Category: Blog Entry (Page 1 of 2)

Bellefield family, 

Our journey through this year’s Lenten season is nearing its destination. This season of repentance is meant to focus our hearts and minds upon Jesus by turning away from those things that distance us from him. It began with an intentional contemplation of our own mortality on Ash Wednesday. In this, we acknowledge our need for a Savior who can deliver us from the consequence of death and the confines of the grave. 

We know that Easter Sunday is a time to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus and the good news that death has been defeated. In order to fully celebrate that as we should, however, we must first make our journey through Holy Week. 

This begins with Palm Sunday. On that day we remember Jesus’ entry to Jerusalem and the crowds who sang the praises of the King. It continues with Maundy Thursday, the night that Jesus shared a final meal with his disciples before he was betrayed and arrested. It goes on to Good Friday, the day on which Jesus was crucified–“pierced for our transgressions”, as the prophet Isaiah said–and died for the sins of his people. It moves on to Holy Saturday, perhaps the most solemn day of the Church year, marking the day that Jesus remained dead and buried. And it leads, of course, to Easter Sunday and the brilliant dawn of the resurrection morning. 

I invite you to join us as you are able for our various times of worship and prayer throughout this week. All of the information for our services can be found in this newsletter or our online platforms. I’d also encourage you to invite others to join you (in person or online) for these times. Most of all, I hope that this will be a season in which we can all draw near to Jesus, resting and rejoicing in our Risen Lord and looking with anticipation to that time when he comes again. 

I pray this finds you healthy and well. 

Grace and peace,
Josh

Bellefield family, 

One year ago this week, we halted onsite gatherings and began our Sunday ‘Worship at Home’ services. Since then, we have had to rethink many of the ways we gather and worship. We have had opportunities to start new things and to creatively continue life together.

As we approach the Easter season, and as we see gradual yet encouraging signs regarding infection and vaccine rates, I want to highlight our updated plans in a few areas.

(Note: all onsite events require masks and physical distancing)

Worship: Onsite at 11 am and 5 pm, and online anytime via YouTube or join our 11 am Facebook watch party. *For Easter Sunday we will offer onsite services at 8:30 am and 11:00 am*
Children and Youth: We plan to resume Sunday nursery and Children in Worship on Easter. Youth discipleship groups online and limited in-person events are ongoing. For more information, see the ‘Bellefield Parents’ Facebook page (email tanya@bellefield.org to join) or the Bellefield Youth Group website.
University: Weekly gatherings are now onsite and online. For more information, see the Cornerstone page.

For current plans and events regarding any of our other ministries (Young Adult, Men’s and Women’s, Small Groups, Spiritual Growth Classes, etc), please check the calendar and announcements included in these weekly newsletters.

Our intent is to continue being faithful and responsible in how we do the things we do. We invite you to join us onsite or online according to what is best for you and your loved ones, and we encourage you to invite others to do so also. 

As always, I pray this finds you healthy and well. 

Grace and peace,
Josh

Bellefield family, 

“Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.” — 1 Corinthians 12:27

Faith in Jesus Christ means being united to him and becoming part of his body, that is, all those around the world and throughout the ages whom God has called to himself and given new life by his Spirit. Scripture calls this body the Church. Jesus Christ “is the head of body, the church” (Colossians 1:18), and we are “individually members of it”. 

What does it mean to be a ‘member’ of the Church? 
First–and most importantly–it means to be united to Jesus Christ. If you are someone who confesses that Jesus Christ is Lord and places your trust in him alone for your redemption then you are a part of his body, which is the Church. 
It also means being united to other believers in a particular place. Paul addressed the letter we call 1 Corinthians, “To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours” (1 Corinthians 1:2).

This shows that the Church universal (believers from every time and place) finds its expression in local congregations (e.g. Corinth), where believers gather for worship, prayer, fellowship, and service.

