Artisan Live!
Read on to find out about last week’s live music event, and hear more about the Alpha Course!
Last Thursday saw our second live music event at Artisan Coffee in Ealing! To launch our next Alpha course, which starts this Wednesday, we invited a number of talented musicians, singers and poets to share their talents with us! All this was free, and came with the opportunity to enjoy great coffee served by the fantastic staff at Artisan!
The evening was full of highlights, newly written original songs by Toby Elliott, brilliant harmonies from Meg & Ruth, who joined us all the way from Wimbledon, poetry from Steve Page, a regular contributor to the Redeemer blog, and the unique and beautiful vocals of Yvette Flower! Another new act that performed at the event was On That Note, a barbershop quartet which included Russell Oakley, a member of the Redeemer family who was able to also share a testimony about how much he benefitted from being on the Alpha Course last term! Their medley, which began with a rendition of the iconic opening lines of Bohemian Rhapsody, was a fantastic moment! Kayla & Anna had the whole coffee shop in stitches with their cover of Valerie by Amy Winehouse, which included a personal warning from Kayla of the importance of paying your parking fines!
Also on the night, Sam (our fantastic host) had the opportunity to interview Bronwyn, another member of the Redeemer family, about how her life has been transformed by the Alpha course! She described how her entire outlook on life had changed because she had been given the opportunity to ask questions, discuss with others, and discover a personal relationship with God.
That is the invitation we are extending to you this term, come and join us on Wednesday night at 7:30 at Osteria del Portico, to enjoy great community, great food, and discuss the question ‘Is There more to life than this?’ If you enjoy it, why not come along every week for the next 10 weeks, as we take the opportunity to explore the Christian faith, and see how knowing God personally might transform your life!
You can sign up by following the link below, or just turn up on Wednesday night! I look forward to seeing you there!
HANWELL'S BEST HANGOUT
I'm very fortunate to only work four days a week, so I love to visit this place on my day off each Friday.
Among the things I love about living in Hanwell are the great parks, the canal I can walk, run or cycle beside, easy access to Ealing and London, the great schools (I teach in one of them!), the fantastic sense of community here and events that encourage this (we recently had the Hanwell Hootie)...and The Clocktower café!
I'm very fortunate to only work four days a week, so I love to visit the café on my day off each Friday. It's a great place to relax and hang out!
What do I love most about this café?
- I love the quirky, vintage interior and the different array of seating from bar stools to armchairs and sofas to benches with cushions – a very ‘homely’ environment in which to unwind
- I love the fact that I always bump into someone I know from the local area – it really is a great place to connect with others from the community
- I love the fresh, authentic, home-made food that is available from breakfast to brunch and lunch – not to mention the delicious cakes that are pretty irresistible (the Battenberg being a favourite!)
- I love the slowed-down, relaxed feeling you get there – you are never hurried away – you are always made to feel very welcome by the staff
- I love the fact that it's on my doorstep so I can enjoy it as often as I like – it really is one of Hanwell’s great treasures
If you haven't been – why not check it out on Facebook?
It's good to discover places where you can hang out, and be refreshed from the busyness of life.
I love gathering with the Redeemer community on Sundays to know God’s refreshing and empowering presence in our lives
Jesus said:
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28)
And one of the early church leaders explained the truth of gathering together:
...that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord... (Acts 3:20)
Why not come and hang out this Sunday?
I trust that you will also feel welcomed, feel that you have 'come home’, enjoy the coffee and cakes, and know something of God’s peace for you in the busyness of your life.
ONE THING TO TURN BUSYNESS INTO BREAKTHROUGH
When did life get so busy that we became unable to live it?
2016 is an Olympics year.
I’m looking forward to watching the Rio games, being reminded of the joy of London 2012. And the whole of the UK will be thinking exactly the same thing:
If only this were the Winter Olympics.
In the winter, that well-loved sport of curling appears on the TV, and Britain proves to the world why it’s Great.
No other nation on earth can say, “Hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry,” at that speed, with that level of sincerity.
And I think I know why.
The West generally, the UK in particular, and very specifically London, has become a world leader in hurrying.
Recent years have seen the introduction of the takeaway espresso cup. Under what circumstances are you in so much of a hurry that you don’t have time to drink an espresso before you’ve left the coffee shop?
The other day I saw a guy who was so intent on replying to an email on his BlackBerry as soon as possible, that he actually stopped drying his hands in the bathroom to do so.
When did life get so busy that we became unable to live it?
I have a suggestion: stick time in the calendar for reflection – to stop, think, and make sure all the stuff that’s filling your time is actually helping.
Here are the rules:
- Start realistic – give yourself one hour every six months. You’ll instantly realise it isn’t enough, but this is very achievable. ISN’T IT.
- Move it, don’t delete it – if something else comes up at the same time, don’t just delete it from your calendar, move it instead. And always move it sooner!
- Think about where your life is heading – where you’ll be in 1-6 months and 1-6 years.
- Think about what you’ve learned since the last reflection time – taking the time out to do this will teach you what you should have learned already!
And one final tip, if I may.
Redeemer recently finished a set of meetups – I met up with a group every Monday morning at 7am for nine weeks.
Another set of meetups will be starting soon – make sure you sign up when the window opens, so that you get the regular time to reflect with others on what’s important in life.