A Lent of Greater Faith

As you will no doubt be aware, the recent covid-19 outbreak has changed everyone’s lives to a greater and a lesser extent. As a church we know that many members of our family will be self-isolating, working from home, or practicing social distancing over the coming weeks. We are hoping that through a series of blogs we can encourage you, and others who might be reading these blogs, to fix your eyes on Jesus, and respond to the crisis in a way which honours his will for our lives.

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I didn’t plan to write this blog.

I began writing a piece for Lent about us not just focussing on what we are giving up, but also asking ourselves what we are taking on this Lent - what challenges, changes, crosses and contributions we’ll be taking on to serve our households, church family, community and God.

But then COVID-19 happened.  

And as I wrote this new blog, I think God brought me back to the same place. 

Our prayer and God’s protection

During such testing times as these, I’ve found it helpful to listen to on-line bible studies, encouraging us to pray with confidence, exercising our faith and trusting God like never before.  We don’t know what the future holds for us, but we know a God who does.  

The Psalms provide powerful words of faith as well as heart-felt cries to God.  In the face of current public health crisis Psalm 91 is perfect, particularly because it calls upon the Lord for protection over pestilence and I highly recommend that we take those promises and incorporate them into our prayers for ourselves, family, friends & neighbours.

We are not immune, it’s true, but God makes all things possible. If Christ can raise the dead, if the Apostles can cast out demons, if my faith can move mountains, then our God through the Holy Spirit, in the Name of Jesus, can protect us.

Fear or faith 

Jesus was very clear: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7).  So, now, as never before, ask, seek, knock – be persistent in prayer with faith in God, who stands with us.  

Now, spiritual faith can work with practical common sense, so yes, we take precautions, we are careful to not socialise, we wash our hands, we follow government and health guidelines, but we do it with faith not fear – that’s the difference! “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).

A Lent of greater faith

So how does this relate to what we give up for Lent and what we take on for Lent? Well, I say that we let go of fear and take on even greater faith. I advise prayer over panic, declaring life over accepting death. Choose to live in truth rather than live overwhelmed by the daily news. 

People may well continue to fall ill – fact.  The truth is that God is with us in times of trouble, He delivers us and honours us. With long life He will satisfy us and show us His salvation (Psalm 91).  

Daily life has been thrown off course – fact. The truth is that we have life from someone who is life (John 11:25).

It is evident in the Bible that our God is incredibly intentional; everything serves a purpose, there is a plan and His timing is unique, critical and perfect, whether we understand it or not. He is faithful! So let us be too.  Let us sing Hosanna on Palm Sunday, sing thanks to Christ on Good Friday and raise the roof with the Holy Spirit come Easter Sunday - without fear, but with courage, love and truth.  

The cross came before the crown and I hope that we all feel encouraged at this time, and at all times, because though there may be weeping in the night, rejoicing comes in the morning (Psalm 30) and God will make our cause shine like the noon day sun (Psalm 37) – God’s words, not mine.

Lent’s soundtrack

If this blog had a soundtrack, it would feature:

• Yes & Amen - Housefires

• Way maker - Sinach

• Take a moment – United Pursuit

Now, let’s end with some hashtags shall we… it’s a blog after-all

#FaithOverFear 

#PrayerNotPanic 

#YesAndAmen

Peace be with you & God bless you,

Pamela 

Curse or Blessing?

As you will no doubt be aware, the recent covid-19 outbreak has changed everyone’s lives to a greater and a lesser extent. As a church we know that many members of our family will be self-isolating, working from home, or practicing social distancing over the coming weeks. We are hoping that through a series of blogs we can encourage you, and others who might be reading these blogs, to fix your eyes on Jesus, and respond to the crisis in a way which honours his will for our lives.

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I am self isolating. I like to believe that I don’t look (or act) anywhere near my age! But the fact is that I am 71 and I am suddenly in the ‘vulnerable’ group.  Even worse, I have a cough.  To be honest, I have had coughing bouts on and off for years now, but at this time a persistent cough is the worst thing you can have!

Being a sociable person, I am used to meeting people all the time, attending church meetings, praying for people at home etc.  Now I suddenly cannot do that anymore.  So I have two options –  I can stay at home and sulk and complain. Or I can decide to ignore the Government’s strong advice and go about my business as usual, possibly get infected and take up precious hospital beds which are needed by others.

