Run and Fight
As we continue our series on 1 Corinthians, Steve Page shares a poem inspired by 1 Corinthians 9.
On Sundays at the moment you'll find us working our way through Paul's letter to the Corinthian church. It's like reading a neighbour's post, but legal. There's plenty from their life lessons for us to learn from. 1 Corinthians 9 uses the analogies of the runner and the boxer and the pictures they conjure prompted me to write an amplified version of sorts, with follows, after which is written the biblical original.
Runners Run.
One stride at a time
One push at a time
One lap at a time
And when the climb is steep
when you feel like
you're losing ground,
then every stride,
every push, every lap
that leaves you in the race
takes you to your prize
And every time you stumble
only to regain your feet
that is a victory that is worthy
of your team captain
our captain, Jesus.
Boxers Fight.
One step at a time
One blow at a time
One round at a time
And when life throws
all it has at you,
all at one time,
then every step
every blow, every round
that leaves you in the fight
takes you to your prize
And every time you hit the canvas
only to beat the count
that is a victory that is worthy
of your champion,
our champion, Jesus.
And we will not be disqualified
from the prize.
1 Cor 9 :24 - 27
24. Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. 27. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
The true vine and the true fruit
Steve Page’s most recent poem serves as a great introduction to our new sermon series, join us on Sunday to find out more, and read on for a sneak peek….
I started writing a poem about the fruit of the spirit and it ended up being more about wine. So, this a kind of bridge between two series of Sunday morning messages. We’ve just concluded the series looking at the ‘I am’ saying of Jesus captured in the gospel of John, culminating with ‘I am the true vine’ and we’re about to spend some time with the Fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5.
Jesus said
‘I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener. … I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing…”
Paul writes in his letter to the Galatians that the fruit of the Spirit of God is
“… love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”
That list captures the character of Jesus – which makes sense as it’s the Spirit of God (Jesus) that we’re talking about here. So here’s a foretaste (see what I did there?) of the next few weeks in Galatians and a reflection on Jesus as the vine.
True Fruit
Fruit goes off.It gets mushy and smelly, losing its colour and beauty - losing its taste,
eventually drying out,losing all resemblance of what it once was,only good for waste.
But fruit nurtured by a master grower,a seasoned gardener,fruit watched, pruned and watered til ripe and at its peak,this fruit is harvested, fermented,blended til building to a fuller physique,brought to full maturity til ready for the tableand for the banquet where no one's poorand no-one is able to maintain a semblance of meek.
The gardener and the wine maker,sitting at the top seats both smile their blessing.And the table branches out
giving room enough for the whole family gathering.
And the feast to end all feasts begins.
Steve Page
I Do
This Sunday we celebrated marriage at Redeemer!
This Sunday we celebrated marriages in the church and heard a fantastic testimony from Chris and Tricia, a couple at Redeemer who have been married for over 50 years! We were also blessed by a visit from our resident poet Steve Page, whose poem - I Do - is below.
Rather than offer my own advice to my son and his bride on their wedding day, I asked various Christian couples who have a few years of marriage behind them to offer their thoughts on the ingredients of a successful marriage. And I then sought to weave them together. So this poem is the fruit of around 250 years of marriage.
It’s called – “I Do”
Ignore the lyrics:
You can't pursue love.
You don't find love.
Love's not a thing to be kept or had;
it's a doing word that you both have to work at.
Love is a language expressed in deeds
and so clear expression of your love best succeeds when you
both discover what the other most dearly needs.
So spend time planting daily deeds of love, every one of them a fragile seed.
Continue to listen day and night
and learn what each other prefers and what you both like.
And then, when you get it right
you'll be answered by a unmistakable light in their wide
glistening eyes.
Do it on a date.
Do it with your mates.
Do it when you're tired and it's heavy eyed late.
Do it in the everyday mundane way
you pair your own socks
and clear away last night's takeaway.
Laugh often and have fun
especially when you feel life has you on the run
and be sure to surprise each other both regularly and often
Maybe even invest in a pair of water guns.
Share the fragile thoughts
you find at the forefront of your mind.
Reveal your vulnerability,
the hurt you feel when life's been unkind.
And in response to that revealed insecurity, ensure you tread carefully
until you see the healing that comes from interlacing lovingly.
Speak your love every day.
Articulate it come what may.
And that way you'll ensure that it stays
at the forefront of each of your todays,
on the tip of your tongues
so when you inevitably take a step wrong
you'll both recall why you're together
and why it's worth the endeavour
that it takes to push through that unexpected foul weather.
Love one another through that gale
and sail on to meet the adventure
that's yours to discover:
Through the miles of your wherevers,
for the duration of your whenevers,
strong enough for your whatevers,
standing together,
forever relentlessly loving each other.
