Love is Not Nice

On Sunday the 23rd Pete challenged us from the words in 1 John to take loving one another seriously.

Here's my paraphrase:

Love is not nice.

‘Nice’ is soft and inoffensive.
‘Nice’ is careful and non-assertive.
‘Nice’ is easy and effects no change.
She’s cotton wool trying to soften the pain,
but not stuffed tight, just resting on the surface,
ready to be blown away
or be pressed under a muddy boot of disinterest.

‘Nice’ is a damp whisper.
A mouse cowering in the corner,
hoping you will blink and miss her,
lest she attract your notice,
lest she presume too much
and cause a whisker of offence.

Love is not like that –

Love pushes in, quick and nimble:
A hero with no mask, unasked,
unexpected, dodging the turmoil,
leaving nothing unsaid and little undone
in her pursuit of creating a counter-disruption.

Love defies convention.

Love carefully aims her weapons of choice
and advances relentless and regardless
of any and all obstacles in her way.
Love perseveres all the love-long day

Love doesn’t delay.

Love is gleeful for the chance of invasion,
ready to disarm with expert compassion
with her regiments of patience,
armed to the teeth with gracious,
placing tanks of good faith on all fronts.

Love confronts.

Courage is her currency, kindness her language.
Trust and hope are her passports to lands long unexplored,
happily wearing all-weather clothing
for any and all unexpected storms

Love transforms.

Love weakens all defences
and challenges all camouflaged pretences.
Love pours itself out to fill unhealed wounds
and on shrapnel-seeded battlefields
she - blooms.

Love perfumes.

Love is not 'nice'.
Love isn’t in this for the likes.
Love bites.
She’s a take-on-all-comers, undefeated delight
Love never bails from the fight,
never fails, never takes flight.

Love is nothing casual,
nothing incidental.
This love is elemental.
She is Avengers-Assemble,
End-Game-level, monumental.

Love is not 'nice'.
Love keeps on loving at any price.

Go to 1 John, chapters 1-5 for the original.

Steve is Redeemer’s resident poet, and has been instrumental in encouraging and motivating other creative individuals at Redeemer to pursue the gifting God has placed in them! You can read his poetry HERE, or find his anthologies on Amazon.

Freedom Day - A Biblical Response

Monday the 19th of July was announced as Freedom Day, when covid-19 restrictions were lifted, and life was allegedly returned to ‘normal’ - whatever that looks like now. However, this freedom day provoked very different reactions for different people. As Christians we are called to respond to any changes in society around us by acting in line with the unchanging word of God. In todays blog we look at how we might respond to ‘Freedom Day’ in a biblical way.

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Freedom Day - A Biblical Response

In a world full of polarizing topics, ranging from politics to football matches, we have been once again faced with a situation, which conjures up a wide range of emotions in people, even within our church communities. While some people have eagerly awaited “Freedom Day”, others have been anxious about another rise in Covid-19 cases as a result of it. As Christians - disciples of Jesus - we are called to love others as Jesus loved us (John 13:34). As a church - the body of Christ - we are called to encourage and build one another up (1 Thessalonians 5:11). With restrictions being lifted and many of us having differing opinions about and feelings towards this, it is important that we remain eager to maintain unity and peace within the church (Ephesians 4:3). In this blog post, I want to attempt to lay out a few biblical ways to respond to restrictions being lifted as believers in and followers of Jesus.

“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”
1 Corinthians 13:4-7

In this passage, we can find a beautiful description of the way in which God loves us. If we are called to love people in the way Christ loves us (John 13:34), we must first have a firm understanding of what this love is. Out of this knowledge and by the Holy Spirit at work within us, there will naturally flow patterns of behaviour towards other people. 

Be Patient

Whether we are those who are excited to be able to walk through a shopping center without a mask on or those in whom the idea of this raises anxiety, we need to remember to be patient with ourselves and with others in this time. Ephesians 4:2 tells us to bear with one another in love, being completely humble, gentle, and patient. We do not know what someone has gone through - people may have health anxiety or may have even lost loved ones to Covid-19. Instead of being annoyed with a brother or sister who experiences this time differently to us, we must practice self-control and be slow to anger (Proverbs 16:32). Paul writes in Romans 15 that we must have the same attitude toward each other that Christ had for us, encouraging and enduring with one another. Galatians 6 calls on us as disciples to carry each other’s burdens and in this way fulfill the law of Christ. We are to be those who help others (Acts 20:35) and to give freely (Luke 6:38). The Bible goes on to say that we should not become weary of doing good (Galatians 6:9). If you are one who is excited about “Freedom Day” and the lifting of restrictions, bear patiently with those who do not share this same feeling.