Being part of Christ’s Church, then, means belonging to Jesus Christ and also being intentionally associated and aligned with other believers. Becoming a member of a local congregation is a way in which both of these things are exhibited. 

This Sunday we will begin a three-part New Members’ Class (see below for details). Whether you are new to the Christian faith–or to Bellefield–or not, this will provide time to learn more about who we are and what we believe. At the end of the course, you will have the option to join as a member at Bellefield. If you’ve never taken this step, or would like to find out more of what it means and why it matters, then I invite you to participate in this class. For more information or to register, please contact the office. 

I pray this finds you healthy and well. 

Grace and peace,
Josh

Bellefield family, 

Sometime in the fall of 2019, after praying about it, I decided to begin 2020 by preaching through the New Testament letter of 2 Corinthians. I had always appreciated that letter, though I had no idea just how relevant it and timely its message would prove to be.

The Lord’s words to Paul provided the theme: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness”, which led Paul to say, “For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).

We spent almost three months studying that letter and those themes, finishing two weeks into the start of the quarantine and our season of online-only worship.
In hindsight, it seems quite providential that our time prior to a global pandemic focused on the importance of relying on God’s grace to provide the strength we need in the midst of our own weakness. Perhaps, in God’s mercy, that was a small way to help ready our hearts for the months to come. 

I bring this up for two reasons. First, to remind us all that the word of God is “living and active” (Hebrews 4:12), and God says that when his word goes out “it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11). When we study Scripture, we are not simply looking to glean information from ancient texts. We are listening attentively to the God who speaks, trusting that what he says is true and good, and that God’s “word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105).
Second, to invite us to look back, because we will often see unexpected signs of God’s goodness and grace. They may be stunning or they may be simple, though they will be there if we look with the eyes of faith for the loving hand of our heavenly Father. Even the difficult times can be seen differently if they caused us to draw nearer to God. As Paul wrote, “For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead” (2 Corinthians 1:8-9). 

Scripture is always timely; always relevant. God is always active; always good. Not even a year of pandemic can diminish these truths. 

I pray this finds you healthy and well. 

Grace and peace,
Josh

Bellefield family, 

There are three traditional feast days that the global Church has historically celebrated. You could probably guess two of them (Christmas and Easter), but do you know the third? It’s Epiphany, traditionally observed on January 6th each year. The date marks the end of the twelve-day celebration of Christmas (hence the famous song), and the name comes from the Greek word for “manifestation”. 
Some Christian traditions use the day to commemorate the visit of the Magi to the infant Jesus (Matthew 2:1-12), when it was first made manifest that Jesus had come to bring light to the nations. Other Christian traditions use the day to commemorate the baptism of Jesus (Mark 1:9-11), when the identity of Jesus as the Son of God was made manifest. With either emphasis, we are reminded to turn our hearts and minds to Jesus Christ, looking to the one who is fully God and fully man, come to redeem for himself a people from every tribe and nation. 

It’s an appropriate reminder at the start of a new year, because it is so easy for us to turn our attention and adoration elsewhere. We may look back and reflect upon what was or we may look ahead and set goals and resolutions about the things we want to accomplish. These aren’t bad in and of themselves, though it can be very easy to become consumed by things that are fleeting at best and idolatrous at worst. 

The Psalms call us to a different posture and priority when they say, “Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways” (Psalm 119:37). Epiphany, then, sets before us the thing that is of ultimate worth: the Son of God, who brings light and life to the nations. 

Throughout the recent Advent season, we focused on the fact that our God is not one who remains distant and hidden. Our God has come to us, made his dwelling among us, and reveals his glory to the nations in the person of Jesus, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). As we enter this new year together, let’s fix our hearts and minds upon this.

Grace and peace,
Josh

Bellefield family,

For many people, Lent is a time to give up something. There’s good reasoning behind that spiritual discipline: Lent is a season of repentance, a time to “lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely” (Hebrews 12:1), and an opportunity to journey with Jesus to the cross. 