So may the Lord of your tomorrows bless you together.
May the Lord keep you smiling whatever.
May his face shine on you in all kinds of weather.
And may He give you peace
that will never cease
to give you pause to thank Him for his grace
forever.
And all the assembled people said
AMEN.
We also heard about some other great resources on Sunday, which we hope will bless you if you as a married person during this time.
The first is Tim & Kathy Keller’s book - The Meaning of Marriage.
”In The Meaning of Marriage, Timothy Keller, along with Kathy, his wife of thirty-six years, draws a profound portrait of marriage from the pages of Scripture that neither idealizes nor rejects the institution but points us back to the relationship between God and man. The result is a vision for marriage that is refreshingly frank and unsentimental, yet hopeful and beautiful. This book is for anyone from singles, to couples considering marriage, to those who have been married recently or for a long time.”
The second is an app - available for Apple and Android devices - Toucan is designed for couples, and includes various tools to help you to build your relationship.
The third thing we recommend is the HTB marriage course. Designed and run by Holy Trinity Brompton (A church here in London), The Marriage Course is a series of seven sessions, designed to help couples invest in their relationship and build a strong marriage.
Just as He Said
He is risen!
Just as he said.
This Easter Sunday was different to many past Easter Sunday’s at Redeemer, but we did still get the blessing of hearing something from our resident poet - Steve Page. In case you missed it, or if you just want to read and enjoy the powerful truth again, it’s below.
P.S. I know it’s Tuesday now, but he’s still risen. Isn’t it great?!
"Didn't He tell you
Wasn't it clear
Did you not realise
Did you not hear?
He is now risen
He is not here
He's gone on ahead
Please hold back your tears.
We won't need your spices
Don't look so amazed
Go tell everybody
His body's been raised."
So shocked and bewildered
They left the cold tomb
And ran to the others
Who hid in a room,
"Jesus has risen
He's body's not there
Let's go now and meet him
In Galilee where
He'll explain it all to us
Make clear what He said
Please don't look so worried
No need to be scared.
Jesus has risen
I tell you it's true
Let's go now and meet Him
Let's start life renewed."
Written by Steve Page
A Greater Lent
As we look towards Easter, Steve Page’s poem challenges us to think about what lent is really about…
A week ago Shrove Tuesday marked the beginning of lent, and as we look forward to Easter here at Redeemer we’ll be publishing a series of blogs produced by Redeemer Creatives, the first of which comes courtesy of our resident poet, Steve Page.
A Greater Lent
Lord, save me from empty lent abstinence
Protect me from light hearted choco-resistance
And stir in me a longer lasting adherence
A dig down deeper resonance
That falls in step with your insistence
to follow a path of greater resilience.
Lord, save me from a temporary temperance
And lend me your eternal Spirit of endurance
That I might take this lent as a growth accelerant
And so come to stand a little closer
to your post-Easter presence.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Hebrews 12:1-3
Nativity Scene - A poem by Steve Page
A festive poem from our resident poet…..
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.
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 Fresh Touch From Jesus
Our resident poet Steve Page shares a poem inspired by a recent visiting speaker…
Recently we were blessed to have Stephen Van Rhyn, visit and preach to us at Redeemer. He is part of the leadership team for Advance, the group of churches we are part of, and he also leads Jubilee Community Church in Cape Town, South Africa.
When he visited and spoke to us he focused on the testimony of the blind man who was healed by Jesus which is found in Mark 8:22-25. It was a Sunday where God so clearly moved amongst us in worship and also through what Stephen shared with us! Our resident poet Steve Page has written the following poem off the back of his message, to which you can find a link at the bottom of this page, in case you haven’t heard it yet, or simply wanted to listen again!
Double Touch
I need the double touch of His grace on my face, hinging on His mercy coupled with His ability to not assume, to not barrel past, but to rather ask (and twice ask) with His intentional hearing and His long compassionate waiting.
Jesus wasn't one for placing His touch 'in passing', but placing His touch with presence - His was an off-the-fence, no-pretence full in the face presence. He held back from the passing pack and exercised the knack of going far enough to reach a truer understanding, to reach out with both arms to allow Him to encompass all previous experience of mishandling.
He knew that truthfully the healing is secondary to the true medicinal touch, to the reassuring brush with acceptance, to the knowing that you've received close hearing and closer grasping - a meeting of more than minds, a confidence of souls truly embracing and only releasing once we have the assurance of knowing that we've been double-touched with honesty and that we're twice as much connected fully and gracefully with the One who never turned anyone away.
Mark 8:22-25
22 They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him.
23 He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?”
24 He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.”
25 Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.
#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!