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.
Abba Father, We long to be with our dear beloved child, our hearts are heavy with deep sorrow and our breath is shallow. Please carry us, for we are overwhelmed by the pain of our grief. Words can not express the depth of our loss or the heartache we feel. We know you are with our dear beloved son (daughter), your heart is overjoyed by him. His breath is new life in Heaven. Please come and nurture our precious one. Thank you for the hope of eternal life that he has now received. Lord, you will keep him safe until we meet. We entrust him into your care now. Amen.
Held annually between 9 – 15 October, this is an opportunity for bereaved parents, family members and friends to commemorate the all-too-brief lives of their babies and pregnancies, knowing that thousands of other families around the world understand how they feel and will be doing the same.
The week also presents the chance for people to talk openly about the subject of and raise awareness of baby loss and pregnancy loss.
The week culminates with Baby Loss Awareness Day on Sunday 15 October and the poignant global Wave of Light at 7pm. During this wave of light, we remember the babies that have died during pregnancy, at, during or after birth by lighting a candle at 7pm and leaving it to burn for at least one hour.
You can also choose to share your candle with everyone on Facebook and/or Twitter and/or Instagram, if you so wish. However you choose to mark your loss, you will be uniting with others across the world in honour of those pregnancies and babies who lit up our lives for such a short time and we hope this event can bring some comfort.
From Saturday 10th OCtober the Church will be lit up each night in blue and pink in a show of support for all those affected by baby loss
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments;
As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.
Psalm 133 is the last of the four attributed to King David in the title: A Song of Ascents. Of David. We don’t know exactly when David composed this song, but one likely occasion was when David was finally received as king over all the tribes of Israel, ending a terrible season of national division and discord.
Read this reflection on Psalm 133 after you have read God’s Word.
One of the unique teachings of the Bible is that our love for God and our love for others are closely connected. The apostle John asserted that, “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen” (1 John 4.20). The true religion—even in its Old Covenant expression—is not about rituals flawlessly executed but about relationships between people.
As the pilgrim worshipers approach Jerusalem to worship in the temple, they are reminded of this when they sing Psalm 133:
“Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore” (Psalm 133.1–3).
True believers who share a common faith in their covenant-keeping God acknowledge that they share a bond that transcends earthly and physical ties.
Yet the psalm says more than that. The singers refer to a specific sign of unity: “the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes” (Psalm 133.2). The simile is significant: it pictures the ordination of a priest—a male descendent of Aaron, the brother of Moses—when at his consecration to the priesthood, fragrant oil was poured on his head (Exodus 30.22–33; Leviticus 8.12). This oil symbolized his dedication as a member of a fraternity who could provide access to for themselves and others through the sacrificial system.
Yet it was God’s intention that the whole nation would be “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19.6). Through their united obedience to the LORD, they would function as those people who would be mediators for the rest of the world. This would require a consciously pursued intention to fulfill their destiny to be a blessing to “all the families of the earth” (Genesis 12.3).
What the Old Covenant pointed toward as a goal is fulfilled under the New Covenant. Christ, the true High Priest, has fulfilled all that the Aaronic priesthood pointed toward. Paul’s words to Timothy, “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2.5), assure us he is the only priest we need for full access to God. Through him, all who believe become “a holy priesthood” (1 Peter 2.5, 9). Like the Aaronic priests of old, we share together in a fraternity who are called to become the means of blessing to the world.
