#RedeemerRecommends - Evangelism in the Arts
In this week’s #RedeemerRecommends we highlight a topic which is close to the hearts of many in our Redeemer Family.
Right now, the arts are going through the toughest time in living memory, and we know that within our Redeemer family, there are performers, teachers, choreographers and many more individuals who are involved in the arts. We also are a church full of people who love and appreciate the arts and the impact they have on the borough of Ealing, the city of London, and the rest of the world!
We also believe that the incredible artistic gifting within our church is not just a coincidence, and that God can and will use it to impact those around us in Ealing. In fact we don’t just believe it in principle but we have also seen it in practice with the release of a book - Faith Locked Down, which was published this summer and includes some examples of the incredible creativity that is present within the Redeemer family!
That leads us to today’s #RedeemerRecommends. Last year, at the Gospel Coalition conference in the US, one of the breakout sessions focused on Evangelism in the Arts. Todd Goranson, founder of Trifonia Winds and the Junction Saxophone Quartet, and Steve Rooks, chair of dance and resident choreographer at Vasser College, New York, led the discussion, which focused on how we can affect our communities with the gospel through the arts. They also talk about how artistic excellence leads to effective engagement, and highlight influential organisations such as the Christian Performing Arts Fellowship and Creative Arts Europe.
It is a fascinating and inspiring listen, and will bless both artists and lovers of art alike, as we realise the power that the arts hold when it comes to evangelism and local or global mission.
The recording of the session, which includes a Q&A section at the end, is available below.
Wednesday Prayer - A New Blog Series
Here at Redeemer we’re a praying church! Over the past several months we’ve been regularly praying together as a church and we want that to continue, so we’ve started a weekly blog which will feature suggestions of what/who to pray for this week!
Over the past several months, we often met as a church community on a Wednesday to pray together. As meetups have started, and many of us are now meeting regularly to study Ephesians together, we are no longer meeting together as a church to pray. This doesn’t mean that we’re going to stop praying! So over here on the blog we’re starting a new series on Wednesdays, giving you a few ideas of what you could be praying for today and for the rest of this week.
Today we’re praying for…..
Our neighbours!
The first few weeks and months after lockdown began back in March gave many of us more opportunity than ever before to connect with those closest to us geographically! Without the need to travel to work, or the ability to spend our free time further afield, we got to know our neighbours, whether that be through a community WhatsApp group, shopping for those who were isolating, or clapping together in the street on a Thursday evening. This was brilliant, but….
As lockdown went on, and more of us were able to travel further, see old friends again, and generally spend less time at home, we became less connected with our neighbours and our conversations and interaction became less frequent again.
As we enter into a time where lockdown measures may become more strict, there may be more opportunities to connect again in future, but we can be praying for our neighbours right now! Below are a few prayer points to help you out.
Pray for good health.
Many of us will have neighbours who are vulnerable or elderly, and may already be shielding or self isolating in their homes. Pray for their continued protection from the virus, and for healing miracles to happen in their lives, be that a healing from covid-19, or another existing health issue.
Pray for peace of mind.
One of peoples biggest concerns about the recent pandemic is the unknown nature of the regulations. No-one quite knows what is going to happen and when. This creates pressure within families, in relationships, and gives rise to panic and insecurity. Pray for those who live around you, that they might receive peace in a stressful time, and that the Holy Spirit might be at work in them to reassure them and bring hope when fears about the future come to mind.
Pray for opportunities to witness!
More than ever before, those around us are seeking answers, and though we may not know the answer to every practical question, we do know one who has the capability to fill every spiritual need! As our lives and the way we live our lives become more visible to our neighbours there is opportunity for us to display the peace, the hope, the reassurance about the future that comes from being a follower of Jesus, in the way we go about our daily lives. Why not be bold and pray today that you have an opportunity over the next few weeks to chat to a neighbour about your relationship with Jesus, and the way it helps you to deal with your current situation.
We believe in the power of prayer, and that God not only hears each and every one of us as we pray, but that he loves to be at work in our lives as a result of what we pray! So let’s pray together this week, and be expectant that things will change as a result!
Church is BACK!
Redeemer returned to the University of West London yesterday! Read on to find out what it felt like….
