Weekly Update 22/04/2020

Dear Church Family,

The government is saying that we need to be distanced from one another for at least the next three weeks, and what happens after that is uncertain. So we are to be ready for more of the same. 

Many of us have loved ones and members of our extended families who are ill and even some who have died. This is a time of deep sadness and grief for most of us, but we have this encouragement:

‘Weeping may stay for the night,  But rejoicing comes in the morning.’
(Psalm 30:5)

David wrote these words when things seemed dark and uncertain. He was facing a serious illness (Ps 30:2-3) which the Lord has allowed because things were going his way and he was successful and secure (Ps 30:6), and had become self-reliant and complacent. As F.D. Kidner puts it: ‘easy circumstances and a careless outlook are seldom far apart.’ The Lord was using his illness to bring him back to the humble trust of his youth.
 
Looking back on that time David’s testimony is that the night does not last forever. The sun will always rise; and through the darkness, can come the blessing of a renewed reliance on the Lord. Life may not be perfect, comfortable or free of pain and struggle. But in all our pain, uncertainty and fear, God is always with us and working for us.
 
The Lord brought David through his trial with his faith refocused. So, may the Lord bring us through this trial spiritually stronger too, remembering that, whatever happens…

‘…We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.’
(Romans 5:1-5)

Practically speaking, here are five ‘Rs’ that a submarine commander commends to his crew who have to spend 3 months at a time in close confinement, to help us through our time of confinement:
 
Routine – keep to a routine that makes use of the time we’ve got. Routine breaks up the day. Planning a routine for the day with time for exercise, meals, work, projects, bed times and rising times is a good way to make each day distinct and fruitful.
 
Ritual – make sure that the important things are in place: Time with the Lord to read the Bible and pray; meeting with the rest of the Church family for the online service at 10:45 on Sunday mornings; and at 8pm on Wednesday evenings for the midweek gathering to meditate on a Psalm together and pray for the world, the nation and one another. These are important rituals to prioritise.
 
Renewal – keep your body healthy with regular home cooked meals eaten together with others in the household as often as possible. Take regular exercise and aim to be more fit by the end of this than at the start.
 
Retreat – on a submarine the crew are encouraged to draw the curtains on their bunk beds to indicate they are having a bit of time on their own, and the rest of the crew are not to disturb this. It is important for mothers especially to be given a bit of down time while partners look after the children, for example.
 
Respect – there are bound to be times when we get on one another’s nerves. Times when we say and do things that annoy others in the household. At these times it is important to pay each other the respect of remembering that the other person(s) loves and cares for you and that they don’t intend to harm you, they’re just getting fed up with things and letting off steam.
 
Finally, please keep praying for our world. I’ve been in touch with David Kariuki who was a Cornhiller with us several years ago and is now head of the Kisima Pastoralist’s School in Kenya which the Lord used David to start. In his email David gives us a snapshot of the situation in Kenya:

“I hope you are all coping well with what sadly looks like the new normal in the world for the foreseeable future. We remain steadfast in praying for God’s intervention in this situation to heal the sick and comfort the bereaved and above all point many to the amazing hope that we have in Jesus. It is sad to see all the suffering people are going through and the resultant hopelessness in the world today. On Easter Monday I was very saddened to see a middle-aged man who had hanged himself near my sister’s home early in the morning instead of remembering the risen Christ. Many people here depend on a daily wage to feed themselves and their families, but because of the restrictions put in place by the government to combat COVID-19, many people are not able to find work. However, we remain hopeful that soon the Lord will provide the right solution to the problem of this virus.”

David Kariuki, Head of Kisima Pastoralist’s School, Kenya
Watch this video to learn more about the Kisima School

It’s a reminder that we must keep praying for the world and its leaders as much as for ourselves and our leaders in the UK.
 
With love in the Risen Lord,
 
Ian

Holy Redeemer Weekly Update

Dear Church Family,

Churches all over the country are taking to youtube and meeting online. I hope you’ve been able to join with us for the Easter celebration last week. The Lord is risen, and what great news it is in this pandemic.

Joy is one of the characteristics of God’s people. Even in adverse circumstances. Because Christian joy doesn’t depend on the circumstances we’re in. It depends on what the Lord has done.

What He has done is enormous. Beyond our ability to comprehend: In the words of Philippians 2:6-11 He humbled himself and became a man; and ‘he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death – even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place … that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth.’

Thomas, the sceptic, realised that Jesus is Lord when Jesus appeared to Him after the resurrection. He fell down at Jesus’ feet declaring Him ‘my Lord and my God.’

Thomas, and all who by God’s grace see that Jesus is ‘my Lord and my God’ have the joy of knowing that they have peace with God and life with Him forever. That is why we’re joyful!

May you know this joy and peace at this time despite all the anxieties that are swirling around us, looking beyond the fears to Him who loves us and has us in His hand now and evermore.

With love in the risen Lord,

Ian

Easter Coronavirus Update

Dear Church Family,

Easter is going to be different this year. We’re all going to miss the joy of sharing the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection face to face. But persecuted Christians have been in this situation before, and many are still unable to meet in many parts of the world.