As a Christian I need to ask myself – what would Jesus do?  

Well, first of all, Jesus loved people.

He cared for the marginalised, the poor, the widow and the sick!  He considered their wellbeing.  The bible tells us that true religion is caring for the widows and orphans (James 1:27). So am I caring for these if I put myself and them at risk?  The answer must be ‘no!’ 

So neither of the options above seem like a good option, well fortunately I believe that there is a third way, which I believe is the most pleasing to Jesus.

The Bible says that every day is a gift from God!  Let’s treat it as such, wherever we are – at work or at home.  It doesn’t matter, whatever we do, we do it as to the Lord, knowing that from Him we shall receive a rich reward for our labour. 

There are actually many advantages to being at home, thanks to modern technology.  There is the opportunity to have prayer and chats face to face on Whatsapp, Skype, Zoom or whatever!  Continue to regularly ‘meet’ with your groups.  Today I had an incredible time on Whatsapp with a bible study group member – we read the Bible together, worshipped and prayed together!  The presence of the Lord was right there!  We both felt really uplifted and are already looking forward to next week, when I hope to get the Skype up and running for the other three members of the group so that we can all join in and be blessed.

God is not bound by walls, or distance!  If we invite the Holy Spirit to come into our situation, He will move! No matter where or how!

And now I am also looking forward to finally reading through all those books that have been sitting on my shelves for years! looking through and sorting out my photos and my files, chatting to extended family on the phone, and ringing all those friends I haven’t got round to speaking to for years, bringing them a word of hope and encouragement. Writing that short story I have been hoping to do for years, painting my old dining room chairs, possibly even sewing some new covers for my cushions… 

And, of course… spending more time with the Lord Jesus, without having to rush off somewhere, and reading the Bible more slowly!

It’s certainly not going to be boring. Those of us in isolation can be excited about the opportunity God is giving us to be more available to Him than ever before!

I’m looking forward to it!  What about you? 

The Great Leveller

As you will no doubt be aware, the recent covid-19 outbreak has changed everyone’s lives to a greater and a lesser extent. As a church we know that many members of our family will be self-isolating, working from home, or practicing social distancing over the coming weeks. We are hoping that through a series of blogs we can encourage you, and others who might be reading these blogs, to fix your eyes on Jesus, and respond to the crisis in a way which honours his will for our lives.

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Lord Hennessy, a historian, referred to the Corona Virus as a great leveller in that the virus is no respecter of social status, race, gender, ability, wealth, etc.

Irrespective of who you are, the virus and the associated social shutdown impacts us all.

He also speculated about how PhD students of the future will regard our society and how we responded to the challenges posed by the virus.  

So let’s give them something positive to talk about.

I’ve seen blogs with suggestions as to how we can make working from home happier and healthier – all suggestions have been welcome.   

But how can we help each other?

My daughter saw a woman giving bottles of hand sanitiser to fellow commuters and a lady holding a sign giving her phone number asking people to contact her if they need support.  I’m not advocating that last one, but it set me wondering, what can we do for work colleagues and for neighbours who are coping with the same pressures right now.

• We can keep in touch with those we usually work along side – not just team conference calls, but on a one to one basis too.

• We can share coping tips – both with work colleagues and neighbours.

• Try turning the usual half-felt enquiry (“How you doing, alright?”) into a more searching question – “How you doing today?” – and wait for a real answer.  If in doubt, ask twice. 

• Support local businesses by shopping in smaller independent shops – they seem to better stocked that the supermarkets in any case.

• Support your local Food bank – details here.

And ring your mum – she worries about you. 

One day we’ll all be featured in a PhD dissertation (probably several); I’d like to think we come out looking good. 

Covid-19 - An Opportunity for Generosity

As you will no doubt be aware, the recent covid-19 outbreak has changed everyone’s lives to a greater and a lesser extent. As a church we know that many members of our family will be self-isolating, working from home, or practicing social distancing over the coming weeks. We are hoping that through a series of blogs we can encourage you, and others who might be reading these blogs, to fix your eyes on Jesus, and respond to the crisis in a way which honours his will for our lives.

