the conversations were in that 40 days.

Then came that doubting question: “IF you are…”, you can fix this/manage this/get what you want or need/ be THIS!! After fasting for 40 days in the wilderness, Jesus needed food! So the first temptation ties his physical need to his identity. Jesus is God, all-powerful, part of creating the world, perfectly able to make bread out stones. Why not do it, I wonder? But Jesus entered our world as a human, fully like us, to experience our experience, be dependent as we are on physical things. Did he need to prove he was the son of God, not JUST human? That he could use his power to escape the pain of being human? He refused to be tempted in this way. And, if he couldn’t resist these temptations, how would he CHOOSE to go to the cross?

He chose to be human, with all its hard realities, but in union with God—his true purpose and ‘Self.’ “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” His power would not be used for himself, but for others (he did create bread for 5000), for God. There, in the desert, Jesus chose and confirmed who he really was.

When Angela first approached me about this theme of cultivating and letting go, I was reminded right away of walking on pilgrimage in France. On one of our long days I commented to my husband Rob that the day had been a process of ‘finding’ and ‘losing’ myself. Simply being in a quiet daily rhythm of walking (like prayer), I found myself recognizing God’s questions to me, and allowing myself to hold some challenges differently. I saw parts of myself I didn’t especially love and hints of who God might be inviting me into. In the ‘wilderness’ of just walking (without the distractions of our busy life), the question was surfacing: ‘Who am I?’’ and further: “who do I want to be?” It’s probably a question we carry all our lives, and there are times which force that question to the surface.

– Ruth
Meditation on Luke 4:1-13
If you missed it: here.

__________________________________
Angela launched our summer series: here.

 

Together @ Southpoint

 

Youth, In June

Got a question? Contact Katie (email)  Instagram: thechurchatSouthpoint

Order of the Phoenix
Zooms 6:00-7:00 pm
Tuesday, Jun 15, 29

Fellowship of the Rings 
Zooms 6:30-7:30 pm
Tuesday, Jun 22

Roots
Hike, Everyone Welcome
Saturday, Jun 19 (check instagram)

Zoom chat, 8:00 pm
Friday, Jun 25

Community Sharing

Here, we hold space particularly to hear the sorrow/worry in hearts of those whose journeys are right now hard. Your ‘voice’ as you share in the Southpoint News may be different than what you tell a member of the Pastoral Care Team and confidential prayer chain (i.e. more general info and less vulnerable), or it may be exactly the same. To contribute a care: email.

Loriane & Grant

Updates here. As of June 10 the new rules at the hospice allow anyone to visit as long as it is only two at a time. If you’d like to see Grant at the hospice, please contact their son, Daryl (778-888-6948 or daryl@frewing.ca). You’d be very welcome!

Meals  One way that an individual or family might support Grant and Loriane is to provide a meal. Loriane suggests something like a small casserole and/or a salad (two portions) would be most suitable. Our new  “Take Them A Meal” begins Thursday June 17 and continues every other day for a month. Late afternoon or evening delivery to their home probably works best.

Prayer

Prayer Chain
If you have a confidential prayer need, please send it to the first link in the chain, John Hardy (email).
Prayer Circles
Wednesdays:  6:30 pm, by Zoom
If you’d like to join, please contact Donelda by 6:00 pm for the link.

Pastoral Care

Active Pastoral Care Person
If you’re needing to talk or to pray, or would like support while you figure out what you need(!), our Pastoral Care Team is here for you:

Until Saturday, June 26 please contact  Roland Balzer (604-621-1945 / email)  NB: if you have difficulty connecting via the phone number, prefix it with 1.

Southpoint Gathering Groups
These are designed also to show care and be neighbourly – let your group facilitators know that you’re limping a little. Let’s lift each other up. If you’re not sure where you belong, contact Karin (email).

Our Wider Community

Trunk Sale for Christmas on the Peninsula
July 10, 9:00 am-1:00 pm

You are invited to participate in a Trunk Sale to fundraise for the Christmas on the Peninsula Society. If you want a space to sell your treasures, you can rent one for $35 (or two together for $60). Between every seller will be an entire parking space to maintain social distancing. Register here.

If you want to treasure hunt, all you have to do is come between 9 am & 1 pm to Mt Olive Lutheran Church (2350 148 Street) to do some perusing! We hope you’ll have fun getting out and seeing people again!

– Jennifer McAllister,
Events Coordinator & Fundraiser
778 688 7342

 

Worship 

Our summer invitation is to pay attention to God, our Master Gardener, and God’s actions in and around us. We invite God to unearth in us what lies fallow, what needs to be tended, and what needs to die for new life to emerge. We embrace the practise of cultivating and letting go using resources created by A Sanctified Art (website).

June 20 Outdoor Church
* Wear a mask
* Bring a chair/blanket
* and a summer liturgy

GGs at Kingfisher: Smith & Hubbard
GGs in Hardy yard: Neufeld & McDougall-Lade
GGs in Oger yard: Oger & Unrau/BJ

If an Outdoor Church needs to be cancelled (for Covid reasons, or due to inclement weather!) you will receive an email on Sunday morning by 8:30 am from Karin (office@southpoint.ca) to alert you.

Small Group Zoom info
Zoom host: Yvonne
NB: This an option for those unable to attend an outdoor gathering. It is a time of fellowship and not a ‘led’ service. It will NOT replace Outdoor Church if weather cancels it.

Jun 27 Zoom Church 
Speaker: Maryanne Balzer
Cultivating trust in God’s care, Letting Go of self-reliance
Luke 13:31-35

 

Supporting Southpoint 

Your donation is so important – thank you for supporting the church in this time.

Pre-authorized debit (monthly or one-time) with our linked form. Cost to Southpoint is $0.50.

Paypal to the The Church at Southpoint. Cost is 3% of the donation. No Paypal account is required, only a credit card.

Charitable Impact Foundation.  Cost is 2.8% of the donation.