OCTOBER 2011

THE ALTARBY TIM KELLER

INSIDE: • MISSIONS MONTH JULY 2011 • A GOSPEL & CULTURE GLIMPSE • HFNY FAIR: SERVING OUR YOUTH

• HFNY–CHRISTMAS? • JOIN THE REBIRTH OF DOWNTOWN MANHATTAN • THE ALTAR (CONT’D)

George Herbert was an early 17th century

Anglican priest and Englishpoet. Charles Spurgeon, thegreat Baptist preacher, oncesaid, “I love George Herbertwith my very soul.”C.S. Lewis, in his athe-ist days, found GeorgeHerbert unnerving. Hewrote about him,“Here was a man whoseemed to me to excelall the authors I had readin conveying the very qualityof life as we live it…but thewretched fellow…insisted onmediating it through what Iwould have called ‘Christianmythology.’”

The first poem inHerbet’s compendiumThe Temple is a shapepoem. That is, it isdesigned to be printedon the page so thewords form an image ofthe subject. In this case, thepoem is called and shaped as“The Altar.” In the OldTestament, God required thatworshippers come to himthrough a sacrifice on an altar,

and the altar had to be made of unhewn stones—that is,made of stones as God himself had shaped them (cf. Exodus20:25). In some cases, such aswhen Elijah built an altar on

Mt. Carmel in 1 Kings 18, Godshowed his favor and power by sending fire down fromheaven to consume the sacri-fice. Herbert is here consider-ing how our lives can be

turned into an altar, somethingacceptable to God, a placewhere we can meet God.

He tells God he is ‘rearing’an altar. As God has command-ed, in his altar ‘no workman’s

tool’ has touched thestones. Instead, it is Godhimself that has madehis heart into an altar.“A heart alone is such astone that nothing butthy pow’r doth cut.”

Only God himself can putour heart into altar shape.

Only God’s power can take ourstony, hard hearts and turnthem into hearts that praiseGod’s name (cf. Ezekiel 36:26,27). Here Herbert is laying

out basic, solid, Biblical doc-trine.The human heartis so hard, so self-absorbed, so filled withanger and self-pity andpride, that nothing butGod’s power can cut it,

change it. (cf. Romans 3:9-18)But how does God exercise

this power in our lives? It isthrough sorrow and trouble.The stones of our life come

(Continued on page 4)

A broken ALTAR, Lord thy servant rears,Made of a heart, and cemented with tears:Whose parts are as thy hand did frame;

No workman’s tool hath touch’d the sameA HEART aloneIs such a stone,As nothing but

Thy pow’r doth cut.Wherefore each partOf my hard heart

Meets in this frame,To praise thy Name:

That if I chance to hold my peace,These stones to praise thee may not cease.O let thy blessed SACRIFICE be mine,And sanctify this ALTAR to be thine.

REDEEMER REPORT

Kathy KellerHeather Klein

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services at 10:30AM & 6:00PM

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCHCorner of West 79TH and Broadway

service at 5:00PM & 7:15PM

ETHICAL CULTUREWest 64TH and CPWservice at 9:15AM

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Half of the people in theworld live in severe pov-

erty, surviving on less than $2per day. Around 340 millionpeople do not have the Biblein their own language. In MottHaven, a part of the SouthBronx, nearly sixty percent ofthe population is without ahigh school degree and fortypercent of the households earnless than $10,000 a year.Theseare just some of the facts thechildren of Redeemer discov-ered during our “MissionsMonth.”

Throughout the month ofJuly, the children who attendRedeemer’s Sunday Schoolclasses gathered to learn aboutand pray for people living inother parts of the world. Thefocus was to further expose thefamilies of Redeemer to God’spurpose and our part in mak-ing His name known in NewYork and internationally. Thetheme verse was Mark 16:15,“He said to them,“Go into allthe world and preach the goodnews to all creation.”

