In recent days, our congregation at Carryduff Free Presbyterian Church has been informed that Killynure Road—upon which our church stands—will be closed on Sunday, the 1st of March 2026, for the Run The Duff 5K race between 9:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. The organisers have assured us that we may have access to the road earlier, provided the last runner has passed through. Though we recognise the value of community and wholesome exercise, it is with deep sadness that we note this event falls upon the Lord’s Day. What is presented as a harmless community occasion has become yet another sign of a nation that has forgotten the holiness of the day God Himself set apart.
The organisers have reached out to us, assuring that the road “should be accessible by 11:00 a.m.” However, in their official correspondence, the scheduled reopening time remains 11:30 a.m. While we appreciate their contact, this half‑hour difference—though it may appear trivial to some—means that both our Sunday School and Prayer Meeting will be disrupted, as the Sunday School begins at 10:30am. The way to the house of God is being obstructed, not by persecution or hostility, but by the quiet drift of a society that no longer sees the worship of God as sacred, and this has been made clear to the organisers.
The Lord’s Day is not a common day, nor one for worldly pursuits. As Scripture commands, “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8). And again, “If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day… then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD” (Isaiah 58:13–14). The Lord’s Day belongs not to sport or entertainment, but to the worship of Almighty God. Yet our generation, intoxicated with self and pleasure, has exchanged holiness for amusement and reverence for recreation.
This event is but a symptom of a deeper spiritual departure—a turning away from God and from the eternal to the temporal. Men and women today live for the fleeting joy of the moment rather than the everlasting joy of knowing Christ. The closing of roads on the Lord’s Day mirrors the closing of hearts to the voice of God.
Oh, that our land would awaken again to the fear of the Lord, and that our people would esteem His commandments more than the clamour of the crowd. “Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts” (Malachi 3:7). Only then will our nation find rest and righteousness once more.
UPDATE 24/2/26: The organisers have been in touch to assure us that access will not be hindered, and we would like to thank them for clarity on this important issue.
Why should we keep the Sabbath Day?
Below, please find some more in depth information and Scriptural proofs of this Creation ordinance.
