There is a redeemer

— Midweek Meditations:
thoughts, inspiration and encouragement
from ACF community members —

Featured image by Frank Licorice, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Dr. Timothy Keller (another of my heroes of the faith) passed away on May 19^th, 2023 and among his last words to his family he kept repeating that he couldn’t wait to see Jesus and “there is no downside for me leaving, not in the slightest.” What a way to die, what a way to live – as the author of more than 30 books, apologist for the Christian faith, but especially as the beloved and inspiring pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York. His sermons and his writings have touched people around the globe for their intellectual probing, their honesty and especially the practical challenge to live out our faith. The organization he and his wife Kathy founded, called Gospel in Life, has now made all his sermons available for free here on their website.

The name Gospel in Life refers to the conviction that “the Gospel changes everything” and Keller nearly always reverted to the core message of salvation in each of his sermons, referring us back as listeners to what Jesus has done for us and why this should change how we live. As Keller stated often,

 “the Gospel says you are simultaneously more sinful and flawed
 than you ever dared believe,
yet more loved and accepted than you ever dared hope.”

(Timothy Keller)

I remember listening to his series of sermons on the theme of wisdom over many months, scribbling notes as fast as I could and trying to gain a heart of wisdom from Keller’s reflections. I wonder if part of his gift for gaining wisdom even at a young age was not only his humility, but his keenness to listen and learn from others and their experiences. According to his biographer Collin Hansen, Keller spent hours and hours with all sorts of people, learning from and debating with both Christians and non-Christians. All his life, he was constantly reading, listening and learning.

Keller’s deep assurance of where he was headed is reflected in the details of his own memorial service which he prepared in the weeks before his death. He chose the hymns and wrote down an introduction to each of them to be read at the service. Also here, true to his nature, it was important to him to convey the essential message of God’s love for us and His purpose of redemption. Here is the final hymn Keller chose:

There is a redeemer
Jesus, God’s own Son
Precious Lamb of God, Messiah
Holy One

Thank you, oh my father
For giving us Your Son
And leaving Your Spirit
‘Til the work on Earth is done

When I stand in Glory
I will see His face
And there I’ll serve my King forever
In that Holy Place

Dear Lord,

We thank you for the inspiring life of Timothy Keller and for others like him. Thank you that we have a redeemer in Jesus and help us to continue to do the work of sharing the Gospel message.

In Jesus name, Amen

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The ACF Midweek Meditations
are written by a diverse group of our church members with the intention to seek God’s fingerprints in our lives. They range from somber to humorous and are inspired by all facets of live and faith. Written by ordinary people from all walks of life, they reflect a wide range of Christian backgrounds and spiritualities.

Each week’s text portrays the individual viewpoint of its author. They might not always resonate with everyone, and are not meant to be understood as representing the Anglican Church Freiburg as a whole. Yet, as a church that is aiming to ‘Build a Community of Grace’ we seek to practice learning from and listening to one another.

We pray that these humble ponderings add a small spark of blessing to your week.

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