Alan Mathew

Weekly News Review

June 13, 2017June 10, 2017 by Alan Mathew, posted in Weekly Church News

Sunday worship takes place at Bellshill Central Parish Church at 346 Main Street, on Sunday 18th of June at 10.45am, when our Minister Rev’d Kevin de Beer will conduct worship and our Young Church and children’s activities will be available. This service will include the Sacrament of Baptism. Our hymns include “Be still for the presence”, Trust and Obey” and “Praise my soul the King of Heaven”. The bible lessons come from Mark 6:30-34 and Matthew 6:19-34. Our choir will sing the Anthem “The Lord Bless you and Keep you” by John Rutter. Visitors are always welcome to come along. We are a warm and welcoming church at the heart of our town — Central Church is Central to Bellshill, Central to Christ and Central to YOU!

NEXT WEEK – Sunday 25th June at our 10.45am morning service will include our Young Church Prizegiving service, followed by the Church Family BBQ in the church grounds. We delight in this service where we celebrate that we are Church, and that we acknowledge the Church of today – our Young Folks. (please pray for good weather). During the service we will be learning and singing (with actions!) the song “Our God is a great big God”. At 6.30pm on Sunday 25^th we have our Summer Big Sing featuring our fine Pipe Organ and lots of hymns and songs. We will be raising funds for “Toilet Twinning” a charity that seeks to raise funds to enable people living in poor communities to have clean water, a basic toilet, and to learn about hygiene – a vital combination that helps end generational poverty. Hugh Ainsley will host the night telling us about some of the songs and keep us all in order! The Best Bellshill Tea will be served for refreshments after the Big Sing in the Hall.

Some of our services are Live Streamed on some Sundays but all services are available on Catch up to view at your leisure on our church website and YouTube channel.

We are a Parish Church, and are here for you in times of joy and sadness. Our minister, Rev Kevin de Beer, is available to the local community to offer spiritual support or to simply offer prayer. Each week in our Sunday Service we offer prayers for those needing remembered. If you would like to add names to our prayers, or require the services of your local Parish Church please get in touch – contact details are available on our website and our church notice board.

Our weekly organisations are now all winding down for the Summer and all groups, leaders and members are looking forward to the summer break, but looking forward to resuming the fun, activities and friendship in the autumn. Please check out our website for details of any extra activities during the summer.

Summer Choir meets each Sunday morning at 10am in the Church Hall for anyone interested in helping lead our praise each Sunday. Depending on who is there we will look at a quick fun easy piece for use in that Sunday’s service. Although, we will be looking at John Rutter’s “The Lord Bless you and Keep you” for use on 18th June at the Baptism Service.

GRASPING THE NETTLE: There will be a special evening held within Dalziel St Andrew’s Parish Church on Friday 16th June from 7:30pm (cost £7). If you are at all interested in the interaction between science and faith, and wish to enjoy an evening of excellent music and speakers, then do plan to come along.

CORBETT MEMORIAL: In our sanctuary we have a special floral display in place, in memory of James Brownlie Corbett who was killed in action during WW2 whilst serving in the RAF. His parents, members of the then Macdonald Memorial Church, gifted a stained glass window in his memory and a fund to provide flowers each year to this day at the end of May. Please remember James and his memory, and all service men and women who have served our country – past, present and future.

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Advance dates for your diary

June 27^th (Tuesday) at 7.30pm our Board and Session meet for business before the summer break. A good turn-out of members of the Session and Board is requested. A reminder that these church meetings are open to all Central Church members and you are encouraged to come along to see what happens at our meetings.

July sees the start of our Summer joint services. These will take place at 11am in rotation among the three town centre churches, led by the ministers and representatives of each congregation. We look forward to this time of combined worship meeting up with friends from St Andrew’s and West Churches. Sunday 2nd July at the West, Sunday 9th July at Central, Sunday 16th July at St Andrews, Sunday 23rd July at the West and Sunday 30th at Central which includes Communion. Teas and Coffees will be served after each service at Bellshill Central.

