You Are A Blessing

This Advent we journey with the metaphor of quilts. Quilts were traditionally made from leftover fabric pieces that seemed unimportant on their own but came together to form a beautiful, cohesive pattern.

Isaiah 43:1-7 exemplifies this. The passage is structured as a chiasm, a literary pattern with matching, repeating sections, focusing on a key central point.

In verses 1 and 2, God tells us we were created and formed by him; we are not to fear because God has summoned us by name, each individually; and when we pass through chaos, we will survive.

Verse 3 is the central hinge: we will be safe because Yahweh is our God who saves us.

Verses 3b and 4 tell us not only will we survive, but how unbelievably precious we are to God.

Verses 5, 6, and 7a repeat not to be afraid because he has called us by His name, and not only us but all our descendants from the whole world.

Verse 7b repeats that we were created and formed by him, adding the detail that we bring glory to him.

We “add shine” to the God of the Universe! We “magnify” the God of the Universe!

How unbelievable!The same pattern is evident in Mary’s annunciation in Luke 1: God calls her by name, assures her of His presence, and tells her not to fear. She is part of God’s grand design, called to bring forth something of great value. This would happen by God’s action, and Mary recognized she was called by His name, as His servant. Then she glorifies Him.

Just like the Jews in Isaiah’s time, and Mary in hers, we also live by this pattern. We are called by name, known in the details of our particular lives. We are told to not fear, because God is near. We are called to a life beyond our imagination; God will do it. We acknowledge we are called by His name, and God is glorified.

As we begin Advent, let us remember that we are a blessing. You and me.
Even when we face hardships, God is with us, shaping us into a beautiful pattern that we could not imagine, as we look at the seemingly random scraps of our lives. But at some point we will come to see that pattern, and be amazed at the glory of what we’ve participated in.

—Christie Goode

(You can listen to Christie’s talk here.)

Did you miss Anne’s series on Job?

(1) The Wager of Loss link

(2) The Struggle link

(3) Beyond Words link

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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