Those of us who are experiencing anxiety surrounding this topic can also practice patience  through prayer and leaning on God at this time. Philippians 4:6 says “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” Moreover, Romans 12:12 tells us to “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” We can trust in God that He is sovereign in every area of our life and will provide all we need. We can stand firm in Him as we draw near to Him in prayer. Matthew 6 is a beautiful reminder of the fact that we do not need to be anxious because our heavenly Father feeds the birds and makes the lilies grow - and we are worth much more to him than these. This chapter also reminds us that worrying does not add any benefit to our life. We will be happier and feel less heavy if we cast our burdens onto Him (Psalm 55:22). Be encouraged that the Lord is close to and rescues those whose spirits are crushed (Psalm 34:18). If you want to continue wearing your mask or do not wish to go to big social events yet, you are completely within your right to do what makes you comfortable. But do remember that the Lord answers you and delivers you from your fears (Psalm 34:4) and that when you are anxious, God’s consolation brings joy (Psalm 94:19).

Be Kind

Jesus commands us in John 13:34 to love one another as He loves us. A simple way to show kindness in this climate is to show compassion and consideration for those around us. Proverbs 12:25 says “Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.” We can easily brighten someone’s day by showing kindness in our words, or even through a smile. When I walk to church on Sunday mornings, I try to make it my mission to smile and say “good morning” to as many people as possible. Some people do not react, but most people happily smile back. If you have joy, why not share and spread it? Proverbs goes on to say in chapter 17, “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.”

We are called to love at all times, meaning even when we are anxious or annoyed, when restrictions are present and when they are lifted. Through showing kindness and grace during this time, we can show others the love of Christ practically. In His sermon on the mount in Matthew 5:16, Jesus says “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Let us be those who glorify God in the way we generously and gladly show kindness and love.

Do Not Judge

While this should be very straightforward and simple, these polarizing times can make it all too easy to be tempted to judge those who do not share our disposition. The Bible is very clear that this is not acceptable. Romans 2:1 states that we have no excuse if we pass judgement on others. In Matthew 7, Jesus Himself tells us that in the same way we judge others, we will ourselves be judged. Jesus goes on to ask why we look at the speck of sawdust in our brother’s eye without paying attention to the plank in our own. Before we judge others based on what they do or don’t do, we need to remember that all of us struggle with sin in certain areas and are no better than each other - we are all in need of Jesus’ saving grace.

Who then are we to withhold grace from others? In 2 Corinthians 12:10, Paul writes “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” God loves us in our weakness, so we should do the same for those around us. At the same time, 1 Corinthians 10:13 tells us that we are never tempted beyond our ability and that God always provides a way to be able to endure when we are faced with temptation. This is a crucial truth to remember when we feel overwhelmed with feelings - God provides a way for us to deal with these without falling into the temptation of judging others. 

Do Not Fear

Finally, as restrictions ease we need to remember the Lord we serve and find comfort in Him. The Bible - God’s Word - is full of verses about how we can trust, and have confidence and security in Him. God sees you (Genesis 16:13). God hears you (Jonah 2:2). God is with you always (Psalm 46:1). 

I am fully aware that many will have deep and real fears at this time and I do not wish to be insensitive, and yet it is actually a commandment in the Bible not to fear. When the Israelites entered the Promised Land, there were many uncertainties and difficulties ahead of them. And yet Joshua, their leader, is told in Joshua 1:9, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua certainly had reasons to worry, and yet he was told not to fear, but be strong and courageous because God was with him. In John 14:27, Jesus says “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” Again, Jesus does not promise that there will not be any reason for people’s hearts to be troubled and for them to be afraid. Yet He does promise He will give us peace and commands us not to fear. 

