#RedeemerRecommends - Faith Locked Down
As we look forward to meeting together physically for the first time this Sunday, #RedeemerRecommends looks back at some of the creative fruit which has grown at Redeemer over the past 6 months.
Over the course of lockdown there has been a wealth of content produced by the incredible creative individuals here at Redeemer (though the blog took a bit of a summer break!) As we look forward to returning to physical services again, we thought we would restart the blog with a home grown edition of #RedeemerRecommends, and point you towards some of the inspiring and challenging pieces of writing produced by the Redeemer Creatives over the past six months.
These Psalms, Prayers, Poems, Posts and Portraits tell the story of how some of our closest friends and family have processed the events of 2020 so far through the written word, I hope that as you read them you are inspired, challenged and comforted, but most of all I hope your faith is stirred, and your eyes are drawn not towards the mountains you may face, but to the one who can move them.
Some of the co-authors of the book have recorded audio versions of their written pieces, you can find them on the Redeemer Youtube channel, or by following the link below.
I’ll leave the final word to our senior pastor, Pete Cornford…
“During these difficult and uncertain times these believers have fought for faith and we get to walk the path behind them. Raw, honest and real; let their encounters ignite and fan your faith!”
'Take this opportunity to read more......'
Looking for a book to read? Find out where you can find one for free (or at a discount)…
As you will no doubt be aware, the recent covid-19 outbreak has changed everyone’s lives to a greater and a lesser extent. As a church we know that many members of our family will be self-isolating, working from home, or practicing social distancing over the coming weeks. We are hoping that through a series of blogs we can encourage you, and others who might be reading these blogs, to fix your eyes on Jesus, and respond to the crisis in a way which honours his will for our lives.
One of my new year’s resolutions this year was to read more, and given that I am currently consigned to my house for the near future, I am hoping not to turn to the nearest screen and see how much of Netflix’s back catalogue I can get through, but instead to actually act on my resolution!
This has not been as easy as I thought, as there is still lots going on in my life, and many things I need to be doing to make sure church still happens (albeit online) on a Sunday morning! But one thing that’s helpful is the many deals which have subsequently appeared on book selling websites! So, if you, like me are using this time to try and read more, then detailed below is many ways in which you can pick up your next page turner for free (or at least at a discount).
First up, Audible, who recently released the following statement on their website:
For as long as schools are closed, we're open. Starting today, kids everywhere can instantly stream an incredible collection of stories, including titles across six different languages, that will help them continue dreaming, learning, and just being kids.
All stories are free to stream on your desktop, laptop, phone or tablet.
Explore the collection, select a title and start listening.
It's that easy.
Their titles are varied depending on age, but include stories from Beatrix Potter, A.A. Milne, and Rudyard Kipling, as well as C.S. Lewis’ ‘The Screwtape Letters’, and classics like Frankenstein, Jane Eyre and Romeo and Juliet.
There are also a number of titles available for $4.99 on LifeWay, such as ‘Steadfast Love: The Response of God to the cries of our Heart’ by Lauren Chandler, and ‘Running From Mercy: Jonah and the Surprising Story of God’s Unstoppable Grace’. LifeWay is also offering their Gospel Project curriculum for free during this time, which is the resource we use for our kids work on a Sunday morning.
Crossway is also offering the basic subscription plan on ESV.org for free until the 31st of May 2020. With the plan you can access 9 different study bibles, the Greek New Testament, and the ‘Knowing the Bible study series’ which covers every book in the bible across 45 volumes.
Most books at The Good Book Company are also discounted up to 40% off, books such as ‘Where Is God in a Coronavirus World’ by John Lennox, and ‘The Friend Who Forgives: A True Story about How Peter Failed and Jesus Forgave’ by Dan DeWitt.
Finally, Moody (A Christian book publisher) is also offering several of it’s titles at 50% off, including The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer. While everything on the site is at least 40% off until the end of March.
So, if you’re looking to get into reading during your time of self-isolation, or if you have always been a lover of books, there’s lots out there for you!