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In the last 24 hours many of us will have made decisions to work from home, to cancel social events, and to refrain from travelling to visit friends and family in other parts of the country. These actions are in response to government advice which seeks to ‘flatten the curve’ of the coronavirus outbreak, limiting its effects on the health of the general public. But the physical health of members of our church family is not the only thing we need to be concerned about.

The crisis will also have a significant effect on many people’s finances, and as Christians it is important that we step up and support those who are impacted by the virus in this way too. As any church should, we choose to look to the very first church in the book of Acts, for guidance as what to do in these situations. This is my challenge to you today, does your generosity towards others in your community look like the church in Acts? They had everything in common as a church (Acts 2:42-47), they sold land to give to the poor (Acts 4:32-5:10), they distributed food amongst their community (Acts 6:1-7). Your actions may look different to this, but I think you would agree that in times like this it is crucial that we stand up and follow the example of the early church.

It is so crucial to not only change our social behaviour to keep the vulnerable amongst us safe, but to also change our economic behaviour too. This is an opportunity to be known as a church for our love, which will in turn draw others to us and give us an opportunity to preach the gospel, just as it did for the church in Acts.

So, how can you be generous today?

I’ll leave you with a verse which though written to a church over 1000 years ago, speaks directly to us today.

In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.

2 Corinthians 8:2

This blog was inspired by a similar one on thegospelcoaltion.org which you can read HERE

A Greater Lent

A week ago Shrove Tuesday marked the beginning of lent, and as we look forward to Easter here at Redeemer we’ll be publishing a series of blogs produced by Redeemer Creatives, the first of which comes courtesy of our resident poet, Steve Page.

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A Greater Lent

Lord, save me from empty lent abstinence 
Protect me from light hearted choco-resistance 
And stir in me a longer lasting adherence 
A dig down deeper resonance 
That falls in step with your insistence 
to follow a path of greater resilience.

Lord, save me from a temporary temperance 
And lend me your eternal Spirit of endurance 
That I might take this lent as a growth accelerant 
And so come to stand a little closer
to your post-Easter presence.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,  fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Hebrews 12:1-3

The Message of Malachi - A New Preaching series at Redeemer

Elie Wiesel was a Romanian-born American writer, political activist, and Holocaust survivor, he said: “The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference.” 

One of the dangers in our modern fast paced world is that our brains are bombarded with vast amounts of information and data. We receive news about issues from around the world: natural disasters and football results, murder and videos of performing cats. We struggle to differentiate between the vital and the humorous.

I personally can become a great spectator, one who watches and expresses an opinion; I have never missed a penalty from the comfort of my armchair. Yet as quickly as the information comes it is replaced by more and more, faster and faster. I may have been moved the first time I heard and saw the bad news but I get de-sensitised with every viewing.

I have often felt challenged by the quote attributed to Edmund Burke: “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”  I believe this is why many around the world have applauded the actions of Greta Thunberg, the 17 year old Swedish school girl who misses school on “Fridays for future’ and as she travels the world to lecture leaders due to her concern for the environment.

Malachi was a man, approx 2,500 years ago, who also brought a message - “you are half-hearted and making a mess of life!” His listeners were not actively doing wrong but they were also not passionately doing what was right. The disappointments of life had worn them down to become spectators in a game they should have been playing.

The best thing about Malachi’s message, which he believed was from God, is that before the hearers were expected to change their behaviour, God said, “I Love You.” Redeemer church is going to spend the next 6 weeks looking at the message of Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament.

Join us at the University of West London, where we aim to throw off indifference and live a life that counts for God!

2020 Creative Vision

We've been thinking aloud about harnessing the creativity at Redeemer in 2020 and wondered if you'd like to get involved?

Why?

Jesus said: "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Matt 6:33

So what does 'seeking first God's kingdom' look like for those with creative gifting? Is the answer for this season different from a previous season? What does a step of faith look like for you given your gifts, your talents and the company you find yourself in?

We can help each other answer these questions.

Who?

'Creative' can be a difficult word to claim.  It can feel presumptuous.  But take an honest look at yourself - do you have a mind that creates? Do you imagine change? Do you take pleasure in making difference?

This creativity can come in different shapes and sounds. Whatever form it takes - we'd love you to come and join the conversation. 