Finally, we do not have to fear because God never leaves us and His love never fails. Psalm 23 says “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” In Isaiah 41:10, God says, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Meanwhile, Paul writes in Romans 8, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? …No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” It is His love that enables us to be conquerors and never separated from Him. This is what should abe the driving force behind our courage and confidence in Jesus - the fact that “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” (1 John 4:18). We can find hope and peace in God’s Word when we feel anxious or worried. 

God works all things for good!

I want to end by saying this - I do not know what your last year has looked like and I do not know your feelings towards restrictions being lifted. What I do know is that God works all things together for the good of those who trust in Him (Romans 8:28). I know that our God is a good Father, who offers us peace, consolation, and protection. I know that you can do all things through Him who strengthens you (Philippians 4:13). And I know there is no greater joy than to serve and put our trust in our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33

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Esther-Maria is one of our Redeemer students, a core member of our kids ministry, and is passionate about the word of God. In 2021, she’ll be sharing her thoughts on how scripture should change the way we live our lives! Check back here regularly for more, as well as our other blogs!

Sharing your Faith - A perpetual motion of invitation

Welcome to our newest post about Sharing Your Faith! In his regular posts, Ryan Bentley will be stirring us to share our faith with others, by looking at passages of scripture and giving practical tips. We hope you enjoy the blog below!

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Oh! Hello, didn’t see you there. It’s been a while, let’s catch up. 

Last time we got together I told you about Matthew 25, where Jesus is talking about how to treat those we serve. I had a lot of fun, you can find it here if you wanna catch up,

This time I want to bring you to where God’s heart brings me every summer. We’re still in Matthew just a few chapters behind in Matthew 18:15-20, but we’re going to look at it a little bit differently…

Matthew 18:15-20

“If your brother or sister sins,
go and point out their fault, just between the two of you.

If they listen to you, you have won them over. 

But if they will not listen,
take one or two others along,
so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’

If they still refuse to listen,
tell it to the church; 

and if they refuse to listen even to the church,
treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

“Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

“Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

We don’t have the time in this platform to go over the last portion of this scripture, but it’s worth a gander, I left it in there because I like context.

I’m more interested in verses 15-17. This is typically the pattern churches follow to “gain a brother back”. It’s used for accountability and reconciliation when someone sins or stumbles in the church. It’s a great model, when followed well. For me, this verse is MASSIVE for the HEART behind the approach. 

The Heart Behind The Approach

Real quick, let’s walk through it. 

1. If you have a brother who is in sin, you go to them solo. Honestly, sometimes all we need is someone to listen and care for us to come back to the fold. 

2. If that doesn’t work we bring 2-3 people. Now these aren’t 2-3 randoms, but people who love and care about the person in sin. 

3. Then comes the uncomfortable portion, you bring the whole church into it. Now I take this to mean church leadership and a wider community. Church here is Oikos which means community, so essentially you’d be bringing in people who are like family to the person in sin.

4. If that doesn’t work then you treat them like a Pagan or a Tax Collector.

Many have taken this to mean to excommunicate the person and cut them out of your life. Now I like to approach this differently, using a saying that is taught in Sunday School, What would Jesus do?

What Would Jesus Do?

Now isn’t it funny, Jesus wants us to treat people like Tax Collectors. Do you know of any Tax Collectors Jesus knew?

I know one!

He wrote the book of the Bible we just read from!

Ain’t that a thing, Jesus explicitly says to treat someone who is in sin and won’t repent like one of his disciples…

Not interested? Well Jesus also says to treat them like a Pagan.
Again we ask, How does Jesus treat Pagans?

Well;
He ate with them.
Healed them.
Healed their families.
Fed them.
Cast Demons out of them.
and continually invited them into his kingdom.

When it comes to sharing our faith, we need to get away from this idea of those who are in and those who are out. We need to create a perpetual motion of invitation. Constantly inviting those who don’t know Jesus to come to know him, and those who do to know him deeper. Esther-Maria wrote a marvellous blog about eternal life starting now, and it’s true! Eternal life does start now. But that isn’t just for those who know Jesus, it’s for those who don’t know him as well.

So when I sit on a park bench, and God brings this to mind, It brings me to a place surrender and peace. Knowing that I am to walk in the ways of Jesus, constantly inviting people to come to know him deeper. And a place of Peace, seeing that while I was once far off, now I am brought near, and if I ever were to fall, if I ever were to wander, Jesus would always, ALWAYS invite me back. 

