Supporting our local football club

At Redeemer Church London, we think it’s really important to build strong community within Ealing and look at joining forces with other organisations to help achieve this.

To that end, we're delighted to have been working closely in recent months with another local organisation with a great community spirit - Hanwell Town Football Club.

The Ealing area is home to four non-league football clubs, and Hanwell are the highest ranking of these, plying their trade in the Southern League Premier Division South.

The club were founded in 1920 and now compete in level seven of the football pyramid, which is three divisions below the Football League and six below the Premier League.

Known as the ‘Geordies’, Hanwell were created by men from Newcastle working locally who adopted the black and white stripes of Newcastle United FC as their colours.

Redeemer sponsored its first Hanwell match in January when the team got a credible 1-1 draw against high-flying Poole Town thanks to an equaliser from Dwayne Duncan.

Now, we are going to be sponsoring a second game this Saturday (March 15) as the 15th-placed Geordies take on Havant and Waterlooville who currently sit in 9th.

Sponsorship provides a great way for Redeemer to reach a new audience and advertise our services both at the match and on a digital billboard next to the busy A40 road.

We are really excited at this growing partnership and would encourage you to get along to the game which kicks off at 3pm. Tickets can be bought in advance or on the gate.

Prices are £12 for adults, £7 concessions (over-65s, students, NHS, emergency workers, and veterans), £3 under-18s and free for under-12s. The cost goes up by £1 on the gate.

Some of our children will be mascots, and we hope to see you there – up the Geordies!

Redeemer reads 2 Thessalonians 2

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.

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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.

So, how do you serve?

On Sunday Pete was talking about how we serve.

Japanese football supporters do it by clearing rubbish at the end of each match and see this as a way of honouring their hosts and being good guests.
My mum did it by being the trusted arbitrator in our street, bringing harmony to her neighbours and offering pots of tea as balm to hurt feelings.
My sisters and I do it by caring for my mum as she struggles with dementia, patiently reminding her who she is and taking the blows and harsh words with good grace.
My team mate at work does it at a local school, helping kids to improve their maths and reading skills, giving up her lunch hour to give something back. 

It's part of our God-given human nature to reach out into our community and offer a helping hand, to give time to those who ache for an empathetic ear, to offer respite to those travelling through troubled times.

Jesus led by example and stated his position clearly - he said that he came to serve.  And to hammer the point home he knelt down and washed each of his disciples' dirty feet despite their protests. Even the feet of Judas.

When Jesus taught he distinguished between those who follow him by how they serve, because by serving the weak and disadvantaged they are serving and loving him.

So, ask yourself: how do I serve?

WHEN YOU SERVE

"When you serve,
start with the feet.

And when you serve,
get down low
with a towel and a water bowl.

And when you serve,
find your honour not over,
but under.
Not higher,
but lower.
Not first,
but last.

So when you serve,
don't wait your turn,
but push your way
right to the back.
And there you'll find
nothing to prove,
nothing to hide
and nothing to loose
but your pride.

Yes, you heard,
when you serve
observe his example:
Undo a sandal
and start with the feet.
And there you will be blessed."

Church with colour

Ealing is a magnet for the world, with over 170 nationalities represented within its borders.  From WWII Polish refugees to millennial Syrians.  Each community has made a home here and has added its culture, its recipes, its colour, its recipes, languages, its recipes, its traditions and its recipes to the existing smorgasbord that is London.

The family of Redeemer London reflects some of this smorgasbord - it's one of the things I love most about getting together on Sunday mornings. 

This Sunday (20 May) we'll be celebrating this multi-national nature of our church with many sporting their national dress.  You'll be most welcome to add to the colour.  Meanwhile, here's my personal manifesto for an international church.

"I believe in one international church. I believe in an inter-racial and unbiased church of many nations.  I believe in one church of many traditions.  I believe in one church not hemmed in by history or by man-made borders.  I believe in a God for whom his pallet of skin colours reflects his love of diversity.  I believe in God-given racial differences.  I believe in one creator God who made all mankind equal.  I believe in a church that reflects her maker's love of difference.

"I do not believe in uniformity.

"I believe in the common language of love for one another, for neighbours and for enemies that transcends local dialects.  I believe in one sundry collection of priests who are called to serve one God together, saved by one sacrifice once and for all time.  I believe in the promise of a resurrected church drawn from all generations to meet her bridegroom.  I believe in one eternal wedding feast which features everything from the finest vegetable samosas to the richest steam puddings.  I believe in one extravagant Father who has built one massive mansion with many rooms so all his people can come and dwell together.

"I believe in God's - Kingdom - come. "

Happy Birthday, Pete!

