Permitting the church to meet again on Sunday in a building of whatever kind should be of first priority

It was a small part of a larger debate to do mainly with the opening of garden centres.

From the beginning of lockdown, I have been troubled by some of the inconsistencies in the government guidelines with regard to essential services and key workers, eg off licences can open because government recognises some need alcohol.

Also churches, operating food banks, can open because government recognises some need food parcels.

All human beings, however, need the grace of God in Jesus Christ to live this life and to inherit eternal life.

The one body and setting where this amazing, pardoning grace of God is freely available to all of society is the church, not the church online, but the church meeting in a public place, accessible easily to all regardless of who they are. This is to happen especially one day in the week (Sunday).

Meeting publicly the church is to proclaim God’s grace, with anyone and everyone present having the opportunity to avail of this grace “without money and without price’.

Yet, presently, under Covid 19 the Church, unlike off licences, supermarkets, food banks etc, can not gather publicly to declare Jesus the Water of life and the Bread of life. Meantime, people all around are hungry, thirsty, hurting and fearful.

Moreover, the church meeting in the public arena is essential to the moral, spiritual and mental wellbeing of individuals and of the nation.

Permitting the church to meet again on Sunday in a building of whatever kind, whilst observing government guidelines, should be of first priority.

With her unique message of God’s grace in Jesus Christ, she is after all essential to our individual and national well-being, both temporally and eternally.

Rev Harry Coulter, Carrickfergus