Christmas poetry at Redeemer

“The Wonders of His Love” - Redeemer Church London carol service

Sunday December 14, 2025 at 4.30pm and 6.30pm

University of West London

There’s less than a week to go now until this year’s annual carol service at Redeemer Church London on Sunday.

Church member STEVE PAGE has been spreading joy with his poetry for years – and we often hear his latest offerings at our Christmas services.

Here, you can enjoy three he put together this time last year. We hope to see you this Sunday!

CHILDREN UNDERSTAND

Children understand loveliness.

They recognise the aroma,

the touch of love,

the echo of hearts

that rise to adore.

Children understand loveliness.

They recognise the savour,

the weight of feast,

the press of voices

that sing with laughter.

Children understand loveliness.

They recognise Christmas

within the heat,

the fire and glory

of Christ's forgiveness.

Children understand Christmas.

Look to them.

SAVIOUR

This month I call you Saviour.

Mostly, instinctively

I call to you as Lord-God and Father.

Typically these are the names

I call to mind at early dawn.

But this month you are Saviour

as I become more acutely drawn

to my need to call on your saving grace

on your sacrificial willingness

to cast off the trappings

wrapped up with heavenly glory

to embrace the blood and the mess

that comes with small town nativity.

This month I address

my Hosannas to you,

my divine infant Saviour.

GIFTING

When does a gift given become a gift received?

If a gift is not accepted, is it a gift indeed?

If a gift is left unopened is the gifting actually achieved?

(Is a gift not a gift if it is rejected?

Does it lose its giftedness when refused or neglected?)

Does the gift itself retain some kinetic gifted energy?

Or does it need the active catalyst of reception

to truly be the gift that its giver intends it to be?

This Christmas be sure to accept your full responsibility

to receive with a fully open heart as well as open hands

this gift I give to you from me.

(I've left the receipt in the bag.)

Maranatha

On the final day of Advent - Christmas Eve, Timali has written a poem about the one whose arrival we celebrate tomorrow, and every day!

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Maranatha

He came once

but in a quiet unintrusive way

hidden in the womb of a young unassuming girl.

How he shed his resplendent glory and vacated his abode of magnanimous dominion - I know not.

But this I know, he came.

Came to the malaised Earth, 

its fractured world of broken humanity,

there he silently stole into the almost-wedded lives of an earnest and devout couple - unexpected, uninvited.

How he relinquished his power, majesty and 

incorruptible divinity - I know not.

But this I know, he did. 

Did subject himself to the trappings 

of the frail and fragile human form - the same clay vessels

that he had lovingly created and fashioned.

How he willingly diminished his status and stature to

become a vulnerable babe,  child,  man - I know not.

But this I know, he did.

Did mysteriously manifest in this earthly realm

via scandal and suspicion, the bearer of peace yet causing contention.

His humble birth bringing awe and wonder to the low and the wise,

but revealing also the sin-sick darkness in the heart of man

How he surrendered his authority and rule to become the

object of envy and ridicule - I know not.

But this I know, he did.

Did breathe our air, tread our sod and experience 

the limitations and temptations of mankind.

Yet he remained pure,

untainted

by the ravaging wages of sin.

A perfect sacrifice

a saviour born to die

the true messiah

Messiah then, messiah now, messiah yet to come

Come again to make all things new

with trumpets sounding and angelic hosts at his command.

No longer a newborn baby

but King of kings and Lord of Lords!

How he will establish righteousness and truth, administer justice 

and usher in his kingdom reign - I know not

But this I know, he will.

Then the seventh angel sounded [his trumpet]; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying,

“The kingdom (dominion, rule) of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.”
Revelation 11:15 (AMP)

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Timali Ebanks is a follower of Jesus, cherished wife and mother of a beloved motley crew. When she is not enthusiastically expounding on the joys of delving into literature and engaging students in copious amounts of reading and analysis, she enjoys bouts of writing and adventures of all sorts.

Sounds of the Season - God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

Welcome! It’s December the 8th, and we’re continuing with our very first Redeemer Digital Advent Calendar! This year, in the lead up to Christmas, we’ll be producing daily content which we hope blesses you, encourages you, and reminds you of the hope that we can celebrate this Christmas!

We’re continuing today with the second of 4 Advent blogs which will be released every Tuesday until Christmas and will make up a series called ‘Sounds of the Season’. Each week we will be taking the opportunity to appreciate the deeper meaning behind Christmas music, with a focus on a specific Christmas carol that helps to shed light on the true meaning of this Christmas season.

Today, we look at another classic carol - God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen! You can hear a version below.

