I beg to differ...

 "We're busily going nowhere, Isn't it just a crime".

One of the outstanding court-room dramas of modern times is A Few Good Men, which involves two American marines being tried for the death of a third because they followed an illegal order, known as a code red, to discipline the soldier, and their efforts go badly wrong.

The main action involves the build-up to the final conflict when the defence requires the C O of the men to take the stand, but there's a great scene in the movie where the whole nature of this manner of order is examined by both councils in this beautifully crafted moment.

Note the arguments given here - is it in the manual? Is it essential to the nature of the operations of the unit. Clearly, as shown in the film, those in command believed it was, but the conclusion of their convictions is the death of a man at the hands of his comrades through procedures which were, in effect, illegal and far from good for those who were living under such a regime.

Sometimes, of course, as the scene shows, there are things that are part of life that may not be written down in the general rules, but it's when the actions we're required to fulfil effectively break or silence the vitality of the rules themselves that we're placing ourselves in trouble.

The UK has found itself operating under a huge "Code Red" in 2020 - executive orders implemented by a small group - an inner circle - in Government for the supposed good of us all. We're all too familiar with the general consequences of this in respects to the restrictions we continue to live under as the year ends, but amongst those requirements, Christians are especially aware of those that have been addressed towards them.

In his work, A Better Way, Dr Michael Horton seeks to open up the very form and purpose of our gathering together as church in respects to what this does and why this matters. In the section on Devine worship in a service he notes: "submitting to particular forms (in respect to liturgy and content) disciplines (structures) us not only as the congregation, but also reins in pastors or worship leaders at whose mercy we often find ourselves... If worship is truly to be Christ-centred, then we will not move beyond the types and forms God commands, whilst allowing liberty on the peripherals (i.e. the time and duration of our gathering)".

Worship, as Jesus shows us in the opening of the Lord's Prayer, is the manner whereby we come before the Father to see the connection between heaven and earth opened so that His will may become evident amongst us.

It is, then, a deep cause for concern when those in power require us to abstain from such actions (praise in singing, for example), because of the 'harm' this may cause to others.

This should certainly raise a critical question in us - is this right?

The reasoning here is that health standards require such a negation of particular expressions of worship - just as they also have negated having public bibles in pews, handshakes at doors or full communion in most services - but can this be something that should be sustained for continuing weeks, months... or even longer?

The book of Job tells us that as God formed, spread and furnished the cosmos, the 'stars' of heaven - the living creatures, angels and countless other 'sons of God', sang in sheer wonder at the Lord's great handiwork (Job 38:7). As the Apostle John observes the panoramic unfolding of tumultuous events amongst the nations of men upon the earth in the revelation the Lord gives to conclude scripture, his visions of this are paired to seeing into the throne room of the Almighty, where countless numbers of beings provide a throng of constant worship (Revelation 4,5,7,19). When the 'teachers' of Jesus' day sought to silence those who worshipped Him, He rebuked them by saying that if they did so, the very stones would cry out in praise (Luke 19:40).

Genuine and proper worship by the saints is therefore essential to the very fibre of our being those defined as church, and yet, this is the very foundational matter that has been extracted from our gathering together.

The consequences are clear.

Like the Israelites in captivity, we are muted in what we must be and do (Psalm 137).

Because of this, we are not seeking to uphold what we're commanded to do (1 Corinthians 14:26) and this clearly impresses upon our nature, practice and identity as church (Ephesians 5:19).

Some ten months ago, we were told such restrictions would be short lived, but as time has passed, we have succumbed to our Government's version of a code red for Christianity, and it has silenced much of what we have to say.

It is clearly time to repent (turn away) from where we now find ourselves and begin once again to rejoice in the Lord.

Let's see this as one of the key goals for the weeks and months ahead.