Last month we celebrated a significant birthday for Pete Cornford, the founding pastor of Redeemer London.  We had a party - obviously.  We told embarrassing stories - obviously.  And we thanked God for Pete - obviously.

This poem seeks to capture a little of Pete and we thought those of you who know him would appreciate it.  Those of you who don't know Pete, you're welcome to come along on a Sunday morning to Ealing Town Hall - if you can't see him (he's not that tall), just follow the laughter.

We meet to celebrate Jesus each week, not just on his birthday - obviously.  

IN HIS OWN WORDS

It won’t be a surprise, you know what I'm saying?
I - just - love –Ealing, whether working or playing.
I've been on my travels, I've been here, I've been there
I've followed my Jesus, ‘til He led me here.

And now I can't help it, I love every street
and as I turn 50, people ask, 'Pete,
why are you stirred to serve this old city
with Isaac and Josh, with Lois and Nicky?'

'Oh, golly', I say, 'Isn't it clear?
It's the call of Jesus each day that I hear.'
But, hand - on - my – heart, it's a challenge - isn't it?
How do I serve, when I'm five foot six?

Now I love a good quote. I know you don’t judge,
but some people say I love them too much.
I love a great movie, but sit at the rear
so people around me won't notice my tears.

I love a good read, I've got books wall to wall
and I love the Arsenal when they're on the ball.
I was in the Olympics, did I tell you that?
If you look real closely you might see my cap.

I love Redeemer, the believers who gather,
how they will turn up to worship no matter.
I love just how creative some of them are,
the wannabe poets, the guys on guitar.

Now I mustn't embarrass anyone here,
but I love my dear wife, just so that's clear.
I love my three kids in no special order;
as they keep on growing I’ll cheer ever louder.

And each day I go walking, I might even run,
cos by living with passion I might serve the Son.
I - just - love – Ealing.  Do I hear an Amen?
Let's stride out together!  Redeemer-London!

BUSY, OR EXISTENTIALLY BORED?

I love living in London.

One of the advantages of living in London is that something is always happening.

Life here is fast-paced and full of activity.

But I find that the constant busyness leads to a temptation to try and create busyness when things are slowing down a bit. Of course, I put it down to me liking activity, but it's probably fair to admit that sometimes I fill my time because I'm scared of the boredom that might come with slowing down.

I read a blog post the other day that captured this so well. It's only short, so I'd encourage you to read the whole thing, but here's a quote to whet your appetite:

Our culture now equates busyness with importance, hard work with ability. We like representing ourselves as capable, so our egos swell approvingly with each overtime hour logged. Our work has thus become our identity—when meeting new people, I’m likely to be asked ‘what I do’ before I’m asked my name. Even 2,000 years before Headspace offered free 10-day trials and lifestyle magazines wrote about mindfulness, Roman Stoic Seneca noted this human tendency with enough scathing accuracy to elicit a collective 21st-century cringe: ‘It is inevitable that life will be not just very short but very miserable for those who acquire by great toil what they must keep by greater toil. They achieve what they want laboriously; they possess what they have achieved anxiously... New preoccupations take the place of the old, hope excites more hope and ambition more ambition. They do not look for an end to their misery, but simply change the reason for it.’

So read the entire post on the Salt London blog, and why not put this into practice by ceasing your busyness this August, by enjoying our Holy Smokes Barbecues every Sunday.

THE JOY OF DISCOVERING COMMUNITY

Hamish is old and grey now.

He's hard of hearing and his eyesight is fading.

His old joints make it hard to negotiate the stairs sometimes.

And he needs to be careful about what he eats.

But he still enjoys a stroll down the park.

He has plenty of friends to catch up with. He's quite happy - although he finds that most evenings are spent dozing on the sofa with the TV on in the background.

He's 14 now, not the young border terrier pup we remember.

We find that he's happier when he gets a walk first thing in the morning.

This means me getting up earlier than I would plan and braving the morning chill.

It also means new acquaintances for me.

Having a beast on the end of a lead means that I am accepted into a discrete community. It's a cross cultural community, not gender-biased, and people of all ages join.

The dog walkers.

And it doesn't matter what mood I'm in when I leave the house; by the time I get home I'm buoyed by the interaction and cheery greetings of those I meet.

(There's even another border terrier named Hamish who frequents the same park; a younger version.)

There's another community that I meet with regularly, and when I meet them I not only have my spirits raised by their company, I experience the pleasure of being part of a wide family who know me and accept me warts and all. Better than that, we meet with our Father in heaven too.

Redeemer London.

If you've found yourself looking for community, why not come along on a Sunday morning to Ealing town hall. The kettle will be on from 10 o'clock.

We're drawn from many nations, not gender-biased, and all ages are represented.

You'll be most welcome.

(And for those like Hamish whose joints aren't what they used to be, there's easy access too.)