Sheep have amazing hearing. In fact, one of the first ways a lamb associates itself with its mother is by learning her voice. Though they have poor depth perception when it comes to sight, they can recognise their shepherd’s call from far off. We are the sheep of God’s pasture, and we are called to hear his voice and to follow his lead, including proclaiming the good news of Jesus to the people he sends us to.

Unto certain Shepherds….

This is exactly what the angels did in Luke 2:8-20, a passage of scripture described in the second verse of today’s carol - God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.

From God our Heavenly Father
A blessed Angel came;
And unto certain Shepherds 
Brought tidings of the same: How that in Bethlehem was born The Son of God by Name.
O tidings of comfort and joy, Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy 

The angels came and declared the incredible news of Jesus’ birth, not to the emperor Caesar, or even to King Herod, but instead to lowly shepherds.

Shepherds appear in the bible in many places, and their status changes throughout biblical history, from being an “abomination to the Egyptians” in Genesis 46:34, to a shepherd being anointed king with the selection of David by Samuel (1 Samuel 16:11). Krish Kandiah’s 2017 article “God Turns Up in All the Wrong Places at Christmas” describes shepherds as “considered untrustworthy and regarded as unclean…homeless strangers”. We however are called, as the angels were, to share the good news of Jesus with whoever God calls us to.

The Lost Sheep

The angels visit to the shepherds on the night of Jesus’ birth is not the only appearance of shepherds in the book of Luke. In Luke 15:1-7, Jesus tells the parable of the lost sheep, reminding those listening (as well as those reading his words 2000 years later), that in God’s role as our shepherd, her seeks us out when we have gone astray.

Shepherds are not just used by God as an example of those to whom the message of Christmas must be told, but also as those through which the reason for Christmas is revealed. God couldn’t let us go astray, but he sent Jesus that we might be found and brought back to him.

So what role will shepherds play in your story of Christmas this year? 

Perhaps you are challenged to reach out to those who the rest of society might be ignoring this Christmas, and reveal to them something of the true message of this time of year.

Or, perhaps you feel like the lost sheep, and you realise this Christmas might be an opportunity to come home.

However you feel right now, know that the Good Shepherd is calling you. Listen out for his voice.

Redeemer Advent Calendar Blog - Sounds of the Season!

Welcome! It’s December the 1st, and the start of our very first Redeemer Digital Advent Calendar! For the next 24 days in the lead up to Christmas, we’ll be producing daily content which we hope blesses you, encourages you, and reminds you of the hope that we can celebrate this Christmas!

We’re starting off the month with the first of 4 Advent blogs which will be released every Tuesday until Christmas and will make up a series called ‘Sounds of the Season’. Each week we will be taking the opportunity to appreciate the deeper meaning behind Christmas music, with a focus on a specific Christmas carol that helps to shed light on the true meaning of this Christmas season.

Today, we begin with an old favourite - Hark the Herald Angels Sing! You can hear a version below.

Pleased as man with man to dwell…

When we sing this carol together every Christmas as we get to verse 3 there is a specific line that sticks out to me - “Veiled in flesh the Godhead see, hail the incarnate deity. Pleased as man, with man to dwell…” This is one of the most incredible truths of the Christmas story, that God himself came to dwell with us. How do we know this? It’s written into his very name - Immanuel, that means God with us! We read in Matthew 1:22-23, a recalling of the prophecy brought by Isaiah and which we can read in Isaiah 7 & 8. In the book of Isaiah, the arrival of Immanuel signals temporary salvation for the people of Judah, but we know that the arrival of Jesus means salvation is available to all people! God became man, that we might be eternally saved from sin and death.

What does that mean?

The question for us today is how do we live out this salvation here on earth, how does our eternal hope influence our life right now?!

One thing we do is we honour and care for our own bodies! Christmas is often a time of indulgence, and though I’m not saying we should ditch our Christmas dinner, it is important to remember that we are temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20), and that we bear the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27), it’s important that we look after ourselves physically.

It’s equally important that we choose to honour and care for others. We are called as his disciples to follow the example of Jesus, to be his presence here on earth. Let’s seek this Christmas to be a voice for the voiceless, to care for the vulnerable, victims of abuse, and to meet the needs of those who would otherwise go without. As we celebrate our own rescue from brokenness, we are called to care for others who are broken (James 1:27).

Another thing we are called to do as followers of Christ, is to speak truth in situations where it needs to be heard. There is a tendency in our culture today to think of the spiritual as separate from every day life, but as we sing of Jesus’ coming as a baby, to dwell with us, we are reminded that God wants our relationship with him to impact every aspect of our lives.