As we go into Summer Services we pray, “Lord God, We put ourselves into Your hands, and pray that You will bless us and our families during the wonderful months of summer. May we all help make our home a place of relaxation, joy, love, peace and safety. May we be generous and considerate, not thinking only about ourselves, but helping others enjoy the blessings of summertime. We ask this through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen”

Advance notice to members of Central Church that from Sunday 6th August (when the summer services have stopped) our morning services will start at 11 o’clock for a trial period up to the end of the year. Details are also included in our church magazine and on posters outside the church.

Our hall and facilities are available at other times during the week and are available to be hired for one off occasions or longer term lets. Please get in touch with us if you need a space to hire. We have now installed Wi-Fi which means we can offer facilities for online events taking place in the church and halls.

Check out our online activities – our website at www.bellshillcentral.wordpress.com, www.facebook.com/bellshillcentralchurch and our YouTube channel. You can find our more information on Sunday Services, Weekly activities and catch up with our services from our uploaded videos. We are occasionally LIVE on the internet with events we hold. These are usually streamed via YouTube, and links are available from our Facebook and Website addresses.

News round up from Central …

June 6, 2017June 10, 2017 by Alan Mathew, posted in Weekly Church News

Sunday worship takes place at Bellshill Central Parish Church at 346 Main Street, on Sunday 11th of June at 10.45am, when our Minister Rev’d Kevin de Beer will conduct worship and our Young Church and children’s activities will be available. This is Trinity Sunday and the theme of the service is “Water into Wine”. Our hymns include “Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty”, “I cannot tell why he whom angels worship”, “I stand amazed in the presence”. The bible lessons come from Psalm 84 and John 2:1-11 . Visitors are always welcome to come along. We are a warm and welcoming church at the heart of our town — Central Church is Central to Bellshill, Central to Christ and Central to YOU!

NEXT WEEK – Sunday 18th June at our 10.45am morning service we delight in the Sacrament of Infant Baptism. We are privileged to be part of such an important part of young children’s early Christian upbringing. ‘Suffer the little Children who come unto me’

Some of our services are Live Streamed on some Sundays but all services are available on Catch up to view at your leisure on our church website and YouTube channel.

A massive thank you to all who supported our stalls at the Bellshill Street Fair at the end of May. There was such a buzz of activity during the morning and our baking and tombola stalls were very successful. We raised over £350 for church funds. More importantly we connected with so many people in Bellshill and were able to tell them a little about our community at Bellshill Central, and spread the good news of our outreach and worship week by week. If we spoke with you at the Street Fair we’d love to see you again, why not pop along one Sunday soon?

WORLD PRAYER FOCUS: The GLO Centre Motherwell are holding a World Prayer Focus evening on Friday 9th June at 7.30pm.

CORBETT MEMORIAL: In our sanctuary we have a special floral display in place, in memory of James Brownlie Corbett who was killed in action during WW2 whilst serving in the RAF. His parents, members of the then Macdonald Memorial Church, gifted a stained glass window in his memory and a fund to provide flowers each year at the end of May. Please remember James and is memory, and all service men and women who have served our country.

Advance dates for your diary

On Sunday 25th June at 10.45am we will have our Young Church prize giving service with participation from the young folks followed by their annual Young Church BBQ. (please pray for good weather). During the service we will be learning and singing (with actions!) the song “Our God is a great big God”.

We are also holding a Summer Big Sing in the Church on Sunday 25th June at 6.30pm featuring our fine Pipe Organ and lots of hymns and songs. We will be raising funds for “Toilet Twinning” a charity that seeks to raise funds to enable people living in poor communities to have clean water, a basic toilet, and to learn about hygiene – a vital combination that helps end generational poverty. Hugh Ainsley will host the night telling us about some of the songs and keep us all in order! The Best Bellshill Tea will be served for refreshments after the Big Sing in the Hall.

