As churches across Ireland remain closed today, due to the current Coronavirus emergency, Presbyterian Moderator, Rt Rev Dr William Henry, begins a short four-part series of sermons entitled ‘Hope beyond lockdown’.

Recorded in his home congregation, Maze Presbyterian earlier this week, Dr Henry said, “I’ve entitled this series ‘Hope beyond Lockdown’ as I will be focusing on things that are important to all of us a church. They are the things that we miss because we are in a period of lockdown and are the aspects of church that we should be desiring to get back to. Indeed, it is the hope of these experiences that creates the desire to be church together.”

The Moderator’s first is sermon is based on Exodus 19 and depicts a period in the life of Israel when God was telling them to get ready for a new day. “Our lesson, in the interim, is that God says something similar to us: use the time we have now to get ready for a new day of opportunity, an opportunity when we will have the expression of being church in our meetings, rather than being apart. A time when we can more fully be as Christ’s people.”

The service will also include a focus on VE Day in thanksgiving, with a short Pathé News clip followed by a prayer of intercession featuring some of PCI's military chaplains. The Kids talk will focus on being the aroma of Jesus - shining for Jesus.

This four-part series of Sunday sermons is Dr Henry’s last as Moderator before he hands over to his successor, Rev David Bruce.

You can watch Dr Henry's previous sermons on Habakkuk here:

• 3 May
• 25 April
• 19 April
• 29 March
• 22 March

You can also watch Dr Henry's Easter Services here:

• Easter Sunday
• Palm Sunday