Thankfully, God’s Church doesn’t rely on a face to face Easter celebration event in a building. The big event that matters happened 2,000 years ago in Jerusalem when it was discovered that there wasn’t a body in Jesus’ tomb.

There are always good things to learn, even in bad situations: In this one, while we can’t ‘go to Church’ we are realising more clearly than ever, that we are the Church. Church isn’t just a meeting you go to, but a people you belong to, and in our part of the world we can still ‘meet’ online and hear God’s word together that way. 

So, do join us for our daily Easter meditations, including Good Friday, and our Easter service – you’ll find them on our YouTube channel, and we’ll be posting daily links on our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts (links at the bottom of this email)

The ‘upside’ of ‘online Church’ is that it is more accessible to more people. Most of the country won’t go to Church, even at Easter. But many are anxious, and will go online to see what Church is like that way. Please pray that some may join us online this Easter Day.

And for this Easter Sunday evening, I can recommend the Easter 5 pm service from St. Andrew the Great, Cambridge, with Glen Scrivener preaching. It will be live-streamed at 5 pm here(Once on the page, click the ‘5.00 pm Service’ box.)

May I take this opportunity to wish you the JOY of the Lord this Easter! Because despite the circumstances, The Lord is risen!

With love in the risen Lord, 

Ian

Holy Week Meditations

This year Holy Week is very different to what we are used to due to the current COVID-19 outbreak and resultant social isolation.

In instead of our daily 12 pm prayer time we thought it would be helpful to have a series of daily meditations, from John’s Gospel, as we follow the Easter story from Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem on a donkey, through to Jesus’ death and glorious resurrection on Easter Sunday.

Here is a YouTube playlist of all the videos in the series – why not subscribe to us, and click the notification bell to be informed when each daily video is released.

Zoom Prayer Gathering

Join us online as we pray for our country, church family and wider community during the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

We will meet via the Zoom platform, Wednesday 1st April at 8pm.

Please use the following login details:

Holy Redeemer is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Join Zoom Meeting

 https://us04web.zoom.us/j/364071669

Meeting ID: 364071669

Coronavirus Update 4

Dear Church Family,

We’re just about getting used to the ‘new normal’. Personally, I’ve found the second part of last week very challenging, getting used to zoom conference meetings and live stream and recorded Church services, and Denise to being a teacher with the children at home. I’m sure you’ve had plenty of challenges of many kinds too. I’m very thankful to dear brothers and sisters who have helped me through this.

The Lord is always at work for good, and being uncomfortable can strangely be more fruitful than being comfortable. It tends to make us more aware that our lives are in the Lord’s hands not our own, and that we depend on him for everything, and that this world is not our home. 

The situation does put a strain on everyone however. Especially those who are living alone. And those who are already battling with mental health – which is probably most of us to some degree. The loss of contact with loved ones and friends and anxiety about our present and future provision of necessities and the fear of the virus, and grief for the loss of the way of life that was familiar and has now been lost … all of these are normal experiences in the present crisis, and should not be confused with a decline in our mental health – but do put the pressure on.

There are several ways we can stay healthy. One of the best is to stay in touch with family and friends and Church family. As a staff team, we’ve been working on ways of doing this and are aiming to be in touch with everyone regularly to make sure that you are Ok. This regular update is one of the main ways of keeping in touch.

In addition, the recommended advice is to limit exposure to the news and media which are enough to make the most robust of us a bit low spirited. Far better to limit ourselves to one 15 minute news brief a day, and enjoy more time listening to the music we enjoy and reading and doing the things we wished we’d had time to do before all this started – it’s a great time to decorate and clear out the shed and the loft and cook and bake and … 

And above all to have more time with the Lord – to read the bible, and Christian books. And to explore the treasure trove of Christian resources that are ‘out there,’ for adults, children and families. Here are some:

Colin Buchanan’s excellent work: 
https://www.compassion.com.au/colin-buchanan

And from Christianity explored ministries:
https://www.ceministries.org/Articles/569879/Blog/Sharing_the_gospel_in_a.aspx

https://www.ceministries.org/Articles/469270/CE_ORG/Tough_Questions/Transcripts/If_God_exists_why_is.aspx

And, there is a wealth of good things for every age and stage on Clayton TV 
https://www.clayton.tv

And some reading suggestions: 

Reading the New Testament in 3 months.  Bible Reading Plan 

And if you’d like to do some extra reading on God’s Sovereignty Where was God when that happened by Christopher Ash is an easy and encouraging read. 

And finally, adopt the discipline of being thankful. Yes, things are stretching. But knowing the Lord, we always have things to be thankful for in His fatherly love for us (do listen to Paul’s sermon on the Lord’s prayer in last week’s service) and the many blessings he gives us. To be thankful is one of the distinguishing marks of the Christian. And it’s one of the best medicines for mental health, along with good food, exercise, sleep and fellowship with the Lord and one another. Colossians 2:5-6 makes this point:

‘So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

Thankful to be – your brother in Christ,

Ian

Prayer For The Day

Join us online as we pray for our country, church family and wider community during the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

We will meet via the Zoom platform, Monday to Friday at 12pm for about 15 mins.

