Selah - Practising Stillness

Selah

Often at this time of year we can find ourselves occupied by so many things: work commitments, family commitments, running essential errands. Even the more enjoyable leisure activities and social events take planning and organising and before we know it our calendars are full; our minds are busy and our time taken up.  Yet time is one of the most precious gifts we have in this life- it can’t be bought or replaced; it can’t be returned. Who we spend our time with is significant. How we spend our time matters. What we spend our time on is important. 

The world seems to shout at us that there is time for everything-we can do it all! We can do it all and apparently all at once: endless multitasking in our own multiverses – this, we are told, is what it looks like to live a productive life. How often do we buy into this lie? How often too, are we plagued by the fear of missing out (FOMO)?  How often do we find ourselves on that hamster wheel running from one thing to another? Not just juggling social calendars but struggling under the weight of pursuits. All the while patting ourselves on the back for being such good go- getters? 

How much of our time is spent expending ourselves?

A Time for Stillness  

Instead of spending our time-the currency of our lives, trying to cram in everything, we should take heed of King Solomon’s revelation in Ecclesiastes 3 that “To everything there is a season, and a time for every matter or purpose under heaven” and perhaps also understand that there MUST be a time for stillness. 

Stillness- A time to pause and just be. A time to reflect. A time to quietly glory in God’s goodness- with no agenda, no outcomes to measure, nothing to check off, nowhere to be. The Bible is replete with scripture verses on stillness and resting in God.

For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength
Isaiah 30:15

We are reminded of the importance of allowing God to lead us, “beside quiet waters” as he “refreshes [our] soul”

Jesus himself said to his disciples “Come away by yourselves to a quiet place and rest a while…” Mark 6:31

In Hebrews we learn of a Sabbath-rest for the people of God, “…for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his” As humans we need physical rest from activity and labours and as Christians we are blessed to enter into salvation- deliverance from toiling under sin’s scourge, from the impossible demand to keep the law, from the threat of striving to no avail and never having peace.

This is why we share the gospel so that all may enter into that rest- but this rest that has been won for us is also to be enjoyed to the fullest on this earth, during our human lives, at this time.

Press Pause

Should we not then seek to redeem the time we have by intentionally and purposefully pressing the pause button so that we can enjoy what Christ died to gift us? I hope you are encouraged to pencil in time for stillness in your calendars and lives. 

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.

We're Moving! - Pause & Praise

Redeemer Church is moving! From the 2nd of June we will be meeting in Weston Hall, at the University of West London! We will be releasing more information about the practicalities of the move over the next two weeks, so that you have all the information you need about the move before it happens. As part of the move we’ll be publishing 3 blogs, the first of which is this one!

In this first blog Pete Cornford looks back at our time in Ealing Town Hall over the last 5 years, and encourages us to pause and praise God for what he has done in and through us as a church!

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London is a fast paced and vibrant place to live. What a privilege it is to dwell in this city!

I am so aware in my own life that I love the new and the next: pressing on for what today holds and getting excited about the future. I would like to consider myself an ‘enthusiastic optimist’, with a mindset that says ‘we can do it!’

However sometimes it is good to pause. 

To stop. 

To reflect. 

To look back and be grateful, recognising all that God has accomplished.

Redeemer Church, London was launched on Sunday mornings, at Ealing Town Hall in January 2013. 

The iconic, central location has served us so well. From the small downstairs basement we have expanded into the main Hall as you enter the building. There has been space for the children's work to expand from 1 child to regularly getting over 50 children in attendance. People have decided to follow Jesus, many have got baptised, couples have got married and families have celebrated the arrival of babies. Visiting speakers have inspired and taught us, people have been healed and there have been powerful encounters with the living God. We have dreamed, cried and laughed together as community….. 

And I am very grateful!

If you have been part of the journey - THANK YOU.

Why don’t you pause now - reflect and be grateful for all you have!

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.