At Redeemer we have what some would describe as a "liturgical" service. What most people mean by this term is that our service has a very clear order to it, including the use of various printed prayers, confessions, and other congregational recitations within the service. From week to week, the way we worship changes very little. Certainly, such a highly structured servic...

I was confronted with an unsettling truth recently while reading a book by an English Christian by the name of Francis Spufford. In the preface to his book, Unapologetic: How Despite Everything Christianity still makes Surprising Emotional Sense, he describes what it is like to be a Christian in England in the 21st century: My daughter just turned six. some time over th...

Unless you are one of the gifted few among us, chances are you don’t do much out-loud singing during your week (not counting the car and shower). For many of us, the very idea of publicly singing with around others can be intimidating. For others, particularly men, singing in church is something we “tolerate” as a necessary inconvenience in order to get t...

Why Have a Benediction? Every week at Redeemer we end the service with what is called the benediction. The word benediction literally means ‘good speaking,’ and refers to God’s pronouncement of blessing upon his people. The minister, acting as God’s representative, lifts his hands and announces the Lord’s final blessing on His people as they ...