Poet's Corner - The Brightest Of Days
In today’s Poet’s Corner we feature a poem written by Toby Elliott, which encourages us to wait on God, and to trust him!
This is a poem I wrote back in March of 2019, it was a time in my life in which I was being taught humility and patience, and did a lot of waiting on God.
It seemed apt to share today, as another delay to the lifting of restrictions can easily leave us feeling frustrated or unsure as to the part today plays in God’s grand plan for us.
I hope this poem blesses you, and encourages you to seek and trust God today, whatever situation you find yourself in, knowing that there are brighter days to come, whether on this earth or in eternity!
I won’t give up.
I won’t give in.
I won't let impatience drag me into sin.
I won’t back down.
Or try to skip ahead.
I won’t ignore what my father has said.
I won’t stop listening.
I won’t forget.
I won’t demand things I know I’m not ready for yet.
I won’t run.
I won’t hide.
I won’t question your ways.
For I know still to come is the brightest of days.
I will stand tall.
I’ll let my heart burn.
I’ll follow you down every twist, every turn.
I will let tears flow.
Of joy and of sorrow.
I’ll trust in your promise, for now and tomorrow.
I will let You
Fight this battle for me.
For you have won an everlasting victory.
I will worship my King.
I will cry out in praise.
For I know, still to come, is the brightest of days.
Today’s Poet’s Corner was written by Toby Elliott, and is arranged each month by our resident poet, Steve Page.
Redeemer Advent Calendar Blog - Sounds of the Season!
Today we kick off the Redeemer Advent Calendar with our first Advent Blog looking at the 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.
Redeemer reads 2 Thessalonians 2
Good morning! Today we are reading 2 Thessalonians 2, and due to a mix up with videos (apologies for the slight delay in releasing this one!) Toby is sharing with us again! This morning he helps us to be encouraged to stand firm in the truth during this time, just as Paul encouraged the church in Thessalonica to do!
Welcome! Here at Redeemer we believe that the Bible is the word of God, that it’s alive, and that its words can and should shape every aspect of our lives as Christians. But we also know it’s not easy to get into the habit of reading it every day! So we are following the CBR Bible Reading plan - which can be found below - to help us read the bible together.
We are currently reading the book of 2 Thessalonians, and every week day we will be releasing a video on our social media & YouTube accounts, with a member of our Redeemer family explaining what they feel God is saying to them through the passage!
Today we hear from Toby as he shares with us from 2 Thessalonians 2.
If you have time, and a desire to know more, you’ll find ideas for further study of todays passage below.
Further Study
In today’s passage, Paul talks in some detail about the timings of the return of Christ. This is something which definitely demands further study, and a good place to start is this helpful article from Sam Waldron - the president of Covenant Baptist Theological Seminary and a pastor of Grace Reformed Baptist Church in Owensboro, Kentucky. He is the author of numerous books, including The End Times Made Simple.
You will find his blog, entitled - Christ Will Not Return at Any Moment - linked below.
Redeemer reads 2 Corinthians 5
This morning as we continue to read 2 Corinthians together, Toby focuses on how verse 19 gives us a hope of friendship with God right now!
Welcome! Over the next few weeks we are going to be reading 2 Corinthians together as a church, 1 chapter every week day. We’re encouraging everyone to read the passage, pray, and share with a few others what they felt God was pointing out to them in his word. Every day we’re going to be hearing from someone at Redeemer about what they felt God pointed out to them as they read the passage.
This morning Toby is sharing with us, you can watch his video above. He has also shared some more of his thoughts on the passage below.
In verse 19 it says "God was reconciling the world to him in Christ". The Bible uses many ways to describe what Jesus blood has done for us, here Paul uses the word reconcile to remind us that Jesus has won for us FRIENDSHIP with God. Our sin has ALIENATED us from God, but through Jesus, God has drawn near to us again.He has restored the relationship with us.
What hope this can bring in this challenging time, that not only do we have eternal relationship with God, but we have personal relationship, a Friendship with God today. Let's not forget too, that 'All this is from God' verse 18. As we sang just yesterday. What amazing grace.
What Jesus did for us at the cross is often described as ‘The Great Exchange’, a moment where our sin is swapped for the pure, spotless righteousness of Christ. This is the moment being described in verse 21. It is so important for us as Christians to remember this moment at the beginning of each day, it is the foundation of everything about us. That we have been irreversibly changed, and we can walk with confidence knowing that we have been clothed in Christ’s righteousness!