When I walked back into the University of West London on Sunday morning, it has been 202 days, 19 hours and 30 minutes (roughly) since I had left the building on the 15th of March after our normal Sunday service. If I’m honest I wasn’t quite sure what to expect! I knew the rules, I knew that people had signed up, I knew that there was going to be a lot of setup to do and a lot of praying that all the technology would work, but I didn’t quite know how it would feel. If I’d been asked to try and sum up what I expected to be like, I would have probably boiled it down to one word, I expected it to be WEIRD.
And at first, my expectation was met. It was a little weird to be wearing a mask and having to follow a one way system, or to be printing out a list of those who had booked tickets, and seeing chairs spaced out with unnatural gaps and in no discernible pattern. But after a while, once the strangeness had worn off, I began to see what this was, it was something I had missed for a long time. This was CHURCH.
Now this is not to say that the last 28 weeks have been completely church free! As someone who works full time at Redeemer I can confidently say that church has not stopped for a second during the pandemic. We have shared great times of prayer together, built community, and enjoyed fantastic worship times and preaching series online on Sunday mornings! But this Sunday was a fantastic reminder for me that the church is about PEOPLE.
Not just faces on a screen, or names in a contact list, but real people! People who turned up early to make sure that there were signs pointing people in the right direction, people who plugged in cables and set up cameras so that others could tune in online. People who sat with kids on their knees, or stood and raised hands, all the while desperately trying not to break into song! People who came to dedicate their Sunday morning, and the whole rest of their lives, to GOD.
Now I would be lying if I said that it wasn’t at all weird… There are certainly aspects of Sunday which I hope don’t catch on, and I’ve greeted enough people with a strange elbow touch now to know that I definitely don’t want to do that ever again. But the sight of others raising their hands in worship, the quiet “Amens” of appreciation as Pete preached about grace, the friendly faces walking past after the service, they all transformed a morning which started off a little weird into a glorious celebration of the people of God gathered together again.
It was a Redeemer Family reunion. And I LOVED IT.
#RedeemerRecommends - Faith Locked Down
As we look forward to meeting together physically for the first time this Sunday, #RedeemerRecommends looks back at some of the creative fruit which has grown at Redeemer over the past 6 months.
Over the course of lockdown there has been a wealth of content produced by the incredible creative individuals here at Redeemer (though the blog took a bit of a summer break!) As we look forward to returning to physical services again, we thought we would restart the blog with a home grown edition of #RedeemerRecommends, and point you towards some of the inspiring and challenging pieces of writing produced by the Redeemer Creatives over the past six months.
These Psalms, Prayers, Poems, Posts and Portraits tell the story of how some of our closest friends and family have processed the events of 2020 so far through the written word, I hope that as you read them you are inspired, challenged and comforted, but most of all I hope your faith is stirred, and your eyes are drawn not towards the mountains you may face, but to the one who can move them.
Some of the co-authors of the book have recorded audio versions of their written pieces, you can find them on the Redeemer Youtube channel, or by following the link below.
I’ll leave the final word to our senior pastor, Pete Cornford…
“During these difficult and uncertain times these believers have fought for faith and we get to walk the path behind them. Raw, honest and real; let their encounters ignite and fan your faith!”
Prayers from (Recent) History - Frank Hudson
As a response to our recent ‘Prayers from History’ - we share a prayer from someone closer to the Redeemer Family.
Recently during our Week of Prayer, we published a number of prayers which were originally prayed by famous believers down through history. But one of the most incredible things about prayer is that it is universal! We believe as Christians that anyone who lifts their voice in prayer has a direct line to their Heavenly Father! That’s why we pray, because we know that God listens to each and every one.
Today we share a prayer from someone who might not have been as famous, but was just as important in the eyes of God, Frank Hudson. Frank is the late father of Mandy Hudson, a member of the Redeemer Family who has written for this blog in the past, below she shares the story behind today’s blog…
My Dad was 80 when he died. He became a Christian when he was 45. Previously, he'd been a spiritualist medium, a gambler and very independent minded. He encountered Christ through the witness of his family (including me, I hope!) and would testify later that he was delivered when he read the words about how God gives good gifts to his children. (Matt 7 v11). He always celebrated his relationship with God, was an evangelist, Gideon and methodist lay preacher.
After my Dad died we found this prayer in his Bible which he used each day to start his devotions. I think it's from a combination of sources but what was good to read and see the challenge of giving every second to God.