Ryan Bentley
Ryan moved from Birmingham in 2020 to be part of Redeemer along with his wife Sarah (our families worker) and his two kids, Rhys and Torah! He serves the church full time and his aim is to equip each of us to share the gospel with those around us on a daily basis. You can join his Faith Sharing meetup HERE or find more of his wisdom on Instagram.

Sharing your Faith - A new blog from Redeemer!

Welcome to 2021 on the Redeemer blog! To start off this year we’ve got a few new themed blogs for you, which we’ll be publishing once a month. Today sees the start of our first new blog - Sharing Your Faith! In his monthly posts, Ryan Bentley will be stirring us to share our faith with others, by looking at passages of scripture and giving practical tips. We hope you enjoy his first blog below!

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³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

⁴¹ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴² For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

⁴⁴ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

⁴⁵ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

⁴⁶ “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

Matthew 25:31-46

So, are you a sheep, or are you a goat?

When we come to dichotomous scriptures like this one we like to think of ourselves as the sheep. Jesus calls himself the Good Shepherd and his sheep hear his voice. Often times we try and figure out how we can meet the standard of sheep. 

What do I need to do? How do I need to do it? How often do I need to do it? Who do I need to do it to or with?

The more I look at this section of scripture the more fascinated I am by it, but this week I want to leave you with this. The sheep didn’t know they were sheep, and the goats didn’t know they were goats until they were parted by the Shepherd. 

Just sit in that. I’m serious, put your phone down, push yourself away from the keyboard and sit in that.

They had NO clue.

How does this make you feel?

Anxious? Sad? Maybe it makes you feel excited?

However we feel, and whatever category we might put ourselves in, I believe we can learn from this passage! The way I want us to learn from it today is by looking at the responses of the sheep and the goats to their categorisation!

Do you see a difference? 

It took me a while and I’ve been reading the bible for 17 years. I never noticed it until someone pointed it out to me.

The sheep (the righteous ones) didn’t know when they took care of the king, and they listed all of their deeds out one by one. Recounting all of them. The goats? They lumped it all together. They branded everything as “helping” or “ministry”. I think there is a heart posture here that goes all the way back to Cain and Abel in Genesis 4. Abel’s sacrifice was from the heart. Whereas Cain’s sacrifice was based on performance. I think the same can be extrapolated here from the sheep and the goats. One is looking at the intimate details whereas the other is defining their performance with broad strokes looking for the common denominator.

Next month we’ll talk about this passage again and focus on another piece of the puzzle but for this week I want you to meditate and think on these things…

• The sheep and goat didn’t know what they were until they were separated by the Shepherd

• When they were separated, they reflected on the Shepherd’s words on two separate levels

I believe God is calling you and me to look at our service to others with a heart posture of love, over a posture of performance. We need not be concerned about which camp we’re in, or who we belong to. We simply know, listen, obey and move. 

Let’s uncomplicate love and service together. Let’s simply focus on the one in front of us.

Ryan Bentley
Ryan moved from Birmingham in 2020 to be part of Redeemer along with his wife Sarah (our families worker) and his two kids, Rhys and Torah! He serves the church full time and his aim is to equip each of us to share the gospel with those around us on a daily basis. You can join his Faith Sharing meetup HERE or find more of his wisdom on Instagram.

Why I'm talking about Biases

15 weeks ago, Ahmaud Arbery went out for a jog and never came home. Two white males saw Arbery running in their neighbourhood in Brunswick, Georgia and decided he was “dangerous” and took it upon their own volition to chase him and shoot him to death. Sadly, this simple narrative of black guilt has played out devastatingly in a pattern of unjustified killings in the US. In the Arbery case, I asked myself - what sort of world must these two white males inhabit to draw to the conclusion that a black man jogging must mean he is guilty of something?

Perhaps these two males existed in a very white world, perhaps they didn’t have any black friends, perhaps they viewed black people as threatening? A survey in the US found that 75 percent of white Americans have “entirely white social networks”[1]. Based on this data, it can be easy to see how these types of homogenous settings can set up the conditions where the archetype of the black person being “dangerous and threatening” is perpetuated.