Advance notice to members of Central Church that from Sunday 6th August(when the summer services have stopped) our morning services will start at 11 o’clock for a trial period up to the end of the year. Details are also included in our church magazine and on posters outside the church.

Check out our online activities – our website at http://www.bellshillcentral.wordpress.com, http://www.facebook.com/bellshillcentralchurch and our YouTube channel. You can find our more information on Sunday Services, Weekly activities and catch up with our services from our uploaded videos. We are occasionally LIVE on the internet with events we hold. These are usually streamed via YouTube, and links are available from our Facebook and Website addresses.

Sermon text Sunday 21st May

May 28, 2017 by Alan Mathew, posted in Sunday Worship, Weekly Church News

Due to our live stream failing last week, Sam Clark who preached for us has provided us his sermon text for those who would normally catch up online.

———

Readings John 14 vv 15:21 1Peter 3 vv 13:2
Some children are especially blessed,they are blessed by good and loving parents –

by parents whose love is like that of God –

by parents who, by the power of their love are spiritually present with their children at all times

– parents who, even when physically absent, leave notes in lunch boxes,signs of love on fridges and blessings upon pillows so that their children may know that they are loved deeply.

I know that when I was a child I really appreciated these things.

Although things have changed a bit as we did not have a fridge, but there were other places that the notes turned up.

But I also know that as a kid I was occasionally grounded, restricted, and cut off from the fullness of the blessings my parents sought to pour outupon me.

And yes, as a five year old being brought back to the house by the police for an incident which I was involve in caused me to hear the words that every young person dreaded.

“Wait till your father gets home”

And then banished to my room without my picture books or comforting toys.

Additional chores would result as a punishment such as bringing in the coal and taking out the ashes. That seemed to continue until I was about 17 years old when I installed heating in the house.

But my parents still loved me when I was grounded, they still loved me deeply,but things did not go quite as well for me as they did when I was not grounded.

And this kind of experience continues on into adult life -into all our relationship of love.

We find that when our love is well expressed in consideration and in respect, in holy humility and in divine giving, that blessings flow abundantly, and we know fully the love we are supposedto know, we know the secret of the universe as it were;

God is as completely revealed to us as he can be this side of heaven.

But when we hold back, when we do not do all that love asks us to do something goes missing inside us -we begin to ache and pain even though the love of our lover is still all around us, still calling out to us, still seeking for us the very best.

What I am saying my friends is simply this – there are spiritual laws at work in the universe

– laws that God works with and which by his mercy operate at all times.

Christ speaks of one of these laws or principles in today’s Gospel reading,a reading which is part of that which is often called his last will and testament because it is the final teaching he gives to his disciples before he is crucified.

As part of that testament he speaks of his final and ultimate gift to all who are a part of God’s family – of his family – the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus tells the disciples the night of his betrayal that if they love him,they will keep his commandments.

And he promises them his Spirit unconditionally – a Spirit that will advocate for them, a Spirit to comfort them, a Spirit to lead them, a Spirit to watch over them.

He promises them that the Spirit of God will live in them.

Jesus also tells his disciples that not everyone will receive the spirit.

He tells them that those in the world, those who love only themselves, those who sneer at holy things and scorn the law of God, cannot receive the receive the Spirit,because they do not know the Spirit, because they do not desire it.

Jesus assures his disciples on the night of his betrayal that they will see him again – that because he lives and will continue to live so will they – and that they will know that he is in the Father and that they are in him and he is in them.

Then he goes on to remind them of what he had said before

In John 15; V21

“Those who accept my Commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. My Father will love those who love me, I to will love them and reveal myself to them.”

A promise and a reminder.

The promise of his eternal and holy presence urging and supporting and comforting us no matter what.

And the reminder that we will see and feel the full glory of that gift when we are in the right space – that space which is the righteous space, the loving space, God calls us to.