Please use the following login details:

Holy Redeemer is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/943106572

Meeting ID: 943 106 572

HR Coronavirus Update 3

Dear Church Family,

The whole world feels like it has changed. We were used to thinking and traveling globally, and are now confined to our own homes. Our world has shrunk; even a trip to the park is a trip too far unless we’re going to exercise. In some parts of Europe, a permit is required to be more than 200m from home.

I wonder how you are coping with it? Some are taking it in their stride. Others are worried and anxious; much depends on our personalities and circumstances.

My thoughts are with those who are most isolated, and those most financially and medically vulnerable – social distancing makes the lonely more lonely. The economic crash makes financial pressures greater still; many worry about putting food on the table and keeping a roof over their head. Others are all too aware of the health threat.

In this update, there are suggested ways to connect with each other, to pray and help each other.

And information about applying for assistance through the local council for personal and business financial assistance.

With all this in mind, I’m encouraged by Paul’s example in Philippians 1:12-26. He is in prison, under threat of execution. He is unable to travel.

His ‘normal life’ routines were on hold. He depended on friends for food. And His life was in danger. What did he do?

He took the opportunity of sharing the good news of Christ Jesus with the Roman soldiers guarding him so that ‘it became clear to the whole palace guard and to everyone else that he was in chains for Christ (1:13).’ His boldness for the gospel encouraged others in the Christian family to ‘proclaim the gospel without fear (1:14).’ And he remembered that knowing Christ Jesus as Lord made death itself a friend: ‘for me to live is Christ, to die is gain (1:21).’

He looked death in the face and said ‘I desire to depart (ie die!) and be with Christ, which is better by far.’

Because he was confident that life with Christ after death is ‘better by far,’ he was able to face the dangers and difficulties he was in and continue to love and serve the people around him.

Let’s pray that by God’s grace, we’ll be like that!

Your brother in Christ,

Ian

HR Coronavirus Update 2

Dear Church family,

Following government guidelines, we won’t be meeting on Sundays or mid-week until further notice. The service will be available online.

I’m sad that I won’t see you, Church family each Sunday. But the Lord is in charge of His Church and His World. Christ Jesus says ( Matt 16:18 ) ‘I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.’ And He says ( Jn 10:27f ) ‘My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.’

All things, including the ‘bad’ things, are under our Lord’s control. He is shaping and using all things for His good purposes. This includes thinking freshly about the ways we communicate and meet together. It is always best to meet face to face. The sooner we get back to this the better. Meanwhile, we can communicate digitally. The Sunday service will be available online and we’re planning an online homegroup. More on this soon.

This is a time of opportunity. Loving care for one another and the people of the community around us will be noticed. It will commend the Gospel. If you are self-isolating or know of a friend or family member who needs help, please contact the Church office: info@holyredeemer.org.uk and we’ll get in touch and help.

Prayer changes things. Christ Jesus says: ‘apart from me, you can do nothing.’ Nothing of eternal value that is. Please pray for this land at 1 o’clock and 7 pm each day. Pray for healing from the Corona Virus, and for those affected by it medically and financially. Most of all pray that the Lord will use this situation for our spiritual benefit. Pray for the Lord to open the spiritual eyes and ears of many to see and hear the good news about His Son, Jesus. Pray that by the end,  His Church HRS will be bigger and stronger.

Your brother in Christ,

Ian

HR Coronavirus Update

Coronavirus update

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Many of us feel ‘on the horns of a dilemma’ – on the one hand the need to meet together to encourage one another, and all the more as we see the Day (of Christ’s return) approaching (Hebrews 10:24). On the other hand, those who are more vulnerable or have vulnerable family and friends, are conscious of the additional risk of coming to Church.
There is no right or wrong answer. Our circumstances are different. After prayerful thought we need to make our own decisions.

We are working on Live Streaming our Sunday service and will have this option available as soon as this Sunday or next. While this is a good thing in this emergency, it is much better to meet face to face to encourage one another, pray, sing and to hear God’s Word together. The Church is people, and people meeting together is better than meeting remotely. Please pray that this virus increases our commitment to meeting together because it shows us what a privilege it is to be able to do this.

Christ Jesus has given us (John 13:34) ‘A new command: love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.’ The virus gives us a great opportunity to do this. Pray and seek out 2 or 3 other members of the Church; arrange to contact each other regularly (weekly?) and pray for each other. And ‘adopt’ a vulnerable brother or sister and pray for them, checking up on them regularly.

Many are frightened by the danger to life and health that the virus poses. Many more are worried about the financial implications of losing their incomes as businesses slow down or even close down. Let’s be praying for each other, and for our neighbours. Only those who trust in Christ are able to pray to God as Father. This is a time to ask our neighbours if they might like us to pray for them?

We have the security of eternal Life with Christ Jesus, and are ‘always to be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks us to give the reason for the hope that we have, and to do this with gentleness and respect.’ (1 Peter 3:15) Lets pray that we live through all these fears and worries so differently that we’ll be asked to explain who makes us different.

Your brother in Christ

Ian Gilmour

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