Repentance, however, is about more than just turning away from sin. Turning away from one thing means that you are, at the same time, turning towards something else. The Heidelberg Catechism (one of the historic teaching documents in the Reformed tradition, written in question-and-answer format), puts it like this:

Q. 88. What is involved in genuine repentance or conversion?A. Two things: the dying away of the old self, and the coming-to-life of the new.
This two-fold movement echoes the language of Romans 6:11, which says, “So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” Lent, therefore, can be also be a season in which we embrace new things that help us turn more towards Jesus and experience life in him. 

Perhaps the simplest and easiest practices to adopt (if you don’t do them already) are times of daily Bible reading and prayer. Making a point to engage with Scripture and seek the Lord in prayer are incredibly formative means by which we nurture the “coming-to-life” of our new identity in Jesus Christ. 

Whether this is something you currently practice or not, a resource that can help you is DevoCast. There you will find customizable daily Bible reading plans and podcasts–all of which are read and produced by members of the Bellefield family. If you don’t already have a way that you engage the spiritual practices of Scripture reading and prayer then I encourage you to check out this resource.

As we move deeper into this Lenten season together, let’s be intentional about this two-fold movement in which we set aside the things that draw us away from Jesus and we embrace the things that bring us near to him. This is what repentance is all about, and I invite us to join together on that journey. 

I pray this finds you healthy and well. 

Grace and peace, 
Josh

Bellefield family,

“…for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” — Genesis 3:19

Few passages of Scripture humble us as much as this, when the LORD tells Adam and Eve that their sin has brought an inevitable consequence — the shadow of which darkens the lives of all their descendants.
Few things force us to confront our own mortality as much as a global pandemic, when an airborne virus brings that still inevitable consequence to the foreground.
Facing our own mortality may be uncomfortable, though it prepares us to fully celebrate the good news of the resurrection. This coming Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, marking the beginning of Lent and the start of a season that leads to Easter. Lent is more than a time to temporarily deprive yourself of things in which you probably overindulge. It’s a season in the life of the Church that calls us to face the things we try our hardest to avoid.
Lent culminates with the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Scripture tells us that the resurrection of Jesus is the promise and pledge of what will one day be true for all those who belong to him. In his death and resurrection, Jesus has taken away our sin and triumphed over the grave–and this indeed is good news of great joy. Before the celebration, however, comes confession; before the rejoicing comes repentance.
Ash Wednesday, in particular, is a time to acknowledge our need for a Savior who can cleanse us from our sin and raise us from the dead. The journey through Lent begins in a minor key, though this, too, is an important part of the Story. I invite you to join us for our Ash Wednesday service this year. In addition to an onsite and online option, we are also offering you a simple home liturgy that you can use. More information can be found below.
Lent begins with the reminder that we, like Adam, are sinners under the sentence of death–but ends with the announcement that we have a new promised identity in Christ. We are but dust, though our hope is in the Risen Lord Jesus, “who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body” (Philippians 3:21). For “Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven” (1 Corinthians 15:49).
I pray this finds you healthy and well.
Grace and peace,
Josh