I hope you enjoy reading his prayer.
Heavenly Father,
Thank you for creation, for today, for my life, for your great love, faithfulness, forgiveness and mercy.
Thank you for Jesus.
Thank you, Heavenly Father, that you sent your only Son - Jesus Christ to live among us. Jesus died on the cross for my sin, for my sake.
Praise you, Lord Jesus, you rose from the dead, you ascended into heaven, you sit at God’s right hand. You pray for your people.
Heavenly Father, thank you for Jesus.
Thank you for sending the Holy Spirit, thank you for His work in my life. Thank you for grace and peace and rest in God. Thank you for all the gifts, thank you, Lord for prayer.
Lord, I pray that you will forgive me for my sins of today. I have sinned in thought, word and deed. I am sorry for my sin and I ask for your forgiveness.
I pray Lord for your continued watch over my life, watch over my going out and coming in.
I pray that you will watch over me every second and I pray that I will give you every second.
Amen
Prayers from History - Reinhold Niebuhr
As our week of prayer ends today, this is our last series of prayers from history - The Serenity Prayer by Reinhold Niebuhr.
This week at Redeemer is our Week of Prayer! We believe that prayer is a crucial part of the Christian life, not just personally, but on a corporate level. When we join together to pray we believe that we have access to the power of God to transform our own lives, and the lives of our friends and family, as well as situations across this city, this nation, and the nations. This week there are plenty of opportunities to get involved in our prayer meetings, and you can find all of the details HERE. We would love to have you join with us!
We’re also taking this opportunity to join in prayer with some mighty men and women of faith from history! Each day we’ll be publishing a blog featuring a prayer written by someone in history, which we hope will encourage you to engage in personal prayer yourself, and remind you that prayer is not a one time event, but can be something that lasts and remains in peoples hearts and minds for years.
Today we pray with Reinhold Niebuhr, an American Reformed theologian and political commentator.
God, give me grace to accept with serenity
the things that cannot be changed,
Courage to change the things
which should be changed,
and the Wisdom to distinguish
the one from the other.
Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,
Taking, as Jesus did,
This sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it,
Trusting that You will make all things right,
If I surrender to Your will,
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with You forever in the next.
Amen.
Prayers from History - Phillis Wheatley
Our series of prayers from history continues with a prayer by Phillis Wheatley.
This week at Redeemer is our Week of Prayer! We believe that prayer is a crucial part of the Christian life, not just personally, but on a corporate level. When we join together to pray we believe that we have access to the power of God to transform our own lives, and the lives of our friends and family, as well as situations across this city, this nation, and the nations. This week there are plenty of opportunities to get involved in our prayer meetings, and you can find all of the details HERE. We would love to have you join with us!
We’re also taking this opportunity to join in prayer with some mighty men and women of faith from history! Each day we’ll be publishing a blog featuring a prayer written by someone in history, which we hope will encourage you to engage in personal prayer yourself, and remind you that prayer is not a one time event, but can be something that lasts and remains in peoples hearts and minds for years.
Today we pray with Phillis Wheatley, the first African-American author of a book of poetry - Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral - published on September 1st 1773.
Oh my Gracious Preserver!
hitehero thou hast brot [me,]
be pleased when thou bringest
to the birth to give [me] strength
to bring forth living & perfect a
being who shall be greatly in-
strumental in promoting thy [glory]
Tho conceived in Sin & brot forth
in iniquity yet thy infinite wisdom
can bring a clean thing out of an
unclean, a vess[el] of Honor filled
for thy glory—grant me
to live a life of gratitude to thee
for the innumerable benefits—
O Lord my God! instruct my ignorance
& enlighten my Darkness
Thou art my King, take [thou]
the entire possession of [all] my
powers & faculties & let me be
no longer under the dominion
of sin—Give me a sincere &
hearty repentance for all my
[grievous?] offences & strengthen
by thy grace my resolutions
on amendment & circumspection
for the time to come—Grant me
[also] the spirit of Prayer & Suppli[cation]
according to thy own
most gracious Promises.
Prayers from History - John Wesley
Our series of prayers from history continues with a prayer by John Wesley.