I saw this played out in my own life. When I first introduced my black boyfriend (now my husband) to my parents, they had shared their concerns with him about the safety of their daughter. They feared he would be like many of the “black people” they saw on the news who committed crime.  I don’t doubt my parent’s concern for me but their fear was unfounded and ill-informed.

LOVE THE INDIVIDUAL IN FRONT OF YOU

When we deflect the opportunity to know a person as an individual, we default to stereotypes. We do this by creating caricatures we’ve erroneously extrapolated from a racial subset. We contradict ourselves when we wouldn’t bind the same extrapolations to our own racial group - because we know enough people of our ethnicity to know that it consists of rich and varied characters. Existing in our own social bubbles gives currency to these stereotypes and until we resist the cultural tide and spend quality time with other people from outside our own groups; we won’t see them as an individual - as a fully formed human being with hopes, desires and fears just like us.  

In a moment of unwarranted fear, these two white males shot Ahmaud Arbery. This tragic case displays how insidious thoughts and mindsets can lead to actions. Unchecked and not dealt with, can lead to devastating consequences. 

As a Christian, what  drew me to the character of Jesus Christ was how he accurately diagnosed our condition. He took a scalpel to our inner lives and exposed the root of our sin. “For it is from within, our of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come. All of these evils come from inside and defile a person”. (Mark 7:21-23). Ill thoughts are first harboured in the heart and mind and until we deal with that, sin becomes malignant and spreads to something more troubling.

I respect the actions of many who bring attention to the injustices coming from the US - protests and petitions have been set up to find justice for Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd and other black lives that have been killed carelessly. However, long lasting changes have to run deeper - we need to understand the conditions that set up racism. - As Martin Luther King puts it:

“We are called to play the good Samaritan on life’s roadside; but that will be only an initial act. One day the whole Jericho road must be transformed so that men and women will not be beaten and robbed as they make their journey through life. True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar; it understands that an edifice that produces beggars needs restructuring” 

What King refers to is more than exonerating our guilt with a coin but collectively having deep paradigm shifts that can change the game.  

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION IN THE CHURCH

I value being part of a diverse church, I also value the fact that my gym is also diverse. It’s sad yet true - that it’s possible to sit with one another at church yet keep one another at a distance. The real litmus test of authentic diversity is who are we allowing in our lives, who do we have meaningful relationships with, who do we confide in, who do we allow to influence us? This is much harder to cultivate, it’s the difference between diversity and inclusion, Verna Myers, a diversity strategist puts it “Diversity is being invited to the dance, Inclusion is being asked to dance”. 

I am blessed to be part of a church where my leaders foster an environment where multiple races are represented at the front and in the middle. As a result, I have brothers and sisters from many backgrounds - I truly embrace that and thank God for these rich experiences. Still, I see many homogenised groups existing in our churches. This is problematic particularly in London when there’s no legitimate reasons why that would be so. 

Statistics suggests that one third of white Britons have no friends outside their own ethnicities [2]. Other factors play a role here but data suggests non-white people are more open to friendships outside their own race than Caucasian people are. It would be interesting to ask the question, how do these separations evolve? 

I celebrate the fact that as a society, there have been huge leaps forward in stamping out overt forms of racism, but as Christians, our convictions and model of love has to be calibrated to the Bible. In order to move the dialogue meaningfully - I think we need to talk less in terms of racism, a term that often invokes images of white supremist or racist chanting football fans. A term which we can shirk the label of and tune out hearers. We need to change the script and talk in categories of bias and prejudices which are more prevalent, which as a compromised human being - I feel my own biases. 

WHAT CAN WE DO?

It’s important to bring into the light, something that operates in its inherent invisibility. Our non-verbal cues to people different from us are just as revealing as our verbal cues, they can signal to someone - I do/don’t want to know you better, I value you (less). This is not about perfection but these things are simply invisible to some of us or that we’ve persisted in these attitudes unchallenged for so long that they’ve become our automatic responses.

It’s a call for self-examination and an awareness of our unconscious biases. By bringing these things into the light – we give them less authority over us and we can make intentional movements towards the way of love. Redressing our biases, developing positive associations with other ethnicities and reshaping our heart and outlook. 