#RedeemerRecommends - Confronting Christianity
#RedeemerRecommends a book which uses big questions of Christianity as signposts pointing to the hope of the world, Jesus Christ.
Every year in the run up to Christmas I have the same conversation with frustrated members of my family as they desperately ask me what I want! As gifts is not high on my list of love languages I often respond with a shrug and an unhelpful phrase, something along the lines of - ’Whatever you feel like getting me I guess?’
I have come to learn over the years that when someone is trying to be generous, it helps to be a little more specific than that! So this year I sent my family the link to the Gospel Coalition’s books of the year, as a sort of Christmas list! You can find it here, just in case you’ve got a friend or family member with a January birthday coming up and (like me) your gift giving ideas ran dry about half way through December….
One of the books on the list which I was lucky enough to receive this Christmas was Rebecca McLaughlin’s ‘Confronting Christianity - 12 Hard Questions for the World’s Hardest Religion’.
The book poses 12 common objections to the Christian faith, and flips those challenges on their heads, using them to point to the goodness of God.
McLaughlin is fantastic at confronting the general lack of biblical knowledge which seems to influence many people’s objections to the Christian faith, and focusing on the biblical truth which can provide clear answers to questions like ‘Doesn’t Christianity Crush Diversity?’ And ‘Isn’t Christianity Homophobic?’. She has also clearly done her research (as is to be expected with a book like this), and not only does she highlight biblical truth, but also aligns it with findings of modern science to construct arguments which provide answers to those with big questions for Christianity, regardless of their knowledge of the bible.
I have no doubt that this is a book which would appeal to those who would not call themselves Christian, but simply have some questions to ask. It will also provide a great foundation for those Christians who have friends who are asking questions, and would love some guidance as to how to answer them!
There are countless books out there which pose the ‘Big Questions’ of the world and aim to answer them, but what this book does so well is that combination of evidence alongside the biblical narrative. In every answer to every question this book is pointing unequivocally to the only source of true hope, the incredible, fully God, fully man, Jesus Christ. I will end this #RedeemerRecommends with a paragraph from the last page of the book, as McLaughlin brings us to the reason why all these questions need an answer, and why the story of the bible is the best place to turn.
In Jesus’s world, we find connective tissue between the truths of science and morality. We find a basis for saying that all human beings are created equal, and a deep call to love across diversity. We find a name for evil, and a means of forgiveness. We find a vision of love that is so much deeper than our current hearts can hold, and a true intimacy better than our weak bodies could ever experience. We find a diagnosis of human nature as shot through with sin and yet as redeemable by grace. We find a call to care for the poor, oppressed, and lonely, a call springing from the heart of God himself and grounded in the hope that one day every tear will be wiped away, every stomach will be filled, and every outcast will be embraced. But we do not find glib answers or an easy road. Instead, we find a call to come and die. (page 222)
#RedeemerRecommends - Not Too Poetry
#RedeemerRecommends a book written by a member of the Redeemer family!
If you’re a regular reader of the Redeemer Blog, or you are part of the Redeemer family that meet together on a Sunday, then you will no doubt be aware of the talents of our resident poet - Steve Page!
It is with great excitement that I get to present to you this week’s #RedeemerRecommends, which features Steve’s second published poetry anthology!
Following on from his first book, ‘Not Too Big to Weep’, Steve’s second book is entitled ‘Not Too Old to Dance’.
Steve’s poems speak about and draw inspiration from his faith, his life in London, and his vast imagination. The book is split into sections, each described as having a slightly different ‘mood’, whether that be observing, writing, or dancing! Some of the poems will be familiar to readers of this blog, but I would encourage you (as Pete Cornford does in the foreword) to grab a coffee, dive in, and discover the joy, laughter, sorrow, excitement, and many more emotions hidden within the pages of this book.
Steve, you are such a blessing, and we thank you for sharing your gifting with us!
#RedeemerRecommends - Persisting in Prayer
As our Transforming Prayer series comes to an end, #RedeemerRecommends some books to encourage you to continue pressing into a life of powerful prayer!