This week at Redeemer is our Week of Prayer! We believe that prayer is a crucial part of the Christian life, not just personally, but on a corporate level. When we join together to pray we believe that we have access to the power of God to transform our own lives, and the lives of our friends and family, as well as situations across this city, this nation, and the nations. This week there are plenty of opportunities to get involved in our prayer meetings, and you can find all of the details HERE. We would love to have you join with us!
We’re also taking this opportunity to join in prayer with some mighty men and women of faith from history! Each day we’ll be publishing a blog featuring a prayer written by someone in history, which we hope will encourage you to engage in personal prayer yourself, and remind you that prayer is not a one time event, but can be something that lasts and remains in peoples hearts and minds for years.
Today we pray with John Wesley, the English theologian and evangelist, who was the leader of a revival movement which gave rise to the Methodist church.
I am no longer my own, but thine.
Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt.
Put me to doing, put me to suffering.
Let me be employed for thee or laid aside for thee, exalted for thee or brought low for thee.
Let me be full, let me be empty.
Let me have all things, let me have nothing.
I freely and heartily yield all things to thy pleasure and disposal.
And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, thou art mine, and I am thine.
So be it.
And the covenant which I have made on earth, let it be ratified in heaven.
Amen.
Prayers from History - Martin Luther King
Our series of prayers from history continues with a prayer by Martin Luther King Jr.
This week at Redeemer is our Week of Prayer! We believe that prayer is a crucial part of the Christian life, not just personally, but on a corporate level. When we join together to pray we believe that we have access to the power of God to transform our own lives, and the lives of our friends and family, as well as situations across this city, this nation, and the nations. This week there are plenty of opportunities to get involved in our prayer meetings, and you can find all of the details HERE. We would love to have you join with us!
We’re also taking this opportunity to join in prayer with some mighty men and women of faith from history! Each day we’ll be publishing a blog featuring a prayer written by someone in history, which we hope will encourage you to engage in personal prayer yourself, and remind you that prayer is not a one time event, but can be something that lasts and remains in peoples hearts and minds for years.
Today we pray with Martin Luther King Jr., the African American minister and activist, who was a vocal member of the civil rights movement until his assassination in 1968.
Lord…
We thank you for your church, founded upon your Word, that challenges us to do more than sing and pray,
but go out and work as though the very answer to our prayers depended on us and not upon you.
Help us to realize that humanity was created to shine like the stars and live on through all eternity.
Keep us, we pray, in perfect peace.
Help us to walk together,
pray together,
sing together,
and live together
until that day when all God’s children
- Black, White, Red, Brown and Yellow -
will rejoice in one common band of humanity
in the reign of our Lord and of our God, we pray.
Amen.
Prayers from History - Elisabeth Elliot
Our series of prayers from history continues with a prayer by Elisabeth Elliot.
This week at Redeemer is our Week of Prayer! We believe that prayer is a crucial part of the Christian life, not just personally, but on a corporate level. When we join together to pray we believe that we have access to the power of God to transform our own lives, and the lives of our friends and family, as well as situations across this city, this nation, and the nations. This week there are plenty of opportunities to get involved in our prayer meetings, and you can find all of the details HERE. We would love to have you join with us!
We’re also taking this opportunity to join in prayer with some mighty men and women of faith from history! Each day we’ll be publishing a blog featuring a prayer written by someone in history, which we hope will encourage you to engage in personal prayer yourself, and remind you that prayer is not a one time event, but can be something that lasts and remains in peoples hearts and minds for years.
Today we pray with Elisabeth Elliot, the Christian author and speaker, who was a missionary for two years to the tribe in Ecuador that killed her first husband, Jim Elliot.
Loving Lord and heavenly Father, I offer up today all that I am, all that I have, all that I do, and all that I suffer, to be Yours today and Yours forever.
Give me grace, Lord, to do all that I know of Your holy will.
Purify my heart, sanctify my thinking, correct my desires.
Teach me, in all of today’s work and trouble and joy, to respond with honest praise, simple trust, and instant obedience, that my life may be in truth a living sacrifice, by the power of Your Holy Spirit and in the name of Your Son Jesus Christ, my Master and my all.
Amen.
Prayers from History - St Patrick
Our series of prayers from history continues with a prayer by St Patrick.
