Let's Meet Up This Summer...

Well, the sun is here.* 

(*Based on 3 days at the end of April.  Sunshine is not a guarantee of sustained hot weather.  Temperatures can go down as well as up.  Other weather conditions may be experienced.)

Whatever the weather, it's a perfect time to be launching our Summer Meetups at Redeemer Church London - you can sign up today at redeemerlondon.org/meetups. Don't miss out!

We're excited about these groups - partly because of the calibre of leader and quality of topics on offer - but also because getting together with real people in real life makes for powerful encounters.
Acquaintances become friends.
Questions become answers.
Curiosity becomes passion. 
Meeting up brings people together to create thriving communities.

But don't listen to me, listen to the folk at Redeemer London:

"We had people who had been in the church since the start, people who were totally new... Sharing hobbies such as running is a great way not only to improve in it but  also to connect and do life with others."

"I was blown over by people's honesty and openness.  From the first night it was really encouraging."

"I really appreciated the pearls of wisdom from a conversation in a pub. It was a real eye opener."

"It has certainly made me more mindful of allowing yourself time to ‘be’ and not always having to ‘do’."

So there you have it - go to http://redeemerlondon.org/meetups/
and select one of the 14 on offer. 

We hope to see you soon, whatever the weather. 

No app for that...

Some things take a little more time...

There's no app for job satisfaction.
No app for deeper self-realisation.
No app for joy and love of life.
No app to avoid struggle or strife.

No app for meaningful inter-relation,
for self-esteem or bond formation
These each take time, with patient dedication, 
a repeated test of your true determination.
These take quiet contemplation
and longer considered conversation.
A real-time flesh interaction,
with authentic, humble co-operation.
I'm meaning a dangerously high contagion
with the risk of personal dissatisfaction. 
These take sustained concentration,
a firm hand on the neck of your current situation.
These take more than a one day binge; 
you'll need to commit to more than a fling.
More than a lazy swipe to your right,
more than a stand for just one night.
These take guts and sweat and tears,
you might even find that some take years.

But this is life beyond the screen, this is how it's always been.

So lift your head and take a breath,
we'll stand right here and lend our strength. 
All I can promise are tears and laughter
and friends who'll stand closer thereafter.

If you want to take some time away from the screen, come along on a Sunday morning to Redeemer at Ealing Town Hall.  You can keep your phone on if you'd like. 

MARY MAGDALENE - LOOSE WOMAN OR FEMALE ICON?

I for one am looking forward to the movie 'Mary Magdalene'. Good cast including Rooney Mara, Joaquin Phoenix and Chiwetel Ejiofor and a great director, Garth Davis. And just in time for Easter.

And I'm happy to see the resurrected debates (see what I did there?) about Mary's position in the early church.  It's good to have a reminder that women were there amongst Jesus' disciples, amongst the Apostles (i.e. those who witnesses the resurrected Christ) and were prominent in the churches early years - Priscilla, Phoebe, Monica of Hippo, Catherine of Alexandria, - please go look them up. 

But back to Mary M.  Not a prostitute (despite what you may have read elsewhere) and not the wife of Jesus (I know it makes great gossip - but it's not in the eyewitness accounts), but a disciple: one who followed Jesus the rabbi, the miracle worker, the resurrected Saviour. 

And women of God still play a key role in the present day church.  Kathy Frost, missionary and Boys Brigade officer who taught me the Lords Prayer, the late Ailish Eves, who inspired me as a young boy with tales of her life in Indonesia and later taught at my bible school, Bev Clarke whose visions of angels in the office inspired me to think more imaginatively about God in the work place, Janine Jackson my friend who pointed me to Redeemer-London, Anna Hamilton whose gifted teaching challenges me every time, Abi Sibuns whose worship leading ushers us into the presence of God...They are disciples and instrumental in church growth.  

An aside:  I was reminded this week that God made man and woman in His image because one gender wouldn't do Him justice - He needed both male and female to reflect who He is.  

So look out for the Marys and the Abis in the church and you'll see God reflected in who they are.  

I do hope the movie is a good one.