We do ask our leaders to break it down for us, speak incisively into our contexts and to  cultivate a culture where discipling relationships are the norm. This needs to be more than a reactive mandate to stamp out racism but a proactive command to love one another. As our aperture widens with the re-education of black history - our hearts are more visible to the fact that implicit in Jesus’s cornerstone command to love one another is a call to love everyone - Jews and Gentiles, Black, Brown and White, “and by this all men will know you are my disciples, if you love one another”. John 13:35.

On this side of heaven - I’m realistic that we will never reach perfect love and unity. “When the Perfect comes, the partial shall pass away” (1 Corinthian 13:10). Our identity in Christ is above our ethnic identity, the father declares our ultimate worth and dignity. However, we can’t avoid the chasm, we need to see it and close it as much as possible. It’s a return to discipleship, of being aware of our earthly nature, growing in confession and turning to the redemptive power of Christ and doing our best to walk as Jesus walked. 

By Ann Ajet

Footnotes

[1] https://www.prri.org/research/poll-race-religion-politics-americans-social-networks/

[2] https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/articles-reports/2018/05/03/one-third-white-britons-dont-have-any-friends-ethn

Redeemer reads Galatians 6

Welcome! We’re currently reading through the book of Galatians together as a church! We’ll be reading a chapter each week day, beginning on Friday the 15th of May, and concluding on Friday the 22nd. We’re following the reading plan in the CBR Journal, which can also be found HERE.

Each day a member of the Redeemer family will be sharing with us some thoughts in video form, which can be seen above, previous days videos can be found on our Youtube channel. We’ll also be publishing blogs with more thoughts on the passages we’ve read, along with some ideas for those who want to study the passage further. We’re really looking forward to seeing God bear fruit in and through us as a church as we read his word, even during this challenging time.

Today Pete will be sharing with us his thoughts on Galatians 6.

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All through his letter to the Galatians, Paul has been alluding to a division between members of the church, in this, the final chapter of the book, he directly confronts the division, and brings his emphasis on freedom into a specific context.

In this situation, the freedom that the Holy Spirit brings is a freedom to love! When we are filled with the Holy Spirit it increases our capacity to love others, it compels us to humble ourselves and carry the burdens of others, and it causes us to seek to do good to others, especially others who believe.

There will always be temptation to live to please ourselves, to ‘sow to please the flesh’ as it says in verse 8. Especially during this time the easiest thing to do is often to focus on ourselves, and what we’re going through, but in the opening verses of this final chapter Paul is calling on us to look to others, and to see where they may need our love and our compassion. But I also want to encourage you today, if you are carrying burdens of your own, to seek out others in the Redeemer family! We are all called to carry each others burdens, which is especially important in this time. None of us need to go through anything alone.

In the second half of this chapter Paul goes on to conclude his argument against the false teachers. Throughout the letter he has been emphasising, again and again, through his own experience and the experience of the Galatians, that freedom and adoption into God’s family comes by faith, and not by works. Now he presents the Galatians with the choice, between him and the other teachers, he tells them how the false teachers are focused on the flesh, whereas he himself is focused on what we should all be focused on - the cross of Jesus Christ.

False teaching will always look appealing, because it will always try to obscure the cross, the most scandalous act of grace in all of history. But in doing this, it lacks any sort of real weight when held up against the true gospel. When we choose to follow the true gospel, we choose to come to the cross, we join with Christ in his rejection and suffering, we choose not to put our trust in this world, but in the everlasting new creation which has begun with the resurrection of Jesus.

In this time of confusion, frustration and despair for many of us, we can still choose to look back at the cross and the empty grave, the turning point of history, and know that because of Jesus, and only Jesus, we are free, and living with an eternal hope.

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Further Study

Tim Keller is a world renowned Christian author and teacher, and he delivered the message below on Galatians 6, at the Gospel Coalition conference in April 2017.

Redeemer reads Galatians 2

Welcome! Over the next week we will be reading through the book of Galatians together as a church! We’ll be reading a chapter each week day, beginning on Friday the 15th of May, and concluding on Friday the 22nd. We’re following the reading plan in the CBR Journal, which can also be found HERE.