This week at Redeemer is our Week of Prayer! We believe that prayer is a crucial part of the Christian life, not just personally, but on a corporate level. When we join together to pray we believe that we have access to the power of God to transform our own lives, and the lives of our friends and family, as well as situations across this city, this nation, and the nations. This week there are plenty of opportunities to get involved in our prayer meetings, and you can find all of the details HERE. We would love to have you join with us!
We’re also taking this opportunity to join in prayer with some mighty men and women of faith from history! Each day we’ll be publishing a blog featuring a prayer written by someone in history, which we hope will encourage you to engage in personal prayer yourself, and remind you that prayer is not a one time event, but can be something that lasts and remains in peoples hearts and minds for years.
Today we pray with St Patrick, a 5th century bishop and missionary in Ireland.
Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.
Prayers from History - Mary McLeod Bethune
As we begin our week of prayer, we also begin a new series - praying alongside men and women of faith throughout history. Today we are led in prayer by Mary McLeod Bethune.
This week at Redeemer is our Week of Prayer! We believe that prayer is a crucial part of the Christian life, not just personally, but on a corporate level. When we join together to pray we believe that we have access to the power of God to transform our own lives, and the lives of our friends and family, as well as situations across this city, this nation, and the nations. This week there are plenty of opportunities to get involved in our prayer meetings, and you can find all of the details HERE. We would love to have you join with us!
We’re also taking this opportunity to join in prayer with some mighty men and women of faith from history! Each day we’ll be publishing a blog featuring a prayer written by someone in history, which we hope will encourage you to engage in personal prayer yourself, and remind you that prayer is not a one time event, but can be something that lasts and remains in peoples hearts and minds for years.
Today we pray with Mary McLeod Bethune, an American educator, missionary and civil rights activist.
Father, we call Thee Father because we love Thee.
We are glad to be called Thy children, and to dedicate our lives to the service that extends through willing hearts and hands to the betterment of all mankind.
We send a cry of Thanksgiving for people of all races, creeds, classes, and colors the world over, and pray that through the instrumentality of our lives the spirit of peace, joy, fellowship, and brotherhood shall circle the world.
We know that this world is filled with discordant notes, but help us, Father, to so unite our efforts that we may all join in one harmonious symphony for peace and brotherhood, justice, and equality of opportunity for all men.
The tasks performed today with forgiveness for all our errors, we dedicate, dear Lord, to Thee.
Grant us strength and courage and faith and humility sufficient for the tasks assigned to us.
Amen
Redeemer reads 1 Timothy 6
As we finish reading 1 Timothy, Toby prays that we might be those whose perspective is an eternal one, not focused on earthly things.
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 1 Timothy, 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 1 Timothy 6.
If you have time, and a desire to know more, you’ll find ideas for further study of todays passage below.
Further Study
Paul calls God “blessed”: “. . . he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords” (1 Timothy 6:15). Why is God blessed, and what does that mean? The answers to these questions are the source of great Christian comfort and happiness.
Read the rest of this blog post on how we experience divine happiness below.
Redeemer reads 1 Timothy 5
This morning as we read 1 Timothy 5, Nathanael helps us to see that our relationships with each other within the church are just as crucial as those we have with our earthly families. He also asks how we might reach out to someone within our church family this week?
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 1 Timothy, 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 Nathanael as he shares with us from 1 Timothy 5.
If you have time, and a desire to know more, you’ll find ideas for further study of todays passage below.
Further Study
In 1 Timothy 5, Paul talks about the process of appointing and disciplining those in eldership. Which begs the question, is there a different process of church discipline for those who are elders, than for the rest of the church?
Erik Raymond’s blog answers that question well, and is linked below.
Erik Raymond is the senior pastor at Redeemer Fellowship Church in Metro Boston. He and his wife, Christie, have six children. He blogs at Ordinary Pastor. You can follow him on Twitter.
Redeemer reads 1 Timothy 4
As we read 1 Timothy 4 together, Josh reminds us of the importance of living godly lives, and the witness this can be to those around us!
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 1 Timothy, 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 Josh as he shares with us from 1 Timothy 4.
If you have time, and a desire to know more, you’ll find ideas for further study of todays passage below.
Further Study
In the preach below from 2017, Steve Palframan, senior pastor of Aigburth Community Church in Liverpool, teaches us how to Train for Godliness - as we are instructed to do in 1 Timothy 4.