Last Sunday we reached the end of our preaching series on Transforming Prayer, and this week sees us finishing our prayer journals in our meetups! Never fear! We will have 3 more weeks of meeting and praying together in groups, followed by a church wide Week of Prayer from the 7th to the 13th of April.
But after that, it is our hope that the whole of the Redeemer community doesn’t simply stop praying, but is instead inspired by this season of Transforming Prayer, and the effect it has had on our lives! So inspired in fact that we continue to pursue transformation in our own situations and the situations of those around us through the power of prayer! As Christians our desire is that our relationship with God is constantly growing closer and more intimate, and one of the best ways to ensure this is by pressing into prayer throughout our lives.
So this week’s #RedeemerRecommends is hoping to supply you with a few books which you might find helpful as you continue to develop in your prayer life and your relationship with God.
Book #1 - Too Busy Not To Pray (Bill Hybels)
This is a book which encourages individuals at any stage of their walk with God to press into prayer. Hybels sets out practical ways to ensure we slow down and prioritise times of prayer. The book helps to expand our view of just what God can do in our lives and in the lives of those around us when we do so.
Book #2 - Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer (C.S. Lewis)
This book, a collection of letters to a close friend of Lewis’ named Malcolm, speaks of many different aspects of prayer and how they affect our lives. Reading it takes us on a journey to understanding just how crucially important prayer is and how it increases the depth of our relationship with God.
Book #3 - The Power of a Praying Woman (Stormie Omartian)
Focusing on personal prayer, this is a great book for women of all ages looking to establish a discipline of prayer and hoping to see breakthrough in their own lives through persistence in prayer. Encouraging readers to ‘cover every area of life with prayer’, each chapter ends with a prayer to follow or to use as a model for your own personal prayer time.
Book #4 - God on Mute (Pete Greig)
A book specifically aimed at those who are struggling with seemingly ‘unanswered’ prayer, Pete Greig, the founder of the 24/7 global prayer movement, writes of his personal struggle. It’s an incredibly eye opening and honest account of his journey as his wife Samie fought a battle with a brain tumour. The book focuses on the questions which come up in situations when our prayers seem to be met with total silence, and aims to cultivate a sense of hope and faith in God’s love, a love which goes beyond our understanding.
Get thinking. #RedeemerRecommends
In the first of our #RedeemerRecommends series, Rich Smith introduces us to a blog he has found thought provoking and inspiring recently, and excites us about a guest preacher visiting Redeemer at the end of November!
In the first of our #RedeemerRecommends blog posts, Rich Smith introduces to a blog he has been inspired by recently. Look out for more recommendations over the coming months as others from Redeemer let you in on what they’ve been reading. Over to Rich…
Get thinking.
At the end of November we have close friend of the church Matt Hosier returning to speak at our Sunday meeting. Matt and his wife Grace first visited Redeemer a year ago to preach about eldership, and to stand with and pray for our church as we started a new chapter of our story.
Matt is a gifted preacher. Just as he served us so well last November, we’re anticipating he’ll bring a combination of theological clarity and heartfelt encouragement this November!
Those who were at the Advance conference earlier in October will know he’s a wise, measured and phenomenally well read theological thinker, and it’s with that in mind that I wanted to point you in the direction of an excellent website to which he often contributes, Think Theology.
“Think” describes itself as a “collaboration of thinkers and writers who are passionate about the Church, and who enjoy spending time wrestling with deep theological questions and helping others to engage with them.” Matt, Jennie Pollock (another speaker from the recent Advance conference in fact), and Andrew Wilson produce the majority of the content for the site and you’ll find roughly a post per day on a broad range of topics.
Looking back at posts over the last two weeks you’ll see posts covering social media, wisdom in engaging politically, sexual identity, reading well, TV show theology, book reviews and Psalms.
Whether you’re starting to explore theology for the first time or looking to expand your regular reading, posts from Matt and others at Think are worth your time. I find they’re perfect for the commute, and regularly engage the mind, the emotions and stir the spirit. Enjoy.