The children learned waysthey can take part in reachingthe world for Christ and howto value other children in NewYork City and around theworld. During July’s Vacation

Bible School, they learnedabout loving and serving THECITY. On Sundays they heardabout many different cities ofthe world and how missionar-ies go abroad to tell othersabout Jesus. They also thoughtabout specific ways they canparticipate in missions as chil-dren. In one class a five yeargirl was asked,“What is a mis-sionary?” She simply answered,“Someone who goes and tellsothers about Jesus.”

We were able to partnerwith Redeemer’s Short Termmissions teams to create a tan-gible and memorable experi-ence.The children had learnedfor weeks about missionariesand then the missions’ teamscame in person to tell abouttheir work in Argentina andSouth Africa. A highlight oneSunday included an opportu-nity to speak directly withorphans living in South Africaby video chat. The childrenpreviously brought in sportsequipment, shoes, school sup-plies and other needed itemsfor the orphanage which themissions teams delivered earlierin the year. It was a wonderfulexperience for the children atRedeemer to connect and chatwith the children in Africa.

We hope to continue this part-nership year after year.

Another way the childrenlearned how to engage in for-eign missions was throughprayer. We prayed with thechildren for all parts of theworld, that Jesus would makehimself and his love known tothe children and adults livingthere.

Lastly, the children raisedfunds and donated sportsequipment for an afterschoolprogram for children in theSouth Bronx. The childrenraised over $1000 in one week.A parent told of her kinder-gartener who had been savingfor a long while but thendonated his entire savingswhen he heard about the situ-ation and need in the SouthBronx.

It is such a joy to see thechildren of Redeemer fall inlove with Jesus, gain a visionfor world missions and givesacrificially. Our long termprayer is that these childrenwill become the next genera-tion of New Yorkers influenc-ing our city and the cities ofthe world for Christ.We inviteyou to pray along with us.

MISSIONS MONTH JULY 2011BY AMY ALEXANDER, COORDINATOR OF VOLUNTEERS

“In Mott

Haven, a part

of the South

Bronx, nearly

sixty percent of

the population

is without a

high school

degree and forty

percent of the

households

earn less than

$10,000 a year.”

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‘‘Excuse me, but does this arepa have eternal

significance?” This isn’t neces-sarily something you’d ask theclerk at your favorite arepastand, but after joining theFriday night Glimpse (part ofRedeemer’s Gospel & CultureConference), you may con-sider the question.

After God called theworld into existence, hemandated humans to civi-lize creation through socialand cultural development.The unfolding of cultureand society is integral toGod’s creation…giving pro-found meaning to the jazzin the East Village, trading atthe New York Stock Exchangeand the Chinatown immigrantexperience.As New Yorkers,weare uniquely situated in relationto social and cultural develop-ment such that we often seeglimpses of God’s good cre-ation in a piece of art at theMet, a brilliantly performedrock opera, or yes, even in anarepa. These cultural nuggets

are the things that draw manyof us to the city and in whichwe often find joy amidst anotherwise chaotic metropolis.

The Gospel and Cultureconference on November 4-5,2011, kicks off with an eveningin which conference partici-

pants engage New York Cityand its culture throughGlimpses. A wide selection ofcultural events is available tohelp us Glimpse God’s gloryand sovereignty over all things.Led by people involved in ourvarious ministries, the Glimpseleaders will be sharing theirparticular cultural interests inNew York City with the rest of

our conference participants.Throughout the evening, wewill explore how God is work-ing through social and culturaldevelopment to further Cre-ation and examine aspects ofNew York City that pointtoward the New Jerusalem—

including that amazingarepa.

On Saturday, November5, the conference will con-tinue at St. Bart’s churchwith a full day of interact-ing with practitioners frommany sectors of culture andindustry. The gospel bringsa unique perspective andpurpose to our daily lives,and this immersive, interac-

tive conference will encourageyou to see that God is indeedactively involved in every inchof this great city.

Register for the conferenceonline at:www.faithandwork.org/gc2011.

