As the Church of Scotland in Bellshill we extend a warm welcome to any of our activities. People have been coming to this building to worship God for over a hundred years. While our town has journeyed through many changes over those years, the constancy of the witness of the “Church at 346 Main Street” has remained uninterrupted. The mission of any Church is to reflect through its presence, its music, its fellowship and its beauty the greatness of God, and we seek to do that here in all that we share.
We hope that everyone who enters these doors will find an encouraging, friendly group of people. While we are far from perfect, we are regularly discovering truths that are changing us individually and enriching our lives as a church community. As we worship together, learn from the Bible, and pray for one another, we are strengthened in our commitment to Jesus Christ as well as to each other. If this is your first time here, we welcome you, and invite you to share the joy that we have found.
Hymns used with permission and with the following CCLI Licences Church Copyright Licence 876673; Music Reproduction Licence 876680 Church Video Licence 2258718; PPL Church Licence 1593113 CLA Church Licence 1002856; PRS for Music Church Licence 1448921 Streaming Licence 1638311
Tonight (21 November), Christians across the country – and further afield – will continue to join together in prayer and reflection at 7pm in response to the pandemic.
As with previous weeks during lockdown, 15 Christian churches and organisations across the country, including the Church of Scotland, have co-signed the letter calling for prayer.
Scottish Christians have been continuing to answer the call to pray at the same time each week, and the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, Lord Wallace, is taking part alongside them.
“We should always be mindful for the wisdom handed down to us from past generations; much of it learned the hard way, from mistakes made and consequences suffered,” Lord Wallace said.
“So, too, we are grateful for the richness that comes to us from living alongside people of other traditions. In our day and generation we must surely allow our minds and hearts to be open so that we can risk getting to know them and learning from them.
“In this pandemic, our responsibility is to come together and offer our prayers for all the many diverse expressions of our Christian faith that enrich life, as we have done for many months now.
“Let us not forget that behind each death there will be grieving family and friends; behind each hospitalisation there will be a suffering patient, an anxious family and a caring and skilled medical team.
“And behind each vaccination, let us recognise, with thanks, the skill of the scientists’ research and those who make distribution and vaccination possible. Let us remember, too, those in countries who still wait anxiously for vaccines to arrive. May our leaders respond imaginatively and generously to that challenge.
“A pattern has been set for us, lived out in Jesus Christ, made possible by the Spirit. May we follow in His way, and be guided by the one over-riding rule of love in all that we say and do.”
“‘So you are a king?’ We can picture the scene as Jesus stands before Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea. Pilate asks: ‘Are you the King of the Jews?’
“In response, Jesus speaks of a kingdom ‘not from this world’ and ‘not from here’. Pilate, perhaps perplexed, asks: ‘So you are a king?’ (John 18: 33-37)
“In the exchange between Pilate and Jesus, we sense the contrasting understandings of what a ‘king’ will be and what a ‘kingdom’ will look like. We can well imagine that Pilate had a clear understanding of what these were at that time.
“However, when faced by a Jesus whose kingdom is ‘not from this world’, Pilate struggles to comprehend how he might be a ‘king’.
“Nevertheless, in time, Pilate will crucify: ‘Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews’. (John 19: 19)
“The Jesus who is present before Pilate is a King whose Kingdom is to come and is already present in his life lived out in this world.
“We respond in faith to the King who is present in our midst, crowned with thorns and robed in purple, and pray that the Kingdom will come…”
We pray:
Lord, who reigns on high And who is robed in majesty, We see Your Son come amongst us As a King whose kingdom is not from this world. May we respond to His presence With faith and trust as we pray for the kingdom that is to come. Lord, in Your mercy Hear our prayer.
Lord, who reigns on high And who is robed in majesty, We see Your Son come amongst us As the One who very life is a sign of the kingdom. May we recognise the signs of the kingdom in our midst And live as those who await its coming with expectation. Lord, in Your mercy Hear our prayer.
Lord, who reigns on high And who is robed in majesty, We see Your Son come amongst us As a King whose reign resembles not the rulers of this world. May we follow in His way And seek to live in the light of His coming kingdom. Lord, in Your mercy Hear our prayer.
Lord, who reigns on high And who is robed in majesty, We see Your Son come amongst us As the bearer of truth and as the light of the world. May Christ the King reign amongst His people And His way be known to all who seek Him in spirit and in truth. Lord, in Your mercy Hear our prayer.
We gather for weekly worship beginning at 11am. We are now up to 4 hymns, with lovely organ music before and afterwards. We invite you to sit tight and listen to the closing music before you leave!
Our prayers and worship are led by Rev Kevin de Beer
If you can’t gather with us in person then here are the live stream links that you will need.
We will stream via Facebook! Just click the logo below to find our live video
If you are coming, call Stanley before 10pm Saturday, or email bookings@bellshillcentral.church and Jane will add your details. Or, you can still give your name at the door, but we ask for your name in advance to keep the queues to a minimum.
Enjoy this weekend’s worship, however you take part.
BELLSHILL: CENTRAL PARISH CHURCH OF SCOTLAND 