Redeemer reads 1 Timothy 3
As we read 1 Timothy 3 together, Muyiwa talks to us about how this passage can help us to become effective leaders, wherever we find ourselves!
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 1 Timothy, 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 Muyiwa as he shares with us from 1 Timothy 3.
If you have time, and a desire to know more, you’ll find ideas for further study of todays passage below.
Further Study
In 1 Timothy 3:14-16, Paul describes the church as the pillar and foundation of truth! Paul’s passion for the church is mirrored in the below article, entitled ‘The Church: A Hidden Glory’
Redeemer reads 1 Timothy 2
As we continue to read 1 Timothy together, Brittany tackles a tough chapter in 1 Timothy 2, reminding us not to shy away from the parts of scripture which make us ask questions, and to trust God and his design for life.
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 1 Timothy, 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 Brittany as she shares with us from 1 Timothy 2.
If you have time, and a desire to know more, you’ll find ideas for further study of todays passage below.
Further Study
One of the most controversial passages of scripture in recent years has been 1 Timothy 2:12, and there have been many discussions about what this verse means for women in the church. If you’re interested in looking into this verse in more detail one great place to start is this blog from Andrew Wilson, who is now the teaching pastor at King’s Church London.
Why I'm talking about Biases
Ann Ajet has written a great blog which should be both a challenge and and encouragement to all of us, as we respond to recent events across the world.
15 weeks ago, Ahmaud Arbery went out for a jog and never came home. Two white males saw Arbery running in their neighbourhood in Brunswick, Georgia and decided he was “dangerous” and took it upon their own volition to chase him and shoot him to death. Sadly, this simple narrative of black guilt has played out devastatingly in a pattern of unjustified killings in the US. In the Arbery case, I asked myself - what sort of world must these two white males inhabit to draw to the conclusion that a black man jogging must mean he is guilty of something?
Perhaps these two males existed in a very white world, perhaps they didn’t have any black friends, perhaps they viewed black people as threatening? A survey in the US found that 75 percent of white Americans have “entirely white social networks”[1]. Based on this data, it can be easy to see how these types of homogenous settings can set up the conditions where the archetype of the black person being “dangerous and threatening” is perpetuated.
I saw this played out in my own life. When I first introduced my black boyfriend (now my husband) to my parents, they had shared their concerns with him about the safety of their daughter. They feared he would be like many of the “black people” they saw on the news who committed crime. I don’t doubt my parent’s concern for me but their fear was unfounded and ill-informed.
LOVE THE INDIVIDUAL IN FRONT OF YOU
When we deflect the opportunity to know a person as an individual, we default to stereotypes. We do this by creating caricatures we’ve erroneously extrapolated from a racial subset. We contradict ourselves when we wouldn’t bind the same extrapolations to our own racial group - because we know enough people of our ethnicity to know that it consists of rich and varied characters. Existing in our own social bubbles gives currency to these stereotypes and until we resist the cultural tide and spend quality time with other people from outside our own groups; we won’t see them as an individual - as a fully formed human being with hopes, desires and fears just like us.
In a moment of unwarranted fear, these two white males shot Ahmaud Arbery. This tragic case displays how insidious thoughts and mindsets can lead to actions. Unchecked and not dealt with, can lead to devastating consequences.
As a Christian, what drew me to the character of Jesus Christ was how he accurately diagnosed our condition. He took a scalpel to our inner lives and exposed the root of our sin. “For it is from within, our of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come. All of these evils come from inside and defile a person”. (Mark 7:21-23). Ill thoughts are first harboured in the heart and mind and until we deal with that, sin becomes malignant and spreads to something more troubling.
I respect the actions of many who bring attention to the injustices coming from the US - protests and petitions have been set up to find justice for Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd and other black lives that have been killed carelessly. However, long lasting changes have to run deeper - we need to understand the conditions that set up racism. - As Martin Luther King puts it:
“We are called to play the good Samaritan on life’s roadside; but that will be only an initial act. One day the whole Jericho road must be transformed so that men and women will not be beaten and robbed as they make their journey through life. True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar; it understands that an edifice that produces beggars needs restructuring”
What King refers to is more than exonerating our guilt with a coin but collectively having deep paradigm shifts that can change the game.