We were made for close connection

In 2013, a World Health Organisation study concluded that skin-to-skin contact between a mother and her baby led to increased connection between the two, better feeding, and more robust physiological development.

This is a scientific way of making the point that we were designed to have close connection with the one who made us. We believe as Christians that this means more than just close relationship with our earthly parents, but that we are made for intimacy with our heavenly Father. We are brought near to him in and through Christ! (John 17:22-23)

The TV show Undercover Boss features a CEO disguising themselves as a regular member of staff, and interacting with people at their company they would never normally meet. It is always interesting to see the realisation that though they are leading these people, they don’t truly know them at all. This is not how God loves us, he did not send Jesus simply to observe us, he came to serve, to dwell with us, and to restore us to relationship with our heavenly father.

This Christmas as we sing this carol let’s remember again the wonder that God came to dwell with us.

#RedeemerRecommends Upside Down Advent!

Turn Advent UPSIDE DOWN. 

In the run up to Christmas I was struck by an idea floating on the Web.  

A REVERSE ADVENT CALENDAR.

http://www.goodtoknow.co.uk/family/547633/reverse-advent-calendar 

Instead (or as well as) opening an advent calendar door each morning for a piece of chocolate to munch with your cereal flakes of choice, create a collection for someone struggling to make ends meet this Christmas.  

Each day in the run up to Christmas, put aside a staple food item or something a little more festive.  And before Christmas hand it to a local food bank or a charity supporting the homeless to be passed on to someone who may not be anticipating a happy Christmas time. 

Go to https://www.trusselltrust.org/what-we-do/ for more ideas of the best items to include and to find your local foodbank.  

If you're in Ealing go to https://ealing.foodbank.org.uk

You can even hand it in at your local supermarket - Tesco's in Ealing is collecting. 

Reverse Advent

"This year, although I know that you're keen to set up that nativity scene, I'm advocating an alternative means, a change in priorities for your generosities.

"I'm annointing a reversal, suggesting you parcel a hamper of staples and so turn the tables on advent doors that ignore the poor.  

"I'm asking that you choose to proclaim the good news beyond the pews, to pursue a change of people's views of what they thought they knew this season meant. Yes, let's reverse this Advent and make something more heaven-sent."

Have a great Advent and make it greater for someone else too.

#RedeemerRecommends @ Christmas

As we well and truly get into the Christmas spirit here at Redeemer, I have been thinking about how modern culture seems to be encouraging us to begin celebrating Christmas earlier and earlier each year.

For this next instalment of #RedeemerRecommends I would love to point you in the direction of an interesting blog by Courtney Ellis. It is a post encouraging us to avoid maligning those that would put Christmas music on in mid-October and embrace the fact that the birth of Jesus is something to be celebrated all year round!

Check out the blog here: 

https://www.christianitytoday.com/women/2018/november/christmas-advent-case-for-early-holiday.html

Advent-ure

Stay focused now.  He's no longer a babe in a manger, He's now a resurrected King.

ADVENTURE

It's advent:
Angels invite you to
Adventures in worship in your 
Annual observation in
Anticipation of the divine,
Awaiting, acclaiming the King.

The red coats are coming, 
The red coats are coming
(but don't let them distract you).

[Christmas is more than blokes in red suits.]

A POEM FOR CHRISTMAS

Christmas can be a time
When families get together:
Young children scream, wine glasses gleam,
Both ready for M&S dinner.

TV's in the corner
Rerunning Home Alone,
Heart Radio's in the kitchen,
Chris Rea's driving home, 
Again.

Toddlers find the wrapping
More engaging than the Duplo
Teen couples find the company
Less of interest than their own.

The dog's confused and excited
With so many different sources
Of scratches and pats, he can't relax,
His whining is remorseless.

Christmas can be a time
When families are missed,
The parcel made last post
Winging off to little sis.

Skype will come in handy
To laugh across the miles,
The screen will mask the tears
And focus on the smiles.

Gran will talk of Christmas past
When everyone was home
'Cept in Gulf War 1 when Uncle John
Went away, ....

Christmas can be a time
When budgets get stretched tight,
Cash pressures get to breaking point
And prompt senseless fights.

Some focus on opportunity
To spend some gilt-free money,
The only prayers are for extra hours
And a faster Tesco trolley.

For others it's simply 'Yuletide'
An excessive celebration,
A winter feast, all you can eat,
Give in to all temptation.

Most focus on the family,
Even more on the gifts;
There's little time for Jesus
Assigned amongst the myths.

Some do remember Jesus
From half-forgotten carols,
They know there's something more
Than donkeys and angel heralds.