Jesus gives us the gift of his eternal love and reminds us of how love works: of how while there is unconditional affection and care there is as well the hope that the love will be returned – so that we, you and I, will know the fullness of the love we are receiving.

Jesus reminds us that love needs to be returned – not just directly, inexpressions of devotedness, but also indirectly, in actions whereby we pass on the love to others.

Jesus makes us promises and he gives to us reminders, reminders that there are

consequences to what we do, wonderful consequences and sometimes not so wonderful consequences.

Reading past verse 21 of today’s gospel reading we find the question

asked of Jesus.

“Lord how can it be that you will reveal yourself to us -and not to the world.”

Jesus answers,

“Whoever loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and my Father and I will come to him and live with him.”

As adults we know that is what always happens when there is a deep and intimate relationship of love – people move in together, they live together and enjoy themselves together and work together and do many things together – and all of a sudden – because of this relationship there are both inlawsand outlaws to deal with.

Consider the inlaws all the people around you who seek to do God’s will.

Consider the outlaws all those who couldn’t care less about God or you.

Jesus, as our lover, asks us to keep his commandments and to love all of them, both the inlaws and outlaws, as if they were he; he tells us that this is what the life he offers and shares with us is all about, he tells us that when we obey him we will truly see him and know him.

The truth about life is revealed to us by the Spirit of truth that Jesus sends to us from the Father – and that truth is love, – love expressed and shown to others in the way God shows love to us, – a love expressed and shown according to the word sent to us by God from the beginning and incarnated in Christ Jesus our brother and our Lord.

You can’t go wrong by following Christ.

You can only go right.
The apostle Peter suggests to us in verse 15 of today’s epistle reading that the secret of the spiritual life – of the life that gives life – of the life that is worth the living – is found in sanctifying in our hearts Jesus as Lord.

This means pretty much the same as what Jesus meant when he said to the disciples “if you love me you will keep my commandments.”

To sanctify something means to make that thing holy – to make it special — to make it different – to make it wonderful – to dedicate it to the divine purpose – to dedicate it to the divine One- to allow the Spirit to transform it from one degree of glory to another.

Sanctify, in your hearts, Christ as Lord.

Don’t just say I believe in and love Christ – show that love.

Take the time each day to know him, to treat him as a friend, to talk tohim and to make him special to yourselves. Treat his wishes as yourdeepest desire, his every suggestion and hint as your life giving law and your greatest yearning.

To “Sanctify Christ in your heart as Lord” means… – it means to really hold on to him and to hold his word in your awareness,- it means to really listen and then to really do.

It is all so simple a child can get it and do it, and so wonderful and so rich that it gifts all the years of our lives with awe and with power.

All these things the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit have told us sothat we might have the fullness of God’s blessings – that we may know the true glory of love and the eternal joy and strength that life in Him brings.

God is with us – Christ is in us – the Spirit is all around us.

Look and see – love and abide in him – be true and obey him as your Lord – and life will blossom all around you like flowers in the spring and God will be revealed in his fullness to you and to the world around you

Praise be to God, now and forevermore – Amen

Church of Scotland Word of Life

May 14, 2017June 1, 2019 by Alan Mathew, posted in Other News, Weekly Church News

The theme for this year’s General Assembly and Heart and Soul is ‘Word of Life’; a rich, multi-layered theme that invites each one of us, whether we are at the heart of faith or on the fringes of faith, to think about what, for us, those words might be: hope, welcome, peace, mercy, kindness, love and so many more. Whilst the words will adapt and change throughout our life journey of faith, they help us understand and give texture to the focus of our faith, Jesus of Nazareth, the embodiment of ‘Word of Life’.

Congregations and groups of all ages who are connected with the Church are being encouraged to print ‘Word of Life’ letters out and put a picture on social media. Join in and use the hashtag #wordoflife.