(If you don't regard yourself as creative, nudge someone who is.)

How?

We will hold 2 Sunday workshops on 16 & 23 February in the Savoy Suite at UWL, 1pm to 2pm.

The aim of these workshops is not to create content, but to engage with as many as possible and explore ideas of what a kingdom approach to using our creativity looks like.

The workshops will overlap in content and folk do not have to commit to both, rather the idea of having 2 is to give more people the chance to participate.  However given a different mix of people these workshops will be distinct and you might like to attend both.

All ages welcome.

Curious?

If this is getting you curious, please come along.  If you have questions email stevejeff62@gmail.com .

#RedeemerRecommends - Confronting Christianity

Every year in the run up to Christmas I have the same conversation with frustrated members of my family as they desperately ask me what I want! As gifts is not high on my list of love languages I often respond with a shrug and an unhelpful phrase, something along the lines of  - ’Whatever you feel like getting me I guess?’

I have come to learn over the years that when someone is trying to be generous, it helps to be a little more specific than that! So this year I sent my family the link to the Gospel Coalition’s books of the year, as a sort of Christmas list! You can find it here, just in case you’ve got a friend or family member with a January birthday coming up and (like me) your gift giving ideas ran dry about half way through December….

One of the books on the list which I was lucky enough to receive this Christmas was Rebecca McLaughlin’s ‘Confronting Christianity - 12 Hard Questions for the World’s Hardest Religion’.

The book poses 12 common objections to the Christian faith, and flips those challenges on their heads, using them to point to the goodness of God.

McLaughlin is fantastic at confronting the general lack of biblical knowledge which seems to influence many people’s objections to the Christian faith, and focusing on the biblical truth which can provide clear answers to questions like ‘Doesn’t Christianity Crush Diversity?’ And ‘Isn’t Christianity Homophobic?’. She has also clearly done her research (as is to be expected with a book like this), and not only does she highlight biblical truth, but also aligns it with findings of modern science to construct arguments which provide answers to those with big questions for Christianity, regardless of their knowledge of the bible.

I have no doubt that this is a book which would appeal to those who would not call themselves Christian, but simply have some questions to ask. It will also provide a great foundation for those Christians who have friends who are asking questions, and would love some guidance as to how to answer them!

There are countless books out there which pose the ‘Big Questions’ of the world and aim to answer them, but what this book does so well is that combination of evidence alongside the biblical narrative. In every answer to every question this book is pointing unequivocally to the only source of true hope, the incredible, fully God, fully man, Jesus Christ. I will end this #RedeemerRecommends with a paragraph from the last page of the book, as McLaughlin brings us to the reason why all these questions need an answer, and why the story of the bible is the best place to turn.

In Jesus’s world, we find connective tissue between the truths of science and morality. We find a basis for saying that all human beings are created equal, and a deep call to love across diversity. We find a name for evil, and a means of forgiveness. We find a vision of love that is so much deeper than our current hearts can hold, and a true intimacy better than our weak bodies could ever experience. We find a diagnosis of human nature as shot through with sin and yet as redeemable by grace. We find a call to care for the poor, oppressed, and lonely, a call springing from the heart of God himself and grounded in the hope that one day every tear will be wiped away, every stomach will be filled, and every outcast will be embraced. But we do not find glib answers or an easy road. Instead, we find a call to come and die. (page 222)

Nativity Scene - A poem by Steve Page

Sunday night saw our very first Christmas concert at Redeemer, and our resident poet Steve Page was on hand to shed some light on his experience of Christmas over the years, and reveal some truth about the very first Christmas to those in attendance. Below is just one of the many brilliant poems he shared with us, and it can be found in his new Christmas anthology, which our host on the night described (correctly) as a perfect stocking filler! If you want to buy it you’ll find a link to at the bottom of the page.

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Nativity Scene

Stubborn love
faced down the years
of fearful hate
and stared intently as a child
from the stink of a manger
out into the poverty and
the oppression reflected
in captive eyes,
wide with hope
and wet with joy.

Generous love
cried out an almighty peace
into the dark stillness,
heralding a new start
with echoes of ancient promise.

Patient love
reached out with perfect timing
and embraced humanity.