For there He is in the middle,
Noticed once in a while;
It's His birthday, but all He's getting
Is a half-hearted song and a smile.

He's no longer a babe in a manger,
He's now a resurrected King,
Waiting for those who would worship
To stand and welcome Him in.

Whatever your experience of Christmas
You can come just as you are,
His love is unconditional
He'll accept you warts and all.

So come on!
It’s a season to celebrate!
To dance, to sing and to shout!
Your Saviour invites you to join Him,
So when you sing this Christmas,
BELT it out.

REMEMBERING ONE THING THIS CHRISTMAS MIGHT MAKE IT YOUR BEST YET...

The countdown to Christmas has begun!

The first Sunday of Advent has passed, and it's all leading up to the celebration of the birth of Jesus. Now, I don’t know about you, but sometimes it can get a bit samey. We’ve all heard the Christmas story every year for as long as we can remember.

Well, this year I started reading an Advent devotional wondering if I'd learn anything new (if you're looking for a good one, check out these, specifically for ladies or gentlemen). One of the passages from the Bible referenced on the first day was one I’d read many times before, but as I read the verse out loud I suddenly found, out of nowhere, tears falling down my face:

Behold, the virgin shall become pregnant and give birth to a Son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel—which, when translated, means, God with us. (Matthew 1:23)

I’m sure many of us have had this experience.

A verse we’ve seen hundreds of times before suddenly hits something deep inside, and we feel like we’re reading it for the first time. This verse was a quote from the prophet Isaiah 700 years before Jesus’ birth (Isaiah 7:14). This verse was describing a plan that had been a long time in the making, even way before Isaiah made this prophecy. A plan to rectify and remedy a mess, to bring things back to how they were originally meant to be, before we separated ourselves from God:

Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.’ (Genesis 3:8)

The whole history of humanity, laid out for us to read in the Bible, and continuing with you and me today, has been one of pursuit and love.

The love of a Father who desires to come close.

And I know I too feel far off sometimes, but the truth of the matter is that the culmination of this story began that day: a baby born in a shed in a small Middle Eastern town called Bethlehem. 

God with us. God come to make his home in us. God come to repair the brokenness. God come to save, redeem and restore.

Emmanuel - God with us.

Somehow this year feels different. Emmanuel. Maybe I’m only really hearing this for the first time. That God, the all powerful, all mighty, nothing is impossible, holy and wonderful God, would choose to come and live on this Earth, and make my heart his dwelling place. No other God would do that. No other God would stoop that low. No other God says YOU are worth that, worth giving anything, just to be with. 

Not only did he come that one day as a baby, thousands of years ago, but he didn’t stop there. He comes again and again. Day after day, hour after hour, he comes, he is with us.

For a long time, I’ve struggled with the concept that maybe his presence with me is the only guarantee in this life. I wanted health, relationships, finance, a career. If I'm honest I felt cheated that knowing God didn’t guarantee any of that, and the promise that he would never leave me nor forsake me whatever I faced in life just didn’t seem quite enough.

But maybe something in me is changing, some revelation of what it really means that my God is Emmanuel – God with us. The power and the privilege of his presence, and that that really is more than enough.

Please come and celebrate our Emmanuel this Sunday (11 December) at one of our candlelit carol services. Ealing Town Hall, 4pm and 6pm.

TURN ADVENT UPSIDE-DOWN, SHE SAID...

This year in the run up to Christmas I was struck by an idea floating on the web.

A reverse advent calendar.

Instead of (or as well as) opening an advent calendar door each morning for a piece of chocolate to munch with your cereal flakes of choice, create a collection for someone struggling to make ends meet this Christmas.

Here's how it works.

Each day in the run up to Christmas, put aside a staple food item, or something a little more festive. And just before Christmas, hand it to a local foodbank or a charity supporting the homeless, to be passed on to someone who may not be looking forward to the same happy Christmas time that you are.

Find out ideas for the best items to include and your local foodbank at the Trussell Trust website.

If you're in Ealing, why not head straight to the Ealing Foodbank Redeemer helped to set up.

Spread some joy this Christmas.

---

Reverse Advent

This year, although I know
That you're keen
To set up that nativity scene, 
I'm advocating an alternative means, 
A change in priorities
For your generosity.

I'm anointing a reversal, 
Suggesting you parcel
A hamper of staples
And so turn the tables
On advent doors
That ignore the poor. 

I'm asking that you choose
To proclaim the good news
Beyond the pews, 
To pursue a change of people's views
Of what they thought they knew
This meant.
Yes, let's reverse this advent
And make something heaven-sent. 

Have a great Advent.