Return to Redemption

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As of the Sunday just gone, we are back in the book of Exodus!

Last year we journeyed through Exodus chapters 1-14, seeing God as the Great Redeemer.

We saw the the Israelites in slavery in Egypt (chapter 1-2). They trusted God, but their situation seemed to just get worse. Then God introduced himself to Israel by his name YHWH – the Lord, the holy and faithful one who keeps his promises (chapter 3). God acted through the first 9 plagues, landing blow after blow was on Pharaoh their oppressor, but still Pharaoh refused to listen, refused to let God be God and let the people go. And so there came the final plague – the death of every first born of Egypt, leading to the Great Redemption of the Israelites out of slavery, opening the way for them to be saved and protected through the blood of a lamb, giving them a new identity as his people.

Pharaoh sent the Israelites away – only to change his mind and start pursuing them again, trapping them between his great army with its chariots, and a large body of water. Things seemed hopeless, but again God made a way – he sent a strong East wind to open a path through the sea, and the Israelites crossed over, but when Pharaoh and his army tried to cross, the sea closed in on them and wiped them out.

On Sunday we heard the song of redemption that celebrated God’s salvation of his people (chapter 15:1-21), and now we move with the Israelites into the beginning of their new lives – as a people redeemed. That is why we are calling our little series leading up to Christmas Life Redeemed.

We’d love to have you with us as we consider together some of what it means to live in light of a story of redemption.

Faith and Work

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This week we began a short two week exploration of the issue of Work in the Life of Faith.

Most of us spend most of our time doing everyday work type stuff. For some of us it is paid, for some of us it is not (eg stay at home parents, who definitely work!). But whatever the case, most of us have at least one occupation that takes up many, if not most, of our waking hours.

One of the complaints that is sometimes made about churches, and especially the teaching at churches, is that it doesn’t have much to say about this important everyday activity. Fair enough!

So we are spending these two weeks considering this question – what does the Christian faith have to say to our everyday work activities? And what difference does being a Christian make to how we understand and live out our work?

If you want to hear the first sermon you can hear it here. And, if you are reading this before Sunday 30th October, you can engage with the second week of thinking this through by joining us on Sunday. You are most welcome!