Further Study
in 2017, Grace Hill Church, Virginia, USA, preached a 5 week series based on 2 Corinthians 5. The series, entitled ‘Life in a Tent’ focused on the worldview of the apostle Paul and what we can learn from it. You can listen to the first part, and find links to the rest of the series, below.
We're Moving! - Planning & Preparation
Got questions about the move? Find your answers here!
In the second of our blogs focusing on our Sunday venue move, Toby Elliott looks at the practicals and the logistics, and try and answer some key questions you might have!
I love a plan. Anyone who has known me or worked with me would be quick to tell you that where I go, a detailed spreadsheet often follows close behind… I have come to learn that this is not the case with everyone, but I am happy to tell you that here at Redeemer we have many faithful and dedicated members of our family who play their part in the plan for a Sunday morning service! Many of these people are behind the scenes, and wouldn’t be noticed by those coming through the doors at 10am, but I know that if they weren’t around, their absence would definitely be noticed, and I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all those who serve faithfully behind the scenes to make sure Sundays at Redeemer run smoothly!
But what does this have to do with the new venue? Well, on Tuesday night a number of those that serve on or lead Sunday teams met at the University of West London to explore, ask questions, and get excited about our new Sunday venue. We know that moving to a new venue is likely to throw up fresh challenges and new plans will need to be set in place to make sure our Sundays run as smoothly as they always have (I’ve started on the spreadsheet already). Below are some of the questions they asked, questions that you might be asking too. We’ve tried to answer them as best we can so that you have an idea of what Sundays at the University might look like.
Where are we going to meet?
We will be worshipping together on a Sunday morning in the Weston Hall, which is the large lecture theatre in the centre of the university building. Refreshments and the welcome table will be located just outside the hall in the cafe space, with the kids meeting in a suite of rooms elsewhere in the building (more information on that below). You can find a map of the site here.
What security measures are in place?
The university has a dedicated security team that will be present on both entrances to the university site, each entrance is equipped with barriers that the security staff will open to allow people in and out of the building. Everyone who attends on a Sunday morning will need to sign in at the desk, to ensure that the security team know who is in the building if an incident occurs. This means the site is a very safe environment for everyone, especially children and vulnerable adults, however it will be important for parents to stay alert, as there is lots of space for children to get lost in the building!
Will I still get my cup of coffee?
Don’t worry, our refreshments team will still be on hand to provide with that caffeine boost before and after the service! With the larger cafe space outside of the main hall providing the opportunity to sit and chat over a hot drink, while allowing further ministry and prayer opportunities in the main hall for those who may wish to respond to what has been shared during the service.
Where will my children be meeting?
Children up to the age of 11 (School Year 6) will continue to join us for the first 15 minutes of corporate worship. Our children’s groups will then run in another area of the building called the Savoy Suite, which is a short walk away and will be clearly signposted from the main hall. The suite is only accessible using dedicated security passes which will be available to children’s ministry leaders only, meaning that the area will be off limits to anyone who is not part of Redeemer church. Due to the distance between the hall and the Savoy Suite all parents will be required to collect their children after the service, rather than the kids team bringing them back.
What about parking?
There are several residential streets around the university which will have parking available on a Sunday morning, but please make sure you check for any potential restrictions before you park anywhere! There will be dedicated disabled parking spaces available at the university site for those that require them.
Hopefully those questions cover much of what you might have been wondering about the move to the new venue, I’m sure that there will be fresh challenges that we haven’t anticipated yet, but we are very excited to be taking this next step in our journey as a church! Of course, we are not perfect, and it is likely that everything won’t run perfectly smoothly as we get used to meeting in the university, but what I can assure you is that the same faithful servers who have served us so well in the Town Hall will continue to do so as we move into a new venue! They may just require a little extra grace as they get to grips with the new plan.
My final question to ask is - ‘Will God be with us?’
I can answer this with an emphatic YES! We are expecting God to move amongst us in new and powerful ways through this time of transition and in the future, in Exodus 33:15 Moses speaks to God and says ‘If your presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here’. As we move we are praying that same prayer, in the knowledge that he will always be with us, as individuals and as a church!
More questions about the move? Contact us at hello@redeemerlondon.org
Look out for the third blog in the series, coming soon, where we’ll talk more about the purpose of the move, and the vision behind it!