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 - Confronting Christianity

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)

Nativity Scene - A poem by Steve Page

Sunday night saw our very first Christmas concert at Redeemer, and our resident poet Steve Page was on hand to shed some light on his experience of Christmas over the years, and reveal some truth about the very first Christmas to those in attendance. Below is just one of the many brilliant poems he shared with us, and it can be found in his new Christmas anthology, which our host on the night described (correctly) as a perfect stocking filler! If you want to buy it you’ll find a link to at the bottom of the page.

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Nativity Scene

Stubborn love
faced down the years
of fearful hate
and stared intently as a child
from the stink of a manger
out into the poverty and
the oppression reflected
in captive eyes,
wide with hope
and wet with joy.

Generous love
cried out an almighty peace
into the dark stillness,
heralding a new start
with echoes of ancient promise.

Patient love
reached out with perfect timing
and embraced humanity.

Unfailing love.
Unfailing still.

A Choir at Christmas

I absolutely love carol singing. The last time I was in a choir was at sixth-form college and I’ve been craving a chance to belt out some Christmas carols ever since. 

It seems like I was not the only one in that camp this Sunday afternoon as 20 odd Redeemer folk gathered after the Sunday service for a choir practice. Headed up by Jo, Kayla and Anna, the Redeemer Christmas Choir will be performing at our Christmas Concert.

We ran through three different songs in a traditional SATB choir format, and for a bunch of amateurs, we sounded pretty pro. A traditional carol, a glee carol and a dancy lil number are featured in the performance.

As part of Redeemer’s ‘Love Ealing’ event we will be singing carols at Ealing Broadway shopping centre and handing out chocolates on Sat 14th Dec before our carol service the next day! So, come and find us, get in the festive spirit and eat some chocolates!

If you can’t make it to that (or if you really, really loved hearing us sing) then we will be performing the next day (Sunday 15th) as part of the Redeemer Christmas Concert at 6pm at UWL!

I am personally looking forward to seeing our resident poet, Steve Page, lifted up on strings in a white and gold leotard. Ok, that might be a joke, but his bass singing voice isn’t!

- Josh Gagel

#RedeemerRecommends - It's Not Too Early For A Christmas Album!

Christmas has come early for this week’s #RedeemerReccommends!

I have been working on arrangements for carols for this year’s Christmas events at Redeemer (find out more HERE) and inevitably that means listening to A LOT of Christmas carols, and I’m certainly not complaining, as there’s some fantastic Christmas albums out there!

I wanted to recommend one in particular which I have loved listening to recently, Joy to the World (Live) by Jeremy Riddle!

The album has got some fantastic live versions of Christmas classics like O Come All Ye Faithful, O Holy Night, and of course Joy To The World, as well as a new recording of All Hail King Jesus.

In an interview prior to the EP’s release in November 2018, Jeremy talked about wanting to recapture the awe and wonder associated with the celebration of Christmas, and he definitely does so with this superb collection of songs.

You can hear more of his vision for the album below…

Carols, Community and Celebration!

This Sunday we had the privilege of hosting our annual Carols by Candlelight event at Ealing Town Hall! Always a time of celebration, this year was no different, with people coming together to sing carols, enjoy a free glass of mulled wine and a mince pie, and get into the Christmas spirit!

What a fantastic event it was this year! Over 300 people gathered in the Town Hall, we sang more carols together than we ever have before, yet there was still time to listen to outstanding performance songs and poetry and learn from Pete Cornford about what it really means to be home at Christmas time. He reminded us that home is not always about a physical place but that we truly find what it means to feel at home in our relationships with those that we love. We as Christians believe that we are welcomed home when we seek relationship with God, that he waits for us with open arms. Jesus talked about this as part of his teaching, and you can read about it in Luke 15:11-32.

If you were one of those that joined with us this Sunday we hope you felt welcomed and at home amongst us, and if you haven’t already, see if you can spot yourself in the family photo we took at the end of the evening!

If you want to find out what it looks like to be a member of the Redeemer family, you are so welcome to join us at our family service this Sunday (the 23rd of December) at 10am in the Town Hall for festive songs, a nativity and even a few games!

Finally, there is also still an opportunity to contribute to the collection which was taken on Sunday evening to support the work of St Mungo’s, an organisation which aims to help those without a physical home to go to this Christmas.

Peace broke out....

Peace broke out
with a rash of shepherds
Peace broke in
while most were asleep
Peace broke out
with a choir of angels
Peace broke in 
with the bleat of sheep

Peace broke out
in a backyard stable
Peace broke in
and beggared belief
Peace broke out
in the stink of a manger
Peace broke in
with a cry of release

Peace broke out
to a child breast feeding
Peace broke in
to a mothers relief
Peace broke out
in the hearts of believers 
Peace broke in 
to the middle east

Peace breaks out
to those who believe him
Peace breaks in 
to the hearts of the meek
Peace breaks out
here in Ealing
Jesus breaks in
as the Prince of true Peace

Pause to ask "why?"

A one word question can have a big impact. 

Recently at work I've been learning the importance of pausing to ask the simple question "why?". 

Having people around who prompt you to consider a fresh perspective can be a real gift. When we’re blinkered and focusing on the “when” or “how of a project, "why" can sometimes bleed into the background. 

Christmas and New Years busyness requires some moments of pausing to asking “why”. With most of my daily and weekly routine missing, the absence of standard times and places can leave me struggling to find space to pause, including moments to pray and listen to God. Space to just focus and reflect on God has the power to thread Jesus and his good news throughout the season rather than push it entirely to the periphery. 

So, one way to “keep the main thing the main thing” over the next few weeks is fighting to keep time for prayer and waiting on God. Taking opportunities to pray helps with the “why” of the season and feeds to soul. 

There’s still time to sign up for 24 hours of prayer (Friday 6pm - Saturday 6pm) and start as you mean to go on. 

Carols by Candlelight

Christmas is a time to gather together to drink mulled wine, eat mince pies and sing carols. These traditions have been going on for hundreds of years. 

Today when life is such a rush it is so vital to take time to pause and connect to others.  With so many carols to choose from: the children singing ‘Away in a manger’, enjoying a performance of ‘O Holy Night’ (the nations favourite carol), tapping your feet and enjoying the fun ‘See Him lying on a bed of straw’ or the more classic ‘Once in Royal David’s City’ - there is something for everyone.

I know that many places raise money for good causes by charging for tickets -  but I am delighted to say that on Sunday 16th December at 6pm you can come to Ealing Town Hall and enjoy the singing, nibble a mince pie or two and enjoy a drink for free. I hope to see you there.

#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.

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.

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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.