Unfailing love.
Unfailing still.

A Choir at Christmas

I absolutely love carol singing. The last time I was in a choir was at sixth-form college and I’ve been craving a chance to belt out some Christmas carols ever since. 

It seems like I was not the only one in that camp this Sunday afternoon as 20 odd Redeemer folk gathered after the Sunday service for a choir practice. Headed up by Jo, Kayla and Anna, the Redeemer Christmas Choir will be performing at our Christmas Concert.

We ran through three different songs in a traditional SATB choir format, and for a bunch of amateurs, we sounded pretty pro. A traditional carol, a glee carol and a dancy lil number are featured in the performance.

As part of Redeemer’s ‘Love Ealing’ event we will be singing carols at Ealing Broadway shopping centre and handing out chocolates on Sat 14th Dec before our carol service the next day! So, come and find us, get in the festive spirit and eat some chocolates!

If you can’t make it to that (or if you really, really loved hearing us sing) then we will be performing the next day (Sunday 15th) as part of the Redeemer Christmas Concert at 6pm at UWL!

I am personally looking forward to seeing our resident poet, Steve Page, lifted up on strings in a white and gold leotard. Ok, that might be a joke, but his bass singing voice isn’t!

- Josh Gagel

Love Ealing

The first word when I think about God is LOVE.

The first verse I learnt from the Bible was John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son.

As a follower of Jesus I am amazed by His love for me

Love Ealing is one means by which Redeemer Church wants to demonstrate Jesus love for Ealing in practical ways. This will be as creative as the people taking part, and can be large or small: a wide range of activities, events and words are encouraged.

Below are some examples of ideas we have had already, plus some testimonies of how individuals have already been showing love to the people of Ealing!

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What we’ve got planned!

As we’re getting closer to Christmas we’ll be doing some carol singing in the Ealing Broadway shopping centre on Thursday the 12th and Thursday the 19th of December. At 7:30 on both evenings we’ll be showing some love to the people of Ealing as they do some Christmas shopping, and anyone is welcome to join us!

In January we will be showing love to the emergency services around Ealing, gathering people to go to their local police station, a&e department, and fire service with thank you cards and gifts. Blessing them in response to all they do for us over the busy Christmas season.

We’re also looking to bless and show love to those who are supported by Age Concern and Retirement Homes in the borough, and will be taking teams of people to build community with the older residents of Ealing by singing Christmas songs, playing games, and just spending quality time with them around Christmas.

Finally, we’re putting on two fantastic and free Christmas events on the 15th of December! There will be a carol service at 4pm, and a Christmas concert at 6pm, both events are at the University of West London and will be followed by mulled wine and mince pies!

We would love to hear about your ideas or to get you involved in one of the ones mentioned above, come and find us at the Love Ealing table on a Sunday morning!

How we’ve been loving Ealing so far…

The other day I was in Pret with a friend and we thanked the lady who served us, let her know that she was loved and gave her a Love Ealing business card, there was no big conversation as a result but it was great just to spread a little joy as part of our lunch!

I was walking through Ealing Broadway and I stopped to chat to some people who were asking members of the public if they wanted to switch their bills! Often I find it easy to walk past these people, but I decided to stop, encourage them for doing something which quite often can seem a thankless task, and I offered to pray for them! They were kind and asked me to pray that they wouldn’t get rained on! I also gave them a Love Ealing card and I walked away praying for them, it was only such a small thing but I am trusting that God uses it to plant a seed.

I came to the realisation that on my daily commute I walk past so many people that I never really stop to chat to. One of these people is Graham, who works at Chiswick Park tube station every morning. I felt convicted to do something to thank him for his friendly ‘hello’ each morning and tell him about Love Ealing. One morning, I asked God for courage and walked to the station armed with chocolate and Love Ealing business cards. As I gave these to Graham, he looked shocked and so happy to receive this small gesture of appreciation. I told him that how our church is taking a few months to love Ealing in practical ways and invited him along to Redeemer, pointing to the address on the back of the card. With a delighted expression on his face, we chatted about our weekends before he said ‘thank you so much Hannah’. We’ve connected everyday since and now know each other personally! I was struck by how little that took from me, but how great the impact was for him. What if we slowed down enough to notice and bless someone on our commute everyday?