Each day a member of the Redeemer family will be sharing with us some thoughts in video form, which can be seen above, previous days videos can be found on our Youtube channel. We’ll also be publishing blogs with more thoughts on the passages we’ve read, along with some ideas for those who want to study the passage further. We’re really looking forward to seeing God bear fruit in and through us as a church as we read his word, even during this challenging time.

Today Naomi will be sharing with us her thoughts on Galatians 2 in the video above.

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On Friday Noble helped us to focus on Paul’s opening point in his letter to the Galatians - the fact that the gospel is so important because it hasn’t come from any man, but from God himself! There has clearly been some false teaching going on and we hear about it again today in verse 4 - This matter arose because some false believers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves.
Today we read as Paul goes deeper into the gospel, and establishes just how it opposes these false teachings we’ve been hearing about. This is the cornerstone of Galatians, and it’s a fantastic passage!

One thing that I am challenged by in this passage is the actions of Peter, because it reminds me how important it is to understand the radical nature of God’s grace! It can be so easy as Christians to fall into the trap of thinking that Gods acceptance of us is dependent on our level of effort or achievement. When we truly understand grace we know that our ability to come before God is totally a work of Jesus, and not at all down to us! We are justified because we are IN Christ! We can never be more accepted by God than we are right now. This is a great encouragement for me, and I hope it is for you too, whatever kind of weekend you’ve had. Know that you can come before God right now and be met with his amazing grace!

Finally, as Naomi has highlighted in her video above, this passage is one that reminds me of God’s love! It is quite easy to imagine a God who loves those who follow him in a general, one size fits all kind of way, but the moment that the love of God really transforms you is when you realise it’s a personal love. At the end of this chapter Paul reveals this incredible truth in verse 20, which I hope brings you great joy as you start your week today.

 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Galatians 2:20

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Light v Darkness

Palm Sunday. A story about a jubilant crowd welcoming Jesus on a donkey. We could mistakenly think this is Jesus's happiest day on earth.

A day earlier, Jesus calls his friend Lazarus out of a grave, a man who is dead for days comes back to life! A wailing party turns into a celebration. People loved this version of Jesus, his God-power on full display. Here he finally was: the Messiah. News spreads like wildfire. "Jesus, the Messiah?" the Pharisees ask enraged, "we've got to put this rumour to rest"; they even plan to murder Lazarus. 

As night falls over the land, powerful people brood over deadly plots. Jesus needs to die. 

Instead of laying low, Jesus makes his biggest appearance yet. As prophesied, right in the heart of God's chosen country, in Jerusalem. The religious power hub. 

Rumours that Jesus is approaching the city draws everyone out onto the streets. The Holy City is teeming with people. 

Knowing scripture, Jesus sends his disciples ahead of him, two with a special mission, to find a donkey's foal for their master. They find the donkey and bring it to Jesus. 

Riding on a donkey, heavy with symbolism, Jesus slowly enters Jerusalem and the crowd goes wild. They sing, "Praise God! God bless him who comes in the name of the Lord! God bless the King of Israel!" As Jesus passes through a palm waving crowd, he sees pure joy on people's faces. Suddenly his gaze lands on a group of grim, tight-mouthed pharisees. Angrily they demand, "Jesus, make them stop!" Jesus counters, if they shut the people up, the rocks would praise him. Infuriated the religious elite disappears, fuelled by rage, they will find the cruellest way imaginable to get rid of Jesus.

The cheering crowd continues their chants, laying down their palm branches for Jesus's donkey to walk on. A royal welcome. The disciples are overjoyed, finally their day of triumph has come! They look back at Jesus, fully expecting a solemn or joyous expression on his face. Instead, Jesus weeps. He cries for this crowd of the lost. Jesus knows these adoring songs will soon turn into angry shouts, "Crucify him!"

He knows the hearts of people. How fickle we are. He knows even his friends, now proudly marching by his side, will abandon him.

In the bright light of day, everything looks as if Jesus has come to take his seat of power. Jerusalem is lying at his feet. But soon they will be at the feet of a cross, taunting him. A mocking sign above his bloodied head will say, "Jesus, King of the Jews" 

Knowing the true spirit of people, Jesus rides into Jerusalem with eyes wide open. Despite this, he is ready and willing to die for each and every one of them. 

Pure love has come to town. Worship him.

Love Ealing

The first word when I think about God is LOVE.

The first verse I learnt from the Bible was John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son.