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION IN THE CHURCH
I value being part of a diverse church, I also value the fact that my gym is also diverse. It’s sad yet true - that it’s possible to sit with one another at church yet keep one another at a distance. The real litmus test of authentic diversity is who are we allowing in our lives, who do we have meaningful relationships with, who do we confide in, who do we allow to influence us? This is much harder to cultivate, it’s the difference between diversity and inclusion, Verna Myers, a diversity strategist puts it “Diversity is being invited to the dance, Inclusion is being asked to dance”.
I am blessed to be part of a church where my leaders foster an environment where multiple races are represented at the front and in the middle. As a result, I have brothers and sisters from many backgrounds - I truly embrace that and thank God for these rich experiences. Still, I see many homogenised groups existing in our churches. This is problematic particularly in London when there’s no legitimate reasons why that would be so.
Statistics suggests that one third of white Britons have no friends outside their own ethnicities [2]. Other factors play a role here but data suggests non-white people are more open to friendships outside their own race than Caucasian people are. It would be interesting to ask the question, how do these separations evolve?
I celebrate the fact that as a society, there have been huge leaps forward in stamping out overt forms of racism, but as Christians, our convictions and model of love has to be calibrated to the Bible. In order to move the dialogue meaningfully - I think we need to talk less in terms of racism, a term that often invokes images of white supremist or racist chanting football fans. A term which we can shirk the label of and tune out hearers. We need to change the script and talk in categories of bias and prejudices which are more prevalent, which as a compromised human being - I feel my own biases.
WHAT CAN WE DO?
It’s important to bring into the light, something that operates in its inherent invisibility. Our non-verbal cues to people different from us are just as revealing as our verbal cues, they can signal to someone - I do/don’t want to know you better, I value you (less). This is not about perfection but these things are simply invisible to some of us or that we’ve persisted in these attitudes unchallenged for so long that they’ve become our automatic responses.
It’s a call for self-examination and an awareness of our unconscious biases. By bringing these things into the light – we give them less authority over us and we can make intentional movements towards the way of love. Redressing our biases, developing positive associations with other ethnicities and reshaping our heart and outlook.
We do ask our leaders to break it down for us, speak incisively into our contexts and to cultivate a culture where discipling relationships are the norm. This needs to be more than a reactive mandate to stamp out racism but a proactive command to love one another. As our aperture widens with the re-education of black history - our hearts are more visible to the fact that implicit in Jesus’s cornerstone command to love one another is a call to love everyone - Jews and Gentiles, Black, Brown and White, “and by this all men will know you are my disciples, if you love one another”. John 13:35.
On this side of heaven - I’m realistic that we will never reach perfect love and unity. “When the Perfect comes, the partial shall pass away” (1 Corinthian 13:10). Our identity in Christ is above our ethnic identity, the father declares our ultimate worth and dignity. However, we can’t avoid the chasm, we need to see it and close it as much as possible. It’s a return to discipleship, of being aware of our earthly nature, growing in confession and turning to the redemptive power of Christ and doing our best to walk as Jesus walked.
By Ann Ajet
Footnotes
[1] https://www.prri.org/research/poll-race-religion-politics-americans-social-networks/
[2] https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/articles-reports/2018/05/03/one-third-white-britons-dont-have-any-friends-ethn
Redeemer reads 1 Timothy 1
As we begin to read 1 Timothy together, Winnie reminds us that we don't have to be perfect to fulfil the role that God has called us 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 1 Timothy, 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 Winnie as she shares with us from 1 Timothy 1.
If you have time, and a desire to know more, you’ll find ideas for further study of todays passage below.
Further Study
Today we start reading 1 Timothy together, watch the video below to see an overview of the book, which breaks down its literary design and its flow of thought. In 1 Timothy, Paul shows Timothy how to restore order and purpose to the church in Ephesus which has been disrupted by false teachers.
Redeemer reads 2 Thessalonians 3
In today's video as we finish reading 2 Thessalonians together, Anna warns us against being those who grow tired of doing good!
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 Anna as she shares with us from 2 Thessalonians 3.
If you have time, and a desire to know more, you’ll find ideas for further study of todays passage below.
Further Study
Paul doesn’t assume laziness must mean lostness, but he’s dead serious that genuine Christians don’t stay lazy.
David Mathis
In the article linked below, David Mathis focuses on 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15 as he explains that laziness is profoundly unchristian, and how we can confront it in our own lives as followers of Jesus.