#RedeemerRecommends - It's Not Too Early For A Christmas Album!

Christmas has come early for this week’s #RedeemerReccommends!

I have been working on arrangements for carols for this year’s Christmas events at Redeemer (find out more HERE) and inevitably that means listening to A LOT of Christmas carols, and I’m certainly not complaining, as there’s some fantastic Christmas albums out there!

I wanted to recommend one in particular which I have loved listening to recently, Joy to the World (Live) by Jeremy Riddle!

The album has got some fantastic live versions of Christmas classics like O Come All Ye Faithful, O Holy Night, and of course Joy To The World, as well as a new recording of All Hail King Jesus.

In an interview prior to the EP’s release in November 2018, Jeremy talked about wanting to recapture the awe and wonder associated with the celebration of Christmas, and he definitely does so with this superb collection of songs.

You can hear more of his vision for the album below…

A Fresh Touch From Jesus

Recently we were blessed to have Stephen Van Rhyn, visit and preach to us at Redeemer. He is part of the leadership team for Advance, the group of churches we are part of, and he also leads Jubilee Community Church in Cape Town, South Africa.

When he visited and spoke to us he focused on the testimony of the blind man who was healed by Jesus which is found in Mark 8:22-25. It was a Sunday where God so clearly moved amongst us in worship and also through what Stephen shared with us! Our resident poet Steve Page has written the following poem off the back of his message, to which you can find a link at the bottom of this page, in case you haven’t heard it yet, or simply wanted to listen again!

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Double Touch

I need the double touch of His grace on my face, hinging on His mercy coupled with His ability to not assume, to not barrel past, but to rather ask (and twice ask) with His intentional hearing and His long compassionate waiting.

Jesus wasn't one for placing His touch 'in passing', but placing His touch with presence - His was an off-the-fence, no-pretence full in the face presence. He held back from the passing pack and exercised the knack of going far enough to reach a truer understanding, to reach out with both arms to allow Him to encompass all previous experience of mishandling.

He knew that truthfully the healing is secondary to the true medicinal touch, to the reassuring brush with acceptance, to the knowing that you've received close hearing and closer grasping - a meeting of more than minds, a confidence of souls truly embracing and only releasing once we have the assurance of knowing that we've been double-touched with honesty and that we're twice as much connected fully and gracefully with the One who never turned anyone away.

Mark 8:22-25
22 They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him.
23 He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?”
24 He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.”
25 Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.

This Saturday! - Alpha Holy Spirit Day

This term I have had the privilege of leading the Alpha course, a group of us have been meeting every Wednesday to eat together, chat and get to know one another, hear some great talks from some great guys and girls at Redeemer about aspects of the Christian faith, and engage in some  exciting and thought provoking discussions off the back of the talks.

Coming up this Saturday though is a day which I’m expecting to be a real highlight of the course, as we join together for two sessions learning about the Holy Spirit. We run a day like this every time we run an Alpha Course, as the Holy Spirit is such a key aspect of our life as Christians, and we know it’s crucial that if we want to grow in faith, or even if we’re just working out what faith in Jesus means, it’s impossible to do so without a relationship with the Holy Spirit.

During the day, we will get the opportunity to learn about who the Holy Spirit is, what he does, and how we can be filled with the Holy Spirit. It’s a really exciting opportunity for people’s lives to be changed!

Last term on the Holy Spirit day, one of the guys attending was struggling with back pain, he asked if we could pray for him and during the prayer he described feeling a heat in his back, which was miraculously healed as we prayed!

I’m so excited to see how God is going to move and what he’s going to teach us about his Holy Spirit this Saturday. If you’re someone who wants to learn more about the Holy Spirit, or you’ve got a friend who you think might have questions, then you are more than welcome to join us!

The day will start at 10am, and finish at 2:30pm, with a break for lunch in the middle. You can find out all the details and sign up by following the link below!

CAP Money Course

This Sunday we start our next CAP Money Course at Redeemer, run by James and Alicia Dougherty. The course runs over three weeks on Sunday afternoons after church, in the Savoy Suite at the University of West London. It’s not just for those at Redeemer, all are welcome, and the course is completely free! It runs between 1pm and 4pm, with lunch included. Still wondering if it’s for you? Let me tell you more about it…

What is the CAP Money Course?

