Bellefield Presbyterian Church

"The 18th century German composer Johann Sebastian Bach is one of the most famous Western classical composers, and he was particular well-known for a musical technique called a fugue. This is a compositional technique in which a simple melodic theme is introduced, then developed and layered, with successive variants and overlapping or interweaving parts. They are all based on that one, simple melody. It shows up throughout the entire piece, and often all the parts will resolv...e back into it at the end. In a way, the commands to love the Lord and love our neighbor are like the melodic themeand the Sermon on the Mount is something of an ethical fugue. Just about everything that Jesus has to say is a development upon the foundational commands to love the Lord with all our heart and soul and strength and mind and to love our neighbor as ourselves. When we bring our requests to the Lord and trust that he will provide what we need because he is a good and heavenly Father, we are exhibiting a love for the Lord. When we seek the well-being of others in the same ways that we would want them to seek our well-being, we are exhibiting a love for our neighbors. We do these things because of we are in Christ, and as a result of the new life we have received in him. Great God, our heavenly Father, we thank you for the ways you provide for us, and we confess that we do not always trust in your provision. Give us this day our daily bread. We confess that we do not love others in the ways we should and ask that you encourage and enable us to do so. Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. We praise you for the new life we have received in Christ, and ask that you enable us to live that out in this world. It’s in Jesus’ name we pray, Amen."

Our undergraduate ministry has kicked off for the semester! Check out what's going on at bellefield.org/university or on the Cornerstone Club website cornerstone220.org

On Sunday, Pastor Josh preached on the Sermon on the Mount, teaching us that: "The Sermon on the Mount sets forth a vision for life that none of us are capable of attaining on our own through our efforts. No one can live up to everything it contains. The first thing it does is expose the moral bankruptcy in our own hearts and shows us that we need someone to help us. In that way, the sermon leads us to the one preaching the sermon, for it is only in Jesus that can be made new.... His teachings, then, show us what it should look like for those who belong to him to live out the new life that we have in him." . . "We look to the one who has fulfilled [the law]. We look to Jesus, the righteous one who has come to make his people righteous. We call upon Jesus, the one to whom all of Scripture points, and we rest and trust in what he has accomplished for us. We still live in the ways that God has called us to live, pursuing the call to be holy, though we do so in humble gratitude and joyful service, for we do so as those who have been forgiven and set free. Majestic and merciful God, we confess that we think our acceptance into your kingdom depends on us. We strive relentlessly to appear righteous before others. We despair the depths of our unrighteousness. Draw us again to the one who has fulfilled all righteousness for us, and who gives to us freely that which we cannot earn on our own. Fill our hearts with gratitude, that we may live in the ways you have called us to live and bear witness to the new creations that we are in Christ. It’s in his name we pray, Amen. "

This Sunday we will gather for onsite worship in the Sanctuary at 11am. At this time there will be no 5pm service. If you will be joining us, please look through our guidelines on gathering for worship during COVID-19. https://bellefield.org/covid-19-guidelines/

Don't forget - Women of Bellefield are gathering on the patio for a time of fellowship. Bring a chair and a mask and join us!

This Sunday our 5pm worship service will meet inside, in Fellowship Hall. Please read through our guidelines for gathering inside for worship(https://bellefield.org/covid-19-guidelines/) . . See you there!

Pastor Josh spoke to us Sunday, teaching us that "stewardship is about how you take care of something that is not ultimately yours. If everything we have comes to us from the Lordas Scripture teachesthen the logical conclusion is that stewardship is about the whole of our life and what we do with all the things we have been given." . . How, then, are we supposed to live as those who belong to Jesus Christ? Paul reminds us, in Romans 12, that our love must be geniune; "unhyp...ocritical." This must have action as well: "Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good." . . "Eternal and ever-present God, give us new eyes with which to see your world. Give us new hearts with which to love you and to love the neighbors with whom you’ve surrounded us and to faithfully steward the relationships in our lives. Give us energized and steadfast hands to serve you by living and loving in ways that bear witness to the saving death of our risen Lord, in whose name we pray, Amen." See more

The weather will be beautiful this weekend - so women of Bellefield, come on out for a time of fellowship on the church patio! Email Jeanne Griffith if you have any questions.