It is with a heavy heart and with great sadness we share the news of the death of Mrs Elizabeth (Betty) Toal. Betty was the oldest member of Bellshill Central Parish Church.
As we are all well aware Betty was and will always be a remarkable woman. She was deeply loved by many in Bellshill.
We remember her memory, her grace and dignity. We especially remember Colin and the family at this sad time.
Eternal rest, grant unto her, O LORD, And let perpetual light shine upon her. May she rest in peace. Amen.
This Sunday (7 February), Christians across the country – and further afield – will once again join together in prayer and reflection at 7pm in response to the pandemic.
As with previous weeks during lockdown, 14 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 Rt Rev Dr Martin Fair, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, has been taking part alongside them.
“There are some things which make sense for a certain period of time but which come to a natural conclusion – such as clapping for carers during the spring lockdown. Prayer isn’t one of them,” Dr Fair said.
“The Apostle Paul encourages us to ‘pray without ceasing’ and Jesus himself offers parables where persistence in prayer is lauded.
“It can be hard to keep going when there’s no end in sight; much easier when the finishing line comes into view. In the case of the pandemic, it still feels as if there’s no light at the end of the tunnel.
“All the more reason then for God’s people to continue faithfully in prayer. And even better when we can pray across the whole of the Church, unrestricted by denominational divides.
“If Sunday at 7pm is in your diary, keep it there. Thank you. If it hadn’t been, it would be great to have you involved. It matters that we pray.
“At this time, we are those who wait. In common with every member of our community and our nation, we are those who wait for the renewal of life within the families and communities of which we are a part. The time of waiting has now exceeded anything we might have imagined as we began the first lockdown, and as we wait many have grown weary.
“The prophet Isaiah speaks to a people who have waited and whose time of waiting has exceeded anything they might have imagined. (Isaiah 40: 21-31) During the time of waiting, the people of Israel have grown weary. To those people, the word of the Lord comes through the prophet and they are given a vision of ‘the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth’ who ‘does not faint or grow weary’.
“Even in the longest times, the word of the Lord speaks to those who have come to the end of their strength with the assurance that:
those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40: 31
“We are those who wait and our waiting is not in vain.”
We pray:
Everlasting God, Creator of the ends of the earth, We are those who wait And we confess that we have grown weary. Speak to us we ask and hear our cry. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
Everlasting God, Creator of the ends of the earth, We are those who wait And who have come to the end of our own strength. Lift up the weary and strengthen the powerless. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
Everlasting God, Creator of the ends of the earth, We are those who wait And who have heard your Word echo in our hearts. Grant us grace for this time and faith to believe your promise. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
Everlasting God, Creator of the ends of the earth, We are those who wait And who ask that your promise will be fulfilled. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
Everlasting God, Creator of the ends of the earth, We are those who wait Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
Loving God, we seek your presence in the silence beyond words looking to you for comfort, strength, protection and reassurance breathing with gratitude holding on to hope trusting with faith that you are still God in the midst of the turmoil and that your love reaches to the ends of the earth. Be present with us now. (Silence)
God of love and mercy, embrace all those whose hearts today overflow with grief, unanswered questions and such a sense of loss. Grant them space to express their tears. Hold them close through the coming days. Amen.
This Sunday (31 January), as the UK records 100,000 deaths from Covid-19, Christians across the country – and further afield – will once again join together in prayer and reflection at 7pm in response to the pandemic.
As with previous weeks during lockdown, 14 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 Rt Rev Dr Martin Fair, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, has been taking part alongside them.
“There are some things which make sense for a certain period of time but which come to a natural conclusion – such as clapping for carers during the spring lockdown. Prayer isn’t one of them,” Dr Fair said.
“The Apostle Paul encourages us to ‘pray without ceasing’ and Jesus himself offers parables where persistence in prayer is lauded.
“It can be hard to keep going when there’s no end in sight; much easier when the finishing line comes into view. In the case of the pandemic, it still feels as if there’s no light at the end of the tunnel.
“All the more reason then for God’s people to continue faithfully in prayer. And even better when we can pray across the whole of the Church, unrestricted by denominational divides.
“If Sunday at 7pm is in your diary, keep it there. Thank you. If it hadn’t been, it would be great to have you involved. It matters that we pray.
“The remembering of the past is an integral part of what it is to be human. In our remembering, we recall the persons and the events that have shaped us and made us who we are. In the act of remembering, we often seek to make sense of and come to terms with the past. In the depths of our remembering, we acknowledge and lament loss.
“At this particular time, we are profoundly conscious of the depth of loss within the communities and nation of which we are a part.
“In the Book of Psalms, the Psalmist affirms that God ‘remembers’ and that, in particular, God remembers the covenant made with the people of God. The One who forges a relationship with the people of God, is the One who remembers the covenant forever. (Psalm 111: 5)
“In our remembering, we recall the One who remembers us and does not forget all that we endure in these hard times.”
We pray:
God who remembers, Be with us in our remembering this day. Be with us on the journey That takes us from the past And into the future that lies before us. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
God who remembers, Be with us in our remembering this day. Be with as we recall those who have shaped us And the events that have made us. Grant to us grace and healing in all we recall. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
God who remembers, Be with us in our remembering this day. Be with us in sorrow and in loss And come beside all who mourn this day. Come beside us and do not leave us. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
God who remembers, Be with us in our remembering this day. Be with those who serve in hospitals and in homes And who, by their medical and nursing skills, Provide comfort and hope to those who suffer. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
God who remembers, Be with us in our remembering this day. Be with us as community and nation And strengthen us in all we endure. Even in the darkness, may we find your light renewed through Jesus Christ. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
BELLSHILL: CENTRAL PARISH CHURCH OF SCOTLAND 