The CAP Money Course is a free course that will teach you budgeting skills and a simple, cash-based system that works. In just a few weeks, you will get to grips with your finances so you can budget, save and prevent debt. The CAP Money Course was devised by the award winning charity, Christians Against Poverty, in 2008. More than 1,100 churches run the course for their communities, with over 10,000 people benefiting from it each year.

Is the CAP Money Course for me?

Whether you feel pretty organised or whether it’s like a lucky dip every time you try to withdraw cash from your account, the CAP Money Course will help you take complete control of your finances. There are extra resources for those on low incomes, self-employed people, couples, families and those preparing for retirement – whoever you are, the CAP Money Course will be relevant to you.

On your local CAP Money Course, you will be supported by our trained coaches to take practical steps towards getting in control of your finances.

You can sign up for the CAP Money Course using the button below! I guarantee you it’s worth it!

#RedeemerRecommends - 9 Things You Should Know About Hinduism

This week Hindus across London and the rest of the world have been celebrating Diwali, the festival of lights!

As a result, our latest #RedeemerRecommends is a blog from Joe Carter, which is a summary of the Hindu faith, and is incredibly helpful if you’re a Christian trying to learn more about how to connect with those from different religious backgrounds.

If this blog interests you, then why not sign up to our event on Saturday - ‘Discovering Jesus through Asian Eyes’, as we seek to equip ourselves as Christians to better reach our friends, neighbours and colleagues who come from different cultural and religious backgrounds.

You can read the beginning of the blog, and find a link to the whole thing below…

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This week more than a billion Hindus across the globe are celebrating Diwali. The five-day religious observance, which is also celebrated by followers of Sikh and Jain faiths, is the biggest holiday of the year in India, the country with the largest population of Hindus.

Here are nine things you should know about Hinduism.

1. Although Hinduism is often treated as a single religion, it is more accurate to describe it as a family of religions that share common beliefs and characteristics. Some scholars claim that early Hinduism originated around 5500 BC, making it one of the world’s oldest religions. The term Hindu was first used by the Persians, dating back to the 6th century BC, to describe the people living beyond the Indus River. For more than a thousand years the label had no specific religious connotation. In the early 19th century, though, the term Hinduism was coined by British writers to refer to the family of Vedic religious traditions. Some modern Hindus prefer the name “Vedic religion” or sanatana dharma (“eternal law”) rather than the label Hinduism.

Breakthrough

One thing I love about Redeemer is the friendship and brotherhood I experience in my interaction with the blokes there.  I say ‘blokes’ because when we meet up there’s no pretence – there’s no divide between everyday life and seeking to live as sons of the Father.  Its’ all on the table.

On Saturday morning, we also had on the table (see what I did there) bacon, sausage, beans, eggs, as well as the token pieces of fruit.  We met at 8 for 2 hours of chat, testimony and prayer.  Every 2 months we meet under the banner ‘Breakthrough’ and share our stories of challenge and breakthrough as we follow Jesus.  

This month Noble Laryea told us a little of his family’s story - from coming to the UK as refugees from Ghana in the 70’s, to growing up in council housing with two parents holding down multiple jobs and his experience of church and coping with the death of his father as a teen.  I won’t try and do his story justice here – I suggest that you offer to buy him a coffee and you can get it first-hand. [Just be sure to clear your diary for a few hours.]  Instead here’s some second-hand wisdom from what I heard and took away to ponder.

1. Taking the knee. [Ephesians 3:14-19] At decision points in our lives, at each new twist of the road, we do well to pause and seek God’s face in prayer and to submit to His will. Taking the knee (actually both knees) is a physical reminder of our position under the kingship of Christ. Submitting to Him and trusting Him is key.

2. Seeking the kingdom. Matthew 6:33 tells us to seek first His kingdom. That can be daunting sometimes. Noble made it more personal for me by asking: right now, where you are – what does the kingdom of God look like? The point is that God’s priorities for us will change over time – so while you’re on our knees, ask: “What does Your kingdom look like for me right now? What adjustments do I need to make? What presumptions have I made based on the past? What does road ahead look like for me and mine from Your perspective?”