Bellefield family, 

Book One of Victor Hugo’s classic novel, Les Miserables, is titled, “An Upright Man”, and it opens with a lengthy portrayal of Monsieur Myriel, the Bishop of Digne. Hugo presents a character who cares deeply for the people of his parish, often giving of himself and his own possessions in order to serve others. Although he was a leader of some prominence, “he behaved the same with the rich as with the poor”, and “he condemned nothing hastily or without taking account of circumstances”–characteristics displayed in his later interactions with the protagonist, Jean Valjean. 
After more than a dozen pages describing Myriel’s character and actions, Hugo writes, “Clearly, he had his own strange way of judging things. I suspect he acquired it from the Gospels.” 
His was a counterintuitive way of living in the world, a life that was different and distinct, a life that sought to live and love in ways that bore witness to Jesus Christ. It’s the kind of life that takes shape when we embrace and exhibit the things that Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount. 
However, it is not our outward actions but the state of our heart that matters most. This is a point Jesus makes all throughout the Sermon on the Mount, and one on which he particularly focuses at the mid-point of his message. This Sunday, Greg Burdette–our Director of Grad Student and Young Adult Ministry–will be preaching on Matthew 6:1-8, 16-18. 
This week, we’ll be back to having three options for worship (online, 11 am in the sanctuary, 5 pm in Fellowship Hall), and I invite you to join us as we continue to spend time with the words of our Savior and the “strange way of judging things” that we acquire from Sermon on the Mount. 
I pray this finds you healthy and well. 
Grace and peace,
Josh

Bellefield family, 

As I’ve often shared with you, our approach toward times of corporate worship has been to provide opportunities that are faithful to our biblical and theological convictions while also being responsible in the way that we go about gathering together during a time of pandemic. To facilitate this, we’ve had times of worship indoors, outdoors, and online over the past months.
In all of these, we have sought to come together with other believers to offer our songs and prayers to God, hear God’s Word given to us, and–when we are able–celebrate the sacramental signs and seals of God’s covenant (Baptism and Communion). 
We recognize that the online service remains the best option for many people, and we encourage you to participate in that–especially if you are ill in any way, belong to an at-risk group, or are not comfortable attending an in-person service. 
For those looking to attend an onsite worship service, we currently have an 11 am service in the sanctuary, and on February 7th we will resume our 5 pm service in Fellowship Hall. Like all onsite events, these will be masked and physically distanced times. The 5 pm service has always been ‘relaxed, reflective, and reverent’, and includes the same Scriptures, sermon, and prayers as the 11 am online and onsite services, just with a different musical style and setting. 
It has been hard to not be able to gather together in the ways to which we are accustomed, and I know it can be easy to disengage because of that. As different (and even awkward) as it may be, however, I encourage you to join us as we worship, in whatever way is best for you, because worship is at the very heart of who we are as Christians. Online or onsite; morning or evening; gathered or scattered–let’s join with the psalmist in saying, 
“I will bless the LORD at all times;his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the LORD;let the humble hear and be glad. Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together!”(Psalm 34:1-3)
I pray this finds you healthy and well, and look forward to seeing you again. 
Grace and peace,
Josh

Bellefield family, 

Words can carry great power. They can challenge or comfort, they can inflame or inspire, and they can harm or heal. We’ve seen this all displayed in our recent national discourse.

Words can carry great power, and who it is that speaks can carry great weight. Presidents and poets, leaders and legislators–the past few weeks have produced no shortage of powerful words from those who occupy significant roles in our society. Some of what has been said may soon fade from our collective memory, while some of what has been said may endure, with their words remaining familiar and influential in years to come. 

If the words that we speak to one another can carry such power and weight, then how much more consequential would it be for God himself to speak to us? 
This is not a thought exercise or hypothetical scenario. In Jesus, we have God himself, the Word-made-flesh, who has come to us. His words, then, carry greater power and weight than any others. That’s one of the reasons we’re currently studying the Sermon on the Mount. In it, we hear the Savior speaking to us. What Jesus says is not always easy to hear or embrace, yet he speaks words of light and life. 

Even though the words of Jesus tower above anything else we will ever hear or say, the words we speak to one another still matter. As we’ll see this Sunday, Jesus says we cannot speak words of anger or insult to one another, and that we must speak with honesty and integrity at all times (Matthew 5:22,37).

We’re not good at this, which is why we must listen well to the words of the God who speaks to us–and then go out to live and speak as his people in this world. After all, we are to “be doers of the word, and not hearers only” (James 1:22).
I pray this finds you healthy and well, and that we may all be those who hear and heed the words of our Savior.

Grace and peace,
Josh