Volunteer and receive a dis-counted registration. EmailAmilee Watkins:amilee.watkins@redeemer.com

A GOSPEL & CULTURE GLIMPSEBY C. J. MAISMORE, GOTHAM FELLOW

HOPE FOR NEW YORK VOLUNTEER FAIR:SERVING OUR YOUTH

Hope for New York held its annual “Serving our Youth”Volunteer Fair after Redeemer worship services on Sunday, September 25.These fairs provide an opportunity forRedeemer attenders to meet HFNY affiliates that serve the children and youth of our city and to learn about serving as a volunteer in the new school year. It’s not too late to get involved! To learn more about our mentoring opportunities or making a donation, please visit www.hfny.org.

Arepa – a South American dish made from ground corn dough or cooked flour

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together to form an altarbecause they are “cementedwith tears.” It is suffering thattakes the various parts of ourlives and forges them intosomething that can praise God.Difficulty breaks our lives intopieces, just as a boulder has tobe broken if it is to be thematerial to build a bridge, awall, or an altar.Trials and trou-bles show us our insufficiency,reveal to us our weakness andsin and our need for him.

The image of the altarmeans a heart that is on firewith God’s praise and love.“My heart an altar and thy lovethe flame,” goes an old hymn.But to have the joy of knowingGod’s grace and love requiresthe tears of a heart broken over

the knowledge of its sin. “Mysacrifice is…a broken and con-trite spirit.” (Psalm 51:17)

The image of the altar alsorepresents a heart dedicated—“sanctified”—offered to Godin usefulness and service. Butdo you see that it is largelythrough our tears, through ourdifficulties, that God hasshaped us into people that canbe useful in his service, in min-istry, and in the lives of others?It is suffering that teaches youpatience, sympathy, wisdom,and how to rely on God. “Weglory in our sufferings, becausewe know that suffering pro-duces perseverance, persever-ance character, and character,hope.” (Romans 5:3-4)

Why would things work

this way? Why are tears the keyto finding God and beingchanged by him into some-thing useful and joyful?Because this was the way Jesussaved us. Unlike us, the Fatherdid not have to break his stub-born will, his hard heart. Hevoluntarily left his power andprivilege. He was a man of sor-rows, acquainted with grief.And the Father used his ulti-mate sacrifice to save us. Heredeemed us through suffering,weakness and tears. It is notsurprising then, that, if werespond to him in trust andfaith, our own suffering andtears—the most inevitablethings in this life—can turnour lives into something useful,joyful, and beautiful.

THE ALTAR (CONT’D FROM PAGE 1)

HOPE FOR NEW YORK–CHRISTMAS?BUT IT’S OCTOBER!

Believe it or not Christmas is just around the corner! HFNY loves Christmas, but we know that it can be a tough season for low-income families.That’s why we have two programs to serve our neighbors:Angel Tree and His Toy Store. Last year, over 250 HFNY volunteers set up “toy stores” at neighborhood churches all over the city and we gave away over 3,000 toys to over 700 families.Through the Angel Tree program,we gave away toys and clothing to over 200 children who had an incarcerated parent.

Help make Christmas a joyous season for our neighbors in need throughout the city by donating a toy or volunteering your time.We will start collecting toys every Sunday in November.You can also volunteer to run a toy store or to collect toys after church.This is a great activity for fellowship groups and families. Email volunteer@hfny.orgfor more information on our Christmas programs.

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One of the most com-pelling stories of the last

decade has been the reemer-gence and revitalization ofDowntown. It may, in fact,continue as one of our mostcompelling stories of the nextdecade.

The High Line and renova-tion of the waterfront alongthe East and Hudson Rivershave beautified recreation andgreen space. New constructionhas increased the residentialpopulation, particularly youngfamilies who benefit from several new schools. The ten-year old Tribeca Film Festivaland forthcoming WhitneyMuseum have caused Down-town to thrive as a culturalcenter. A new transportationhub will make Downtowneven more accessible.