3. But God chose the foolish… And lastly, Noble didn’t spend much time on this, but referred us to 1 Corinthians 1: 25-29. Will you give Him your foolishness? Because God chose you for your foolishness – and He’ll take that and build His kingdom.

I love the brotherhood I’ve found at Redeemer – expressed through WhatsApp groups, over coffee, at breakfast and while on our knees.  That’s a Breakthrough. 

#RedeemerRecommends - Not Too Poetry

If you’re a regular reader of the Redeemer Blog, or you are part of the Redeemer family that meet together on a Sunday, then you will no doubt be aware of the talents of our resident poet - Steve Page!

It is with great excitement that I get to present to you this week’s #RedeemerRecommends, which features Steve’s second published poetry anthology!

Following on from his first book, ‘Not Too Big to Weep’, Steve’s second book is entitled ‘Not Too Old to Dance’.

Steve’s poems speak about and draw inspiration from his faith, his life in London, and his vast imagination. The book is split into sections, each described as having a slightly different ‘mood’, whether that be observing, writing, or dancing! Some of the poems will be familiar to readers of this blog, but I would encourage you (as Pete Cornford does in the foreword) to grab a coffee, dive in, and discover the joy, laughter, sorrow, excitement, and many more emotions hidden within the pages of this book.

Steve, you are such a blessing, and we thank you for sharing your gifting with us!

Alpha Starts Tonight!

Here at Redeemer we want to be a church which encourages people to ask questions, and seek deeper relationship with God. You might be reading this and have a friend who has lots of questions about your faith, you might have just started coming to Redeemer and are looking for deeper relationship with God, you might not be a christian, but you’ve got an interest in finding out exactly what it looks like to live as a follower of Jesus.

If any of the above applies to you, then I have good news! Tonight is the beginning of our next Alpha course! We will be meeting at Osteria del Portico every Wednesday night for the next 9 weeks, eating great food together, hearing a talk on an aspect of the Christian faith, and then taking time to ask questions and have friendly discussion together around the topic which has been spoken on.

Alpha is a fantastic opportunity to get to hear different people’s views, and discuss what we believe as Christians, and why we believe it is worth talking about! We also hope that over the 9 weeks you will get to build great friendships and learn things about the Christian faith which encourage you to dig deeper into what it means to be a Christian.

You can hear just one story of Alpha below:

We hope to see you tonight for Week 1 - ‘Is There More To Life Than This?’

Ealing Half Marathon - A Review!

Last Sunday we were out in force cheering on the runners in the Ealing Half Marathon, Josh Gagel takes us through exactly what happened on the morning….

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Drums? Bunting? Shouting? A megaphone?

What on earth was going on yesterday outside Ealing Town Hall?

Well of course it was us lot cheering on the half marathon runners!

 Despite the dreary weather, the Redeemer family came out in force to support those participating. Despite being somewhat rhythmically challenged I was fortunate enough to be part of the amazing drumming band that encourages the runners as they go past.

 Leslie Mailloux, a runner in the half marathon and a part of Redeemer, had this to say

 “As I was running up towards the town hall on the 11th mile I could barely feel my legs, but then I heard the drumming in the distance and it spurred me on to finish the race!”

The Redeemer runners did amazing, and we’d love to give them all a shout-out! Well done to Anna Unwin, Hannah Kinning, Jon Flower, Rich Smith, Mark Siburns, Lauren Siburns, Farayi Hobwana, Nicky Cornford, René, Tara Chandler, Bracken Pluckrose and Jess Bugembe. These guys were amazing and if you see them on Sunday then give them a massive pat on the back! (Not too hard though, they might still be a bit sore!)

Kayla Carter, who had a cameo drumming, had this to say

 “I’m flipping loving it, the atmosphere is great”

 Nico Ofoajoku was drumming but had a bit of trouble with our method of protecting him from the elements.

 “Currently I have seen no running because I’m too tall for the gazebo, but nonetheless I am drumming and encouraging everyone”

 Toby Elliott clearly had some bias towards a specific one of Redeemer’s runners.

 “My favourite part of this is that Mark ran past before Rich”

 All in all, a wonderful time was had, as always we were thoroughly impressed by those running, bring on next year, when rumour has it I will be running myself!

- Josh Gagel