March 10, 2023 | ISSUE #153

Bellefield family, 

This Sunday is the beginning of daylight saving time, when we move our clocks ahead one hour and when people again debate the merit and purpose of such an action. I suspect that you know the basic history behind the practice: in the pre-modern world, most work was limited to what you could do during the daylight hours. As a way to better align working hours with the actual daylight hours, clocks would be adjusted ahead during the longer times of daylight and adjusted back during the shorter times of daylight. 

Whether that is still a necessary practice in a modern society is a legitimate question, though the logic behind it is simple. Light allows you to work and walk in ways that you cannot when it is dark. Jesus used the same simple metaphor when he said, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him." (John 11:9-10)

Now, clearly, Jesus was not advocating for or against the modern concept of daylight saving, so what was he saying?

Shortly before this, Jesus had famously said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (John 8:12). To say that Jesus is the light of the world is not to say that he has some miraculous bioluminescence but to say that Jesus is the one who reveals God to us, piercing the darkness of sin and showing us the ways in which God has called his people to live. Whoever believes and follows will no longer be subject to the darkness of the grave but "will have the light of life". 

These are vital reminders for us as we continue through this season of Lent. The lenten journey of repentance is not a lengthy guilt trip but a time of regular and intentional stepping into the light. It's meant to be a season in which we turn our attention to the One who came to die so that we might live. To neglect or refuse to do this is to 'walk in the night'.

One easy and practical step to help you 'walk in the day' is to begin your day with Scripture and prayer. Even if your mornings are a chaotic rush and you barely get to where you need to be when you need to be, this is a worthwhile practice--and it need not take long: carve out a few minutes to read a Psalm and offer a prayer. Then, as the day goes on, reflect on those things and on the love that God has shown us in Jesus. You'll be encouraged by how much these little habits can bring light to your day and life to your days. 

Grace and peace, 

Josh

Sunday, March 12th - Daylight Savings Time

• Classic Worship @ 8:30am, Sanctuary
• Sunday Classes @ 9:45am
• Modern Worship @ 11am, Sanctuary
• Modern Worship Online, Livestream @ 11am
• Young Adult Small Group @12:45pm, room B6
• Relaxed Worship @ 5pm, Fellowship Hall

Monday, March 13th

• Women's Bible Study @ 9:30, Conference Room & Online
• Youth Group, Email Matthew for details
• Chatham Christian Fellowship @ 7pm, Chatham

Tuesday, March 14th

• University Small Group @ 7pm, room B6

Wednesday, March 15th

• Wednesday Hangouts & Bible Club, Email Matthew for details
• Young Adult Small Group @ 7:00pm, room B5
• Cornerstone Fellowship @ 8:40pm, Fellowship Hall

Thursday, March 16th

• Young Adult Small Group @ 7:00pm, room B6
• Freshman Bible Study @ 7:00pm, room B5

Friday, March 17th

• Chatham Healthcare Bible Study @ 3pm

Saturday, March 18th

• Families with Young Children Small Group @ 9:30am, Room 203
• Women's Quilting Event @ 10am, rooms B5 & B6
• Women's Small Group @ 10:30am, Conference Room

Sunday, March 19th

• Classic Worship @ 8:30am, Sanctuary
• Sunday Classes @ 9:45am
• Modern Worship @ 11am, Sanctuary
• Modern Worship Online, Livestream @ 11am
• Young Adult Small Group @12:45pm, room B6
• Senior Seminar @ 3pm, Conference Room
• Relaxed Worship @ 5pm, Fellowship Hall
• University Bible Study @ 7pm, Conference Room

To watch our worship service online after Sunday morning, head over to our YouTube page, click Videos and then Past Live Videos. On Tuesdays you can find the recorded live stream on the front page of our YouTube channel.

"Modern Problems, Historic Solutions"

Sundays at 9:45am in Fellowship hall, we will be looking at problems and questions that we face today as believers, and if we can glean any wisdom from how Christians who came before us dealt with those questions.

Throughout March, our class continues by looking at controversies around race and the church. This Sunday, we'll look at the split between the northern and southern Presbyterian churches at the time of the Civil War. We'll use that to help us think through how to know when cultural blinders may lead us to approve of sin.

Connect

If you are looking for ways to connect with our community, please reach out to us using this connect form. One of our staff or leaders would be happy to talk with you. 

Small Groups

If you would like to grow in your faith through joining a small group, there are a number of groups to choose from! Email Julie for more information.

Prayer

Our Prayer Team will offer prayer after our morning service. Contact Greg if you need to talk or would like prayer during the week.

Deacons

If you or your family have been experiencing spiritual, financial, or physical hardship during this time, please reach out to our Deacons who are here to help care for you.

deacons@bellefield.org