And, of course, the WorldTrade Center site has beencompletely re-envisioned witha memorial to honor the vic-tims of 9/11 and with anentirely new complex of build-ings, including the FreedomTower, to signal Downtown’srebirth. In fact, over the pastfew years, several new housesof worship have opened theirdoors to serve the spiritualneeds of Downtown people.The Downtown story is one ofredemption and resurrection asthe oldest part of our City now experiences rebirth onevery corner.

Throughout the summer, Imet with over 130 people tobegin thinking about how we might serve Downtown

together as one of Redeemer’scongregations. Together, weprayed, brainstormed and de-veloped a profile of the variousand distinctive needs ofDowntown. Some of our in-sights include:

• Downtown is one of the mostdiverse part of New York City,economically, professionally andsocially. Unlike more exclusive-ly residential or commercialparts of the city, Downtown isa place where social, profession-al, cultural and relationalspheres of life all overlap with-in the same geographical area.

• Downtown people are typicallyopen-minded and comfortablewith new ideas, while few areconventionally religious.Theytend to be more self-definingand non-institutional thanother New Yorkers.

• Downtown people often livewith a strong sense of neigh-borhood and place. A map of Manhattan immediatelyreveals numerous distinct areasof Downtown, each with itsown culture, street life andethos, both mainstream and“off the grid.”

We all spent time discussingwhat a flourishing Downtownmight look like—how could agospel-centered church seekthe shalom of this part of the city? Some of our ideasinclude richer community andrelational networks, support fora thriving cultural and profes-

sional life, a more thoroughand everyday experience ofmercy and justice, and anunderstanding of the gospelthat is robust enough to helppeople live out their faith in apart of the city that is asdynamic as it is complex.

Over the next few months,we will begin to promote amore gospel-centered commu-nity Downtown. Events likethe upcoming Catalyst initia-tive will help align us to serveparts of the City where wehave not yet had a physicalpresence. Local “pop-up” serv-ices throughout the year willhelp us to experience worshiptogether.

We are excited about theinterest and momentum we’reseeing for Downtown and arehoping to begin weekly wor-ship earlier than originallyplanned—perhaps as early asfall 2012. More importantly,we hope to build a sense ofcommunity and mission evenbefore we begin our regularworship together. In Acts 11,there is a story about Barnabaswho travels from Jerusalem toAntioch to encourage peoplein the work that God wasalready doing there. We feeltremendously privileged tobegin serving in a part of theCity, knowing that God isalready at work there and iseager for us to join in.

For updates and informa-tion on the Downtown con-gregation please go to www.redeemer.com/downtown. Join usnow, in this formative stage!

JOIN THE REBIRTH OF DOWNTOWN MANHATTANBY JOHN LIN

“The Downtown

story is one of

redemption and

resurrection as the

oldest part

of our City

now experiences

rebirth on

every corner.”

1359 BROADWAY4TH FLOORNEW YORK, NY 10018

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THE MEANING OF MARRIAGE

Tim and Kathy Keller will be speaking on marriage at the Ethical Culture Society on Tuesday, November 1 at 7:00PM. A guest interviewer will pester them with questions based on the content of their forthcoming book, The Meaning of Marriage.Both singles, married couples, and those in-between are welcome to attend.

The event is free but tickets must be obtained so guests are not turned away for lack of seats.To reserve a ticket, please go to the Penguin/Dutton website:http://themeaningofmarriage.eventbrite.com/ (Please try to disregard the commercial nature of the website—they have to sell books, we just want you to be able to come to the event for the teaching!)

Upon reserving a ticket, people will receive an email confirmation with their ticket as a pdf attachment.They will need to print it out and bring it with them to the event.Eventbrite does not take orders via phone so please encourage people to reserve via the website. In the event that a ticket gets lost, we will have a manifest at the door.

Anyone who is experiencing problems reserving tickets for the event should feel free to call Jamie McDonald from Penguin at: (212) 366-2223