As a follower of Jesus I am amazed by His love for me

Love Ealing is one means by which Redeemer Church wants to demonstrate Jesus love for Ealing in practical ways. This will be as creative as the people taking part, and can be large or small: a wide range of activities, events and words are encouraged.

Below are some examples of ideas we have had already, plus some testimonies of how individuals have already been showing love to the people of Ealing!

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What we’ve got planned!

As we’re getting closer to Christmas we’ll be doing some carol singing in the Ealing Broadway shopping centre on Thursday the 12th and Thursday the 19th of December. At 7:30 on both evenings we’ll be showing some love to the people of Ealing as they do some Christmas shopping, and anyone is welcome to join us!

In January we will be showing love to the emergency services around Ealing, gathering people to go to their local police station, a&e department, and fire service with thank you cards and gifts. Blessing them in response to all they do for us over the busy Christmas season.

We’re also looking to bless and show love to those who are supported by Age Concern and Retirement Homes in the borough, and will be taking teams of people to build community with the older residents of Ealing by singing Christmas songs, playing games, and just spending quality time with them around Christmas.

Finally, we’re putting on two fantastic and free Christmas events on the 15th of December! There will be a carol service at 4pm, and a Christmas concert at 6pm, both events are at the University of West London and will be followed by mulled wine and mince pies!

We would love to hear about your ideas or to get you involved in one of the ones mentioned above, come and find us at the Love Ealing table on a Sunday morning!

How we’ve been loving Ealing so far…

The other day I was in Pret with a friend and we thanked the lady who served us, let her know that she was loved and gave her a Love Ealing business card, there was no big conversation as a result but it was great just to spread a little joy as part of our lunch!

I was walking through Ealing Broadway and I stopped to chat to some people who were asking members of the public if they wanted to switch their bills! Often I find it easy to walk past these people, but I decided to stop, encourage them for doing something which quite often can seem a thankless task, and I offered to pray for them! They were kind and asked me to pray that they wouldn’t get rained on! I also gave them a Love Ealing card and I walked away praying for them, it was only such a small thing but I am trusting that God uses it to plant a seed.

I came to the realisation that on my daily commute I walk past so many people that I never really stop to chat to. One of these people is Graham, who works at Chiswick Park tube station every morning. I felt convicted to do something to thank him for his friendly ‘hello’ each morning and tell him about Love Ealing. One morning, I asked God for courage and walked to the station armed with chocolate and Love Ealing business cards. As I gave these to Graham, he looked shocked and so happy to receive this small gesture of appreciation. I told him that how our church is taking a few months to love Ealing in practical ways and invited him along to Redeemer, pointing to the address on the back of the card. With a delighted expression on his face, we chatted about our weekends before he said ‘thank you so much Hannah’. We’ve connected everyday since and now know each other personally! I was struck by how little that took from me, but how great the impact was for him. What if we slowed down enough to notice and bless someone on our commute everyday?

#RedeemerRecommends - Vintage Worship

This week on #RedeemerRecommends we are focusing on a new worship album, released this month by Vintage Worship, the worship team from Vintage Church in Los Angeles.

The album was recorded in August 2018, as the church came together for two nights of worship, in the wake of two devastating events locally which had profound effects on the church community; The California wildfires, and the Thousand Oaks shooting.

The songs on the latest album ‘Heaven All Around Us’ reflect on God’s kindness and his grace, while encouraging us to hold onto his love and declare truth about him over ourselves as a form of restoration, even in times of tragedy and heartbreak.

#RedeemerRecommends on Valentine's - salt.london

If you’ve walked past a shop front or been on social media at all today, you will be aware that it is Valentine’s Day! A day which I’m sure brings about mixed feelings for many of you reading this.

There are many Christian blogs out there focusing on the subject of love, but this week’s #RedeemerRecommends has picked out one in particular which we think is worth a read!

salt.london is a blog which is run by a few friends from another Advance church in Waterloo, led by Andrew Haslam. It describes itself as a blog which seeks to “engage with thoughtful Londoners on matters of faith, philosophy, and life.”

The blog focuses on a range of topics, but you can find some links to their specific Valentine’s themed posts below. We hope you will find them thought provoking and encouraging, whether you’re single or married!